The Comfort Book
Matt Haig
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. “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. more
272 pages, Hardcover
First published Penguin Life
4.08
Rating
56878
Ratings
6800
Reviews
Matt Haig
128 books 36663 followers
Matt Haig is the author of novels such as The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, and the forthcoming The Life Impossible. He has also written books for children, such as A Boy Called Christmas, and the memoir Reasons to Stay Alive.Community reviews
"It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learned while we are at our lowest. " This book is fresh air. It is a sunset on a summer’s evening, and it is a cold shower on a very hot day. It is a book written to help you understand yourself and it is also a book written to help you heal and appreciate life. True growth comes during our worst times, during moments when we feel like we have no more to give but carry on anyway. more
I’ll give you three guesses what this book is about. Oh, you only need one. Well done then. The author of 2020’s fictional The Midnight Library and the self-help memoirs Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet has written a new little “gifting” book that’s essentially a personal journal he’s now sharing with the world. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, he’s kept notes, lists, and quotes to help him find the sun on the dark days. more
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. 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. more
"The Comfort Book" by Matt Haig is a collection of the author's thoughts that have kept him afloat. I enjoy having a book on my nightstand so I can read a few pages of wisdom, a short essay, or inspirational quotes from each night before I pick up the book I am currently reading at the time. This book consists of brief thoughts, encouragements, and self-reflections from the author. He shares ideas or reminders he's written down, things he's learned from others or lessons and observations from bad times. It's "stuff" that has given him comfort and he refers to as his "life rafts". more
“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. more
instead of buying this book, search "self help" on tumblr. i swear it's the same thing. more
Update : preordered. 🎉 The cover is absolutely gorgeous. Haig's books make me feel opposite emotions. Reading them is so good for the soul, but waiting for their publication is torture. more
I needed this book today. And this book came out just at the right time just when I was in need of such a book. That too from one of my favourite authors. Thank you, Matt Haig. The weekend just before this book's release, I was having a very difficult time dealing with pain and I was in a dilemma on what to do next with my life. more
’Do not think that the person who is trying to console you lives effortlessly among the simple, quiet words that sometimes make you feel better…. But if it were any different he could never have found the words that he did. ’ -- Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet 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. I loved that the chapters are relatively short, little snippets of thoughts, shared wisdom, Haig’s personal struggles with hard times and what helped him through those hard times. more
"The most powerful moment in life is when you decide not to be scared anymore"This book has created so many emotions in me. Matt Haig has definitely become my favorite author. I love that he can write different genres including non-fiction, a genre that I don't tend to read a lot and still, entertain me so much. The Comfort Book is the kind of book that you don't have to read in order, you can skip chapters and read it when you need words of encouragement in your life, it's one of those books that I think you should always have on your nightstand. I learned so much from this book even though in my opinion, it was extremely short. more
This is book I’ve had on and off my nightstand since it came out. I love that it’s a smaller size and doesn’t have a dust jacket because I feel like that makes it sturdier for all the love and use it receives. The Comfort Book is ideal to reach for when you are tired but can’t sleep because the short and thoughtful passages can be read quickly, and just as the title says, each and every one provide nothing short of the comfort promised. Emotional intelligence is a construct we talked about more often as a society. Matt Haig is exceptionally introspective and in tune with his own emotions, while also having a gift in the way he expresses, such that I feel seen and understood. more
Second read: Update. This book gets me. It’s got all the comfort of a cozy evening. Happiness occurs when you forget who you’re expected to be. And what you’re expected to do. more
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig, a book which is no less than a comforting hug from a loved one. This is my second book by Matt Haig and I must say I am slowly and steadily falling in love with this author's work. The book came to me at the right time. "𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙥. "There are times in life, when inspite of doing your best and giving your best at the things you love, everything falls short. more
A book of daily observations and thoughts. I took my time and reread several passages more than once. This was truly food for the soul. This is the type of book that you come back to and keep in a conspicuous spot on your book shelf. My mind and my heart felt so much better for having read it. more
White man with depression, book agent, and multiple best sellers writes morsels of text paraphrased from other authors. Could have been an email newsletter. more
"It's ok to be a mess. "Ain't that the truth. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that the last few years have been tough. On a personal level it's been excruciatingly hard. Countless others have also suffered tragedies in a world gone mad. more
It’s not easy reviewing a Matt Haig book - in my opinion he is literary Marmite. You either love everything he does and draw comfort from him, or you view him as an entitled hack cashing in on misery. His earlier work “Reasons To Stay Alive” (the title alone makes me angry) was a bestseller, of course, but I avoided it because it seemed to be nothing more than a rich, middle-class weekender monetising his depression whilst being vain enough to believe he can help others with the same condition. But whilst real people with depression face an uphill struggle just to get out of bed everyday, Haig’s struggles were more of the “Waitrose selling out of avocados” variety. Now, Matt Haig wants to comfort us. more
" If we keep going in a straight line we'll get out of here. ". more
What an absolutely beautiful book. As I read somewhere about it. a hug in the form of a book. It is a book of quotes, of stories, of thoughts and so much more. In the world today we all need hope. more
The Comfort Book is, amazingly, what it claims to be, a book to comfort its reader. To be honest, I was skeptical, but couldn't help myself, I had to see what the fuss was all about, even though I follow Haig on socials, so I had an idea of what to expect. The audiobook was narrated by the author. He did a good job, although he's no Stephen Fry. The book worked for me as it was structured in small chapters, with interludes comprising of poems and lists of favourite movies and music. more
This is just a bunch of obvious stuff that you'll read, think is really deep, and forget 5 minutes later. more
Some parts felt flat yet others were sublime to the extent that I wanted nothing more than to tear those pages out of the book and put them into a sweet pie, then eat it. Maybe stew some in my tea. Maybe chew some raw. Yep, sounds crazy (a reader fantasising about eating the choice parts of a fav book, LOL. ) but that's about the vividest imagery I've ever had. more
"Happiness occurs when you forget who you’re expected to be. And what you’re expected to do. Happiness is an accident of self-acceptance. It’s the warm breeze you feel when you open the door to who you are. ". more
Comforting, sure, but also a little repetitive. I think it might be four stars if they would cut about 50 pages. There were about 20-30 times where I felt like I was reading the exact same phrase or idea. He does do this intentionally with one phrase---"Nothing is stronger than a small hope that doesn't give up. " He repeats throughout the book to make the point and let it sink in. more
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man. "-Heraclitus_____ For when you reach rock bottom "You have survived everything you have been through, and you will survive this too. Stay for the person you will become. You are more than a bad day, or week, or month, or year, or even decade. You are a future of multifarious possibility. more
“The best thing about rock bottom is the rock part. You discover the solid bit of you. The bit that can't be broken down further. The thing that you might call a soul. At our lowest we find the solid ground of our foundation. more
This book is the perfect gift to give anyone at any time who might be grappling with these issues:Low self-esteemAnxietyDepressionLonelinessIsolationFeeling lostStressedSleep-deprivedVictim of bullying or emotional abuseObsessed with acquiring stuff Obsessed with numbers (how many likes/follows, stock exchange numbers, amount of money earned, etc. )Questing their future“Nothing is stronger than a small hope that doesn’t give up. ” —Matt HaigThis phrase is repeated multiple times throughout the book, and I love it. This entire book offers page after page of small hopes. The pages are super short, which means you can absorb a few messages, restful with all that white space in between, and close the book for a day. more
I didn't know I needed this book until I picked it up. Matt you are so inspiring and honest. I highly recommend this book for a reboot look into life. "No is a good word. It keeps you sane. more
I’m sure many are comforted by this book, but for me it just felt a bit repetitive and like I’ve heard it all before. There book wasn’t logically built up, and the random recommendations of books and movies felt too personal. What I liked was his writing style and the examples of people who’ve faced challenges. more
You have no control over who people think you are. So don't worry. If they want to hate a fictional version of you that lives in their minds, let them. Don't drain yourself trying to be understood by people who insist on not understanding you. Keep your cup full. more