10 of the best books about heartbreak

They say that it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, but if you attempt to utter those words to someone in the throes of heartbreak you run the risk of getting slapped.

It takes a lot of time, and a whole lot more effort to get to the philosophical flip side of a break-up. The “you could’ve been together for years longer and then broken up”’, or the “time heals all wounds” and the inevitably juxtaposing “healing isn’t linear” of it all.

First, there comes the Bridget Jones-esque crying to Taylor Swift’s entire discography (it’s a cliché for a reason), Olivia Rodrigo’s albums for the not-so-teenage teenagers, or Sufjan Stevens’ soundtrack for the particularly masochistic.

Then, surrounded by friends, films, food, and disturbingly pink wine - the discussion begins. Ancient Greek philosophers would be fascinated by what is uttered between past, present