I'm a voracious reader, an activity that defines a huge chunk of my life. I'm often reading multiple titles simultaneously.
Most of my reads are non-fiction and cover a vast array of subjects. Of course I've a huge section on cptsd-related material. But I'm curious as to whether anyone here has run across a good fictional tale that touches on cptsd. There's a few titles described in reviews as dealing with ptsd, but I found none covering the cptsd variety.
Mind you, there's lots of psychology in all sorts of novels. But I was just curious if anyone has read any fiction that does a good job weaving some of the cptsd-specific issues into the story. It might at least provide a useful companion to the growing body of scholarly non-fictional material that's finally lifted the veil on the topic.
Thanks.
Hi Woodsgnome,
I really like your question. I do know a novel that seems to me to show a protagonist dealing with CPTSD. Parts of the story are triggering, and it wasn't a peaceful read for me. That said, I've read it twice.
The author does a really good job writing internal dialogue that highlights the inner critic at work. Also, I found it validating that the cause of the protagonist's cptsd is presented as not the big-T-Traumatic event, but her family's gaslighting her about it.
The book is Once a Hero by Elizabeth Moon (published by Baen in 1997). It's science fiction. You may have to do some hunting to find it. (My copy is a library discard.)
smg
Hi-
I've just finished reading the new novel by Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train. It is suspenseful, and it seems to me that the protagonist is surely a cptsd survivor. Much gaslighting in this one as well. But you should have no trouble finding it. May be triggering for some.
Both books are available from Amazon for the kindle app.
I have just bought them it will be interesting to see if my own experiences tally. I am looking forward to seeing a person like me in a novel
Many thanks
It occurred to me that one novel that resonated with me in some ways was a Sci-Fi novel called Rite Of Passage by Alexei Panshin (sp?).
Hi woodsgnome
I know this an old old post but books are never too old, your post about cptsd fiction captured my interest I have often thought the fictional characters should have cptsd or at least Ptsd but seem to cope with trauma after trauma with little more than a few nightmares.
Harry Potter should be utterly traumatised lol, anyway I love reading and a few books I thought of were
The girl with a dragon tattoo series (very triggering)
The hunger games series
I try to think of others