Sorrow and Bliss

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason is an evocative and piercing exploration of mental illness, love, and the complexities of human relationships. Set between the charming environs of London and Oxford, the novel follows the life of Martha, a woman who has always felt that something is fundamentally wrong with her, although she is unable to pinpoint exactly what it is. Martha's husband, Patrick, believes that everyone has their burdens and that the key to life is simply to keep moving forward. Despite this, he has loved her since he was fourteen, and his love remains unwavering, even if he struggles to make her happy.

Martha's story begins unravelling when she confesses to Patrick before their marriage that she does not want children. His response is one of supportive indifference, reflecting his deep, enduring love and hope that their relationship will be enough. However, as they navigate the daily trenches of their lives, Martha’s quest to understand the root of her anguish intensifies. When Martha finally discovers her diagnosis, it is a bittersweet revelation. The timing renders it almost inconsequential, posing the harrowing question of whether it is ever too late to start afresh or pursue the dreams she abandoned.

Spiky, sharp, intriguingly dark and tender, full of pathos, fury and wit, Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason is a dazzling, distinctive novel from a boldly talented writer - now an instant Sunday Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Women's Prize.

Sorrow and Bliss is a brilliantly faceted and extremely funny book about depression that engulfed me in the way I'm always hoping to be to be engulfed by novels. While I was reading it, I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realized that I wanted to send it to everyone I know’ - Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth

'As soon as I finished Mason's tragically funny debut novel, I gave it to a friend, bookmark and all. I have a feeling my much-underlined paperback has changed hands a dozen times by now; Sorrow and Bliss is too good to hang on to... Mason navigates Martha's challenges with dark charm.' New York Times

'I am adding Sorrow and Bliss to my list of the best novels of 2020.' The Australian

'Both fantastically dark and almost unbearably funny... its beautifully understated, airy style conceals the fiercest intelligence. I loved it so much that I stalked the author on social media - a first. Just read it. It's unforgettable.' - India Knight, The Times

'Such a good book and so richly warrants the Fleabag reference... So funny, so devastating, it's really spiky and completely compelling, I absolutely loved it.' - Annabel Crabb

This uniquely tender and absorbing novel is impossible to read without being moved, and equally impossible not to laugh out loud at its honest, sometimes raw humour. Meg Mason brilliantly converts anguish into a narrative that is tender, hilarious, and wise, never undermining its gravity or diminishing its pain.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 JANN MEDLICOTT ACORN PRIZE FOR FICTION in the NZ BOOK AWARDS

'Gloriously tender and absorbing... It is impossible to read this novel and not be moved. It is also impossible not to laugh out loud. Mason pulls off something extraordinary in this huge-hearted novel, alchemising unbearable anguish into something tender and hilarious and redemptive and wise, without ever undermining its gravity or diminishing its pain.' - The Guardian UK

'Compulsively readable, Sorrow and Bliss is one of the funniest books I've read... It is tempting to compare Martha to other tragicomic greats, Fleabag in particular. But Martha is such a brilliant, singular creation that it is more interesting to imagine not the characters that have inspired her but the ones she will inspire.' - The Independent

'This is a romance, true, but a real one... As devastating and sharply witty as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag' - Books+Publishing

'A triumph. A brutal, hilarious, compassionate triumph.' - Alison Bell, The Letdown

'A heartbreaking debut... simultaneously funny and sad... and aching. Witty and stark, Martha's emotionally affecting story will delight fans of Sally Rooney.' - Publishers Weekly starred review

'Sorrow and Bliss is a book you'll want to devour in one sitting... An adult coming-of-age novel told with force, breathlessness and a confessional style that makes you feel as if you're sharing intimacies with an old friend... Mason's writing has been compared to Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag for good reason... fresh and revelatory... sharp, racy and entertaining throughout.' - The Saturday Paper

'Sharp yet humane, and jaw-droppingly funny, this is the kind of novel you will want to press into the hands of everyone you know. Mason has an extraordinary talent for dialogue and character, and her understanding of how much poignancy a reader can take is profound. A masterclass on family, damage and the bonds of love: as soon as I finished it, I started again.' - Jessie Burton, bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Confession

'Sophisticated and often blackly funny' - Sydney Morning Herald

'I just adored this book. It's timely and dark and poignant and funny. It was filled with such eviscerating compassion and rage; I couldn't get enough of it. I inhaled it in a single weekend, unable to put it down. Meg Mason is a searing talent.' - Kate Leaver, The Friendship Cure