The Minds of Billy Milligan

Hey im Mr Rajat Banerjee's daughter and my dad had bought this awesome book for me as ive grown an interest in psychology and related cases. This book jst blew me away coz ive never read about the phenomenon of split personalities in such vivid context. it was literally different 24 people and not "personalities" inside Billy and the author Daniel keyes had done deep research before writing this book that we find our selves deeply involved and sympathizing for this young man. Is there an option of 10 stars for this particular book?.......it is needed coz this is a masterpiece jst fascinating.

And indeed we are nowhere closer to understand who we truly are... A gripping account that leaves the reader staggered.

It's one of those books that draw you in and keep you engaged till the very last word. This was one of the unusual books that I've come across and I'm glad that I picked it up. The language of the book is a little clinical, but since it's not a story rather a biography and that too involving a significant case of multiple personality it is to be expected. Overall, the book is fascinating and the life of Billy Milligan is very intriguing and a must read.

I bought this book after I heard M.Night.Shyamalan talking about the inspiration for his movie "Split". Very nice story! Can't believe it really happened. Book gives an insight on how crazy a mental illness can be. Those only suffer from it knows the horror. It kinda inexplicable, how the mind could shatter into 23 distinct personalities and some of 'em not even aware of each other. Can't wait for this to be made into a movie! Maybe a perfectionist filmmaker David Fincher could do it :)

How can a man with 24 different people inside him live?!

I love this book. A must read.

you wouldn't be able to keep it down once you start reading...gives an insight into our own mind and our thought process...

You must initially have the patience to sit through the chapters and get to know the characters.... but once that sets in.... the book and the case keeps you on the edge

THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN ist schlichtweg ein in mehrfacher Hinsicht und im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes wahnsinnig (!) faszinierendes Buch – und man kann sich nur ungläubig an den Kopf greifen, dass dies eben kein fiktiver Psychothriller ist, sondern die akribische Schilderung auf durchaus realen Tatsachen beruht. Wenn man es auf einen Nenner bringen will: THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN beweist einmal mehr, dass die Realität wesentlich bizarrer sein kann als alles, was sich Autoren ausdenken. Die Geschichte von Billy Milligan dürfte den meisten Lesern dieser Rezension vermutlich bekannt sein. Kurz gesagt war Milligan und seine Verbrechen (unter anderem mehrere Vergewaltigungen und Überfälle) Mittelpunkt eines aufsehenerregenden Verfahrens in den 70ern, in welchem herauskam, dass Milligan an einer extrem detaillierten Version von multipler Persönlichkeitsstörung litt. Milligan vereinte in sich dutzender verschiedener, komplex ausgearbeiteter Persönlichkeiten, welche alle unterschiedliche Biographien, Namen, Eigenschaften und Kenntnisse hatten. Genau hier setzt das Buch an, und der Leser bekommt viele Einblicke in das Seelenleben von billy Milligan – Einblicke, die einen mitunter vollkommen verstört zurücklassen, schließlich ist es derart bizarr, wie Milligan die Interaktionen seiner verschiedenen Persönlichkeiten schildert. Gleichzeitig zwingt THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN den Leser natürlich auch dazu, das gesamte Konzept einer „Persönlichkeit“ zu durchdenken… schließlich geht wohl fast jeder davon aus, eine ziemlich klar definierte Persönlichkeit zu haben, schlichtweg weil man es eben so wahrnimmt. Die Geschichte um Billy Milligan bringt den Leser auch dazu, mal diese Selbstwahrnehmung zu hinterfragen und das gesamte Denkmodell einer stabilen Persönlichkeit von einer neuen Perspektive zu betrachten. Hinzu kommt neben der bizarren und faszinierenden Thematik, dass THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN schlichtweg ausgezeichnet und hochspannend geschrieben ist. Der Autor hat eine faszinierende Geschichte zu erzählen, und ihm stehen die schriftstellerischen Fähigkeiten zur Verfügung, diese auch dem Leser sehr plastisch zu vermitteln. Mich hat dieses Buch jedenfalls nachts stundenlang wachgehalten. Alles in allem: in meinen Augen ein Buch, was man definitiv kennen sollte – und wenn man sich für Genres wie populäre Psychologie oder „True Crime“ interessiert ist THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN ohnehin äußerst empfehlenswert. Schön, dass es dieses Buch nunmehr auch für den Kindle gibt!

A very interesting book that really explains everything very well

Libro bien escrito, con una lectura clara y bien encuadernado. Es un estupendo libro de bolsillo para leer en los ratos libres y no olvidar el inglés

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The Minds of Billy Milligan” is a fascinating book that delves into the intricate world of dissociative identity disorder. Daniel Keyes skillfully presents the life of Billy Milligan, a man with multiple personalities, in a way that is both informative and engrossing. Keyes’ meticulous research and attention to detail are commendable, as he paints a vivid picture of Milligan’s struggles and the personas that inhabit his mind. The author’s ability to capture the distinct voices and personalities of each alter is impressive, drawing readers deeper into the complexities of this condition. While the book’s authenticity has been debated, it nevertheless provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by individuals with dissociative identity disorder. Keyes’ compassionate approach and his exploration of the psychological aspects make this an engaging and thought-provoking read. My only criticism is that at times, the narrative can become a bit dense and overwhelming with the sheer number of personalities introduced. Nevertheless, it’s a minor flaw in an otherwise captivating account. Overall, “The Minds of Billy Milligan” is a captivating journey that sheds light on the human mind’s incredible capacity for adaptation and survival. It’s a book that will leave you with a deeper understanding and appreciation for those living with dissociative identity disorder.

Author Daniel Keyes has presented a very riveting description of the human condition if it is pushed too far. I have read this book twice and I have to say that it is one of the best books I have ever read. Enduring unbelievably cruel tortures as a child at the hands of his stepfather, including sodomy and being forced to dig his own grave-and yes, being buried alive in that same grave, Billy Milligan's mind fragmented into 24 seperate and distinct personalities. I have posted the alter ego's below from this book, so that the potential reader can see how fantastic, and at the same time, how horrifying this man's condition was at the time of his arrest for several campus rapes, which he claimed he had no rememberance of committing. 1. Billy Milligan (William Stanley Milligan) is the core personality. 2. Arthur is a sophisticated Englishman. He is an expert in science and medicine. He is in "the spot when intellectual thinking is required. 3. Ragen Vadascovinich is the "keeper of hate". Ragen is Yugoslavian, has a Slavic accent and he can write and speak in Serbo-Croatian. He controls the spot when danger is immenent. 4. Allen is a con man and a manipulator. He is the most common person to talk to the outside world. He plays the drums and paints portraits. Also the only right-handed self. He is the only personality that smokes cigarettes. 5. Tommy is the escape artist; he is often confused with Allen. He plays the tenor sax and is an electronics expert. He is also a painter, specializing in landscapes. 6. Danny is afraid of people, especially men. He only paints still lifes, saying that this was because Chalmer made him dig his own grave and buried him in it. 7. David, age eight, is the "keeper of pain". He comes to the spot to take the pain of the others. 8. Christene, age three, was the one who would stand in the corner in school when "Billy" would get in trouble. She has dyslexia, but Arthur taught her to read and write. Ragen has a special bond with her. 9. Christopher, Christene's brother, plays the harmonica. 10. Adalana, a lesbian, cooks and cleans house for the others, and writes poetry. Milligan's attorney claimed that Adalana had admitted to committing the rapes without the knowledge of Milligan or the other alters 11. Phil is a thug and took part in planning some small time crimes. Has a Brooklyn accent. Marked due to him being a criminal. 12. Kevin is a criminal planner; he helped devise a plan to rob a drug store. Labeled also because he is a criminal. 13. Walter is Australian. He calls himself a big-game hunter and has an excellent sense of direction. Was often used as a spotter. He was labeled because he shot and killed a crow. 14. April only has thoughts about destroying Billy's stepfather. Declared an Undesirable when she convinced Ragen to kill Chalmer. Luckily though Arthur was able to talk him out of it at the last second. 15. Samual is the Jewish person. He is the only one who believes in God. Was marked because he sold some of the other people's personal paintings. 16. Mark is the workhorse. He is often referred to as the zombie because he does nothing unless he is told, and will stare at walls when bored. 17. Steve is the impostor, he uses imitations for comedy. Steve never accepted that he was an MP. He was made to be undesirable because his comedy caused the family problems. 18. Lee is the prankster and his practical jokes normally get the family into trouble. He does not care about consequences for his actions. He was made an undesirable because one of his jokes put them into solitary confinement. 19. Jason is the pressure valve. He was used at the beginning to release tension for the family, but he caused them to get into too much trouble and was marked as an undesirable. 20. Bobby always dreams of leading some adventure or fixing some global crisis, but he has no ambitions and was labeled due to that fact. 21. Shawn, who is four and deaf, makes buzzing sounds so he can feel the vibration in his head. He was labeled an undesirable because there was no benefit from being deaf later on in life. (Even though he is an undesirable he was never cast into the shadows beyond the spot; he was just never allowed to take the spot.) 22. Martin is a snob, from New York. He wants things just handed over to him without earning them. 23. Timothy worked in a florist shop until he encountered a homosexual who flirted with him. He went into his own world after that. The Teacher 24. (Note: the teacher is not an Undesirable.) The Teacher, was by far the greatest milestone to helping Billy achieve fusion. He is the sum of all other 23 people put together, and has almost total recall of all the other people's actions and thoughts. There are several pictures in this novel of exquisitely detailed paintings his personalities created while he was incarcerated that simply dumb-founds me. I like this book because it is REAL. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered how far the human mind will go to protect itself.