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Happiness is Just a Pill Away
In this introspective and darkly entertaining novel about coming face to face with your own mental health, a man finds himself caught in a passive aggressive battle against routine, complacency, and the white-collar way of life. Worn down from dodging small talk, dealing with an idiot boss, and drying out under fluorescent lights, he pursues relief in the isolation of stairwells and cheap thrills from bruising his colleague's bananas. When a threatening post-it note pulls him from routine into chaos, he finds himself forced to take an existential look at life. What follows is an awkward, painful, and unexpected pursuit of meaning and happiness in the face of routine through therapy, medication, and wisdom from the unlikeliest of sources.
- GenresFiction
ebook
Published November 17, 2017
6 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
David Grad
1 book22 followersDavid is a human resources and education professional, specializing in training and development in the areas of communication, conflict management, and mental health.
David holds an M.Ed in Counselling Psychology and has an eclectic background of experience in counselling, human resources, teaching, career coaching, university student development programming, fitness training, and personal support work for children with developmental delays.
Born and raised in Sarnia, ON, David has lived, worked, and studied in Winnipeg, MB, and Thunder Bay, ON.
David holds an M.Ed in Counselling Psychology and has an eclectic background of experience in counselling, human resources, teaching, career coaching, university student development programming, fitness training, and personal support work for children with developmental delays.
Born and raised in Sarnia, ON, David has lived, worked, and studied in Winnipeg, MB, and Thunder Bay, ON.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 13, 2018
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
Didn't know quite what to expect from this one but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a tad bleak but it's well written and the story moves quickly.
A pointed look into the mundane life of the 9-5 and the story of a man coming to terms with his mental health. It hit close to home for me; I left my office job a couple of months ago and I have not looked back. The freedom I now have is incredible. It's mind-blowing to think that there are millions of people who go to work every day and complete about two hours worth of menial tasks that need to be stretched out to fill the entire day. It's funny but also terribly depressing.
The unnamed main character takes up counselling sessions, and while he is prescribed medication, it's satisfying to see that real progress is made when he starts to face the person he has become with the help of his therapist. It was a bit clean and tidy but it was really great to see how counselling helped him long term.
Didn't know quite what to expect from this one but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a tad bleak but it's well written and the story moves quickly.
A pointed look into the mundane life of the 9-5 and the story of a man coming to terms with his mental health. It hit close to home for me; I left my office job a couple of months ago and I have not looked back. The freedom I now have is incredible. It's mind-blowing to think that there are millions of people who go to work every day and complete about two hours worth of menial tasks that need to be stretched out to fill the entire day. It's funny but also terribly depressing.
The unnamed main character takes up counselling sessions, and while he is prescribed medication, it's satisfying to see that real progress is made when he starts to face the person he has become with the help of his therapist. It was a bit clean and tidy but it was really great to see how counselling helped him long term.
December 20, 2017
This hugely impressive book is a very cynical, bittersweet and, at times, funny attack on the drudgery of the 9-5 day-to-day, compounding the constant disappointment of underachievement, in a society based on fallacy, superficiality and promise. A book which is easy to relate to in its hopelessness, and the motivation (or lack thereof) of its unnamed protagonist (/antagonist?).
There are laughs – including some real belly ones - but “Happiness Is Just A Pill Away” is not comedy, as such – it is far too real for that. The witticisms are wry, clever ones – as though the author doesn’t really want you to laugh along, because to comply is contemptible. It is candidly critical of the pretentious relationships between colleagues and peers, and its office culture setting is presented as a metaphor for the inequalities of the wider world generally. The first half of the book is an entertaining monologue of contrition and vitriol, and it is both utterly engrossing and extremely satisfying to observe the way David Grad dissects every aspect of society to its most criticism-worthy denominator, from sexual attraction to obesity, via inequality, injustice and wasted opportunity. It reminds me, to an extent, of “American Psycho” in its prose, but instead of bloodlust fuelling its anti-hero main character, it is frustration. It is wonderful to read, and being a wry person myself, I loved it absolutely.
I wonder if the book might be a touch too real for an American audience, but this side of the Atlantic it is right up our alley, with our sardonic sense of humour and our cynical, dreary outlook. Yet, however insincere a person you may be, once you pass the initial barrage of vitriol, and indulge the antics of a character who refuses to be a sociopath, yet may be just that, I defy you not to find yourself at this man’s level. The book does indeed start to feel more humorous – is this because the monologue grows funnier and funnier, or simply because you are now more in sympathy with the unnamed man, with all his increasingly obvious social anxieties?
Upon reaching the midway point, there seems to be a subtle change in tone, and what was previously deemed wry wit on the part of the unnamed, now begins to suggest itself as something potentially more serious. Grad’s depiction of the decline in mental health of a totally average person, living a totally normal life, becomes detailed and incredibly poignant; he delivers it superbly. He appears to knows his daily misery well, and the psychological insight is outstanding in terms of both his understanding and his articulation of it, whether considered from the point of view of the patient or the psychotherapist. And, despite all its acid, “Happiness...” actually delivers some wonderfully uplifting moments.
David Grad is a fantastic author – eloquent and engaging. His turn of phrase and use of metaphor hit his audience objective right on the nail; his writing style and use of language are a distance above the average, and his use of grammar, along with the book’s presentation, are flawless. He is clearly a very intelligent man, who thinks about things a lot, and places a great deal of effort into his articulation of them, whilst ensuring he is wonderfully easy to read; “Happiness...” engrossed me so much that I read it in just a few hours. In fact, it delights me to say that this superb book is the best I have read in a long time, and I congratulate him.
There are laughs – including some real belly ones - but “Happiness Is Just A Pill Away” is not comedy, as such – it is far too real for that. The witticisms are wry, clever ones – as though the author doesn’t really want you to laugh along, because to comply is contemptible. It is candidly critical of the pretentious relationships between colleagues and peers, and its office culture setting is presented as a metaphor for the inequalities of the wider world generally. The first half of the book is an entertaining monologue of contrition and vitriol, and it is both utterly engrossing and extremely satisfying to observe the way David Grad dissects every aspect of society to its most criticism-worthy denominator, from sexual attraction to obesity, via inequality, injustice and wasted opportunity. It reminds me, to an extent, of “American Psycho” in its prose, but instead of bloodlust fuelling its anti-hero main character, it is frustration. It is wonderful to read, and being a wry person myself, I loved it absolutely.
I wonder if the book might be a touch too real for an American audience, but this side of the Atlantic it is right up our alley, with our sardonic sense of humour and our cynical, dreary outlook. Yet, however insincere a person you may be, once you pass the initial barrage of vitriol, and indulge the antics of a character who refuses to be a sociopath, yet may be just that, I defy you not to find yourself at this man’s level. The book does indeed start to feel more humorous – is this because the monologue grows funnier and funnier, or simply because you are now more in sympathy with the unnamed man, with all his increasingly obvious social anxieties?
Upon reaching the midway point, there seems to be a subtle change in tone, and what was previously deemed wry wit on the part of the unnamed, now begins to suggest itself as something potentially more serious. Grad’s depiction of the decline in mental health of a totally average person, living a totally normal life, becomes detailed and incredibly poignant; he delivers it superbly. He appears to knows his daily misery well, and the psychological insight is outstanding in terms of both his understanding and his articulation of it, whether considered from the point of view of the patient or the psychotherapist. And, despite all its acid, “Happiness...” actually delivers some wonderfully uplifting moments.
David Grad is a fantastic author – eloquent and engaging. His turn of phrase and use of metaphor hit his audience objective right on the nail; his writing style and use of language are a distance above the average, and his use of grammar, along with the book’s presentation, are flawless. He is clearly a very intelligent man, who thinks about things a lot, and places a great deal of effort into his articulation of them, whilst ensuring he is wonderfully easy to read; “Happiness...” engrossed me so much that I read it in just a few hours. In fact, it delights me to say that this superb book is the best I have read in a long time, and I congratulate him.
January 14, 2018
This was a challenging read for me, but ultimately satisfying. The protagonist is an unlikely hero. Initially, I found his unrelenting cynicism and vengeful behaviour in the office rather irritating and difficult to relate to. I don’t usually want to smack the main character upside the head as often as I did with this fellow. He seemed like an adolescent escapee from The Office ( the American TV version). Fortunately, persistence was rewarded. David Grad shows the unhappy man and rigid, negative thinking behind the façade. Slowly, the story takes the reader through the beginnings of challenging the character’s attitudes and behaviours.
This book is one of few I have read that shows an authentic view of counselling. The main character slowly begins to free himself from the prison of his own making. A pill helps, but the real work occurs in the spaces between daily doses, with the possibility of lasting change. There is no formulaic ending and the long term outcome is far from certain.
Some grammatical anomalies left me wondering whether an editor was needed or the author was cleverly playing with words. Despite this, Grad’s use of language is a strength. The stark portrayal of vapid relationships, the slavery of cubicle life, self-medication and the existential struggle of modern urban dwellers rings true. It forms a believable backdrop for the character’s pain and struggles.
This is a unique book, inviting us to suspend judgment and enter the difficult reality of an intriguing character. I look forward to more from David Grad.
This book is one of few I have read that shows an authentic view of counselling. The main character slowly begins to free himself from the prison of his own making. A pill helps, but the real work occurs in the spaces between daily doses, with the possibility of lasting change. There is no formulaic ending and the long term outcome is far from certain.
Some grammatical anomalies left me wondering whether an editor was needed or the author was cleverly playing with words. Despite this, Grad’s use of language is a strength. The stark portrayal of vapid relationships, the slavery of cubicle life, self-medication and the existential struggle of modern urban dwellers rings true. It forms a believable backdrop for the character’s pain and struggles.
This is a unique book, inviting us to suspend judgment and enter the difficult reality of an intriguing character. I look forward to more from David Grad.
August 9, 2019
David Grad has crafted a story that takes the reader through the dark, meandering journey of one man’s mental health struggles. The biting wit and sharp prose bring a slightly twisted (and always amusing) humour to the forefront of the story. The office antics that the protagonist wields over his coworkers will keep you laughing and make you wish you had thought of them first. A wonderful debut, a realistic journey, and insightful and disturbing perspectives on love, life, and the journey towards being well.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews