The Novel Cure

I've been reading this book in little bites and chunks for, oh, maybe a year or two. It's organized by symptoms of what is ailing you, and, for each symptom, one or more books are offered as cures.

It's a fun way of getting to really know books, and it's a nice way to see what books might resonant with you.

I've also got an ebook version of this book, and I'm pretty sure I'll continue to pop back into the book to take a look at this book or that one, and I think it would be fun to make a master list (maybe I'll see if anyone else has done this) of all the books included.

This is a book that had been waiting patiently in my TBR list and I had been waiting for the right moment to start reading. I wanted to be focused, my mind concentrated, because the concept of the book- a combination of feelings and daily problems and the way they are depicted in various novels- was so interesting and unique. However, when that moment came, I discovered that this was a self-help book (or an attempt to create one) and an overall disappointing read.

What I liked was the snippets of advice and tips on how to improve various ‘reading' problems, such as lack of space, having trouble to locate one of your books or keeping a steady reading pace. These are scattered among the entries and I really enjoyed them. They offered a few interesting information and solutions.

Unfortunately, the list of the things I liked ends here. There were many issues I had problems with and the common denominator was the writing. The way the book is written is less than adequate for such a difficult, demanding concept.

First of all, it's not very wise to provide a summary of each book along with its ending. I mean, if we come to think of it, it's almost idiotic. The authors make suggestions to us as to which book we should read and the conclusion of the majority of the novels is made clear. Now, I'm not one to get panicked by spoilers. Far from it. I have been spoiled quite a few times and yet my interest remained undiminished, but here, with this book and the aim it tries to accomplish, it doesn't seem like a successful choice.

The way the entries are organised is rather messed-up. For example, there are entries with no book suggestions, leading you back to a similar ‘‘ailment''. The writing itself is not satisfying at all. The way the authors summarize a number of books is below average, as if they're writing for teenagers who are just starting their way in the world of Literature. Their summary for Graves' I, Claudius is cringe-worthy. Not to mention the phrase ''Literature is fond of its lunatics''. and their rather insulting comments about poverty and choice in the entry of The Great Gatsby. In my opinion, the writers' attempt to sound humorous and smart failed. They succeeded in appearing rude, condescending and full of self-centered pats on their own shoulders.

The writers' advice is rather tasteless and tactless. Not good. I found them to be void, irrelevant, as if they come from one of those women's magazines. This is not the language of a book which wants to be taken seriously. Yet again, it may be that this was not the writers'purpose.

The premise was interesting and imaginative, but apart from a tiny few good moments, the execution left a lot to be desired and the writing was so average. It quickly became a ‘‘self-help'' book and this is a genre I loathe. What confuses me is that I can't really tell what the writers aimed for. However, I know that I didn't enjoy it, only proceeded through the pages like a chore and this is never a good sign. For me, this is probably the worst book-about-books I've read and the first to make me think that there are too many letters in the alphabet...

I'm fascinated by bibliotherapy, the practice of treating a person's ailments, physical or spiritual, with literature. I occasionally check on the School of Life's bibliotherapy service to see if they've made any blog posts recently. So, I was excited when I found out that Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin of that same School of Life bibliotherapy service were publishing a book of their recommendations. I see this as a reference book to consult as needed, not necessarily to be read straight through. I skipped around quite a bit, reading entries that caught my eye, or that had relevance for me.

This is really a lovely book. The writers have a sympathetic tone, touched with humor, and they tell you enough about the book they prescribe to help you see why it is appropriate. Some of their recommendations are unsurprising (Catcher in the Rye for Adolescence, Moby Dick for Obsession), but others are delightful surprises (Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda for Outsider, Being An; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Hayfever, Lolita for Words, Lost for). These recommendations will make you want to read, even if you don't have the ailment in question.

Along with prescriptions for specific ailments, the writers have included lists of best books for various purposes. There are lists for every age group, from teenagers to centenarians, as well as lists like The Ten Best Novels to Drown Out Snoring, The Ten Best Novels to Make You Weep, Ten Best Audiobooks for Road Rage. I discovered that I had read most of the books on the Ten Best Escapist Novels list. What does that say about me?

One last interesting feature: scattered throughout the book are prescriptions for reading ailments, such as Household chores, distracted by, or Read Instead of Live, Tendency to. This is where the seriousness of the book comes through, since only people who are dedicated to reading would recognize these conditions as ailments that need treatment. The advice is also serious, but in the same gentle tone as the rest of the book.

All authors, novels, lists and reading ailments are indexed in the back of the book, so finding what you are looking for is easy.