Bipolar Shoes is a quick, easy read of about 150 pages - an intensely personal story of the author's struggle with bipolar illness. Although there were signs of the illness earlier on, Mr. O'Riordan's first major episode - the one that landed him for the first time in a psychiatric hospital, occurred in 1994 when he was 33 years old. The story begins with his birth and youth, but mostly relates his personal life journey from that time on.
It's an intriguing story in that it is so personal, focusing not only on the illness itself but heavily on O'Riordan's relationships with family, friends and work associates. This makes it truly unique, for O'Riordan is brutally honest. He pulls no punches; what he experiences, feels and thinks, he bluntly states, to a sometimes shocking degree. This is especially true in relation to himself. But one gets to know him intimately as the story rapidly unfolds. I liked that aspect of it - it does not simply repeat episode after episode of illness endlessly as some books tend to do; rather it flows through his life in all its very everyday experiences so that one really comes to know this man. The conversational, down-to-earth tone as well as the photos at the end of the book help achieve this feeling of familiarity.
One has to admire O'Riordan's indomitable, Irish spirit. Though the struggle is always very trying, and at times most difficult, he eventually always rises to the challenges. He accepts his fate, his illness, head-on and does what he can to make his life meaningful and satisfying. Family relationships are very important to him and tracing these as they break and mend, and sometimes break again but, lately, more often mend again, makes interesting reading.
I appreciated O'Riordan's insistence that all is not gloom and doom for one living with a mental illness. "Definitely there are plusses to being in a manic state" he writes, "if you are not too far over the top. This is the creative best that you can experience. I would say that all people with the illness enjoy this experience." He asks the rhetorical question: "Why can't a person be 'gifted' with bipolar disorder?" and gives his answer: "those who are in a manic state are gifted with wonderful creativity . . . [Hornbacher's writing talent in Madness immediately pops into mind here]. It is a shame that we only hear about the negative news giving details about mental illness playing a role in some tragedies."
Favorite quotes: The stigma of mental illness stll exists in society today mainly because of ignorance of the facts . . . the biggest problem I see is that people think mental illness is a weakness. Being bipolar is the most confusing, self-abusive, incomprehensible, tormenting, annoying, and rewarding illness I know of; it is who I am. There are days, weeks, and months, sometimes even years, where everything is normal and medications are doing their jobs, and then out of the blue, you get hit in the face with a shovel, and bad things start to happen.
