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Cheer Up, Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate
Susan Calman is a well known comedian and writer who appears on countless radio and television programmes including The News Quiz, Just a Minute and now Strictly Come Dancing 2017. Her solo stand up show, Susan Calman is Convicted, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and dealt with subjects like the death penalty, appearance and depression.
The reaction to the show she wrote about mental health was so positive that she wanted to expand on the show and write a more detailed account of surviving when you're the world's most negative person.
The Crab of Hate is the personification of Calman's depression and her version of the notorious Black Dog. A constant companion in her life, the Crab has provided her with the best, and very worst of times. This is a very personal memoir of how, after many years and with a lot of help and talking, she has embraced her dark side and realised that she can be the most joyous sad person you'll ever meet.
The reaction to the show she wrote about mental health was so positive that she wanted to expand on the show and write a more detailed account of surviving when you're the world's most negative person.
The Crab of Hate is the personification of Calman's depression and her version of the notorious Black Dog. A constant companion in her life, the Crab has provided her with the best, and very worst of times. This is a very personal memoir of how, after many years and with a lot of help and talking, she has embraced her dark side and realised that she can be the most joyous sad person you'll ever meet.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2016
220 people are currently reading
1365 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
May 19, 2016
I loved this book. I enjoy Susan Calman's work anyway but this was so funny, so thoughtful and so unapologetic. I've read a few books that mix mental health with comedy and 'Cheer up Love' is one of the greats.
From what happened to her Wham! Scarf to the sewers of Paris to the dark clouds that she's fought her way out from under, Cheer Up Love is part autobiography, a tiny bit self help, all delightful.
I listened to the audiobook of this and loved hearing the funny anecdotes, honest retellings and actually useful advice being read in Susan's Glasgow tones.
The only downside to this book is how much I'm going to annoy everyone I know by 'helpfully suggesting' that they read it immediately.
From what happened to her Wham! Scarf to the sewers of Paris to the dark clouds that she's fought her way out from under, Cheer Up Love is part autobiography, a tiny bit self help, all delightful.
I listened to the audiobook of this and loved hearing the funny anecdotes, honest retellings and actually useful advice being read in Susan's Glasgow tones.
The only downside to this book is how much I'm going to annoy everyone I know by 'helpfully suggesting' that they read it immediately.
August 23, 2017
I can only describe this as a Calman hug in a book.
This is a funny, honest, moving and emotional account of Susans experience with depression and her battle with her crab of hate. (The voice that drags you into the dark)
With some great advice for anyone else who suffers and those around them.
Shining a light on mental health and anxiety through emotive, funny stories of life.
I listened to the audiobook and mourned when it ended. I just want Susan to keep talking, her book helped me feel less alone. I love her openness and honesty.
All I can say is Read It!
#susanisawesome
January 13, 2021
As someone who suffers from anxiety and low mood this book felt like Susan Calman reached out, gave my hand a squeeze and said ‘you’re not the only one’. I loved how honest she was about her struggles & how she is utterly unapologetic in how she deals with the different kinds of depressive episodes she deals with, but mostly I loved how she made me feel like it was okay to be me without hiding this part of myself and being ashamed that sometimes I’m not always a ray of sunshine but that doesn’t mean I’m not an awesome human!! I’ll definitely re-read this book and annotate & refer back to it whenever I feel the crab of hate stirring.....
October 1, 2016
4.5 stars. Loved listening to this. One of the funniest books I've read and I would definitely recommend the audio over the book for this reason - Susan is a brilliant comedian (though not one I've been lucky enough to see live yet, this was my first experience with her) and this really shows through in both the writing and her reading of it. For this to be so, while also being predominantly about depression is quite a feat - and the insight into the illness is powerful and helpful. A really uplifting listen, without sugarcoating anything.
August 2, 2017
Nice and interesting audiobook to listen to!
I must say, it didn't make "laugh", which someone might have been expecting, since Susan Calman is a stand up comedian.
What it did was making me feel understood because I could see myself in what she was describing, when she spoke of anxiety and low self-esteem and depression.
I've been through all of that. And I'm better now. And listening to her words and her experiences and "solutions" was comforting in a way.
Besides the middle part (which I found slightly "boring" because it didn't really deal with the main theme of the book), I'd definitely recommend it if you've suffered or still suffering from what I've mentioned above.
And I'd listen to it especially if you're fond of the Scottish accent!
In a nutshell, the message is: if you're not okay, if you feel depressed.. talk to someone. And keep talking.
I must say, it didn't make "laugh", which someone might have been expecting, since Susan Calman is a stand up comedian.
What it did was making me feel understood because I could see myself in what she was describing, when she spoke of anxiety and low self-esteem and depression.
I've been through all of that. And I'm better now. And listening to her words and her experiences and "solutions" was comforting in a way.
Besides the middle part (which I found slightly "boring" because it didn't really deal with the main theme of the book), I'd definitely recommend it if you've suffered or still suffering from what I've mentioned above.
And I'd listen to it especially if you're fond of the Scottish accent!
In a nutshell, the message is: if you're not okay, if you feel depressed.. talk to someone. And keep talking.
September 6, 2017
This is a very personal account of the author and comedian Susan Calman's life long struggle to cope with crippling depression and anxiety.
It's a good mix of accounts of episodes of depression combined with the many and varied attempts at treatment, some more successful than others.
I think it's a very brave honest book and an important one to add to any library of self help depression memoirs.
It's a good mix of accounts of episodes of depression combined with the many and varied attempts at treatment, some more successful than others.
I think it's a very brave honest book and an important one to add to any library of self help depression memoirs.
January 5, 2018
3.5 stars
October 6, 2020
I didn't know who Susan Calman was until Lianne from Literarydiversions mentioned this book in one of her videos last year, so this was my first experience of Susan and her humor and I really liked it. This was an honest and funny look into her life with depression and anxiety. I related to so much of her experience and there were times were I stepped back and said, "Wow, it's like she's in my head!" While there were aspects that I didn't agree with, Susan made it explicitly clear that everyone's depression is different and what works or doesn't work for her may or may not work for the reader. I really appreciated that non-preachy approach.
January 22, 2018
Wry self-help
Intensely personal and apparently honest this is a warts-and-all appraisal of depression. I didn't pick it up as a self-help book, but that is what this is. If like me you expect a conventional autobiography, pick a different book. It is interesting, not the laughs you might expect from Calman, more wry observation. I found it slightly repetitive, but worth a read, if only to remind yourself that 'successful' people aren't necessarily contented.
Intensely personal and apparently honest this is a warts-and-all appraisal of depression. I didn't pick it up as a self-help book, but that is what this is. If like me you expect a conventional autobiography, pick a different book. It is interesting, not the laughs you might expect from Calman, more wry observation. I found it slightly repetitive, but worth a read, if only to remind yourself that 'successful' people aren't necessarily contented.
July 24, 2017
A frank and funny book about living with depression. Whilst staying light-hearted, it's a book that handles difficult conversations about mental health. A must-read.
August 14, 2017
Nice one Susan! Tricky topic shared with strangers-not an easy thing to do. Big love to you!
February 6, 2021
Recently, I've got into watching a TV programme where Susan Calman is travelling round the country in a campervan. It's so wholesome and I love how positive and excited she gets about everything. #SusanIsAwesome. What you may not immediately realise, though, is that she has depression.
Mental health is an important and serious topic and Susan Calman tackles it in a warm, witty and relatable way as she writes about her personal experiences. I picked up the Kindle edition but Susan's voice was in my head the whole time I was reading it. She admits her advice may not be for everyone but there are definitely moments that will strike a chord for some. I, for one, will definitely be doing the Superman pose to make me feel better if only for a little while.
Just by looking at me, you'll have no idea what's happening in my head.
Mental health is an important and serious topic and Susan Calman tackles it in a warm, witty and relatable way as she writes about her personal experiences. I picked up the Kindle edition but Susan's voice was in my head the whole time I was reading it. She admits her advice may not be for everyone but there are definitely moments that will strike a chord for some. I, for one, will definitely be doing the Superman pose to make me feel better if only for a little while.
All I need to do is shake the Crab [of Hate] off and I'll be better. Sometimes all it takes is a shake of the head to be rid of him. Sometimes his grip is quite firm and I need the help of others to throw him back into the sea.
*
It's easy to ignore symptoms but it doesn't help in the long run. Not least because it can make you feel like you're the only person in the world who is going through what you are.
*
One of the key things that I try to do is think positively about my depression. I tell myself that it's important, if at all possible, to make the best out of what can be a very bad lot.
*
No matter how bad you believe things are, they can get better
March 17, 2022
If you suffer from depression then this book has helpful ways that can shout down that little crab of hate. It was comforting to know that I am not alone in my depression and that traits I often attribute to my own self worth are often symptoms of my depression.
If you are not suffering from depression yourself but know somebody that is then this book is a must read. It can help to identify why somebody with depression may act in a certain way and how to help and guide them through it in ways which are helpful.
TLDR: everyone should read this book.
If you are not suffering from depression yourself but know somebody that is then this book is a must read. It can help to identify why somebody with depression may act in a certain way and how to help and guide them through it in ways which are helpful.
TLDR: everyone should read this book.
September 10, 2022
52 Book Club 2022 Summer Challenge- Genre: A Memoir/Biography
3.5/5 stars
3.5/5 stars
April 1, 2020
A candid and humour-filled account of the author’s journey of living with depression, peppered with gentle words of encouragement and the ultimate message that you are not alone ♡
June 9, 2016
This curious volume is Susan Calman's combination memoir and self-help book, detailing her experiences learning to live with chronic depression--or, to use her metaphor, the Crab of Hate, a highly critical crustacean with its pincers firmly attached to her ears, in order to better fill them with negative self-talk.
For those of you who don't recognize her, Calman is a stand-up comedian and frequent BBC Radio4 contributor. Of course, I believe even those unfamiliar with her other work would still feel comfortable--even welcomed--reading Cheer Up, Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate; e.g. take the introduction's first paragraph:
While I read this in hardback (cleverly purchased from an online UK vendor to avoid waiting until October's USA publication), I plan on listening to the audiobook, read by the author herself, once it's more easily attainable here in the states.
Now, as to the book itself: although #SusanIsAwesome, I must admit some personal impatience with some of the how-to's/advice/recommendations/etc. Still, in spite of this, Susan's frank but wry narrative, detailing her daily struggles to make definite if gradual progress toward feeling something more-like-comfort in her own skin (without needing to apologize for it) is definitely engaging, and in spite of my aforementioned impatience with such segments, some of her advice offered a new way of looking at old, all-too-familiar problems for those of us plagued by our own Crabs of Hate (speaking of which, the crab illustrations and their subtle variations were delightful!).
Also, throughout the book, Susan stresses the importance of communication, of finding someone to talk to, and actually talking about what your depression feels like with that person; and, it must be recognized, that with the publication of her rather terrific and brave book, she has certainly established precisely such a dialogue, and invited others to join in the conversation.
I'll conclude by saying that, as your friend with excellent taste, I would certainly recommend reading (or perhaps listening to) Calman's book.
For those of you who don't recognize her, Calman is a stand-up comedian and frequent BBC Radio4 contributor. Of course, I believe even those unfamiliar with her other work would still feel comfortable--even welcomed--reading Cheer Up, Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate; e.g. take the introduction's first paragraph:
"Hello. Welcome to this book. If you've bought it because you know who I am, welcome. If you've bought it because you liked the title, you have excellent taste. If you've been given it as a present, then please immediately thank whoever gave it to you because they have excellent taste. If you have no idea why you're reading this, then you're an impulse buyer and you should embrace that side of your personality. I too have bought things on whim. It's why I'm writing this while wearing a fully functioning Batman costume."
While I read this in hardback (cleverly purchased from an online UK vendor to avoid waiting until October's USA publication), I plan on listening to the audiobook, read by the author herself, once it's more easily attainable here in the states.
Now, as to the book itself: although #SusanIsAwesome, I must admit some personal impatience with some of the how-to's/advice/recommendations/etc. Still, in spite of this, Susan's frank but wry narrative, detailing her daily struggles to make definite if gradual progress toward feeling something more-like-comfort in her own skin (without needing to apologize for it) is definitely engaging, and in spite of my aforementioned impatience with such segments, some of her advice offered a new way of looking at old, all-too-familiar problems for those of us plagued by our own Crabs of Hate (speaking of which, the crab illustrations and their subtle variations were delightful!).
Also, throughout the book, Susan stresses the importance of communication, of finding someone to talk to, and actually talking about what your depression feels like with that person; and, it must be recognized, that with the publication of her rather terrific and brave book, she has certainly established precisely such a dialogue, and invited others to join in the conversation.
I'll conclude by saying that, as your friend with excellent taste, I would certainly recommend reading (or perhaps listening to) Calman's book.
May 19, 2016
This is a review of the audiobook read by the author.
Sounds just like her. Heh.
Calman reveals (almost) all - about her life with depression and learning to cope. She does this with the same humor we would recognize from her stand-up. Her Crab of Hate tells her all the bad things about her, pinching her ears and bringing her down and down and down. Fortunately, she has a wife who is sympathetic (but not all the time - there are limits) and for whom she decided to find a good therapist and get some help. She has two things going against her: she's a dour Scot and she's British and they don't talk about it. She seems to be over the latter anyway.
I can relate to so much of this. Cats - yes, they are wonderful (although I just spent the past 15 minutes chasing Miss Barfy-toes around with the clean-up kit). Smiling - oh boy yes is it ever annoying to be told to smile. You just want to wipe that grin off the other person's face. "It takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown!" they burble. You know, what? It takes even fewer to just have a relaxed face. That it looks to you like Resting Bitch Face is your problem, not mine. [This was told to me frequently at Wateraerobics by someone trotting around in the shallow area while I was in the deep end working my ass off. I don't have to exercise and smile, thankyouverymuch.]
Calman has advice for the friends of the depressed as well as the depressed, with the caveat (her law training, no doubt) that what works for her might not work for everyone. It isn't bellylaugh funny, but funny enough to keep you from going all sad about her self-harm and suicide attempt. Besides, she has that lovely accent.
If she still has trouble sleeping, I recommend listening to audiobooks (although not this one, perhaps) - reasonably upbeat familiar stories to get her mind off that downward spiral we sometimes are caught in. I personally recommend Terry Pratchett's oeuvre. First of all, there's a ton of them, and second, they are funny with deft flourishes. Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs do great work with them.
Highly recommended for anyone coping with depression or coping with someone coping with depression.
Sounds just like her. Heh.
Calman reveals (almost) all - about her life with depression and learning to cope. She does this with the same humor we would recognize from her stand-up. Her Crab of Hate tells her all the bad things about her, pinching her ears and bringing her down and down and down. Fortunately, she has a wife who is sympathetic (but not all the time - there are limits) and for whom she decided to find a good therapist and get some help. She has two things going against her: she's a dour Scot and she's British and they don't talk about it. She seems to be over the latter anyway.
I can relate to so much of this. Cats - yes, they are wonderful (although I just spent the past 15 minutes chasing Miss Barfy-toes around with the clean-up kit). Smiling - oh boy yes is it ever annoying to be told to smile. You just want to wipe that grin off the other person's face. "It takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown!" they burble. You know, what? It takes even fewer to just have a relaxed face. That it looks to you like Resting Bitch Face is your problem, not mine. [This was told to me frequently at Wateraerobics by someone trotting around in the shallow area while I was in the deep end working my ass off. I don't have to exercise and smile, thankyouverymuch.]
Calman has advice for the friends of the depressed as well as the depressed, with the caveat (her law training, no doubt) that what works for her might not work for everyone. It isn't bellylaugh funny, but funny enough to keep you from going all sad about her self-harm and suicide attempt. Besides, she has that lovely accent.
If she still has trouble sleeping, I recommend listening to audiobooks (although not this one, perhaps) - reasonably upbeat familiar stories to get her mind off that downward spiral we sometimes are caught in. I personally recommend Terry Pratchett's oeuvre. First of all, there's a ton of them, and second, they are funny with deft flourishes. Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs do great work with them.
Highly recommended for anyone coping with depression or coping with someone coping with depression.
April 8, 2018
As instructed by the author I am leaving my feedback under the hashtag #susanisawesome
I have been a huge fan of Susan Calman for a number of years now, mainly from her work on the radio and her excellent radio sitcom "Sisters". I have always thought she was an extremely talented writer and comedian and I found (and still do) her inspirational. Someone that wasn't afraid to be her own unique self in an age of vapid social media identi-twits.
Reading this book was a brilliant insight into a personal journey through depression, a condition which I have experienced myself, and I found it illuminating to find her describing the same thoughts that sometimes go through my head, the same crippling anxieties and insecurities and this was coming from one of my favourite intelligent and most put together role models. A mirror through which I can see reflected back some of the problems I struggle to cope with on a day to day basis and her own journey and how she copes.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone struggling with depression or any mental health problems, while she doesn't claim to have the answers and a magic wand to cure you, she will guide you through her own story and offer signposts for you to seek help.
The best thing to come out of reading this book is the universal truth is this "No matter how low and bad things get, you are not alone." I love the concept one reviewer used which is that it is like you are getting a "Calman Hug" while reading this book. We all struggle with darkness, everyone without exception, whether they have depression or not, and this book is one of the many beacons of light to help you while you are there.
Well done, Susan. You are awesome, and so are we :)
I have been a huge fan of Susan Calman for a number of years now, mainly from her work on the radio and her excellent radio sitcom "Sisters". I have always thought she was an extremely talented writer and comedian and I found (and still do) her inspirational. Someone that wasn't afraid to be her own unique self in an age of vapid social media identi-twits.
Reading this book was a brilliant insight into a personal journey through depression, a condition which I have experienced myself, and I found it illuminating to find her describing the same thoughts that sometimes go through my head, the same crippling anxieties and insecurities and this was coming from one of my favourite intelligent and most put together role models. A mirror through which I can see reflected back some of the problems I struggle to cope with on a day to day basis and her own journey and how she copes.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone struggling with depression or any mental health problems, while she doesn't claim to have the answers and a magic wand to cure you, she will guide you through her own story and offer signposts for you to seek help.
The best thing to come out of reading this book is the universal truth is this "No matter how low and bad things get, you are not alone." I love the concept one reviewer used which is that it is like you are getting a "Calman Hug" while reading this book. We all struggle with darkness, everyone without exception, whether they have depression or not, and this book is one of the many beacons of light to help you while you are there.
Well done, Susan. You are awesome, and so are we :)
September 13, 2020
In her autobiography, Cheer Up Love, Susan Calman introduces you to her Crab of Hate. The little creature in her mind that determines her mood and tries to convince her that the whole world is against her. Some of us have something similar, others – if they are lucky – don’t really have to deal with this sort of thing at all. If this is your first time dealing with negative creature such as Calman’s Crab of Hate then you are in for a treat because if there is anyone in the world who can make you look at mental health in a different way then that person is Susan Calman.
It would be easy for people to say that mental health is en vogue right now. It is trendy to have anxiety and if you don’t have it then you are so behind the times or whatever. However, in Cheer Up Love, the hilariously funny and remarkably brave Calman discusses her very real and very difficult struggle with mental health and she does so with her trademark wit and style. She uses humour to present mental health as more palatable and maybe to encourage us to laugh with (not at) those who are struggling.
When I was reading Cheer Up Love, I giggled out loud so many times. It is so funny, extremely entertaining and at times really kind of sad. But overall, you come away with a sense of hope – for your own mental health because there are others out there going through the same thing and also for Susan Calman, you get the sense that she is going to be alright.
Cheer Up Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate by Susan Calman is available now.
It would be easy for people to say that mental health is en vogue right now. It is trendy to have anxiety and if you don’t have it then you are so behind the times or whatever. However, in Cheer Up Love, the hilariously funny and remarkably brave Calman discusses her very real and very difficult struggle with mental health and she does so with her trademark wit and style. She uses humour to present mental health as more palatable and maybe to encourage us to laugh with (not at) those who are struggling.
When I was reading Cheer Up Love, I giggled out loud so many times. It is so funny, extremely entertaining and at times really kind of sad. But overall, you come away with a sense of hope – for your own mental health because there are others out there going through the same thing and also for Susan Calman, you get the sense that she is going to be alright.
Cheer Up Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate by Susan Calman is available now.
October 4, 2018
When did we change from ‘don’t make a scene’ to ‘I want closure’? It, of course, means that you’re over something, which is in direct contradiction to perhaps the most fabulous of all the traits of the British. The slow burning, unexpressed emotion. It’s what we’re famous for. In literature our great heroes are people who have no ability to say what they actually think. Mr Rochester was, I think it’s fair to say, rather stand-offish. You wouldn’t want to go caravanning with Professor Snape. And Miss Havisham sat in her house, in her wedding dress, and did she say anything? No. Humiliated and heartbroken, she remained alone in her decaying mansion –[...] [s]he doesn’t want closure. She wants it to keep going. And she wants to use the next generation as well! She’s done the ultimate British thing – she has infected other people with her own depression!
A candid take on depression, what it means to live with depression, and what it probably means to live with someone who is suffering from depression. A lot of her conversations with her wife reminded me of a lot of my conversations with my wife, who is also a perpetually optimistic ray of sunshine. This had several laugh-out-loud as well as thoughtful moments and rang very, very true. It also made me miss Scotland and especially Glasgow and left me with an unexpected ache.
Also, sign me up for that caravanning trip!
A candid take on depression, what it means to live with depression, and what it probably means to live with someone who is suffering from depression. A lot of her conversations with her wife reminded me of a lot of my conversations with my wife, who is also a perpetually optimistic ray of sunshine. This had several laugh-out-loud as well as thoughtful moments and rang very, very true. It also made me miss Scotland and especially Glasgow and left me with an unexpected ache.
Also, sign me up for that caravanning trip!
May 21, 2016
Funny and honest memoir of a life lived with depression. Some of the advice isn't stuff I'd recommend, and her aversion to medicine and counselling bothered me (particularly the drawing therapy where she blamed the therapist rather unfairly, I felt) - but she's clear that what works for her isn't what might work for others, and vice versa.
There's an early diversion in to being gay which seems like it might belong to another book - it was interesting and revealing, but stuck out a bit given that it wasn't hinted at in the title. Perhaps it sticks out because it gets a bit like you're being told off for other people's attitudes, and if it isn't what you came to the book for, you might find it jarring. Having said that, there are also diversions in to being Glaswegian, short, a comedian, and a cat owner, only the latter of which I can identify with so perhaps I'm being unfair.
It's a book that made me laugh about a subject that doesn't normally have a lot to laugh about. If your understanding of depression isn't great, it's well worth buying with the caveat that her experience is not everyone's experience - as she takes great pains to remind us.
There's an early diversion in to being gay which seems like it might belong to another book - it was interesting and revealing, but stuck out a bit given that it wasn't hinted at in the title. Perhaps it sticks out because it gets a bit like you're being told off for other people's attitudes, and if it isn't what you came to the book for, you might find it jarring. Having said that, there are also diversions in to being Glaswegian, short, a comedian, and a cat owner, only the latter of which I can identify with so perhaps I'm being unfair.
It's a book that made me laugh about a subject that doesn't normally have a lot to laugh about. If your understanding of depression isn't great, it's well worth buying with the caveat that her experience is not everyone's experience - as she takes great pains to remind us.
November 8, 2018
I've always enjoyed Susan Calman's comedy, and what I viewed from afar as quite a positive outlook on life. In fact Susan DOES have a positive outlook on life, it's just that she's also had to deal with a brain that misfires and tells her everything is wrong (I can relate!). This is a very honest account of what depression does to your mind and your body, and how any one person's coping mechanisms can be totally different to your own.. and that's all FINE.
Susan, with her background in law, also caveats an awful lot of the chapters with reasons why you shouldn't necessarily listen to (or read) a single word she's said (but you should anyway), and why her experiences and opinions may or may not match up with your own. This is good, we're all different, have personal opinions and views, and this is just her story.
Cleverly wrapped up in Susan's own brand of humour, you'll laugh and cry in equal amounts. Also, having heard Calman speak a lot on TV, I couldn't help but hear most of this book in my head in her own voice, and Scottish accent.
Susan, with her background in law, also caveats an awful lot of the chapters with reasons why you shouldn't necessarily listen to (or read) a single word she's said (but you should anyway), and why her experiences and opinions may or may not match up with your own. This is good, we're all different, have personal opinions and views, and this is just her story.
Cleverly wrapped up in Susan's own brand of humour, you'll laugh and cry in equal amounts. Also, having heard Calman speak a lot on TV, I couldn't help but hear most of this book in my head in her own voice, and Scottish accent.
June 4, 2018
I just love Susan’s honesty and way with words. Serious with enough humour to get you through it.
January 17, 2017
Susan Calman is a Scottish comedian and in this book she talks about her experiences with depression and anxiety. Susan characterises her depression as The Crab of Hate, sitting on her shoulder spitting out spiteful remarks. The book was interesting, I always find it interesting to read about other people’s experiences with depression and anxiety. Susan is very honest and at times I found myself nodding along in agreement. We find out about Susan’s life as well and some of her anecdotes were very funny. There’s lots of helpful advice too, though like every book I’ve read on mental health it isn’t the be all and end all. Susan’s view on depression is hers and the way she deals with her depression suits her and it isn’t for everyone. I enjoyed reading this and I look forward to seeing more from Susan Calman.
June 22, 2017
An interesting, funny, touching and informative book written by Susan Calman about her experiences of depression, anxiety and being gay. There were parts of this book that really had me laughing out loud and equally at times I was moved. Although overall I found this book quite enjoyable to read I did find it at times a little repetitive and almost self indulgent. However I do feel that this book could be wonderfully useful for those who have yet to find an answer to difficulties they face or comforting for those who have been through similar experiences.
November 8, 2017
People hand me books like this to read, so I know I’m not alone. I already know that, and to be honest I prefer a bit of escapism in my reading. However, books like this are important as they offer a comforting hand to people, and sometimes some helpful insight. This books makes me like Susan a lot and I hope it helps people to try different ways to deal with depression, or indeed just keeps them keeping on. Not medically or expertly informative, but then it isn’t meant to be. An encouraging and honest portrayal of a relationship with the black dog (in this case, the crab of hate).
February 5, 2017
I listened to the audiobook, which is a thing I do to help me not get bored when I can't sleep. I didn't just not get bored - I ended up only listening to this during the day because it was so interesting and funny that it kept me awake!
Susan Calman's honesty shines through in the whole book. I like the way she says things the way they are, and I like how honest she has been about her mental illness, and I like that she is funny while doing all this.
Susan Calman's honesty shines through in the whole book. I like the way she says things the way they are, and I like how honest she has been about her mental illness, and I like that she is funny while doing all this.
February 12, 2017
Part memoir part advisory note, calman bravely dwells on her own battle with depression and makes fun of it at the same time. She talks about her coming out, her inability to make it in the law, the problems in her early stand up career, her fashion and friend disasters - all the time battling her manifestation of her depression, the crab of hate. At times a tad repetitive, at times trying a little too hard to caveat her advice, it was still funny and worth a read
January 27, 2018
I was bought this book as a present and am ashamed to admit that I actually didn’t know who Susan Colman was before she appeared on Strictly which makes me sound terribly low brow but it’s the truth. I found this book really interesting. I love a good autobiography but this one wasn’t about the things that happened throughout her life but the feelings that happened to her. I thought it was funny and insightful and I enjoyed reading it.
May 9, 2016
Depression and being funny
Susan Calman is a lesbian comedian who also suffers from depression. She is very honest about it all in this life memoir, and also gives wise counsel about when to seek help. Admirable stories about being depressed and how she has learned to deal with it. Honest and thought provoking.
Susan Calman is a lesbian comedian who also suffers from depression. She is very honest about it all in this life memoir, and also gives wise counsel about when to seek help. Admirable stories about being depressed and how she has learned to deal with it. Honest and thought provoking.
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