Chest Pain: A man, a stent and a camper van

by Michael Harding

In late 2018, Michael Harding was in a hotel room in Blanchardstown experiencing severe pains in his chest. He eventually phoned an ambulance and was admitted to hospital, suffering from an acute heart attack. Here, in Chest Pain, he looks at the months before the heart attack when he kept the signs of failing health from his beloved and instead retreated into solitude -- and with his own inimitable style and humour takes us with him through the months after a stent had been inserted in his heart, where he travels the roads of Donegal in a camper van in a journey back to the beloved, and to himself.

Chest Pain is a thought-provoking, spell-binding memoir about togetherness and what it means to be alive.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2019

Reviews

[Jay Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having suffered a heart attack in September and received a stent as a consequence, albeit in a different hospital to Harding, I felt almost obligated to read this. The account of his heart attack, depressed mood preceding it, and subsequent newfound enthusiasm for life were uncannily like my own experience but take up only perhaps 10 percent of the text. The camper van barely appears at all. Much - most - of the book is devoted to spiritual reflection and accounts of Harding's religious trajectory. I must confess that I could not identify with this at all. We are of completely different temperaments. Harding is serious, morose, and constantly pursues the profound, although, I have to say, he is not as profound as he would like to be or possibly thinks he is. I am shallow, superficial, almost always optimistic and cheerful, all despite a degree in philosophy, a confident atheism, and a deep love of Sartrean existentialism. Some readers will find Harding's book touching, particularly those who know his writing from his Irish Times column, but there is very little in the way of meat or substance here. It's more of a circular to update his fans.

[Gearóid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I have read most of Michael Harding books.
I like his honesty and his great story telling.
Such an interesting man.
Would be great to have a pint and a chat with him if I ever bump into him on the Wild Atlantic Way!

[Thady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Harding delivers another gem, slightly rambling, occasionally contradictory, describing the glorious mystery of not knowing, stories of health, age and the wanderings of body and mind. Truly an icon

[Senioreuge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael as they say could worry for Ireland; he'd be a gold medallist if it was an Olympic sport. Even when he is well he demonstrates a fear of wellness waiting for a catastrophe to find him. All of his books, that I have read, are a search for meaning from chaos, why bother, but then we all do this and it becomes more focused with age. I would love to sit over a good meal and a couple of bottles of wine with him it would be a evening well spent.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Michael Harding, always found his interviews so interesting and inspiring. His books tend to ramble a bit though. Laugh out loud funny at times but topics go off on a tangent also.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read it as I thought he was going to travel in his campervan but there were only about 6 pages devoted to this. Most of it was about his thoughts on religion so it wasn’t really for me. Would give it a 2 1/2 if I could but gave it 3 stars as I did finish it!

[Jim Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Michael Harding, but not his best.

[d m palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, gets into the mind of the author

[Ronan O'Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does contain some profound meditations on growing older and the real attraction of a solitary life but a bit too diffuse and rambling in parts for me.