Reading Away the Blues

I was incredibly touched by Erna's post about her bout with depression. I also identified with her finding solace and encouragement within the pages of a book.

Besides indulging in really frivolous films, I get myself out of the doldrums (this happened a lot when I was in my early and mid-20s; I'm glad to say, the older I get, the happier I seem to be. Still, there are days when the dark clouds still gather.) by re-reading certain books.

I thought I'd list these books here. Most of them inspire and comfort me, while some just put a smile on my face and make me purr with pure cosy contentment.

Books I Read When I'm Mad, Sad orJust Plain Sorry for Myself:

On Pilgrimage by Jennifer Lash
The late Jennifer Lash (author and mother of seven, including actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes) had breast cancer and several years before her death, she embarked on a journey that took her along the medieval Christian pilgrim's trail, culminating in the Santiago de Compostela in the North-West of Spain.

Her descriptions of the various monasteries and abbeys she visits, the people she meets and the thoughts and ideas that arise out of these encounters, never fail to make me think about my own existence and feelings towards religion and the concept of god. Like Lash, I consider myself without religious beliefs. Nevertheless, stories of  others' faith and the comfort it brings them continue to strike a chord in me. I guess, I just like hearing about successful searches for happiness. And, often, the journey towards peace is the most significant part of the whole process.

New Habits: Today's Women Who Choose to Become Nuns by Isabel Losada
Is it beginning to be obvious that I'm a lapsed Catholic?! Actually, the women interviewed in this book are mostly Anglican nuns (yes, there is an Anglican sisterhood). However, what they are isn't the point. What's important (to me) is their courage, strength and honesty in the face of suspicion and cynicism. I also find their joy infectious.

Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson
I love all the books in this series, but this is the one I read when I need to hibernate (i.e. retreat from the world and all its cares). The Moomins (creatures that look like pastel hippos) live in a valley with various rather odd friends. In the winter they hibernate, but on this particular cold spell, the son of the house, Moomintroll, wakes up and finds he can't go back to sleep. This is frightening as Moomintroll has to face loneliness and cope with death, but the experience also allows him to discover new and exciting wonders about his home and the valley, and makes him new friends.

By the way, the Moomins may sound cutesy and childish, but the books are really beautifully written (and translated) and the characters are some of the most interesting I've ever encountered in fiction. Midwinter is a profoundly melancholic story, but the bleak snowscapes and empty silences have a strange beauty of their own and the effect, on me, is oddly uplifting.

Tales from the End Cottage by Eileen Bell
This children's book is a lovely, easy-read - quite, quite simply written, with wonderfully detailed illustrations of life in the country. Mrs Apple lives in the End Cottage with her pets including two cats (George Fat and Shoosh) and two pekes (Tooty and Black Dog). Nothing very exciting happens but that's the charm of the book. When I'm down, I zero in on two chapters which describe a midsummer picnic and Christmas as seen through the eyes of the animals. There's magic in the air, in both instances, and the animals are at a loss to explain what exactly it is they feel, but an air of expectant mystery pervails and the author conveys it so well that repeated reads (ever since I was in primary school) have not lessened the thrill I get when I read these chapters.

The Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones
There's no way one of her's wouldn't be on this list! I re-read Ghost when I'm suffering from my most ghastly moods because it's my all-time favourite DWJ; because I enjoy reading about sisters and there are four here (I am the youngest of four girls); because the family it describes is cranky and dysfunctional; because there are large chunks that are LOL-funny, in a dark, disturbing way; because the ending, despite all the bad luck, bad magic and bad people, is happy, but, realistically, you don't know how long it'll last. In other words, it's perfect when I hate the world, when I don't want to be placated, when I'm in need of a good, witty, brainy fantasy: escapism that doesn't insult my intelligence.

Persuasion by Jane Austen
Stupid woman! Fancy letting someone persuade you that the man you love isn't the one! But isn't it nice when she gets a second chance? After all, the poor girl really pays for her initial bout of idiocy. She deserves another stab at happiness. To me, this book signifies hope. There's always hope! There's always a second chance, and even a third and fourth and fifth. And, in the end, love will prevail. Sigh ... LOL!

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David
Comfort book plus comfort food! Elizabeth David's my favourite food writer because she can describe mayonnaise in a way that makes me want to eat it (I hate mayonnaise!). I love her unfussy, practical descriptions of food and cooking, especially those meals in obscure French country restaurants, her trips to provincial markets and the good, simple food prepared in busy, homely kitchens and enjoyed by huge families.

City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge
I love this story because it's just so darn sweet. It's set in a beautiful cathedral city (modelled on Wells in Somerset) that's populated by good and loving people. Hardly realistic but sometimes we need to be cosseted in dreams of perfection.