Reviews

A Manual for Heartache by Cathy Rentzenbrink

eliasjzurita's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

athenamatisse's review against another edition

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3.0

I was very excited for this book to be published and overall think it is a very worthwhile book. The bits that clicked with me were amazing, the parts that didn't felt kinda numb. I'm sure anyone reading this book could get something from it and its just down to where you're at that dictates which parts you will like and how much you will value the book.

I especially liked the earlier chapters on understanding the reality of a bad thing happening and giving us all vocabulary for that (the guillotine and the grenade metaphors were my particular favourite).

This book is very personal in a way and that is both a good and bad thing. It can be alienating because you don't relate to her interests or life or experiences, but it's necessary to really communicate this book (and probably for her to write it.)

Overall: recommended 3-3.5 stars.

uriah's review against another edition

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3.5

Really thoughtful, definitely one to revisit in the face of heartbreak

nawa's review

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reminder to myself to reread this later !

megstyas13's review

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informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

kitty_kat21's review against another edition

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4.0

A really lovely book full of good advice. A good reminder that no matter what pain you’re going through, you are not alone.

melody_travers's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

itslauraallison's review

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

thebookwormdreams's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

michaela_k's review

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emotional hopeful reflective

3.5

This is a pleasant, comforting book and a quick read that makes you feel warm inside even while discussing some of life’s darkest aspects. For some reason I expected it to be more of a memoir than literally a self-help style manual (and it is a blend of both, but leaning towards the latter!), so it wasn’t quite what I expected. Also, while nice and comforting, it felt a little bit shallow to me at times — or maybe not so much shallow as just repetitive of lessons I have already learnt over and over during my life. I imagine that readers with less prior experience in heartache might get more out of it.