The Novel Cure: An A to Z of Literary Remedies

When read at the right moment, a novel can change your life. Bibliotherapists Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin know the power of a good book, and have been prescribing each other literary remedies for all life’s aches and pains for decades. Together, they’ve compiled a medical handbook with a difference: a dictionary of literary cures for any malaise you can imagine. Whether it’s struggling to find a good cup of tea (Douglas Adams, two sugars) or being in need of a good cry (Thomas Hardy, plus tissues), as well as cures for all kinds of reading ailments – from being a compulsive book buyer to a tendency to give up halfway through a novel – Ella and Susan have the tonic for all ailments, great or small. Written with authority, passion and wit, The Novel Cure is an enchanting reminder of the power and pleasure of forgetting your troubles in a good book.

Reviews of The Novel Cure: An A to Z of Literary Remedies

An exuberant pageant of literary fiction and a celebration of the possibilities of the novel * Guardian * A charming addition to any library. Time spent leafing through its pages is inspiring – even therapeutic * Economist * Brilliant … A perfect gift * Vogue * A tonic in itself. It's tempting to become a hypochondriac just to read more — DAMIAN BARR Witty, engaging and informative. The sort of book you choose for a friend and end up wanting to keep — RACHEL JOYCE, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry