Matt Haig – The Comfort Book (Literature Review)

Matt Haig’s newest non-fiction release The Comfort Book is a great resource, full of hope, insight and helpful hints from historical figures for those who have longed for a little relief when life tough.

Matt Haig is an English journalist turned author who writes both non-fiction and fiction for adults and children. His latest novel, The Midnight Library has received critical acclaim internationally, as have his most recent mental health-related non-fiction books, How to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet.

Like many of Matt Haig’s readers, I found my way to his books through my own experience with mental health. Over the years, I have read fair amount of books surrounding mental health and self-help. Of those, some of my favourites are Notes on a Nervous Planet and How to Stay Alive.

So when the opportunity came to review Haig’s brand-new release, The Comfort Book, I couldn’t wait to read it.

One of the things I enjoy the most about Haig’s books and his style of writing is its accessibility. Unlike a lot of books in this genre, Haig doesn’t have any “professional” experience with mental health. He doesn’t have a doctorate or a degree. All of the advice within his books is based on his own personal experience, and he’s very up-front about that.

The Comfort Book is just as readable and accessible as How to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet. It was written during the peak of the pandemic in the UK last year, as a way for Haig himself to stay centred at a time when everything was in chaos and it would have been easy for him – and anyone who has experience with anxiety to slip back into those bad mental health tendencies.

I think this is one of the reasons The Comfort Book works so well. Even if you haven’t experienced mental health issues before, there is something so incredibly relatable in the book that makes it just as accessible – if not more so – than Haig’s previous non-fiction works.

While you could make the argument with How to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet that if you haven’t had experience with bad mental health, you may not relate to the content. The same cannot be said about The Comfort Book. It’s my belief that it will be relatable for everyone right now, because almost everyone has experienced some degree of anxiety or uncertainty in the midst of COVID-19.

As always, Haig’s writing style is tender and informative, yet not over the top or preachy in the style of more traditional or academically trained writers. One example of this comes in a chapter titled, Beware Because. Haig writes, “Your value never needs to be justified … Your value has no because. You are the right quantity. You are a full cup. You are worth yourself, and that is always enough.”

I love that, just as in this snippet, some of the most profound things he says in The Comfort Book are short, and serve as gentle reminders that being kind to yourself is probably one of the best things you can do to improve your mental health in terms of self-care.

We all have our dark days, and need something or someone to turn to for comfort. The Comfort Book can be that for so many people, regardless of your experience with mental health.

The Comfort Book is out now through Allen & Unwin.