arshreads_ 's review for:

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

4.5

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss is one of those books that will punch you in the gut but also make you laugh out loud, often in the same paragraph. It’s a story about mental illness but it’s also about love, family, identity, and the sheer messiness of being a human trying to figure things out.

The book follows Martha Friel, a woman in her 40s whose life is slowly falling apart. She has a husband, Patrick who loves her, a career that didn’t work out, and a mental illness that has affected her for most of her life but was never properly diagnosed. On the outside, Martha seems clever, funny, and confident but inside she’s struggling.

There are moments that are deeply sad, moments that are hilarious, and many where you’ll feel both at once.

The disease isn't mentioned in the book and there’s no magical cure or dramatic transformation. Instead it’s about survival, honesty, and learning to live with the parts of ourselves that aren’t so easy to love.

The writing is beautiful in a quiet way. There are no big dramatic scenes, no shocking twists, just small, honest moments that build into something powerful. The relationships, especially between Martha and her sister Ingrid are written with so much love and complexity. And while the book doesn’t offer easy answers or perfect resolutions, it ends with a sense of hope that feels earned. 

Sorrow and Bliss is one of those books that stays with you not just because of the story, but because of how deeply it understands what it means to live with pain and still try to find joy. If you’ve ever felt lost or broken, this book will give you hope.