In 1985, William Styron reached the brink of suicide, a victim of depression, the disease that led to the deaths of Primo Levi, Vincent Van Gogh, and Virginia Woolf.

Almost miraculously, he managed to regain his mental health and document his journey as a sufferer in a text that was first published in 1989 in "Vanity Fair".

The very next year, it was published as a standalone book, which was praised by critics and received an enthusiastic welcome from the public.