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A review by raoulalexander
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
Self help books are not for me. But this was a gift, so I did read it. It was alright.
The book says that it's supposed to be a "messy" collection of thoughts, quotes, and other short writings that brought the author comfort, so I won't knock it too hard for not being something it never tried to be, but it fell flat for me. The metaphors in this were clunky and not very refined, and many of the quotes he presented seemed less resonant than they might have been in context.
It feels to me that, when it came to publishing what would become this book, there could have been an opportunity to reflect on and explore why these thoughts brought comfort to him, rather than just collecting them. As it is, it falls into the trap that seems characteristic of self help books to me, that is in trying to make it as broadly applicable as possible the author's specific experience is watered down so that the advice becomes simplistic and repetive. I don't expect everyone to feel comfortable publishing a deep exploration of their struggle with mental health, but this book felt like a missed opportunity. Considering this, as well as the fact that I knew I didn't like the genre, I won't give this book a rating, since that seems unfair.
The book says that it's supposed to be a "messy" collection of thoughts, quotes, and other short writings that brought the author comfort, so I won't knock it too hard for not being something it never tried to be, but it fell flat for me. The metaphors in this were clunky and not very refined, and many of the quotes he presented seemed less resonant than they might have been in context.
It feels to me that, when it came to publishing what would become this book, there could have been an opportunity to reflect on and explore why these thoughts brought comfort to him, rather than just collecting them. As it is, it falls into the trap that seems characteristic of self help books to me, that is in trying to make it as broadly applicable as possible the author's specific experience is watered down so that the advice becomes simplistic and repetive. I don't expect everyone to feel comfortable publishing a deep exploration of their struggle with mental health, but this book felt like a missed opportunity. Considering this, as well as the fact that I knew I didn't like the genre, I won't give this book a rating, since that seems unfair.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness