Christopher Eccleston is a renowned actor, known best for his stint as the ninth Doctor on BBC’s “Doctor Who,” Malekith in “Thor: The Dark World,” and more recently as Maurice Scott in “The A Word.” What may be less known about him is his struggles with depression, anorexia, and the loss of his dad by dementia.
From cover to cover, it is like Eccleston is speaking directly with you about his experiences – outining his life from his childhood to his career. The casual tone creates a sense of intimacy between him and the reader. By this, I mean that he isn’t the recipient of an Emmy or two BAFTA nominations – he’s just a guy sharing his story and his struggles.
There is some sensitive content in this book, so I would caution anyone who might be emotionally affected by reading about stories of suicide, depression, and eating disorders.
Eccleston did a fantastic (pun intended, for the Whovians out there) job at painting a vivid image of what struggling with mental health looks like. He does not romanticize it. When explaining his ordeal and his admittance to a psychiatric hospital he is very straight forward.
Personally, I enjoy hearing people’s life stories, so I found this memoir riveting. The parts about his father’s decline into dementia hit close to home.
The novel made for an engaging read. Words fueled by emotion seemed to fly off the page, while passages about his stability and career lulled me back into a more relaxed state.
Finishing this novel left me with the feeling of wanting to give Eccleston a hug. Overall, the novel was very poignant and touching. I give this book 5/5 stars.