It's Kind of a Funny Story

Ned Vizzini was an author from Brooklyn, NY. Unfortunately, he is no longer living. In December of 2013, Ned committed suicide at his home in New York City. Suffering from depression for many years took a toll on him and he proceeded to take his own life eventually. His fight with depression as a young adult inspired a book that captured five days he spent in a psychiatric hospital in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The book “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” (2006) follows a young teenage boy who struggles with depression as well and chronicles the days he spends in a psychiatric hospital, also in Brooklyn, after contemplating taking his own life. New York Magazine says, “It’s terrific: funny, incisive, disarming.” People Magazine says, “The wise, witty narrator and sensitive handling of a hot topic should win over older tees- and their parents.” Craig is a typical teen boy who is struggling to find the balance between his friends, his schoolwork and doing what his parents want him to do. He finds that his new school is becoming much harder than he expected and begins to spiral out of control in a way normal teens might. He becomes depressed and overwhelmed. He seeks professional help only to find that his medication is not doing the trick. One night contemplates taking his own life only to be talked out of it by someone on the suicide hotline, the number for which he finds in one of his mother’s self help books. From this point on, the book documents the time Craig spends in the psychiatric hospital trying to recover from his episode and get back to normal life. He also makes some new and interesting friends along the way. Ned does an amazing job of making Craig a very dynamic character. This may be attributed to the fact that he experienced the events himself and puts his own personality into the character. Craig could easily be someone we all went to high school with. For a while he suffers in silence and eventually breaks, as some people do at that point. While making Craig relatable to every stressed out teen, Vizzini makes the story funny. That may be the sole reason this book is so enjoyable; he takes a serious and often scary situation and turns it into something we can all laugh about. Even Craig laughs along with us at some points. An example of this is from page 4 and 5 from his book: “Craig? You want?” It’s passed to me, wrapped up in a concise delivery system, but I pass it on. I’m doing an experiment with my brain. I’m seeing if maybe pot is the problem; maybe that’s what has come in and robbed me. I do this every so often, for a few weeks, and then I smoke a lot of pot, just to test if maybe the lack of it is what has robbed me. “You all right, man?” This should be my name. I could be like a superhero: You All Right Man. On it’s face, this book would seem to be strictly a humorous novel about an awful situation. Ned Vizzini talks about depression and suicide in a way that makes it seem less, well, depressing. Hidden in the book are very thought provoking passages as well which make the reader think a little more deeply about the overall message he is trying to convey. He ultimately serves to shed some light on the severity of depressive thoughts and how nothing should be treated as a mistake. If someone is suffering, listen to them. It could mean life or death at some point. He highlights one of Craig’s “bad” periods on page 117: “Then I’d get bad. Usually it happened after a chill session at Aarons house, one of those glorious times when we got high and watched a really bad movie, something with Will Smith where we could point out all the product placements and plot holes. I’d wake up one the couch in Aaron’s living room (I would sleep there while he slept with Nia in the back) and I’d want to die. I’d feel wasted and burnt, having wasted my time and my body and my energy and my words and my soul.” Vizzini has written a few other books, Teen Angst? Naaah…(2000), Be More Chill (2004), The Other Normals (2012) and House of Secrets (2013). Unfortunately, the sequel to House of Secrets, House of Secrets: Battle of the Beasts was never completed due to his untimely death. These may very well be worth checking out if It’s Kind of a Funny Story was enjoyable or seemed interesting to you.

Ned Vizzini had the best voice in writing. I loved this book as a teen, and love it more as an adult. It is such a good read! Now my daughter is reading it and she loves it too. I'm also very glad they have kept the original cover art and haven't changed it. It's perfect. Also, don't watch the movie. It sucks in comparison.

If you’re looking for an insightful, objective review of this book I would encourage you to look elsewhere. I can’t review this book like a normal one because it’s too personal. But let’s rewind a bit. Here are the basics: Craig is depressed. He’s a hardworking high school student in New York who has increasing trouble coping with daily life. He’s surrounded by friends who are focused on getting high and hooking up and finds himself increasingly marginalized by his internal struggles. This culminates in a suicidal crisis which lands him in a psychiatric hospital for five days. Over the course of his stay, he makes connections with his fellow patients and learns to accept his situation while moving ahead toward a meaningful life. The story is pretty straightforward and the writing is casual yet sensitive. Vizzini writes in the voice of his 15 year old protagonist, though this can be a bit inconsistent at times. Occasionally, aspects of the story seem a bit idealized and simplified. Additionally, the conclusion is rapid and feels tentative as we don’t learn anything of life after the hospital for Craig. This could feel a bit irresponsible or unrealistic as it’s very rare for any sort of mental illness to be corrected and sorted out fully over the course of one week. Depression typically doesn’t work like that. Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredibly meaningful and helpful to me. Like Ned Vizzini and his fictional Craig, I too have had a short stay in a psychiatric hospital. It happened out of the blue. A manic episode with a sprinkling of psychosis (in my right mind I generally don’t think I can communicate telepathically with people--or dogs). After ranting and raving for hours, my parents finally took me to the hospital where I proceeded to shout about how out of control I was and how I might hurt myself if I didn’t get help immediately. I was sedated and transferred to a psychiatric facility. I am so grateful for the support of my family and the genuine, expert care I received. This was another aspect of the book that felt a little unrealistic. Craig received a few individual counseling sessions and one group arts and crafts class. In my experience there were near constant, varied groups and repeated meetings with mental health professionals. Surely care varies from facility to facility. This book highlighted the relationships Craig formed with the other patients--some of them extremely ill-advised. While this has emotional appeal, it may not be the best message for those suffering with serious mental illness. Many people who are unwell enough to end up in a psychiatric hospital can’t quite pull themselves up by the bootstraps like Craig does. It has been a few months since I was released back into the wild. I’m better medicated now. Better therapized. Stable. But I’m still processing my experience. It’s pretty disorienting to go from normal life to institutionalization. It’s more disorienting to go back to “normal” life with a lot of uncertainty and questions and fears. I’ve had tons of ongoing support but processing the trauma is an ongoing experience and can be quite isolating. This book helped in its own way and paved the way for extremely helpful conversations with family, friends, and mental health professionals. At the end of the day, I feel this book has a net positive effect in the movement to destigmatize mental illness. I’d encourage anyone who might be suffering to learn from Craigs example. He struggled alone for a long time seeking help from medication and therapy while not allowing his family and friends to know about the true depths of his internal struggles. The message of the book, while perhaps over-simplified, is clear. There is power in vulnerability and redemption in honesty. It’s so difficult to reach out when in the throes of depression, anxiety, or other mental illness, but it’s so important. Help is available and support can truly help even if life feels hopeless. B+

this is the best book i've ever read. 10/10 amazing writing

I adore this book, it's probably my favorite book at the moment. The quality is really good and I recommend everyone read it at least once in their life!

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is a book that's been on my "To-Read" list for quite some time, however, with the recent passing of author Ned Vizzini, I thought the best way to honor a writer was to make sure the works they left behind are read. Hence, I moved it to the top of my reading list. The story follows a teen-aged protagonist who grows suicidal after his life takes a drastic turn. This results in his stay in a psychiatric ward. Here, he meets a cast of interesting characters and basically "finds himself." What this book does best is showcases what it really means to be depressed--to help shed light on what is too often thought of as a taboo subject despite that we are all bound to experience it in one way or another. While this is an inspirational and educational story presented in an entertaining way, there is also an underyling eerie feeling to it due to knowing Ned Vizzini suffered depression and recently committed suicide. While reading the story, one can't help but to wonder if some of the thoughts presented by the main character were indeed the real thoughts of Vizzini. The line between fiction and reality become blurred. If the knowledge of this makes you uncomfortable, this may not be a good choice for you to read. However, it is my hope that as tragic as Vizzini's end was, hopefully his modern-day masterpiece helps take some of the shame away from seeking mental health services and battling depression. His story and his life may be the tool to help save the life of someone else. R.I.P. Ned Vizzini.

I t ’ s K i n d o f a F u n n y S t o r y , p​u b l i s h e d i n 2 0 0 6 , ​a​r e a l i s t i c f i c t i o n n o v e l b y N e d V i z z i n i , also known for his other young adult novels B​e More Chill a​nd​Teen Angst? Nah... w​as not a bad book, don’t get me wrong. The book was honest, the characters were lifelike, there were hardly any cliches. But it could’ve been better. Truthfully, it was k​ind of a​funny story, but it was also kind of a boring story. Craig Gilner: 15 year old freshman at Executive Pre­Professional High School, suicidally depressed New Yorker, and total pothead, checks himself in to the psychiatric floor of 6 North hospital after almost jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Months before getting into the most prestigious high school in New York, he studied for months and months everyday to pass the exam allowing him in. However, when he began taking classes he came to the realization that he was simply average­ in the big scheme of things. His fear of failure set in­ as did his depression. He was so depressed, in fact he had no motivation to eat, sleep, or do his work, causing him to fall behind academically... which in turn made him more stressed out about school and then even more depressed. To top it off, the kid has crippling anxiety, too. Craig was very lifelike, and had characteristics were very true to that of a real teen’s. However, once you look more deeply into the other characters, their traits become more repetitive. The author created so many characters that it made keeping track of everyone very difficult. His friends, Nia, Ronny and Aaron, much like himself are unmotivated, yet very intelligent druggies. Nia, too is depressed, but Ronny and Aaron are just lazy. No one in this group­ except for Craig­ had many quirks or differences to them. Many of the patients at the hospital are similar to one another as well, such as Bobby and Johnny, two “veteran” patients. They equally serve as leaders and guidance around the hospital for Craig. As a reader, one begins to imagine many of the characters as the same person, because of the way they speak or act. Although these characters were kind of clones of one another, they were very likeable. Some were funny, some were snarky, and some simply added a bit of light to the story and to the life of a kid with a raincloud over his head. The author was incredibly real with his writing, most likely because this book was actually based off of his few days spent in a psychiatric hospital in New York. And although the honesty of the novel makes one feel as though the events are really happening; much like real life, not everything is exciting. The plot of the book­ at some points­ was agonizingly tedious. Scenes that should’ve taken a page took three, and created a sense of monotony. I will say, however, the “plot twists” written in the story definitely makes readers want to keep reading. The author was particularly good at making boring scenes turn into exciting ones with just a few l i n e s . H i s w r i t i n g s t y l e , I f o u n d , i s v e r y s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f R a i n b o w R o w e l l ’ s ( a u t h o r o f E​l e a n o r & Park​and F​angirl)​in the way that everything was slow paced but somehow kind of interesting. Truthfully the book’s honesty was almost overshadowed by it’s monotonous plot. The character’s were lifelike, but frankly a little all too similar. But, this is not to say that it isn’t worth the read. The book has many themes­ like mental illnesses, sex, drugs, teenage relationships, isolation, [and most prominent of all] reasons to live­ which were all relatable to teenagers. The writing style was not too confusing for younger people, and not too simple for advanced readers. Just because the plot can be a little wearisome doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. Simply because characters are a little hard to keep track of doesn’t mean readers won't be able to relate to or like them. Like much of today’s young adult literature, it had it’s boring parts but it had enjoyable parts, too.

When I began reading It's Kind of a Funny Story for a book group, I had heard the literature was similar to the book, Perks of Being a Wallflower. I was worried at first that it would be another generic story of a group of outsider teens that would become friends and finally comfortable with themselves. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading. Ned Vizzini writes eloquent and tasteful book on frustration relevant to all teens, even if their frustration is not to the extent of depression that Craig possesses. Craig Gilner, a New York City teen, strives to be accepted into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School. He believes that this will be a ticket to a successful future full of contentment. After working extremely hard to get in, Craig discovers that achieving success in this school will be much harder than he planned. The stress leads to a severe case of depression to the extent he wants to kill himself. From there, he checks himself into an adult psychiatric facility and meets some unlikely friends. The rest is history. Foremost, Vizzini does a fantastic job of relating Craig to current day teens. Many teens feel the pressure to succeed in school for a successful life. The stress level from competition is higher than ever and the lessons Craig learns in the ward helps teen with coping strategies. Furthermore, the style Vizzini wrote Craig's vocabulary mirrors the way teens speak, making him relatable. For example, one line Craig stated was, "I'm done with those; regrets are an excuse for people who have failed," in chapter forty-one. That line especially struck a chord and made me think every event happens for a reason and if we make mistakes doesn't ignore them, learn from them. Yet, the reason I gave this book four stars is due to the fact the middle of the book drags on at parts. I feel like the details are not there and the chronological order is stated as "First this happened and then this and next this" and so on and so forth. Plus *spoiler alert*, Noelle seems as too perfect of a character. I wish she had another character flaw other than just being depressed such as leaving the hospital and her parents not accepting Craig due to the fact they met in a ward. Overall, the style of Vizzini's writing expresses the feeling of anxiety, stress, etc. that teens can relate to. The book is an easy read and I would recommend it to others.

First of all, I gotta get this off my chest.. Ned Vizzini wrote this in less than 4 freakin' weeks! I'm so frustrated! I can't even finish a novel in a year! Anyway. I read this in three days or so. Loved it! Gotta say, it was pretty great! I like how Craig is super awkward, but also really charming and smart. The story is very believable, like the reviews say, but they also say it's funny, so I sorta imagined there being lots of laugh-out-loud jokes, but there wasn't really any. It was much more the generel characters awkwardness and random comments, that I found funny. But I rarely laughed out loud. Anyway, I don't judge a book by humor. If I feel like I learn something, or is inspired by a novel, then I really like it, and I will deffinitely be reading this again. I watched the movie after reading the book. And I kinda wish I'd seen the movie first, cuz there's such a huge difference between the two, and I couldn't help thinking "That's completely wrong" and they took out so many good lines! So if I'd seen the movie first, I wouldn't have been so distracted, and would probably have loved it. It's not that the movie isn't good, it is, but the book is sooo much better! I loved the ending (no spoilers), because it was so true to what's real in the world of mental illness. Which is a world I'm very familiar with.. I'd like to read more from Ned. He's got my attention now! Awesome novel!

Excelente libro, muy "relatable" a la hora de describir la depresión adolescente. Es entretenido el libro y me hizo reflexionar bastante, sin duda le debo una segunda lectura.

Das Buch ist einfach nur gut. Man vertieft sich so schnell in die Geschichte und liest bis zum Ende durch. Es beschreibt alles wirklich sehr gut und kann einen sehr viel weiter bringen. Jede Person hat eine Geschichte und das kommt im Buch auch rüber. Sie wirken lebendig und der Schreibstil ist flüssig wie Butter. Ich kann es nur weiterempfehlen! Ich bin wirklich traurig, dass der Autor leider seiner Krankheit verfallen ist, doch ich finde, er hilft vielen mit seinen Erfahrungen und Büchern.

高校生が主人公なので、英語自体は難しくありません。 映画は、病院がメインですが、本はその前があり、経緯が分かり入院に繋がり、面白いです。 入院前は、映画では結構さらっとです。 本・映画どちらが先でも、楽しめますが、ノエル役はエマ・ロバーツなので、イメージするとまた 楽しいです。

This story was well written. I thought it captured the life of a ward quite well! It's a good read for anyone who has interest in mental health