The Adderall Diaries
A Memoir of Moods, Masochism, and Murder
-
-
3.7 • 62 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this groundbreaking memoir, Stephen Elliott pursues parallel investigations: a gripping account of a notorious San Francisco murder trial, and an electric exploration of the self. Destined to be a classic, The Adderall Diaries was described by The Washington Post as "a serious literary work designed to make you see the world as you've never quite seen it before."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As a writer stymied by past success, writers block, substance abuse, relationship problems and a serious set of father issues, Elliott's cracked-out chronicle of a bizarre murder trial amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Not long into the 2007 trial of programmer Hans Reiser, accused of murdering his wife, the defendant's friend Sean Sturgeon obliquely confessed to several murders (though not the murder of Reiser's wife). Elliott, caught up in the film-ready twist and his tenuous connection to Sturgeon (they share a BDSM social circle), makes a gonzo record of the proceedings. The result is a scattered, self-indulgent romp through the mind of a depressive narcissist obsessed with his insecurities and childhood traumas. Elliott is an undeniably good writer, but his voice has more to do with amphetamines than the author himself or the trial at hand. Elliott's frustration with himself is contagious; any readers expecting a true crime will be bewildered, and those familiar with Elliott (My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up) will find more (or less) of the same.
Customer Reviews
THOROUGHLY DETAILED THRILLER
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO BAY AREA READERS/RESIDENTS
Coming from a native San Franciscan that also takes Adderall twice a day, I find it fascinating that Stephen Elliot manages to interweave from the present to his childhood to his personal life of S&M. Even his description of the music made me feel like I was there.
Great memoir and true crime story
This is the best bit of nonfiction writing I've read since Dave Egger's "Zeitoun". It's half strikingly honest memoir, and half straightforward journalism (but the best kind of journalism. The well-researched long-form journalism that you actually want to read). I just recently finished this book and am already tempted to read it again.
Don't waste your time
Stupidest book I've ever read