Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

Name: Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness
Price: 8.52 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (3160 reviews)
Author: William Styron

by William Styron

Memoir Biography Memoir

4.4 (3,160)

4.4 stars from 3,160 reviews. Top 68% of Memoir books we track.

64 pages~1.1 hr readPublished by Open Road MediaPublished 2010-05-04

$8.5239% off peak

Last checked: May 4, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $13.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 – $13.99

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Perfect for you if...

You've experienced depression yourself and want to know you're not alone in feeling the way Styron describes it.
You're curious how one of America's greatest writers confronted a disease that had destroyed other literary figures.
You want a honest, unsentimental look at mental illness from someone with the skill to articulate what it actually feels like.

Maybe not for you if...

You're looking for a self-help guide with strategies and practical steps, since this is a memoir, not a manual.
You prefer narrative arcs with a clean resolution, because Styron's recovery is ongoing and complicated.
You're in acute crisis right now and need immediate clinical support rather than a reflective account.

About this book

In the summer of 1985, William Styron experienced severe depression that left him numb, apathetic, and despairing. Unable to speak or walk, he became consumed by obsessive thoughts that brought him close to suicide, prompting him to seek hospitalization. Darkness Visible recounts Styron's recovery and his confrontation with clinical depression. The memoir examines the realities of the disease and documents his emergence from it, concluding with a message of hope for those suffering from mental illness—that recovery from even the deepest despair is possible. This ebook edition includes a new illustrated biography of Styron with original letters, rare photographs, and previously unpublished documents from the Styron family and Duke University Archives.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $13.99

Currently on sale at $8.52 — 39% off peak. Price has dropped 28 times over the last 4 years. Goes on sale roughly every 37 days. Typically stays discounted for 6 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #40K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 40% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.4★ from 3,160 reviews

Gaining approximately 14 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.4 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $8.52. It typically returns to around $13.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.