The Novel Cure: An A to Z of Literary Remedies

If what you've got never seems enough, learn the art of being contented with almost nothing by hanging out in a vacant lot with Mack, Doc and the boys. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis Don't crawl into bed when you're knackered; become a student of Zorba and dance yourself back to life — spontaneously, defiantly, ecstatically. It doesn't take much to be a great dad. Even in an America shorn of trees and basic necessities — not to mention football and birthday cake — this father manages to do a fine job, through honesty, selflessness and an absolute determination to keep his son alive.

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• Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin.
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The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov When the devil appears in a Moscow park one spring evening, he runs rings round all the other characters. Debonair and charismatic, and faintly European, the devil here has wit, edge and all the good lines and throws the best parties.

A literary shock Some stories accumulate shock as they go; some deliver an ice cube down your back on a particular page. Chuck your devices in the bin and rediscover your sensual self among the birds and bees. Life of Pi by Yann Martel The way in which Pi gets himself out of his jam — and they don't get much stickier than being cast adrift on a raft with a kg 14st 5lb Bengal tiger — will give you all the inspiration you need to extricate yourself from your own, plus some excellent practical tips.

Roxana by Daniel Defoe Awaken your inner Roxana and learn to be the life and soul of the party. She will show you how to bring a buzz to every occasion — even when your chips are down and the last thing you feel like is leaping into the fray. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith When lovers are forced apart in this novel — in this case two women who have stumbled on an unexpected passion — lovesickness descends in good old medieval style: This will teach endurance — and give you faith that the salt in your life will return.

Convert or desert Live with someone who doesn't read books? Suggestions include Galatea 2. Pereira Maintains by Antonio Tabucchi Overeating often has a psychological cause. Instead of padlocking your fridge, read how the portly, widowed editor of the Lisboa's culture page goes from consoling himself with sugary lemonades and fatty omelettes aux fines herbes to salads and mineral water — all by standing up to an authoritarian regime and regaining "chieftanship" of his soul.

Observe how Robinson Crusoe makes the best of his castaway years by looking on the bright side. I especially liked the sections where the authors incorporate pastiche of the book in question. Originally published, along with some more personal reflections, on my blog, Bookish Beck. View all 8 comments. Jan 26, Taylor rated it did not like it Shelves: I was trying to stubbornly work through this despite the fact I found it incredibly condescending and tone deaf, but this sealed the deal.

On being broke, seemingly written by someone who has never even brushed poverty: Then quit wasting money on lottery tickets, downsize, and learn to budget. If it does, stop whining and get on with living happily ever after within your modest means. Oh good, glad it's that easy.

Those silly people who aren't wealthy, all they needed all along was to quit buying lottery tickets and get a well paying job! I love the idea of a book doctor, one who prescribes fiction as an antidote for many of lives ills.

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This is a book about books, tells one what books to read if one is feeling a certain way or facing a certain challenge. Not only does it names the books but it describes why that particular book was picked. Well written, loved the layout of the book and how it is presented. This is a book I will probably buy as it is a great I love the idea of a book doctor, one who prescribes fiction as an antidote for many of lives ills. This is a book I will probably buy as it is a great book to have as a resource and there is just too much in it to remember.

Someone told me that there is actually such a thing as a real book doctor, who charges I want that job. View all 4 comments. Oct 06, Sue rated it really liked it Shelves: Great idea for a list book! Do you have a problem? Are you listless, bored, sad, unemployed, ill, just lost the love of your life? There is almost assuredly a book, a very good book, to see you through your problem time and help you come smiling out the other side.

Conversely there are books to help you, the unsuspecting reader, avoid pitfalls others have been snagged and tripped by, suffering along the way.

The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You

Ella Berthoud provides dozens and dozens of books to assist us all on our paths throu Great idea for a list book! Ella Berthoud provides dozens and dozens of books to assist us all on our paths through life, some with brief synopses entailing their curative potential. She also provides many lists of 10 "bests" to be pulled out when the situation merits, such as when you reach 40 or are going on a plane or want to read a huge classic. Personally, along with books I've already read, I found many titles to highlight here, books I fully intend to come back for and add to my reading list.

I know that I will return to this book again and again. This is not just a book to read, it's one to flip through, one to look through on a lark or for a specific reason. It's written both with whimsy and serious purpose. There's much to enjoy and I highly recommend it to all readers who enjoy this type of collection. An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for the purpose of review.

View all 10 comments. Beh, ho finito di leggere il libro, ma non la mia sfida di "curarmi" con i libri. Spero di riuscire a leggere tutti i libri inseriti nella recensione ma la vedo dur Finalmente l'ho finito! Ovviamente ho preso tutto come un gioco, e anche per scoprire scrittori a me sconosciuti o per leggere libri che altrimenti non avrei letto.

La donna di sabbia ambizione scarsa: Avviso ai naviganti amore, disamorarsi dell': Gli autonauti della cosmostrada ovvero Un viaggio atemporale Parigi-Marsiglia B bisognosi, essere: Il Grinta C cambiamento, resistenza al: I maestri di tuina claustrofobia: La casa nella prateria compleanno, tristezza da: L'insostenibile leggerezza dell'essere letto circa 30 anni fa, non penso di rileggerlo nonostante mi sia piaciuto molto La campana di vetro Il male oscuro Fratelli romanzi per tirare su il morale: Jakob il bugiardo disperazione: Ognuno muore solo diversi, essere: View all 16 comments.

An A-Z of novel cures for ailing book lovers | Books | The Guardian

Apr 28, Carol rated it really liked it Shelves: An A-Z Guide to reading for what ails you. If you asked me for a book recommendation for someone who was depressed I could easily find one in non-fiction that would fit the bill. I could choose from what the reader needed, an explanation of the causes, perhaps a memoir by someone who's been there or some type of self-help book. But what if I wished to help someone find fiction that would aid in helping that person feel better? From Abandonment to Zestlessness is just that; a novel idea, a novel cure.

I had the opportunity to meet the co-author and to see the philosophy of this idea at work. Susan Elderkin talked about how she and her co-author, Ella Berthoud thought up the idea, bibliotherapy so to speak. She then invited an audience member to present an ailment and we, the audience, got an opportunity to suggest some books to come to her aide. Easier than it sounds. Look up your ailment and you'll find a great suggestion of a book to read. And even if you're not ailing, there's bound to be something here for you, a book you've never heard of or a prescription for one you've been meaning to read.

It's an interesting book to browse and one I can come back to as my mood strikes. Includes indexes for reading ailments, Ten-best lists that are referenced throughout the book, and importantly, an author and title index.

B is for Boredom

Oct 18, Serena.. Insomma, una specie di rimpatriata letteraria!! Ma daiiii come facevate a saperlo?! Lo so che le autrici non ne hanno colpa.. Ma mi ha veramente indispettito!! I liked the general idea of a novel cure, books for all circumstances and troubles. From the titles mentioned I found the ones I have already read fitting the relevant problems. A bit odd I often thought the lists of the 10 best books in a certain situation.

I read the German translation of this book and noticed something quite curious: And not all of the ones from the English version appear in the German but were replaced I liked the general idea of a novel cure, books for all circumstances and troubles. And not all of the ones from the English version appear in the German but were replaced by ones written by German-speaking authors. Take one dose of literature and repeat until better. I received this book for Christmas from the most amazing person my wife and now I finally have the textbook to officially hand out some bibliotherapy.

This is the medical handbook that I can truly get behind and I had a lot of fun looking through it and finding out just how to deal with my parents during Christmas. I loved this book, it was so much fun to flick through. Il libro contiene delle bizzarre top ten ,alcune sono divertenti ,altre condivisibili, tante se ne potrebbero aggiungere a proprio piacimento ma questa Bukowski -Pasto nudo, W.

Burroughs - Il Grande sonno, R. Larsson - Il giardino dove suonavano gli ottoni , S. Vestdijk - Le opere complete di Billy the kid, M. View all 3 comments. Sep 10, Diane Barnes rated it it was amazing. I'm going to review this book now, even though I have not read the whole book yet, because it is quite possible I may never finish. By that I mean that it will stay on my bedside table to be perused when I have a few minutes to spare for some witty and passionate synopses of books I would like to read, or have already read, or to put in the hands of friends who need to read them.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and was very excited to find it in my mailbox. I love books about books, and I'm going to review this book now, even though I have not read the whole book yet, because it is quite possible I may never finish. I love books about books, and this one is organized by ailment or condition that can be helped by a certain piece of literature.

This is a lovely gift for bookaholics, and a wonderful way to feed the addiction. Dec 07, Elizabeth rated it liked it Shelves: Great concept and easy format makes this readers' book a pleasurable read. I did not always agree with some of their Cures but did have a good time thinking of different or more fitting books for various Ailments. A solid addition to any library. In effetti nel Prontuario medico libresco ci son libri per rimedi di ogni genere.

Fisici, psicologici, sociali, non scendo nei dettagli. Sembra che il mal di denti gli sia poi passato. Insomma, a mio modestissimo parere, i libri prescritti non sempre azzeccano la cura. Col mal di denti ci vorrebbe un altro libro, non cura omeopatica ma d'attacco, tipo un Amis a caso, o un De Lillo, o qualcosa che faccia ridere a crepapelle. Va in farmacia o al Pronto Soccorso? Quarta e ultima pecca: La parola consola, guarisce, irretisce Ach, non ci si libera mai del tutto da un vizio, anche se come leggere, benedetto. In conclusione, mi pare un ottimo regalo di Natale, da rifilare anche in formato digitale, quasi a costo zero.

Rather than conclude that you were a bad fit for the job, decide that the job was a bad fit for you. If you're not convinced, consider all the occasions on which, in your job, you did not want to do the things you were asked to do. His employer thinks his sedate nature will have a calming influence on his other employees.

And at first Bartleby does seem to be the model worker, industriously copying out letters in quadruplicate.

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But then he begins to rebel. When his employer asks him to check over his writing, Bartleby gives the response: A due impasse develops in which his employer can't bring himself to fire the scrivener because he's so meek and seems to have no life whatsoever beyond his desk. And Bartleby will do only what he wants.

Be inspired by Bartleby's act of resistance. To what degree did your job entail compromising over what you really wanted to do? Bartleby's rebellion saw him refusing to leave his desk at all. You, however, now have a chance to move on, and find pastures new. If you are sick of justifying your childlessness; if you are happy with your life as it is and don't want to spoil things; if you think that the world is populated enough already; if you know that you'd make a useless parent; if you like your nights uninterrupted, and your cream sofa without fingerprints; then the next time someone asks you when they're going to hear the patter of tiny feet in your house, send them this novel for Christmas.

They won't ask you about it again.