7.3k reviews for:

Sorrow and Bliss

Meg Mason

4.16 AVERAGE

medium-paced

v quick read, 3.5 rounding up (only because I was crying by the end of it). It almost read Too quickly, to the point where I didn’t have time to digest the stuff about illness and naming/labeling illness (stuff which I thought was so fantastic). incredible family stuff as well
challenging emotional reflective sad
emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A deeply compassionate take on living with mental illness. I spent the last 50 pages in shambles, save for a few moments of levity laughter, which felt apt.
dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional sad medium-paced
emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No

It gets much more interesting in the second half; there are several laugh out loud moments. It reminds me how far behind the Brits are in accepting that mental health diagnosis are real, and it’s okay to have one. I e seen this with all my British friends. A stiff upper lip has many consequences. 

It made me so sad that it took her 25 years to be properly diagnosed. 


dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I hated this book for the first 150 pages. Then I hit page 151 and something changed. The revelation of Martha felt like a revelation of myself. There is no explanation or justification for her; she just is. The way her character messes with your mind and you cannot access her or understand how she perceives herself and her sufferings is genius. This is a masterclass in creating an unlikeable narrator. So glad I pushed through.
reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes