Book Review: How to Weep In Public by Jacqueline Novak

To say that How to Weep in Public is relatable would be a gross understatement; I've suffered from depression for a large portion of my life, and like Jacqueline, and most anyone with depression, have periods of good and bad, where I'm “better” and “worse.” I was mildly cynical – no, perhaps the better term would be “apprehensive” now that I think of it; or something between the two – when I chose a book about depression as my first book in the BFB program. You see, this has been one of my worse periods, of late. I've fallen into that mind-and-body numbing apathy of depression where very little is interesting or entertaining, and even just reading is too much, sometimes, and reading is by far my favorite pastime. However, before I was even two pages into the introduction, I was hooked. No, more than that. I was smiling! Before much longer, I was laughing! Big, doofy belly laughs in an otherwise silent room that would surely have had the family dog looking at me like I was loony were he in the room (thankfully, he was not, thus I faced only the judgment of my fish) and it only got better from there.

In the introduction, Jacqueline states that there will be no promises of help; that she's just there to keep you (the reader) company. She kept her promise – there were no promises of help, and she did very much so keep me company. However, the “liability” for my feeling better she tried to shirk on the last page, I will not allow. I was, by the end of the book – that I had not read so much as inhaled in the course of an evening with the voracity of someone starving stumbling upon a free buffet – feeling better. Yes, my apathy is still present, but the overwhelming weight of the world feels lighter, and the fact she simply made me laugh as much as she did was incredible.

Be aware, however; this book will not be for everyone – Jacqueline does use some four-letter words, and sexual metaphors, both of which are typically utilized to lighten the mood, and they do so quite well, but I also find they help get certain points across in a much more direct manner than if they had been more primly stated. Instead of flowery words, we have the very real experiences of a woman who has spent literally her entire life in the trenches of depression, and is unapologetic in both her use of aforementioned metaphors, but is very to-the-point and direct about what she has to say. Her use of wit and sarcasm, her self-esteem issues and her occasional cynical remarks speaks to me greatly, as I myself am a highly sarcastic, cynical individual with self-esteem issues, as I've come to learn many people with depression tend to be. Is this, perhaps, due to a common link between the aforementioned and intelligence, and thusly, intelligence and depression? Perhaps so, but science is still scratching its... head.. about exactly what causes depression in the grand scheme of things, so speculation is all there is.

There was, genuinely, not a single thing I didn't adore about this book. I know it will be one I will read again, and again, and again, and I'm sure each time I read it, I will glean more from it in the re-read than I did in the time before, as is often the case with literature (and, let's face it, my memory isn't the best, so I'll always forget things, here and there, too.) If you're looking for a book on depression that's real, that's hilarious, and that is a genuine guide to how to get through life with depression, I highly recommend this book to you. I, in fact, can't recall a non-fiction work that I've enjoyed as much as I have this book, so truly, that only adds to my recommendation, to be honest with you.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.