The Convalescence Novel

One of my favorite podcasts is Helen Zaltzman's "The Allusionist," devoted to language and linguistics.  She explores word origins and meanings, language development, linguistic differences, and all types of things related to words.  The latest episode is titled, "The Novel Remedy," and addresses something I have long considered--the power of books to heal, or at least, illustrate our personal hurts.

I've been the member of several book groups over the past 15 years.  The women's book group has become a bit of trope, bored women using the excuse of a book to come together, drink wine, and complain about their lives (marriages or lack thereof, primarily).  Fortunately, my book groups, while containing some wine, largely have focused on the books.  But, there are times when our personal experiences enter into the discussion and I find those the most interesting discussions.  Isn't that an author wants, for us, the readers to connect to the book? to feel something?

I enjoy books of all types, but the ones that stick with me are the ones where I feel I learned something, could be a fact or historical insight, but more often it is a perspective on life that resonates with me, or mirrors my own experience.

Zaltzman's podcast starts with a discussion of her request to listeners to share the books they turn to when they are ill, what books comfort them, what are their "convalescence books."  Many mentioned books of science fiction or magic, escapism.  Some referred to books from their childhood, comforting old friends.  Agatha Christie novels blossomed in a time when the world was recovering from the first world war. They offered a new vision of heroism, a sense of domestic calm, and, importantly, a resolution.  To top it off, they didn't require a lot of energy to read, they were easy and undemanding. All things people were looking to find in the aftermath of the horrific war.

Jane Gregory, a psychologist interviewed by Helen, goes on to discuss the role that novels can play in a therapeutic setting. I have often suggested to my therapist that she should start a therapy book group.  People would read a book and then discuss how the experiences and emotions of the character related to their own lives.  (She just smiles at this suggestion, although she and I often discuss books and share recommendations.)  Gregory argues that novels allow us to drop our defenses, we go into them expecting to be entertained in some sense, we are open to the ideas of the characters. At the same time, while we are empathetic, we aren't directly experiencing the emotions, we are observing them, we are at a bit of a distance.  One comment she made that I found particularly helpful was that in a book we experience the arc of a story--beginning, conflict, and resolution.  We see that life goes on, as she says, " no feeling you've ever had has ever stayed forever." 

There is much more in the episode and it is best appreciated by listening, https://www.theallusionist.org/allusionist/convalescence

but you can also read the transcript here:
https://www.theallusionist.org/transcripts/convalescence

Of course, the best convalescence novel.....Princess Bride!