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Reasons to Stay Alive

Matt Haig (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 35,195 ratings · 4,266 reviews

A runaway bestseller in the UK—Matt Haig’s accessible and life-affirming memoir of his struggle with depression, and how his triumph over the illness taught him to live

Like nearly one in five people, Matt Haig suffers from depression. Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt’s inspiring account of how, minute by minute and day by day, he overcame the disease with the help of ...more

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Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Published February 23rd 2016 by Penguin Books (first published March 5th 2015)

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Apr 20, 2015 Maxine (Booklover Catlady) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Self-Help Readers, Carers, Depressed Readers

Shelves: books-that-made-me-laugh, memoirs-true-life-read, 2015-reading-challenge, books-that-made-me-think, could-not-put-down, maxine-favourites, books-i-own, non-fiction-read

FINALLY! A book about depression that makes sense, that those with depression will read and sit nodding their heads and agreeing all the way through it. No psychobabble here (from Psychologists who have never experienced depression) - just real raw telling of Matt Haig's journey with the dreaded black dog. This book should be given or bought by EVERYONE battling depression, or has a loved one battling it. It's everywhere you know.

Matt so simply explains how it feels, he is so darn honest and FINALLY! A book about depression that makes sense, that those with depression will read and sit nodding their heads and agreeing all the way through it. No psychobabble here (from Psychologists who have never experienced depression) - just real raw telling of Matt Haig's journey with the dreaded black dog. This book should be given or bought by EVERYONE battling depression, or has a loved one battling it. It's everywhere you know.

Matt so simply explains how it feels, he is so darn honest and all of what he says is true (trust me I know). He breaks it down into simple formats, like lists of what you feel like on a bad day or what you are thinking and it's all stuff that NONE of the other books cover, it's really what is going on in your dark mind.

He tackles the issues of suicidal thoughts and tendencies and how scary it can be, nobody wants to talk about that right? But we need to.

A bit that resonated with me was about how withdrawn you become from the world, scared to go out on your own, or even with others, you need people but you can't cope with them. It's overwhelming. Matt mentions staring out of a window and watching people go by and thinking he just wants to be normal like them. I have done that, hundreds of times, with my cat by my side, wishing normal was in my scope.

It made me laugh in places too, it's gutsy and so freaking RIGHT. Loved this book, I read it in the wee hours of the morning relating to everything Matt has gone through and cheering for his moments of coming out of the darkness that is so devastating.

Let's get real about depression, it can hit anyone, it's not a choice, you can't just positive self-talk your way out of it. Just buy this book. 5 paw prints from the Booklover Catlady for this little gem.

Nice job Matt, this one will help so many people. It should be given out at every counselling and therapy session for anyone with depression around the world.

For more of my reviews, book talk, giveaways and much more go to:

www.facebook.com/BookloverCatlady

...more

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Jun 23, 2016 Es Summer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you are doubting to read this book, read this quote:

"The world is increasingly designed to depress us.
Happiness isn't very good for the economy. If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more? How do you sell an anti-ageing moisturizer?
You make someone worry about ageing.
How do you get people to vote for a political party?
You make them worry about immigration.
How do you get them to buy insurance?
By making them worry about everything.
How do you get them to have plastic surgery? ...more

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Jan 09, 2019 JV (semi-hiatus) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: home-for-my-heart, 2019, nonfiction, mental-health, audiobooks, favourites

"I hate depression. I am scared of it. Terrified, in fact. But at the same time, it has made me who I am. And if – for me – it is the price of feeling life, it’s a price always worth paying. I am satisfied just to be."

2018 — The demon came. 'Twas the year I lost a part of myself. My soul wept and mourned for that someone I once truly cherished — the previous me. Looking into the mirror, I saw nothing but hopelessness, worthlessness, and sadness in those eyes — bereft of joy and love. The demon succeeded — almost. Menacing and taunting, it dragged me helplessly into the insatiable abyss — the unfathomable, frigid depths of the ocean. The agonising pain was consuming every bit of my sanity. And I was left wondering if ever my fall will ever be caught by someone or something. It was definitely my end — as I once saw in my dreams, precognition of my own death, my finality. As the demon plunged me into the murkiest depths, I told myself I needed to go back to where I came from. This is not the coda I was expecting and yet, the proverbial light seemed to be receding. Yes, it was dragging me into its deeper, darker, and suffocating embrace muting and subduing all the prismatic colours that once enveloped me. A part of me died and no one could ever notice because "the weirdest thing about a mind is that you can have the most intense things going on in there but no one else can see them." All hope was nearly lost, yet I clung to that spark of light, saving most parts of myself that are slowly disintegrating and dissipating into that vast expanse of infinite darkness.

"If you have ever believed a depressive wants to be happy, you are wrong. They could not care less about the luxury of happiness. They just want to feel an absence of pain. To escape a mind on fire, where thoughts blaze and smoke like old possessions lost to arson. To be normal. Or, as normal is impossible, to be empty."

And now, here I am. Not the same and never will be, but now stronger and still keeping the demon at bay. Well, I think "it" is going to be a part of me anyway, being an empath and a highly sensitive individual all my life. Reading this book gave me comfort, offered hope, validated my experience, and made me accept things that I cannot change and still be hopeful and stop "worrying about worrying" and all that. My sincerest gratitude to Matt Haig for sharing his story with such remarkable candour. This is a book that is meant to be read by everyone — for those who wanted to understand what depression/anxiety is, for those whose light has been consumed by the darkness but are still looking for the momentary spark that will truly guide them into the light and out of the blue; and for those who are carers of depressed individuals.

"Depression is an illness. Yet it doesn’t come with a rash or a cough. It is hard to see, as it is generally invisible. Even though it is a serious illness it is also surprisingly hard for many sufferers to recognise it at first. Not because it doesn’t feel bad – it does – but because that bad feeling seems unrecognisable, or can be confused with other things."

Like Haig, I also write and read to escape, know myself, broaden my perspective, and it's my way of resisting and restraining the demon.

"One cliché attached to bookish people is that they are lonely, but for me, books were my way out of being lonely. If you are the type of person who thinks too much about stuff then there is nothing lonelier in the world than being surrounded by a load of people on a different wavelength. [...] Books were about movement. They were about quests and journeys. Beginnings and middles and ends, even if not in that order. They were about new chapters. And leaving old ones behind."

You might ask me, what keeps you going? Well, having a fictional hubby like Dean Winchester inspires me, what more if I can find an actual Dean Winchester in this reality called life? At least, that is one of my Reasons to Stay Alive. Life is still full of possibilities even if some are quite implausible.

And please remember, whoever is reading this, you are, definitely, not alone!

Audiobook rating (narrated by Matt Haig):
Narrative voice & style - ★★★½
Vocal characterisation - ★★★½
Inflexion & intonation - ★★★
Voice quality - ★★★½
Audiobook verdict - ★★★ ...more

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Jul 31, 2015 Lotte rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-release, o-sent-by-publisher, t-psychology, ge-memoir, t-diverse-reads, 2016-favourites, 2016-read, t-mental-health, a-non-fiction

4.5/5 stars. If you've suffered from depression and/or anxiety yourself at some point in your life or you know someone that has (and it's very likely that you do) this book is an absolute must-read.

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Dec 06, 2017 ☘Misericordia☘ ~ The Serendipity Aegis ~ ⚡ϟ⚡ϟ⚡⛈ ✺❂❤❣ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, to-reread, best-ever

One of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Inspiration almost drips off the pages. It's honest and vivid enough to make difference even for people who have done no personal trips to the hellish planet of Depression.
And the imagery! Don't get me started on it or I won't get any sleep today! I love when concepts are mixed with guidelines and wisdom of someone who has been there and done all that.
I can't imagine why I never knew about this author before! It's a sure must read and a ...more

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Sep 14, 2019 Cindy Pham rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars. I think I was expecting the book to be more profound than it actually turned out to be. It's more a series of thoughts and reflections that the author has. I appreciate Haig sharing his struggles with depression and his sensitivity, but I'm not sure if it does much other than being relatable. This might suit better for someone who is starting to understand depression; otherwise, it doesn't add anything new to the conversation we've already been having about mental health.

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Aug 18, 2015 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: anxiety, to-reread-and-annotate, 2016

Beautiful. Informative. Powerful.

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
- 34. A book about mental illness

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Jul 17, 2018 Imane rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: psychology-and-self-help

“How to stop time: kiss.
How to travel in time: read.
How to escape time: music.
How to feel time: write.
How to release time: breathe.”
― Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive

description

This was OK ! There were some bits i related to, others not so much. However, the writing style was simple and accessible, the paragraphs; short and concise. This is a good read if you're beginning your journey of learning about depression :)

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Nov 02, 2014 Hattie Grünewald rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, contemporary, self-help

I won this proof on twitter from Matt and though I don't often review books here, I thought that probably I owed him that. Not just for giving me a free copy, but for writing the book in the first place.

Let me be honest, I started reading this and thought "This book isn't written for me". But then I thought "There are people I would like to read this, because it feels so familiar to me." I would like to give it to people who are close to people with depression and anxiety, but don't really ...more

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Mar 16, 2016 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-or-memoir, nonfiction, own-physical, psychology

"Now, listen. If you have ever believed a depressive wants to be happy, you are wrong. They could not care less about the luxury of happiness. They just want to feel an absence of pain. To escape a mind on fire, where thoughts blaze and smoke like old possessions lost to arson. To be normal."

A meaningful book about depression, anxiety, and creating reasons to stay alive. Like a modern day William Styron, Matt Haig shares his experience with depression and anxiety and how he fought to overcome "Now, listen. If you have ever believed a depressive wants to be happy, you are wrong. They could not care less about the luxury of happiness. They just want to feel an absence of pain. To escape a mind on fire, where thoughts blaze and smoke like old possessions lost to arson. To be normal."

A meaningful book about depression, anxiety, and creating reasons to stay alive. Like a modern day William Styron, Matt Haig shares his experience with depression and anxiety and how he fought to overcome suicidal thinking. He discloses how his mental illness has affected his work, his relationships, and his perception of life overall. The greatest part: he frames his mental illness not as a weakness or a strength, but just as another part of himself, a facet that provides both pros and cons as all traits do. Another great quote from the same page as the first one in this review:

"But actually, it wasn't easy. The weird thing about depression is that, even though you might have more suicidal thoughts, the fear of death remains the same. The only difference is that the pain of life has rapidly increased. So when you hear about someone killing themselves it's important to know that death wasn't any less scary for them. It wasn't a 'choice' in the moral sense. To be moralistic about it is to misunderstand."

I loved the insight Haig shared about depression. His view on resisting medication while seeking treatment resonated with me: of course you would use medication if you have to, but you can also learn to breathe on your own - depending on your condition - without the influence of pharmaceutical companies. I also appreciated his emphasis on mindfulness and breathing. We live in such a fast-paced world that feelings of aloneness and worry about emails, meetings, and deadlines seem natural. Haig encourages us to take a step back and give ourselves time for self-care.

Though I enjoyed Reasons to Stay Alive, I wanted more in certain areas. The short length of each chapter made the book easy to get through, but that same brevity prevented more thorough and developed trains of thought/arguments. From a memoir perspective, I also desired more of a consistent narrative, as I felt that the book jumped from idea to idea a lot. Still, I would recommend Reasons to Stay Alive, in particular to those interested in mental illness who have not already read too much about it. A final, hopeful quote:

"I stood there for a while. Summoning the courage to die, and then summoning the courage to live. To be. Not to be. Right there, death was so close. An ounce more terror and the scales would have tipped. There may be a universe in which I took that step but it isn't this one." ...more

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Oct 27, 2014 Joanne Harris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received an ARC of this book from Canongate. My usual technique, when reading an ARC, is to read 5 pages, then take a view as to whether I'm going to actually read the book. With REASONS TO STAY ALIVE, I'd passed the 50-page mark before I remembered to take a view, and by then I was down the rabbit-hole. Matt Haig is a marvellous writer: limpid; tender; passionate. In this memoir (and it's short, barely 200 pages long), he manages to articulate, both the bleakness of depression and the means ...more

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Nov 19, 2017 Whitney Atkinson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favs-of-2017, memoir, mental-health, read-in-2017

4.5 stars

If you’re easily triggered by descriptions of other people’s mental illnesses, I would advice against reading this during low points. There’s some very in-depth descriptions of his dark thoughts and the panic and depression he felt, and it was really uncomfortable to confront. I think the title misled me because I picked this book up on a bad night hoping it would be uplifting, but I almost immediately had to put it back down when I realized it wasn’t going to help at all, just add to ...more

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Dec 24, 2015 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So good that it should be required reading. In schools. For GPs. Everyone. Haig says that each mind breaks differently, but I think his heartfelt words will say/mean something to anyone who has felt anxiety or depression. Some sections were so real that I had to put the book aside for a while.

It's brilliant and hopeful. My thanks to Matt Haig for sharing so much of himself. It's not something most of us are able to do.

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Aug 30, 2018 Nat K rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mental-health, 2018-books, favourites, emotional-health-wellbeing, marvellous-matt-haig

5**** plus.

”You are going to go mad. Like Van Gogh. You might cut off your ear.”

Whether you have a large black dog lumbering behind you, or a playful puppy bounding by you side, your mental health is one of your greatest assets. It is more delicate than the most intricate Swiss watch. We often don’t think of it too much, until things go skewiff. It’s something we take for granted, like the sun rising and setting.

”Life is hard. It may be beautiful and wonderful, but it is also hard. The way ...more

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Mar 09, 2016 Annika rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I'm so conflicted, and I feel really bad rating this two stars. Maybe it's more like a 2.5 for me?
I do genuinely appreciate a lot of things about this, but at the same time I just couldn't connect. Honestly, if you're planning to read this - my lack of enjoyment over this book is probably a 'me-problem' and you should just go for it. I'm just not one of the people who 'get' this book, I guess.

Just to jot things down quickly(ish):
Things I enjoyed about this:
- Matt Haig brought up books a lot. I I'm so conflicted, and I feel really bad rating this two stars. Maybe it's more like a 2.5 for me?
I do genuinely appreciate a lot of things about this, but at the same time I just couldn't connect. Honestly, if you're planning to read this - my lack of enjoyment over this book is probably a 'me-problem' and you should just go for it. I'm just not one of the people who 'get' this book, I guess.

Just to jot things down quickly(ish):
Things I enjoyed about this:
- Matt Haig brought up books a lot. I understand this, and books help me cope so these were the moments where I went "yes! I know what you're talking about, I understand you, this is nice."
- There's a section about seeking help at the end of the book. It's a lovely addition.
- The chapter on 'Being a Man.' I feel so strongly about this, because a lot of men feel that it's a weakness to talk about things, or to admit to having depression, or to ask for help. I'm so happy this was brought up. [quick side note: this is why men need feminism too! Because we, as a society, make them feel that they can't be 'weak and feminine' and show their emotions or talk about them. It makes me so angry and upset!]

Things I didn't enjoy quite as much (please don't hate me for being honest about how I feel!):
- I don't know how he got better. I feel like that's the most important thing - because we all know (kind of) how we got to that lowest point - it's getting out of that ravine that makes me interested in a person's story. So yeah. I want to know how.
- The talk about antidepressants. They help so many people, and I realise Matt said that the fact that they didn't work for him doesn't mean that they won't work for other people. BUT all of this is so stigmatised, and I felt like he was downplaying the importance of medication, I guess?
- Also... there were just a lot of little things that irked me.

I'm going to stop listing things, because it makes me feel mean. I'm really critical about these things, and I'll probably end up discussing this on my blog at some point because this is such an important issue to me.
But in conclusion: I'm sure this book will help a lot of people, I'm just not one of those people. But - I would thank Matt Haig for writing about this and putting himself out there - I realise and appreciate how hard that is to do. ...more

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Mar 02, 2018 Vanessa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

Wow. Wow. Wow. What an absorbing and powerful read. This was a book I purposefully set out to read slowly and in snippets mainly because many of the books themes took me to places too familiar and disturbing but I also couldn’t look away instead I devoured this in almost one sitting. Like a tragic car accident you can’t help staring at, I couldn’t stop reading. There’s times this book felt suffocating and uncomfortable like reliving a past nightmare. I even felt while reading this book a ...more

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Feb 14, 2019 Hamad rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, e-books, non-fiction

This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription

“There is no standard normal. Normal is subjective. There are seven billion versions of normal on this planet.”

I am glad that I am reading more non-fiction books, because while fiction relieves stress and entertains me, I have found through trial that non-fiction does stay with me more. I find my brain retaining most of the things I read in non-fiction!!

While I have heard mostly good things about this book, I seem ...more

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Apr 17, 2015 Amy | shoutame rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Not too long ago I was approached by Canongate about this book. They had seen that I made a recommendation video on my YouTube channel for books relating to mental health and because of this they thought I would enjoy this book. Mental health awareness is something I consider to be of the utmost importance - having suffered with depression and anxiety from a young age this is definitely a topic I hold dear to my heart.

Now I have to be honest - I'm not one for reading non-fiction, in fact last Not too long ago I was approached by Canongate about this book. They had seen that I made a recommendation video on my YouTube channel for books relating to mental health and because of this they thought I would enjoy this book. Mental health awareness is something I consider to be of the utmost importance - having suffered with depression and anxiety from a young age this is definitely a topic I hold dear to my heart.

Now I have to be honest - I'm not one for reading non-fiction, in fact last year I think I only read one biography and possibly a 'making of The Hobbit' book, so this is definitely out of my comfort zone! Because of this I was very hesitant to accept the novel for review but on hearing some very positive things from people I trust I decided to throw caution to the wind and accept! Wow long intro...now on to my thoughts:

- Where do I begin?! This book was simply wonderful, heart-breaking and a real thought provoker. I don't think I can even efficiently describe this book to get across the beauty and significance of it.

- So this is a biographical novel written by the author Matt Haig; Matt is telling us the story of his descent into depression and anxiety at the age of twenty four. We learn of how Matt contemplated suicide and how he could barely leave the house due to the anxiety, a lot of this resonated with me and I found myself nodding along with various anecdotes from Haig's childhood that I also had very similar experiences of. I think this is a book that will mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Either you can see this in yourself or you can see it in someone you love - I believe this book could be of great help to sufferers and supports alike.

- I think this book will definitely be an eye opener to anyone who sees depression and anxiety as just being 'a little bit sad' or just 'over-worried' - Haig is wonderfully articulate in the way he describes the despair and panic that comes along with these mental illnesses and I commend him on sharing his extremely personal story. Mental health is a difficult topic to discuss, especially when you are in the midst of it - in myself I can see that when I look back now I have a much greater understanding of my state of mind and have learnt how to cope with similar feelings in the future.

- There are so many things I could say about this book, I plan to go back through and underline all of the things I absolutely loved - I read this book on a train journey to London and only had my phone so just took pictures of the quotes that really resonated with me.

- I would highly recommend this book to all, if you are a sufferer or if you know someone who has or is suffering (and I'm willing to bet you do) then this book is for you. Truly eye-opening and something that I think would bring hope to those who are currently feeling lost - I think if I had read something like this during my darkest times I would have really benefitted from the hope that radiates from this story.

- 5 out of 5 stars and a definite reread for the coming months! Straight into my favourites! ...more

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Apr 05, 2015 Julie Eilén rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own-it, favorites, to-be-re-read, 2015

I feel like this book is a friend I very much needed.

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Sep 19, 2019 ALet added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019

I don‘t know how to rate this book. On one hand I really liked it, his perspective was interesting to read about, but on the other hand it a little bit triggered me.

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Feb 19, 2019 Coffee&Quasars rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A thoughtful, witty and comforting approach to depression. I would've liked a little more hard science in this, but the author's right to say that our understanding of the brain is in the early stages, and to a sensible degree, we have to find what works for us. Throughout the book, we're offered avenues to explore that.

I'd particularly recommend this book to family and friends of the sufferer, as it explains depression very well, but there's plenty in here for veterans of the struggle.

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Jan 05, 2016 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, z2017, ebook

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed reading this. It was such an honest and personal account of what Matt Haig went through. I could really relate to this but reading some parts were hard because of that. I kind of wish I read this when I was in a better mental space because I might have gotten more out of it but I think he did a really good job. I especially liked a passage that I have highlighted below about depression (I marked it with a * to differentiate it from the other quotes).

I hope more people come ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Johann (jobis89) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“There is this idea that you either read to escape or you read to find yourself. I don’t really see the difference. We find ourselves through the process of escaping.”

The story of how Matt Haig came through crisis, triumphed over a mental illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again.

I wouldn’t say this book was revolutionary in any way, nor did it teach me anything I didn’t already know about depression and anxiety. However, Matt Haig writes in such an inspiring and hopeful way ...more

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Feb 19, 2015 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-my-soul

A fuller review MAY follow but my initial reactions to this book, just after finishing it, you can find here.

It is ironic (is that the right word I wonder?) that the author who gave me my first reason to stay alive, at a time when I struggled to find one - with his previous novel, The Humans - then went on to write openly, elegantly and with no holds barred, about his own experiences of depression and anxiety. And called it "Reasons to Stay Alive" If I was better with words myself I could ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Gabby rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: inspirational, read-in-2019, audiobooks-i-listened-to, favorites, liked-it, 4-star-books, memoir-or-nonfiction, own

Matt Haig is an amazing writer. This is the first nonfiction book I’ve read from him, he wrote my favorite book I read last year: The Humans. But this book is really great and really important. It’s a book about his depression and anxiety and it’s partly the story of how he tried to kill himself and how he overcame that, but there’s also some really insightful facts about depression and anxiety and metaphors and lists of reasons to stay alive, and just a lot of really inspiring hopeful things in ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Sonya Serial Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wait about my video about mental illness, this book made me decide to do it, to come out and dare to say it outloud, yes I have depression and anxiety disorder, I am fighting them everyday, and I relate to every single thing in this book (even though there are some differences). Gonna talk to you soon about it all. till then, keep fighting, keep hoping. Life is not as bad as it may seem some days!

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Aug 25, 2016 Antonia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind.”

This was really good. I almost read it in one sitting, every time a 'chapter' ended, I wanted to continue. I got this for christmas and, as I am dealing with an anxiety disorder and depressive episodes, I wanted to read this for quite some time but I didn't know what to expect. And even now after reading it, I can't ...more

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Jan 28, 2019 da AL rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, non-fiction

Finally, mental challenges discussed from the POV of someone who's survived and continues to surmount. It's also a sort of 'behind-the-scenes' to my most recent fave novel, "The Humans." The author does a fine job of performing the audiobook.

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Jul 09, 2019 Bianca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, british-author, non-fiction, male-author

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 08, 2014 Leilah Skelton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Reasons to read this book:

1) You have suffered/ are suffering depression and/or anxiety.
2) You know someone who has suffered/ is suffering depression and/or anxiety.

If you’re asking the question “Is this book for me?”, then the answer is simply, statistically speaking, that this book is for everybody. There isn’t a single person who wouldn’t benefit from the candid insights and sincerity it contains. Matt Haig has given us a book that is half memoir, half life raft, spoken with a voice that ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: Reasons to Stay Alive - Matt Haig - 5 stars	11	35	Feb 22, 2019 12:05PM
Play Book Tag: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig 5 Stars	3	22	Sep 23, 2018 09:14AM
Mental Health Boo...: Realistic portrayals of mental health	13	160	Sep 06, 2018 08:23PM

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About Matt Haig

Matt Haig

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Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England in1975. He writes books for both adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist. His bestselling novels are translated into 28 languages. The Guardian has described his writing as 'delightfully weird' and the New York Times has called him 'a novelist of great talent' whose writing is 'funny, ...more

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“How to stop time: kiss.
How to travel in time: read.
How to escape time: music.
How to feel time: write.
How to release time: breathe.” — 584 likes

“THE WORLD IS increasingly designed to depress us. Happiness isn’t very good for the economy. If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more? How do you sell an anti-ageing moisturiser? You make someone worry about ageing. How do you get people to vote for a political party? You make them worry about immigration. How do you get them to buy insurance? By making them worry about everything. How do you get them to have plastic surgery? By highlighting their physical flaws. How do you get them to watch a TV show? By making them worry about missing out. How do you get them to buy a new smartphone? By making them feel like they are being left behind. To be calm becomes a kind of revolutionary act. To be happy with your own non-upgraded existence. To be comfortable with our messy, human selves, would not be good for business.” — 449 likes

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