The Comfort Book: The instant No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller

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Haig draws heavily from his own experiences with being suicidal and depressed; sometimes perhaps too much so. Not every nugget of wisdom hits the mark, but then, this is "his" Comfort Book. I found it occasionally delved too deep into the philosophy; but the entries were so short, it wasn’t long before another one better suited me and hit home hard. Continually looking for the meaning of life is like looking for the meaning of toast. It is sometimes better just to eat the toast. It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learned while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard. a collection of empowering, beautiful concepts that’ll help anyone get through tough times. I read and reread sections of The Comfort Book…” — Zibby Owens, Katie Couric Media The new uplifting book from Matt Haig, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement.

Haig will be 46 on Saturday. For his first 40 years, life was a struggle. In many ways, it is still a struggle – he has anxiety and tinnitus and says he is always alert to the danger of depression returning – but at least now he is riding the crest of a wave of commercial success. A charming tonic, fitting for these troubled times.The Comfort Bookis a mix of short, hopeful anecdotes and reflections on life to dip into when in need of consolation, and help in seeing hard situations in a softer light”— BBC A book of daily observations and thoughts. I took my time and reread several passages more than once. No is a good word. It keeps you sane. In an age of overload, no is really yes. It is yes to having the space you need to live. Your worth is your existence. You were born with worth, as all babies are, and that worth doesn’t disappear simply because you have grown a little older.No is a good word. It keeps you sane. In an age of overload, no is really yes. It is yes to having the space you need to live."

I’ve read, and loved, several of Matt Haig’s books, but I hesitated on reading this one. I needn’t have hesitated, but I’m glad that I did since I’d opted to add it to my library list of requests, and it arrived at the perfect time for me. No one really fits in, so almost everyone fits in’ ... Haig at home in Brighton. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The GuardianThis was a cathartic read for me, read slowly over many days. In between when I began reading this and when I finished it, I drove for a short visit with one of my friends from childhood, a journey that took much longer than anticipated but was so worth the trip.

I love The Comfort Book so much. If you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed, read it as soon as possible. It's great! Haig is one of the most inspirational popular writers on mental health of our age.”― Independent (London) He is determined to stand up to “mental health snobbery … When you’re feeling a bit rough and ropey, and your mind is distracted, you can’t absorb the most highbrow text. You’re not there reading Freud and Jung and Lacan. A pop song can save your life. An episode of Friends can change your life. But when it’s in the world of books, it becomes this snobfest. I’m resistant to that. I also like confusing people, so I’ll do my big, corny, sentimental, puppy-dog line and then I’ll write a chapter about Aristotle.” I never say I’m a happy person ... It imposes certain expectations You can’t change the past. You can’t change other people. You can change you though. You narrate this story. So start to write a new chapter." Change is eternal. In being change, you too are eternal. You are here. In this moving moment. And in being here, you are also forever.This is the most fitting book to bid adieu to 2021 with. The last day of a very long and extremely trying year. Thank you Matt Haig, always ❤ I truly wish you knew the effect your words have on people. Perhaps the best thing about The Comfort Book is that it inspired me to create my own personal version of it. I think everyone should have a scrapbook or compilation of things that give them comfort. We could all use something like that when life gets tough, or when we simply need to pause and show gratitude. Crying releases stress hormones. Swearing increases pain tolerance. Fury can motivate us into action. Feel what you feel. Silence and smiles aren’t the only way to respond to pain. Sometimes it is good to howl.” The new uplifting book from Matt Haig, the New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement. There is no point spending an entire life trying to win the love you didn’t feel when you needed it. You sometimes just have to let go of an old story and start your own. Give yourself some love.

The Comfort Book will no doubt confirm the views of Sarah Ditum, who earlier this year wrote an article in the Spectator headlined “The banality of Matt Haig”. “Life is hard; make it easier on yourself by not reading Matt Haig,” she advised. “Oh, and breathe.” Did her words leave a mark? “Occasionally, in low moments, that headline will become the voice in my head,” says Haig. “But I felt she was saying stuff that has been said about me before, so I was used to it. She was also doing what she said I was doing – being prescriptive. People don’t like to be told not to read things.” Ditum argued Haig’s recovery had no lessons for others, but he insists people tell him constantly that his experience echoes their own. It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard.”With examples from his real life, The Comfort Book describes what it feels like to be anxious and how life-ruining it is to suffer from depression. He gives readers the tools he used to help him overcome and survive (even a near suicide attempt) - from finding joy in daily routines and writing down thoughts to accepting ourselves faults and all. Promises two things I can’t get enough of: hugs and lists . . . After a year starved of hope and hugs to the extreme, I can’t think of a greater comfort read than that”― Evening Standard, Best Summer Reads (London) Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.”―NEIL GAIMAN Matt Haigs Worte in „The Comfort Book“ haben mich tief berührt und mir neue, inspirierende Denkanstöße gegeben, die mir wahnsinnig viel Mut und Kraft gespendet haben. Matt Haig’s Comfort Book does a pretty great job of providing comfort and wisdom itself. It’s the first Matt Haig book I’ve read and definitely won’t be the last. Even the colours on the front cover make my eyes happy.