Laughing For Beginners is the first novel in a semi-autobiographical trilogy. Reminiscent in parts of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Thompson has created an exceptionally intense, moving, yet funny novel about losing and then retrieving sanity. Set in England, Laughing for Beginners is the story of a young man, Peter, and his descent into manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder). As Peter moves from feelings of euphoria to thoughts of suicide and through assorted and at times experimental mental hospitals, where he develops often hilarious and lustful relationships with staff and fellow patients, he commands our sympathies. His clear-eyed honesty and courage, even when he causes so much pain to those who love him, make him a hero of our time. His adventures are riveting, communicated through a narrative voice that combines the innocence of a child with the wisdom and wry humour of an adult. This is a novel that touches the emotions with tremendous delicacy dealing with a subject matter that in lesser hands would appear gloomy.