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There are currently 14 member reviews
for Me, Myself and Them
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Susan Morris
A Most Unusual Read
This book is not for everyone and at first I felt I wasn't going to like it myself but it soon started to draw me in and by the conclusion it had me in tears. It brings out a wide range of emotions as the reader follows the fascinating path of Denis Murphy, an OCD vulnerable young man whose guilt over a tragic accident has taken over his mind causing him to dwell in a strange world of hallucinations and isolation from others. You are introduced to an outlandish group of characters who inhabit his mind and terrorize his home but due to his mental illness, he accepts them as housemates and puts up with their antics. There is also a heartwarming love story involved and some good friends who believe in him. Thus, I ended up truly glad for having read this book and hope others will find it as powerful as I did.
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Sandy P. (Ashburn, VA)
A Humorous Look at the Seriousness of Mental Illness
I enjoyed this book so much. I thought the characters were well done. The descriptions of the routines that Denis has set up for himself to follow are marvelous and easily imagined. I laughed; I cried. I would recommend this book to book clubs definitely; so much to discuss. While I did feel it took a little too long to build up and develop some tension, once it did, the story moved faster, and I was completely immersed in Denis's world. I had a couple questions about 3 of the "stranger" characters that I wanted answered early in the story, but I understood why the answers, when I got them, came at the end. I have not read many fiction books about mental illness, and this was refreshingly different from my usual. I recommend this book and thank you to BookBrowse for the opportunity to read it.
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Melissa C. (Three Forks, MT)
Me, Myself, and Them
This was a very well executed book for a first time novel. The story had a way of drawing you in and making assumptions that constantly had you go back and reassess the earlier assumptions.
While mental health may not be on everyone's favorite fictional reading list, the exchanges between humor and sadness keep the story alive. I looked forward to each new reading session.
My empathy has increased for people dealing with mental health disorders and their families. I will be a happy recommender for this book!
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Robert M. (Smyrna, GA)
Love In The Time of Mental Illness
As I read this book, I thought of the 1962 film David & Lisa, which also dealt with love blossoming during mental illness. However, in Daniel Mooney's book, the main character (Denis Murphy) is the only one dealing with psychosis, in this case a multiple personality disorder that manifests into four separate 'housemates' who are bent on meddling in Denis' life. Mooney does an excellent job of slowly revealing the causes of Denis' mental maladies, and he takes great care in giving us a glimpse into the horrors that confront Denis every day and in every situation. My biggest criticism is the relatively quick transition from OCD scheduled existence to fawning loverboy with the reappearance of his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca. Someone with the extensive emotional issues that Denis possesses would have a much more difficult time transitioning into the unpredictable world of renewed love. Still, this was an entertaining read about a serious subject that is not easy to convey to the average reader. In my opinion, this is where Mr. Mooney excels and why this book is worthy of your reading time.
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Becky S. (Springfield, MO)
I'm in the minority
I tried to like this book... I just found that i couldn't relate at all. I'm sure having multiple personalities is confusing for the person suffering from this mental disorder, because I certainly found it very confusing trying to figure out if the physical things happening in the story were just in Denis Brad or if they were really happening? I just kept picturing the clown from "it" as one of the "roommates". Others got much more out of the story than I did.. I felt like Rebecca's character was not realistic.. she just seemed to shrug off Denis OCD behavior as kind of silly , and I didn't feel like she reacted to the seriousness of it all.. as I said, I realize I am in the minority on this book. And I will take the blame for not understanding it and enjoying it as others obviously did .
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Gail H. (Live Oak, FL)
Great Premise, Long Delivery
Daniel Mooney's "Me. Myself, and Them," explores a little discussed topic of men's emotional health and the reluctance imposed by our culture for men to ask for help. The main character, Denis, undergoes an horrific tragedy and copes with the aftermath by creating four housemates who rule his life. Mooney's descriptions are wonderful. For example. he described Denis's friend, Frank, had a "well-trimmed beard that stuck to his jawline." I could immediately visualize all of the characters in this book, even the imaginary housemates in Denis's house. Also quite well done is the depiction of Denis's obsession with order and routine. However, after midway through, this book began to drag for me. Some of the plot development should have been tightened. At times, I felt like Mooney was attempting to hit me over the head with his message. Overall, I would recommend this book for its purpose although not necessarily for its brevity.
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Jan Z. (Jefferson, SD)
Me, Myself and Them
This story was rather confusing for me. I don't know enough about mental illnesses that involve multiple personalities to know if it is actually possible that this could happen. (Can the physical violence the character of Plasterer did to Denis occur? Can a person beat up himself?)
Also, sometimes when I was reading sections of this book I would ask myself, "Is this supposed to be funny?" It was an awful way that the main character had to live - with his four roommates who were all alter identities - but sometimes the author added humorous parts that seemed sort of out of place and disorienting. Or maybe I was reading it wrong.
I'm glad I read this, it leaves me with a desire to find out more about this particular mental illness. I'm not sure I could recommend it as a "good" book, though.
