The Novel Cure
An A - Z of Literary Remedies
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
The Novel Cure is a medical handbook for booklovers containing an extensive list of literary remedies drawn from the most brilliant minds and the most restorative reads.
Sick? Tired? Lost your job? Take one dose of literature and repeat until better.
The Novel Cure is an A-Z of literary remedies that offers a cure in the form of a novel for all kinds of ailments of the mind and body, and life's general ups and downs. Whether you have stomach flu, low self esteem or are just stuck in a rut, this book will recommend a novel to help ease your pain.
This is a medical handbook with a difference. Austen for arrogance, Bronte for a broken heart, Pynchon for paranoia or Tolstoy for toothache: the remedy for your malady is at your fingertips.
Featuring old and modern classics, unheard-of gems, novels for all tastes and ages, The Novel Cure is a warm and passionate, witty and wonderful way to expand your reading list (and cure what ails you), and the perfect gift for all bibliophiles.
Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin have been best friends since university, where they began prescribing books for one another. Ella went on to study fine art and became a painter and art teacher. Susan became a novelist and was listed by Granta as one of the 20 Best of Young British Novelists in 2003. She is also a travel writer, journalist and reviewer. Together, they now hold sell-out bibliotherapy sessions and retreats in the UK and have a regular slot with The School of Life.
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In times of trouble, a good book can soothe any kind of pain. Longtime friends Berthoud and Elderkin take that notion to a new level in their delightful reference guide to "bibliotherapy" "the prescribing of fiction for life's ailments." In each case, the authors (who have run a bibliotherapy service since 2008) prescribe a book or two to propel readers to action, bring about awareness or diversion, or show that things are not as bleak as they might seem. They tackle serious and not-so-serious ailments with equal verve, delving into such topics as "Scars, Emotional" (Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night or Antonya Nelson's Bound), "Pessimism" (Robinson Crusoe), and "Burning the dinner" (Zola's The Belly of Paris). Eclectic top 10 lists are peppered throughout, such as the "Ten Best Novels to Lower Your Blood Pressure" or the "Ten Best Novels to Make You Weep." Abundant indices allow the reader to browse by author or title and to search for reading problem advice. Berthoud and Elderkin's elegant prose and discussions that span the history of 2,000 years of literature will surely make readers seek out these books. Taking two novellas and calling the bibliotherapist in the morning sounds welcome indeed.
