Two Lumps of Sugar for Mr Anxiety

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Mar 28 2022 | Archive Date Apr 05 2022

Talking about this book? Use #TwoLumpsofSugarforMrAnxiety #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

How do you cope with anxiety?

When Jed’s mum dies, his world is turned upside down and his anxiety finds a new source of unease to feed upon. After the funeral, he leaves his job in England to start work in India. His anxiety only gets worse in his new role until he finds a new friend. A friend only he can see.

Aftab has a head shaped like an egg and small, dark eyes at the side of his face rather than the front. His nose is long and slim, beneath which is a narrow mouth, slightly wider than his nose. Perfectly bald, he has no facial hair or eyebrows either. Despite his mouth never moving, he speaks in the voice of Stephen Fry.

Jed’s new friend helps him sleep by using a vacuum cleaner to stop the anaconda sliding down Jed’s throat. And he makes him smile by playing jokes on people at work. He warns Jed, too, that something is wrong in his life. Something Jed can never make right.

Polite Note: Fellow readers, the characters in this story talk about poo. They do it because they think it is humorous. If you are sensitive about natural human bodily functions, this story probably isn’t for you.  

How do you cope with anxiety?

When Jed’s mum dies, his world is turned upside down and his anxiety finds a new source of unease to feed upon. After the funeral, he leaves his job in England to start...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781915365071
PRICE $3.99 (USD)

Average rating from 29 members


Featured Reviews

I was initially intrigued by the cover of this book and I am so glad that it drew me in.
As a long time sufferer of anxiety there were moments in this book that really hit home.
It was definitely different and not like anything I have read before but I enjoyed every second of it. I laughed, cried and my heart ached with relatable emotions. I have quoted some of my favourite moments of the book in this review.

"Don't get stuck in a job you hate, Mohan. You spend too much time at work to be doing some thing you loath. That's a waste of a life. And it's scary how quickly your life passes you by. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience."

He told me you cannot help everyone who is troubled in the world. You can help one person, though, and maybe another after that. If enough people helped just one person, maybe the world wouldn't be so miserable."

Was this review helpful?

'Two Lumps of Sugar for Mr Anxiety' is a hidden gem, not only of literary fiction, but of mental health representation also. An incredibly affecting first few chapters is only the start of the emotional depths the author goes with this novel - soon sending its lead protagonist to India for work, leading to more exploration of mental illness, relationships, and the culture of India. It's immediately clear how fully Eli Wilde understands everything he is writing about.

By casting anxiety (both the emotion and the mental illness) as a character - Aftab - Eli Wilde does for this abstract ball of terror what Terry Pratchett did previously for Death. Taking a purely conceptual idea that people both hate and fear, and turning it into a lovable character only there to help, in his own way.

This decision makes it easy to empathise with the unrelatable, to understand 'The Thing' and allow anxiety sufferers like me to approach their own struggles with a greater understanding, and perhaps a greater toolset. Simultaneously, I can see this book allowing people who don't suffer from anxiety to gain a greater understanding also.

Not merely a book about anxiety however, this story also provides an equally entertaining and powerful narrative, with excellent characters, a fantastic level of depth, and a touch of powerful, thought provoking worldbuilding through the setting and characters that India provides.

In short, 'Two Lumps of Sugar for Mr Anxiety' is the next must read.

[Advanced Reader Copy provided by the author.]

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this story. I have read it twice because I wanted to get a good feel for the characters especially Aftab. I liked the visual representation of anxiety in Aftab. I think this is a good book in representing and raising awareness of mental health and how difficult it can be for people to face their anxiety and know how to get help.

I look forward to reading more from Eli Wilde.

Was this review helpful?

I’m not sure why this gets such mixed reviews. I enjoyed the writing style and everything flowed naturally. The ending was something I wasn’t expecting at all. A total literary sleight of hand. The mental health topics were interesting and I enjoyed learning about some of the anxiety methods. Do they work? Who knows. They seemed to help Jed a bit. I do hope he gets to go back to India.

Was this review helpful?

By the time you finish the book, it feels almost haunting and ethereal. I took some time to ponder and realised this is really a good novel. The mental health condition is the main setting and liked the writing.

Was this review helpful?

It was funny and it had nice ideas about anxiety and mental health. The protagonist and his mysterious new friend brought me a story like no other and I was fascinated by what happened.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: