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The Novel Cure
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this ebook
Whether you have a stubbed toe or a stubborn case of the blues, within these pages you’ll find a cure in the form of a novel – or a combination of novels – to help ease your pain. You’ll also find advice on how to tackle common reading ailments – such as what to do when you feel overwhelmed by the number of books in the world, or if you have a tendency to give up halfway through. When read at the right moment in your life, a novel can – quite literally – change it, and The Novel Cure is a reminder of that power. Written with authority, passion and wit, here is a fresh approach to finding new books to read, and an enchanting way to revisit the books on your shelves.
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Reviews for The Novel Cure
Rating: 3.6250000625 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
104 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A novel (or two, or three) for every mood. This book is reminiscent of Nancy Pearl's Book Lust series, but I am thoroughly enjoying the medical angle and the idea that novels will "cure what ails you." If you're lost as far as your next read or simply interested in a particular theme, this book is for you. Keep it on your reference shelf and return to it as often as needed.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Like an encyclopedia of ailments where each entry directs you to a book (or books) that can 'cure' your ills. I checked out a handful of these cure-alls but from the 3 that I've sampled they were all DNFs. *shrugs*
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I love the idea of a book doctor, one who prescribes fiction as an antidote for many of lives ills. 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. Many classics, many I never heard of and too many that I added to my TBR. 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 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 30.00 per hour. I want that job.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Af en toe doe ik eens een folietje bij de boekhandel (volgens mijn vrouw bijna altijd), en dit is er zo eentje: een dik, tamelijk duur boek, vol leestips, opgezet vanuit de filosofie dat verhalen lezen (in dit geval romans) je van allerlei psychische aandoeningen kan afhelpen. "Ach zo, dat is waar de boekendokter (die van de Boekenbeurs, in Vlaanderen) zijn mosterd heeft gehaald", dacht ik, maar dan bleek dat dit boek ook in de originele Britse editie van dit jaar (2013) dateert; waarschijnlijk is de inspiratie voor beiden dus nog van elders gekomen. Ik heb het boek inmiddels doorbladerd (dit soort boeken "lees" je niet) en ik sta versteld van de breedte van de aangehaalde literatuur (met bovendien een zeer mooie aanvulling voor het Nederlandse taalgebied) en ook de inventiviteit van de aangehaalde aandoeningen. Daar komt bij dat uit de besprekingen blijkt dat de auteurs de betrokken boeken ook echt gelezen hebben (wat niet evident is, zie maar naar de nochtans verdienstelijke verzamelboeken van Pieter Steinz of de "1001 boeken die je moet gelezen hebben", waarin af en toe wel steekjes zijn gevallen). Onze Vlaamse boekendokter is zo leuk omdat er duidelijk humor aan te pas komt: natuurlijk verruimt het lezen van fictie je horizon, leert het je in de huid van andere kruipen en met andere situaties om te gaan, en dat relativeert je problemen en reduceert zodoende wellicht de "aandoeningen" waar je mee kampt. Maar dit als een uitgangspunt beschouwen, en dus als een daadwerkelijke remedie, lijkt me toch wel een brug te ver. En daar heb ik gemengde gevoelens bij met dit boek: de inleiding doet uitschijnen dat het onze Britse bibliotherapeuten ernst is, maar op zo'n manier dat je ironie vermoedt; als je dan de lemma's leest, dan vind je daar inderdaad bijdragen in die met humor en "luim" zijn geschreven, maar er staan er ook in waar de ernst van afdruipt, en daar heb ik toch wel mijn bedenkingen bij. Of is dit ook een aandoening?
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This 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... - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The "premise" of this book is that reading a good novel can "cure" a person of many maladies. It is written in the format of a dictionary or encyclopedia organized by ailment. The entries under each malady discuss a book or books which will remedy the malady. For example, to cure "cowardice", read To Kill a Mockingbird; for fear of aging, read 100 Years of Solitude.The book is also chock-full of lists, including lists such as "The Ten Best Novels To Read in the Bathroom" or "The Ten Best Novels for Fifty-Somethings" etc. So, the good thing about this book is that it refers to more than 700 books, well-known and not so well-known, and is guaranteed to inflate your wishlist.However, I found a great number of the entries to be too preachy (or perhaps the author was merely trying too hard to be cute). Entries like this one (for Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry) grated on me: "In our Western world of dependence on nursing homes and hospitals, we would do well to take note of this example of a family caring for its elderly at home. Aged parents don't be so objectionable that your children and spouse want to hole you up somewhere you can't embarrass them."In addition, there was a lot of padding in the form of cross referencing--i.e CHILDREN, TRAPPED BY see TRAPPED BY CHILDREN; orHONEST, BEING TOO see BEANS, TEMPTATION TO SPILL THE.In general, Berthoud's discussion and analysis of the books is not particularly enlightening, but everyone once in a while she says something delightful like this: "When you begin a sentence by the Portuguese writer Jose Saramago, you are making a commitment to follow it wherever it goes...."Recommended for dipping into and out of.3 stars
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is arranged like a book of home remedies -- An A-Z listing of various ailments, each with a prescribed cure. Except that the "cures" are novels. Novels to read if you are depressed, if your back hurts, if you are looking for Mr/Ms Right or stuck with Mr/Ms Wrong. And, there are special sections on "reading ailment" such as buying books but not reading them, the inability to stop a book once you've started it, etc.I loved it! I read the whole thing cover to cover -- something I'd never do with a book about non-book remedies. The writing is witty, often funny, insightful. The epilogue is great -- almost a short story in itself.A wise investment: a complete guide to Bibliotherapy, and a charming discussion of many books. The one danger: I've added several titles to my wish list after reading about them -- titles that have nothing to do with any ailment I'm afflicted with, other than my love of reading.
Book preview
The Novel Cure - Ella Berthoud
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