Fiction Prescriptions

Tightly packaged in an apparent medical file box are a series of prescription cards covering an array of topics. They are filed under the identifying tabs that run through the life stages from birth, childhood, sex, parenting, and continuing onto aging and, finally, death and grief. The cards within each section contain suggestions for readings on the topic, with an appealing summary of the reading that addresses the theme.

It might be a book by Stephen King, Ian McEwan, or Ursula Le Guin, but many are authors who will be newly introduced to the reader. The backs of these cards carry suggestions that cover the emotions, those feelings that range from melancholy to happiness, loneliness or anxiety, happiness versus anger, ennui, and even love.

This is an appealing reading nostrum cleverly and thoughtfully formulated to allow the reader to examine these life issues under the guidance of author Ella Berthoud, who engagingly encapsulates the themes of the books she recommends and further suggests authors that touch on the indicated topic.

This is a lovely reference source for the topics mentioned, the only problem is that the cards are too tightly packed in their container and difficult to pull out. These prescriptions would be more accessible if fitted in a rolodex setup or a spiral reference format.