Practicing Dying

by Charlotte Northall

Practicing Dying is a literary anti-memoir documenting life in a Zen Buddhist monastery in rural France where the protagonist, a woman in her late twenties, attempts to overcome chronic drug addiction and mental illness.

Broken and severely unwell, our protagonist arrives at the monastery from London: starving, drug-addicted and disillusioned, having exhausted every conventional treatment route available to her. The book examines how, habituated to a life of benefits assessments, petty-crime and sex work, she struggles to adjust to the rules, discipline and religious life of the monastery—at times to devastating and comedic effect.

As the story unfolds, she reflects on her addictions and past experiences, raising critical questions about what it means to be “an addict” and why there may be vested corporate and societal interests in maintaining a narrow, individualistic understanding of addiction.

Anarchic and provocative, tender and self-deprecating, Practicing Dying differs from other contemporary memoirs in the genre of addiction-recovery by simultaneously challenging the dominant narratives surrounding mental health while proposing an alternative approach to treating the “sickness of self” from which we all increasingly suffer.

Genres: Buddhism

360 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Charley]

DNF, jumped ship when the author compared zen Buddhist retreat to the Holocaust x

[Mereida · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite astounding.

even without personal experience of the practice and the monastery, this is a powerful read, at times devastating and disturbing (some scenes are very hard to read) but also clear-sighted, hopeful and funny.

while very personal, also looks profoundly at the broader picture of addiction and the role of society, poverty and displacement. the harsh, careless approach of the uk health and social services, compartmentalising and profit driven, is contrasted with the boundless compassion of the monastery and the practice, which teaches selflessness and looking beyond yourself to those around you. a beautiful account of the growth from a learned to an embodied practice

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw its blurb describe it as “anti-memoir” I wondered if it was going to be some kind of low-budget Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir which I must confess to not having read, only sat through the film. Even if that were so it does not do justice to Charlotte Northall’s book which might well be more enlightening and deserving of a wider audience AND a film.
The enlightenment does not confine itself to the not entirely unrelated worlds of Buddhism and addiction. Though these areas are thoroughly explored there is so much more that is woven into the narrative as the reader is taken on a journey that is often uncomfortable but always rewarding. For example, I now understand how eating disorders can arise as well as gaining an appreciation of the history of Buddhism and some lesser known extraordinary thinkers.
This book is so incredibly well-written. I could say much more but I wouldn’t want to spoil this treasure which I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone as long as they don’t have too weak a stomach and even then perhaps it’s a medicine that simply needs to be administered. There is unflinching honesty here that deserves to be read if only for the pains that have brought about its existence.

[Roddy C.]

Riveting and lush, dark and insightful, smartly written and left me rooting, rooting, rooting for what I wasn’t sure of. The disrespect and the naughtiness of the protagonist I applaud. Gorgeous transformative journey. Yes yes and yes.