The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud & Susan Elderkin

From Abandonment to Zestlessness – 751 Books to Cure What Ails You

Advance Review Copy from Penguin Press

This is a  fun and wacky reading guide.   It’s a browsing book and, if like me, you’ll keep it next to your reading chair and dip in for short 3-5 page reads.  It categorizes books for us bibliophiles — but not in a way I’ve ever seen before.

The book gives book recommendations by ailment categories such as Constipation – (Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts) to Road Rage – they recommend audio books to dissipate a driver’s fury  – to the best books to read in a hammock .  This book surprises, delights and slightly irritates.

While some of the categories/recommendations are expected – under Racism is Invisible Man, Being Short lists The Hobbit, the book surprises with titles placed in unlikely categories — to offset Loneliness they recommend Tales of the City by Maupin so you can feel a part of a gang of neighbors.  Under Hating your Nose is Perfume by Patrick Suskind.   Sometimes the book irritates with many cross-references, over-zealous use of parenthesis, and some shallowness.  Also, the proof copy lacked page numbers for the much-needed indexes at the back.  The actual book will be much improved with that feature.

For wackiness  – investigate the the section labeled Diarrhea which recommends books for the bathroom.  And some categories are contrived – as in Hemorrhoids – nothing more to be said there.

The book synopsis vary widely – ranging from well-written and poignant to flippant and shallow.  This is not the Guide to English Literature, nor is it a great literary work – but I don’t think authors meant it to be.

I found the “Reading Ailment” sections inspiring as they focus on the reading life, book collecting  and advice —  – “Depletion of Your  Library Through Lending”, “Being Seduced by New Books” (my weakness) and “Reading to live more Deeply”.

One of my favorite of the reading ailments was Finishing, fear of:

You have been delighted by the books, befriended the characters in the books, wolfed down the book, dreamed about the book, missed the book, cried with the book, made love to the book, thrown the book across the room, been dead to the world outside the book – and now you are about to finish the book. We’ve all been there: it is a terrible gutting moment.

But do not despair.  You do not have to leave the world of the book behind.  As soon as you’ve finished the book, read around the book — reviews, literary criticism, blogs, whatever you can find.  Talk to other people who have read the book.  Watch the film of the book. Read the book in another language.  And then, finally, re-read the book.  The best books, by the greatest authors, will stand up to being reread many times in a life and indeed give back more each time. In this way you will never finish the book.  You will become the book, and it will become a part of you.  You have not reached the end.  You are, in fact, just beginning.

Finally, in the Reading Ailment section labeled “Overwhelmed by the Number of Books in the World” I discovered  I’ve missed my calling – becoming a bibliotherapist – is there a course for this? Sign me up!:

Consider booking a consultation with a bibliotherapist who will analyze you reading tastes, habits and years, as well as where you’re at in your personal and professional life, then create a reading list tailored especially for you.