The Complete Neurotic: The Anxious Person's Guide to Life

by Charles Monagan, Mick Stevens (Illustrations)

From the constant distress of infancy to the seasoned anxiety of age, the true neurotic sees the world for what it isa continuous cause for alarm. Hailed as a classic when first published more than 20 years ago, now finally back in print, this welcome new edition of Charles A. Monagan's wildly funny The Neurotic's Handbook is cause for (nervous) celebration. This guide for the white-knuckled brings together the original book and the best of the author's equally hilarious The Reluctant Naturalist, heralding the neurotic's well-founded fear of everyday life in all its worrisome splendor. Chapters on neurotic health ("Are you okay? You look pale..."), neurotic love ("I cant breathe..."), the neurotic at home and outdoors (as far outdoors as one dares to go), the neurotic's rich inner life, the seasons of the neurotic year, and others offer comfort and guidance while opening whole new chasms of concern. With 25 amusing illustrations to help pinpoint exactly what could go wrong, The Complete Neurotic celebrates the lives of the anxious and the anxieties of life.

Genres: Humor

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2005

About the author

"First They Kill You," a medical memoir, is Charles Monagan's latest book (2025). In highly readable form, it recounts his extended battle with two blood cancers and the drama of the eventual cure through stem-cell replacement. His novels include "The Easter Confession," called "a superior whodunit" in a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and "Carrie Welton," which won across-the-board praise as a historical novel set in 1860s Connecticut, New York City, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and Boston.
Monagan was born in Connecticut himself and has spent all of his working life there, first as a newspaper reporter and then for many years as Editor of Connecticut Magazine. Along the way, he published several humor books as well as two editions of the nonfiction "Connecticut Icons."

Reviews

[Clynell Reinschmiedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny book to keep by your bed and read a bit here and there. Intelligent, random, interesting information about neurotics past and present, as well as how to live as a neurotic. If you tend at all toward being a malcontent, you need to read this book. Makes you laugh at yourself...always good medicine. The author defines anxiety as "just another word for nothing much to do". The descriptions of those who made "The Neurotics Hall of Fame" are great.

For example, Alexander Graham Bell in his own words:
"I often feel like hiding myself away in a corner out of sight. Whenever I try to say something I stop all conversation." Not a bad reason for inventing the telephone. Bell, who regularly retired at 4 a.m. and had to be rousted out of bed at noon, was known to hide in the attic or lock himself in the bathroom in order to avoid going to parties. Most curiously, he greatly feared having moonlight fall on him as he slept. On nights of the full moon he walked through the house pulling curtains and placing screens to protect the rest of his family from the hideous light.

All righty then.

[Miund · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the FUNNIEST books I've ever read in my entire life. I bought it when I was in my lowest of low... careerwise, lovewise... and thought: "Hey, whaddya know? There is actually a self-help book with a cute cover! How interesting. I'm getting this and see if it'll help me overcome my depression!"

It did overcome my depression, not with boring 'tips' on how to get on living my life, instead it helped me deal with stuff I was facing by putting the silly facts about the regular neurotic a.k.a moi, in MY FACE. Spent a full day reading this one from cover to cover, laughing like a hyena... at my own stupidities. When I was finished, well I'm proud to say that I am a true neurotic! HAHA!

[Ebster Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's basically the story of my life. Like, from conception. Seriously, guys, thank you for telling me what's wrong with me.

:P

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hilarious book for me, because I am a very anxious, slightly neurotic, person. The beginning, that describes the different stages of life in terms of our anxieties (to the extreme) rang true, and I laughed at myself a lot in the medical section of the book because the hypochondria is expertly described.

The middle section about being a neat freak did not apply to me so I skipped over a bit, but overall it was well written.

Someone asked me if this was a self help book, but really it's more of a joke book. It helps you, in that it gets you to laugh at your silly fears, and see that you are being neurotic. However it's not something I can picture people discussing in tears on Oprah.

[Judi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the author tried to do too much with this book. It was cute, slightly amusing, with the exception of a few spots, but I found he just went overboard and the longer he took a subject the less funny it became.

[Greta Vidya Paramita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and easy to digest:)
After reading this book...i kinda get to understand that everyone has a neurotic side...very understandable...hehehe:D

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some funny moments, but a ton of misses. Take about 70 pages out of filler (horoscopes and whatnot) and this would have been okay.

[Andrew Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny!