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Therapy
By all appearances, Laurence Passmore is sitting pretty. True, he is almost bald and his nickname is "Tubby," but the TV sitcom he writes keeps the money coming in, he has an exclusive house in Rummridge, a state-of-the-art car, a vigorous sex life with his wife of thirty years, and a platonic mistress to talk shop with. What money can't buy, and his many therapists can't deliver, is contentment. It's not the trouble behind the scenes of his TV show that's bugging him or even the persistent pain in his knee; it's this deeper, nameless unease. Is it a spiritual crisis or just one of the midlife variety?
Tubby's quest for the source of it will lead into an obsession with Kierkegaard, brushes with the police, gossip-column notoriety, and strange beds and bedrooms worldwide.
Tubby's quest for the source of it will lead into an obsession with Kierkegaard, brushes with the police, gossip-column notoriety, and strange beds and bedrooms worldwide.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
David Lodge
158 books876 followersProfessor David Lodge is a graduate and Honorary Fellow of University College London. He is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham, where he taught from 1960 until 1987, when he retired to write full-time.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, was Chairman of the Judges for the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1989, and is the author of numerous works of literary criticism, mainly about the English and American novel, and literary theory. He is also the author of The Art of Fiction (1992), a collection of short articles first published in the Independent on Sunday.
David Lodge is a successful playwright and screenwriter, and has adapted both his own work and other writers' novels for television. His novels include The Picturegoers (1960), The British Museum is Falling Down (1965), Changing Places (1975), Therapy (1995), Thinks... (2001), and his most recent, Deaf Sentence (2008).
He lives in Birmingham.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, was Chairman of the Judges for the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1989, and is the author of numerous works of literary criticism, mainly about the English and American novel, and literary theory. He is also the author of The Art of Fiction (1992), a collection of short articles first published in the Independent on Sunday.
David Lodge is a successful playwright and screenwriter, and has adapted both his own work and other writers' novels for television. His novels include The Picturegoers (1960), The British Museum is Falling Down (1965), Changing Places (1975), Therapy (1995), Thinks... (2001), and his most recent, Deaf Sentence (2008).
He lives in Birmingham.
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March 18, 2019I remember this as an enjoyable book. It contains several typical Lodge themes - the contrast, really mild culture shock, between two families & British Catholicism.
The narrator works in television and as the novel opens his life goes into a downward spiral. He develops his self-awareness, reads Kierkegaard (and that notion of debate within Kierkegaard's writing is mirrored by the narrator's inner dialogue) tracks down and meets up with his old school girlfriend, who has lost a breast as a risk of cancer (I think she has also lost a son).
There is balance between the narrator's comical sex life early in the novel and the tenderness that he achieves with the old girlfriend towards the end that worked well for me.
The novel felt satisfying and despite the mention of Kierkegaard above, philosophy is not required prior to reading. It's just one of those things that enlarges the novel when you come across them.
I wonder if his use of the pilgrimage to Compostella played any part in the recent growing popularity of that undertaking, or if it is simply symptomatic of that growth?
The narrator works in television and as the novel opens his life goes into a downward spiral. He develops his self-awareness, reads Kierkegaard (and that notion of debate within Kierkegaard's writing is mirrored by the narrator's inner dialogue) tracks down and meets up with his old school girlfriend, who has lost a breast as a risk of cancer (I think she has also lost a son).
There is balance between the narrator's comical sex life early in the novel and the tenderness that he achieves with the old girlfriend towards the end that worked well for me.
The novel felt satisfying and despite the mention of Kierkegaard above, philosophy is not required prior to reading. It's just one of those things that enlarges the novel when you come across them.
I wonder if his use of the pilgrimage to Compostella played any part in the recent growing popularity of that undertaking, or if it is simply symptomatic of that growth?
April 29, 2015
One of the best books ever written. It made me laugh out loud, and not many books do that. It also made me think and presents the idea that we all grow and change into (hopefully) better people. Tragedy can spark introspection and change, even if we think the event that occurs is horrible and we will never be able to recover.
December 20, 2017
David Lodge is always entertaining, with a great gift for witty dialogue, and is genuinely funny. The writing is good, the insight into life acute as ever. This book centres on an ageing scriptwriter who is successful at work, but depressed, hence the therapy. As his life falls apart, he becomes increasingly obsessed with Kirkegaard, the father of existential angst. There is a cheerful resolution at the end though, which is quite satisfying.
February 18, 2012
I love David Lodge, but this book about sitcom writer Tubby Passmore didn't blow me away as much as his others.
Tubby is a very self obsessed character suffering from depression and I found his first person narrative a drudge to read through. Lodge doses up the final third of the book with his usual Catholic musings and a pilgrimage but I had lost interest by then.
This book has taken me a few months to get through when normally I will devour a Lodge book in a day and night. So, for me, not one of his best. But I still love him!
Tubby is a very self obsessed character suffering from depression and I found his first person narrative a drudge to read through. Lodge doses up the final third of the book with his usual Catholic musings and a pilgrimage but I had lost interest by then.
This book has taken me a few months to get through when normally I will devour a Lodge book in a day and night. So, for me, not one of his best. But I still love him!
January 7, 2019
Ο Τάμπυ Πάσμορ ζεί ένα δράμα: ένας απλός πόνος στο γόνατο έχει μετεξελιχθεί σε ατελείωτο άγχος και παρασέρνει τα πάντα στο πέρασμα του: την γυναίκα του, την δουλειά του, την ζωή του. Στην προσπάθεια να απαλλαγεί από τα προβλήματα του θα αναζητήσει "θεραπεία" μέσα από ένα ταξίδι αυτοκριτικής και αυτοβετλίωσης που θα τον οδηγήσει στην πρώτη του φιλενάδα.
Η πρώτη μου επαφή με τον Λόντζ δεν ήταν και η καλύτερη αλλά τούτο εδώ είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο. Μέσα από ημερολόγια και μέσα από την προσωπική ματιά του Πάσμορ ξεδιπλώνεται η κρίση των 50, η οποία μπορεί να μας δείξει πως ένας πετυχημένος άνθρωπος που θεωρητικά έχει τα πάντα μπορεί σχεδόν να εφευρίσκει προβλήματα για να βάλει αυτογκόλ στην ζωή του. Χιούμορ, συγκίνηση και λίγος σαρκασμός σε ένα βιβλίο που στα 35 μου, μου φάνηκε λίγο εκνευριστικό σε σημεία αλλά φοβάμαι ότι στα 60 θα μου φαίνεται απόλυτα λογικό.
Η πρώτη μου επαφή με τον Λόντζ δεν ήταν και η καλύτερη αλλά τούτο εδώ είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο. Μέσα από ημερολόγια και μέσα από την προσωπική ματιά του Πάσμορ ξεδιπλώνεται η κρίση των 50, η οποία μπορεί να μας δείξει πως ένας πετυχημένος άνθρωπος που θεωρητικά έχει τα πάντα μπορεί σχεδόν να εφευρίσκει προβλήματα για να βάλει αυτογκόλ στην ζωή του. Χιούμορ, συγκίνηση και λίγος σαρκασμός σε ένα βιβλίο που στα 35 μου, μου φάνηκε λίγο εκνευριστικό σε σημεία αλλά φοβάμαι ότι στα 60 θα μου φαίνεται απόλυτα λογικό.
September 21, 2016
After reading a couple of chapters, I thought this book was going to be a somewhat playful romp and although our protagonist Tubby amused me, I was, frankly, a little bored. Being on a 13-hour plane ride as I was, I very much needed to get utterly lost in a novel, so I put down this book and picked up another novel only to return to Therapy weeks later. I’m glad I didn’t abandon Tubby forever because, despite my initial impressions, this novel has a great deal of substance to it. This work blends pathos and humor that makes the pathos bearable and gives the humor depth. Through most of the book, we experience Tubby’s world through his point-of-view but midway through, a somewhat surprising transition occurs, allowing us to know Tubby through the eyes of various figures in his life, important and not. Though a bit jarring, these narratives give us a more intimate connection with Tubby. As the novel progresses, the plot aspect becomes more salient as does the theme of what enables us to be tolerable to ourselves—Is it the right therapy, the right philosopher, or something else? When I finished the book, I knew I had connected with it strongly because I flipped through the front and the back trying to find author’s comments, endorsements, anything to keep the experience going. Having come up empty in that regard, I had the idea to write this review.
December 8, 2007
I really didn't expect to like this book, and didn't for most of it. I find Kierkegaard about as uninteresting a philosopher as it is possible to be and the idea of reading a novel about a man obsessed with him - particularly a man as seemingly unaware of himself as this guy seemed - was a complete pain.
Then, about half way through Lodge has a series of bits of writing that are as nasty as hell about the main character written by the women in his life. And from there this becomes quite a different book.
There is a bit towards the end of this book where the main character is in bed with a woman and kisses the scar left from when she had her breast removed which I think says as much about love as it is possible to say. We don't want to be loved for our perfections - but almost in spite of them. We want to be loved, maybe not for our scars, but with our scars. It is terribly sad when someone we love can't love us due to the scars we have - as in the case of this woman who finds her husband is revolted by her now she has lost a breast.
In the end all we are are the scars life leaves on us. I started off really disliking this book and in the end it became quite nice. I've only ever read one other of his books, and didn't like that at all.
Then, about half way through Lodge has a series of bits of writing that are as nasty as hell about the main character written by the women in his life. And from there this becomes quite a different book.
There is a bit towards the end of this book where the main character is in bed with a woman and kisses the scar left from when she had her breast removed which I think says as much about love as it is possible to say. We don't want to be loved for our perfections - but almost in spite of them. We want to be loved, maybe not for our scars, but with our scars. It is terribly sad when someone we love can't love us due to the scars we have - as in the case of this woman who finds her husband is revolted by her now she has lost a breast.
In the end all we are are the scars life leaves on us. I started off really disliking this book and in the end it became quite nice. I've only ever read one other of his books, and didn't like that at all.
November 16, 2014
I enjoyed the novel on a couple of different levels, as pure entertainment, as the exploration of a psyche in turmoil, as a personal triumph/redemption story, and—guiltily—because I felt my knowledge of Kierkegaard earned me entry into an insider's circle. David Lodge has cleverly told a number of comic tales that entail an insider's vantage on a particular professional worlds, sometimes superficially (cognitive science in Thinks...) and sometimes with striking resonance (literary criticism in Changing Places), in each case leavening the milieu with some gently comic adaptation of standard dramatic tropes: love and murder in Thinks..., and adultery and groves of academe in Trading Places.
David Lodge obviously works to keep himself and the reader interested in the story he works out, and it's clear he bones up on his background materials. In Therapy, it's a combination of standard psychiatric therapy with a Kierkegaardian angst and identification, which at first seems contradictory, then finally resolves into a "repetition" which resonates in both Freudian and Kierkegaardian thought. All of this could be quite high falutin', but Lodge does a good job of keeping it light, sabotaging deep seriousness with his narrator's whinging tone and the responses of those around him to his plight and concerns. The narrator begins the novel—a series of his journal entries (some told straight, some told from the vantage of his friends)—explaining who he is: "Tubby" Passmore, sitcom writer. The novel is an instance of the clown crying inside, not understanding why he's distracted and anxious, unable to move forward with his life, his wife, and his writing.
"Tubby" confesses that fat people are meant to be funny, and he delivers on this, deftly wringing quiet chuckles from the account of his predicaments, never quite assuring the reader that the fascination and identification with Kierkegaard is as profound as he maintains. Tubby notes his passage through the Kierkegaardian moral stages, and in the final leap of faith required of the religious stage, he seeks to repeat and amend his past. The literal pilgrimage that he undertakes in the novel's final act is handled both seriously, comically, and even sentimentally. It's a very good juggling act, and the novel's cheeriness (Tubby just can't do abject and tormented) is balanced against elements that do have some profoundly intellectual and psychological correspondences in the world beyond the novel.
David Lodge obviously works to keep himself and the reader interested in the story he works out, and it's clear he bones up on his background materials. In Therapy, it's a combination of standard psychiatric therapy with a Kierkegaardian angst and identification, which at first seems contradictory, then finally resolves into a "repetition" which resonates in both Freudian and Kierkegaardian thought. All of this could be quite high falutin', but Lodge does a good job of keeping it light, sabotaging deep seriousness with his narrator's whinging tone and the responses of those around him to his plight and concerns. The narrator begins the novel—a series of his journal entries (some told straight, some told from the vantage of his friends)—explaining who he is: "Tubby" Passmore, sitcom writer. The novel is an instance of the clown crying inside, not understanding why he's distracted and anxious, unable to move forward with his life, his wife, and his writing.
"Tubby" confesses that fat people are meant to be funny, and he delivers on this, deftly wringing quiet chuckles from the account of his predicaments, never quite assuring the reader that the fascination and identification with Kierkegaard is as profound as he maintains. Tubby notes his passage through the Kierkegaardian moral stages, and in the final leap of faith required of the religious stage, he seeks to repeat and amend his past. The literal pilgrimage that he undertakes in the novel's final act is handled both seriously, comically, and even sentimentally. It's a very good juggling act, and the novel's cheeriness (Tubby just can't do abject and tormented) is balanced against elements that do have some profoundly intellectual and psychological correspondences in the world beyond the novel.
May 2, 2020
This was a very serendipitous choice, I really enjoyed it. Here Lodge tells the story of a neurotic married TV screenwriter Laurence 'Tubby' Passmore (or, as this is mainly from the viewpoint of the protagonist's diaries, 'allows the story to be told') during struggles with his health, personal and professional life. From that, it might not sound like a particularly appealing read, but I found plenty in common with the overanalytical man at the centre of this story, and thought the writing both intelligent and very witty.. it was very enjoyable. It could be accused of being self-indulgent, and at times it felt slightly dated, but Lodge's powers of observation and description in this area (I believe he often takes middle-aged and often academic men as his subject) and his ability to convince the reader with the 'voice' of the narrator (here also there is a not-insignificant interlude from several different POVs almost half way through, which I also thought successful) made this an enjoyable and interesting read.
January 16, 2021
this was interesting and fun to read. 1993 in london - tubby passmore is 58, a successful sit-com writer of « the people next door », he has a great house and car, a good marriage and adult kids who are doing fine... the only problem? he is unhappy most of the time, plus - a therapy-resistent pain in his knee. told in a mix of journal - monologues about him by different people (this part i liked best) - memoir - and journal again. i enjoyed the humour and the setting, and learned about how sit-coms were (are) made. why not?
January 8, 2023
Credo che la stragrande maggioranza dei libri che leggiamo ricada in due categorie: il libro di attualità (l’autore del momento, il libro-rivelazione, l’ultimo Nobel..) e i classici acclarati, quelli cioè il cui autore è morto ormai da qualche decennio (gli ultimi italia sono stati Calvini, Moravia, Pasolini..). Tutti quelli che cadono in mezzo a queste due categorie rischiano l’oblio: solo una parte riesce a passare dal successo di oggi alla classicità domani. E oltre tutto è un po’ straniante leggere un libro ambientato non nel solito comodo passato, o nell’ovvio presente, ma in uno scomodo ieri che siamo appena riusciti a superare, i primi anni ‘90: lo ieri in cui si usavano rubriche ed elenchi telefonici, la propria vita sentimentale non dipendeva da SMS o Whatsapp ma dalla segreteria telefonica, e i documenti si inviavano via fax.. uno ieri in cui, nel Regno Unito, il governo Major viveva gli ultimi fuochi del thatcherismo con la privatizzazione di British Rail, e le famiglie sono oppresse dalla “negative equity” (mentre in Italia, dove tutto è più dolce, anche la recessione sembrava smorzata, le privatizzazioni stavano sì iniziando ma promosse dal centrosinistra, e per anni sarebbero state considerate un successo).
In questo limbo si situano i romanzi di David Lodge: celebre docente di letteratura inglese e critico letterario, umorista tra i migliori degli anni ’80 e ’90. Lo scoprii per caso quando una mia zia regalò a mio fratello “Paradise News” (“Notizie dal paradiso”) e per me fu una rivelazione, che mi portò a divorare la “trilogia del campus” (ovvero “Changing places”, “Small world” e “Nice Work”; i titoli italiani sono un po’ goffi: “Scambi”, “Il professore va al congresso” e “Ottimo lavoro, professore!”; quello oggetto di questo post sembra fatto per scoraggiare il lettore: “La felicità è di questo mondo”, 1998).
Lodge sconvolgeva una serie di certezze per un italiano (di allora e anche di poi): si poteva fare umorismo vero (e non ironia, satira, sarcasmo..), si poteva farlo da persona colta, letterata e arguta e non necessariamente da cafone sguaiato; si poteva vedere il turismo di massa non come un gregge di ebeti ma come la versione attuale dei pellegrinaggi medievali; si potevano inscenare scene di sesso divertenti non necessariamente triviali o pecorecce! (oppure tragicamente intellettualoidi: si pensi alla scena “climax” di “Caos calmo” di Veronesi, peraltro bel romanzo..).
A ben pensarci, ho incontrato i romanzi di Lodge secondo una tempistica fortunata: quelli del Campus alla fine dell’università; “Nice work” durante il primo Contratto di Formazione e Lavoro, e anche se ero solo un pivello incaricato del Controllo Qualità in una filanda, un po’ potevo identificarmi con il problematico dirigente industriale; e ora questo “Therapy” arriva proprio quando sto per compiere 54 anni, più o meno come il protagonista,e come lui, avere quasi trent’anni di lavoro alle spalle porta a considerazioni e scelte (a volte mi chiedo cosa sarebbe successo se quella zia avesse invece regalato “Trainspotting”..)..
Il romanzo parla di Tubby, sceneggiatore di serie televisive di successo, uomo fatto da sé ma pieno di buona volontà nel colmare le proprie lacune (è un continuo “look up” anche prima dei motori di ricerca!); arrivato alla mezza età e al successo, si trova nella tipica situazione di chi sta troppo bene per compiere scelte drastiche nella vita (come invece è più facile fare da giovani), ma tuttavia ne sente il bisogno. Per affrontare la sua generica nevrosi, somatizzata in un dolore al ginocchio che gli impedisce il tennis e in una episodica impotenza, Tubby utilizza contemporaneamente psicanalisi, agopuntura, massaggi (tutte le “Terapie” del titolo).. finchè la vita, di cui si sentiva quanto meno padrone, gli scoppia in faccia: la moglie lo pianta. Fin qui tutto sostanzialmente tutto in forma di diario, il che offre il vantaggio dell’immediatezza della prima persona unito al non sapere “che cosa succederà poi” da parte del narratore; ma al momento della sorpresa da parte della moglie inizia un intermezzo, una girandola di racconti da parte delle donne della sua vita, freneticamente “riscoperte” nel tormentato periodo della separazione: l’amante platonica Amy parla durante le sue sedute psicanalitiche, Louise, l’avventura californiana, mentre telefona a una collega altrettanto scafata, la giovane collega Samantha, la stessa moglie Sally..
I momenti di crisi, si sa, portano a ricorrere alle soluzioni più stravaganti: ed ecco che il nostro Tubby, probabilmente nemmeno diplomato, si scopre un’ossessione per Kierkegaard! Sapevo molto poco di questo pensatore, e Lodge riesce brillantemente a parlarne senza nasconderne le stranezze ma anche mostrando, con la sua consueta umanità e umorismo, come può davvero interessarci (il contrario dello spirito italiota della “Corazzata Kotiomkin”, purtroppo ormai dominante..).
La vera svolta nella storia è, però (anche questo non originalissimo, ma inevitabile) la riscoperta del primo amore adolescenziale: come troppo spesso accade, nato purissimo e ideale, ucciso dall’incombere di desideri impossibili e dalle convenzioni sociali. Lei, Maureen Kavanagh, è irlandese e Lodge ne approfitta come suo solito per una gentile presa in giro del cattolicesimo sia preconciliare (l’adolescenza cattolica negli anni ‘50), sia anche di quello un po’ New Age legato al Camino de Santiago, che quando questo romanzo uscì stava diventando un fenomeno di massa; ma Lodge è troppo colto e intelligente per deridere o ignorare tout court il cristianesimo come farebbero altri autori di moda: preferisce sempre pensare, ragionare, capire (e la sua satira mi lascia sempre con più simpatia per il cattolicesimo che per la “Church of England”).
Ci sono, naturalmente, alcuni segni dei tempi che datano il romanzo, più privati della privatizzazione di British Rail: il giovane maestro di tennis che subisce stalking da parte di Tubby (convinto che la moglie lo tradisca con lui) e che se lo vede arrivare in camera da letto una notte armato di cesoie per tagliargli, a quanto pare, il codino… non sporge denuncia perché, sopresa sorpresa, è in letto con il compagno! e quindi, pur “innocente”, preferisce che non si sappia con chi dorme per non guastarsi la reputazione nel circolo esclusivo dove insegna: è un segno di discriminazione subìta, che oggi non accetteremmo. Così come l’episodio della bella Samantha, che accetta il viaggio a Copenaghen con Tubby (che ha prenotato due stanze separate, ma solo per la forma) per un “pellegrinaggio kierkegaardiano” sapendo che è il prezzo da pagare per un posto prestigioso: uno sfruttamento sessuale implicito che oggi non troviamo più “maliziosamente divertente” (anche se il finale sarà davvero comico).
A chi non avesse mai letto Lodge e ne fosse incuriosito, consiglio di iniziare con la “Trilogia del campus” (possibilmente in lingua originale), e solo dopo passare a “Notizie dal Paradiso” o a questo; altri ancora, come “Deaf sentence” (sempre moscio il titolo italiano: “Il prof è sordo”..) sono per gli appassionati dell’autore.
Mi resta da leggere “Author, author” (il richiamo del pubblico che a fine spettacolo vuole vedere l’autore; solo in italiano titolo cambiato, ahimé: “Dura, la vita dello scrittore”..): a presto!
In questo limbo si situano i romanzi di David Lodge: celebre docente di letteratura inglese e critico letterario, umorista tra i migliori degli anni ’80 e ’90. Lo scoprii per caso quando una mia zia regalò a mio fratello “Paradise News” (“Notizie dal paradiso”) e per me fu una rivelazione, che mi portò a divorare la “trilogia del campus” (ovvero “Changing places”, “Small world” e “Nice Work”; i titoli italiani sono un po’ goffi: “Scambi”, “Il professore va al congresso” e “Ottimo lavoro, professore!”; quello oggetto di questo post sembra fatto per scoraggiare il lettore: “La felicità è di questo mondo”, 1998).
Lodge sconvolgeva una serie di certezze per un italiano (di allora e anche di poi): si poteva fare umorismo vero (e non ironia, satira, sarcasmo..), si poteva farlo da persona colta, letterata e arguta e non necessariamente da cafone sguaiato; si poteva vedere il turismo di massa non come un gregge di ebeti ma come la versione attuale dei pellegrinaggi medievali; si potevano inscenare scene di sesso divertenti non necessariamente triviali o pecorecce! (oppure tragicamente intellettualoidi: si pensi alla scena “climax” di “Caos calmo” di Veronesi, peraltro bel romanzo..).
A ben pensarci, ho incontrato i romanzi di Lodge secondo una tempistica fortunata: quelli del Campus alla fine dell’università; “Nice work” durante il primo Contratto di Formazione e Lavoro, e anche se ero solo un pivello incaricato del Controllo Qualità in una filanda, un po’ potevo identificarmi con il problematico dirigente industriale; e ora questo “Therapy” arriva proprio quando sto per compiere 54 anni, più o meno come il protagonista,e come lui, avere quasi trent’anni di lavoro alle spalle porta a considerazioni e scelte (a volte mi chiedo cosa sarebbe successo se quella zia avesse invece regalato “Trainspotting”..)..
Il romanzo parla di Tubby, sceneggiatore di serie televisive di successo, uomo fatto da sé ma pieno di buona volontà nel colmare le proprie lacune (è un continuo “look up” anche prima dei motori di ricerca!); arrivato alla mezza età e al successo, si trova nella tipica situazione di chi sta troppo bene per compiere scelte drastiche nella vita (come invece è più facile fare da giovani), ma tuttavia ne sente il bisogno. Per affrontare la sua generica nevrosi, somatizzata in un dolore al ginocchio che gli impedisce il tennis e in una episodica impotenza, Tubby utilizza contemporaneamente psicanalisi, agopuntura, massaggi (tutte le “Terapie” del titolo).. finchè la vita, di cui si sentiva quanto meno padrone, gli scoppia in faccia: la moglie lo pianta. Fin qui tutto sostanzialmente tutto in forma di diario, il che offre il vantaggio dell’immediatezza della prima persona unito al non sapere “che cosa succederà poi” da parte del narratore; ma al momento della sorpresa da parte della moglie inizia un intermezzo, una girandola di racconti da parte delle donne della sua vita, freneticamente “riscoperte” nel tormentato periodo della separazione: l’amante platonica Amy parla durante le sue sedute psicanalitiche, Louise, l’avventura californiana, mentre telefona a una collega altrettanto scafata, la giovane collega Samantha, la stessa moglie Sally..
I momenti di crisi, si sa, portano a ricorrere alle soluzioni più stravaganti: ed ecco che il nostro Tubby, probabilmente nemmeno diplomato, si scopre un’ossessione per Kierkegaard! Sapevo molto poco di questo pensatore, e Lodge riesce brillantemente a parlarne senza nasconderne le stranezze ma anche mostrando, con la sua consueta umanità e umorismo, come può davvero interessarci (il contrario dello spirito italiota della “Corazzata Kotiomkin”, purtroppo ormai dominante..).
La vera svolta nella storia è, però (anche questo non originalissimo, ma inevitabile) la riscoperta del primo amore adolescenziale: come troppo spesso accade, nato purissimo e ideale, ucciso dall’incombere di desideri impossibili e dalle convenzioni sociali. Lei, Maureen Kavanagh, è irlandese e Lodge ne approfitta come suo solito per una gentile presa in giro del cattolicesimo sia preconciliare (l’adolescenza cattolica negli anni ‘50), sia anche di quello un po’ New Age legato al Camino de Santiago, che quando questo romanzo uscì stava diventando un fenomeno di massa; ma Lodge è troppo colto e intelligente per deridere o ignorare tout court il cristianesimo come farebbero altri autori di moda: preferisce sempre pensare, ragionare, capire (e la sua satira mi lascia sempre con più simpatia per il cattolicesimo che per la “Church of England”).
Ci sono, naturalmente, alcuni segni dei tempi che datano il romanzo, più privati della privatizzazione di British Rail: il giovane maestro di tennis che subisce stalking da parte di Tubby (convinto che la moglie lo tradisca con lui) e che se lo vede arrivare in camera da letto una notte armato di cesoie per tagliargli, a quanto pare, il codino… non sporge denuncia perché, sopresa sorpresa, è in letto con il compagno! e quindi, pur “innocente”, preferisce che non si sappia con chi dorme per non guastarsi la reputazione nel circolo esclusivo dove insegna: è un segno di discriminazione subìta, che oggi non accetteremmo. Così come l’episodio della bella Samantha, che accetta il viaggio a Copenaghen con Tubby (che ha prenotato due stanze separate, ma solo per la forma) per un “pellegrinaggio kierkegaardiano” sapendo che è il prezzo da pagare per un posto prestigioso: uno sfruttamento sessuale implicito che oggi non troviamo più “maliziosamente divertente” (anche se il finale sarà davvero comico).
A chi non avesse mai letto Lodge e ne fosse incuriosito, consiglio di iniziare con la “Trilogia del campus” (possibilmente in lingua originale), e solo dopo passare a “Notizie dal Paradiso” o a questo; altri ancora, come “Deaf sentence” (sempre moscio il titolo italiano: “Il prof è sordo”..) sono per gli appassionati dell’autore.
Mi resta da leggere “Author, author” (il richiamo del pubblico che a fine spettacolo vuole vedere l’autore; solo in italiano titolo cambiato, ahimé: “Dura, la vita dello scrittore”..): a presto!
Read
February 26, 2012David Lodge is the author of a collection of essays, titled The Art of Fiction, that is one of my favorite guides to writing. Here, in Therapy, he turns to fiction, describing the mid-life crisis of Laurence Passmore, a British sitcom writer. This choice of a writer as first-person narrator means that Lodge is able to load the book with sharply observed details of life in early 1990s England, and of Passmore's growing fascination with Keirkegaard--especially that philosopher's unhappy relationship with the love of his life, Regine, which resembles and informs Passmore's history with his own first girlfriend--and with the modern-day edition of the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain, where the relics and remains of St. James might or might not be buried.
Apart from the above plot details, Lodge makes further good use of Passmore's occupation to structure the novel. Divided into four sections, with one, three, and four taking the form of a journal Passmore is keeping--a "writing therapy"--and section two from the perspective of various other characters in the novel, as written by Passmore: Lodge, the writer, writing Passmore, the writer, writing the people he knows. Part three also includes a memoir written by Passmore that documents his relationship with his first girlfriend, which is painfully authentic and true--Lodge gets young love exactly right.
Apart from the above plot details, Lodge makes further good use of Passmore's occupation to structure the novel. Divided into four sections, with one, three, and four taking the form of a journal Passmore is keeping--a "writing therapy"--and section two from the perspective of various other characters in the novel, as written by Passmore: Lodge, the writer, writing Passmore, the writer, writing the people he knows. Part three also includes a memoir written by Passmore that documents his relationship with his first girlfriend, which is painfully authentic and true--Lodge gets young love exactly right.
April 24, 2019
one of my favourite books of all time, i relate to the main character's existential crisis + despair SO, SO MUCH!
September 25, 2021
A tale that perfectly captures the angst of middle age and seeks to shed some light on its causes. Laurence “Tubby” Passmore is a successful screenwriter responsible for one of the nation’s favourite sitcoms, following the lives of two neighbouring families who are different in so many ways but destined see more of each other than they really want to.
Tubby’s own life is superficially very successful with great accomplishment in the field of his choosing, a long-standing marriage, two grown-up children, a large house in the Midlands, a luxurious car and a flat close to the Charing Cross Road in London. He seems popular with those who know him well.
Yet beneath the skin of his suburban success, all is far from well. For a start, his knee is causing him a lot of pain and despite an operation to sort it out, the knee seems to have defeated medical science and is severely limiting his tennis game.
As the title alludes, Tubby routinely sees a range of therapists for his body and mind. Much of the book takes the form of a journal that his mind therapist, Alexandra, who specialises in a discipline called Rational Emotive Therapy, has recommended he keep.
The journal charts the rapid unraveling of Tubby’s ‘successful’ life at the age of 58. Through his habit of ‘looking things up’ Tubby develops a very strong interest in the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who he feels a growing affinity to in terms of both his personal life and his ability to regret whatever decision he makes. From Kierkegaard’s ‘Either/Or”, he finds particular resonance in:
“If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; if you marry or if you do not marry, you will regret both; whether you marry or you do not marry, you will regret both.”
Yet to give the suggestion that this is simply a novel about middle-aged reflection on the human condition would be doing it a disservice. It is about that in part but it is also a touching and often very funny account of the life of a man who is fundamentally decent and intelligent yet makes a lot of mistakes particularly when it comes to his relations with the opposite sex. Tubby’s journal details this in a style that is both gripping and accessible. His writings lead him back to the early part of his life and the unforgettable Catholic girl he met as a teenager at the tram stop in suburban London.
Ultimately it is a tale of hope and renaissance, of new life coming out of brokenness and mistakes and includes romp across the world between London, the Midlands, Denmark, Los Angeles, Tenerife and finally to a redemption of sorts on the road to Santiago de Compostela. It is a miracle of the everyday and the suburbanite in more ways than one. David Lodge steers a masterful course between the cynical and sentimental to produce something unexpectedly life-affirming and profound.
Tubby’s own life is superficially very successful with great accomplishment in the field of his choosing, a long-standing marriage, two grown-up children, a large house in the Midlands, a luxurious car and a flat close to the Charing Cross Road in London. He seems popular with those who know him well.
Yet beneath the skin of his suburban success, all is far from well. For a start, his knee is causing him a lot of pain and despite an operation to sort it out, the knee seems to have defeated medical science and is severely limiting his tennis game.
As the title alludes, Tubby routinely sees a range of therapists for his body and mind. Much of the book takes the form of a journal that his mind therapist, Alexandra, who specialises in a discipline called Rational Emotive Therapy, has recommended he keep.
The journal charts the rapid unraveling of Tubby’s ‘successful’ life at the age of 58. Through his habit of ‘looking things up’ Tubby develops a very strong interest in the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who he feels a growing affinity to in terms of both his personal life and his ability to regret whatever decision he makes. From Kierkegaard’s ‘Either/Or”, he finds particular resonance in:
“If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; if you marry or if you do not marry, you will regret both; whether you marry or you do not marry, you will regret both.”
Yet to give the suggestion that this is simply a novel about middle-aged reflection on the human condition would be doing it a disservice. It is about that in part but it is also a touching and often very funny account of the life of a man who is fundamentally decent and intelligent yet makes a lot of mistakes particularly when it comes to his relations with the opposite sex. Tubby’s journal details this in a style that is both gripping and accessible. His writings lead him back to the early part of his life and the unforgettable Catholic girl he met as a teenager at the tram stop in suburban London.
Ultimately it is a tale of hope and renaissance, of new life coming out of brokenness and mistakes and includes romp across the world between London, the Midlands, Denmark, Los Angeles, Tenerife and finally to a redemption of sorts on the road to Santiago de Compostela. It is a miracle of the everyday and the suburbanite in more ways than one. David Lodge steers a masterful course between the cynical and sentimental to produce something unexpectedly life-affirming and profound.
April 5, 2021
Una novela sin tiempo. A pesar de haber sido publicada en 1995 las relaciones aquí reflejadas así como la perspectiva de la vida madura es tan vigente que logra una identificación personal en ciertas o muchas circunstancias. Disfrute la lectura.
January 24, 2013
Hilarious and moving, "Therapy" continues to explore contemporary man's maladjustment with his urban environment and his inner self. Although this could well be a good definition for a book written in the vein of the absurd, that is not Lodge's path.
Lawrence Passmore is a great example of the man who has succeeded in his personal and professional life, yet something is missing. The "pain in the knee", of inexplicable origin and persisting after surgery, aptly symbolizes something elusive that prevents him from enjoying his achievements.
Lodge doesn't spare scathing, ironic criticism of social conditions in after-Thatcher England, but the rub lies in a spiritual quest that takes him to the women in his past. Every reunion proves more disappointing than the previous one, until he finds the one woman that should have been "the one". His inner pilgrimage parallels hers along the Camino de Santiago, introducing the author's religious concerns that populate most if not all of his work.
In between, his delicate mockery of psychotherapy -of all forms of therapy, in fact- convey that he does not believe the spirit can be cured through technical approaches. And as a psychoanalyst, I'd say he's right, for therapies target the unconscious in the best of cases and behaviour in the worst (and most popular) approaches. The intangibility of the soul calls for other resources, which Lodge attempts anew in every one of his books.
Lawrence Passmore is a great example of the man who has succeeded in his personal and professional life, yet something is missing. The "pain in the knee", of inexplicable origin and persisting after surgery, aptly symbolizes something elusive that prevents him from enjoying his achievements.
Lodge doesn't spare scathing, ironic criticism of social conditions in after-Thatcher England, but the rub lies in a spiritual quest that takes him to the women in his past. Every reunion proves more disappointing than the previous one, until he finds the one woman that should have been "the one". His inner pilgrimage parallels hers along the Camino de Santiago, introducing the author's religious concerns that populate most if not all of his work.
In between, his delicate mockery of psychotherapy -of all forms of therapy, in fact- convey that he does not believe the spirit can be cured through technical approaches. And as a psychoanalyst, I'd say he's right, for therapies target the unconscious in the best of cases and behaviour in the worst (and most popular) approaches. The intangibility of the soul calls for other resources, which Lodge attempts anew in every one of his books.
August 3, 2015
O care extrem de plictisitoare care se vrea comică. Umorul britanic atât de lăudat al lui Lodge se dovedește a fi doar o adunătură de clișee, atât lingvistice, cât și de situație. Cu o structură cel puțin atipică (mă întreb și acum ce este cu acel pasaj foarte lung semi-liric de amintiri din copilărie/adolescență) și cu personaje care intră și ies din carte fără să aducă nici măcar savoare, Terapia m-a plictisit de la început la sfârșit și am terminat-o doar pentru că pierdusem suficient timp cu ea până atunci ca să renunț. Am senzația și că pasiunea pentru terapii de orice fel, inclusiv psihoterapie, precum și pasiunea obsesivă pe care personajul principal o face pentru Kierkegaard nu reprezintă decât o rețetă pe care Lodge a aplicat-o după succesul destul de mare al lui Yalom cu ficțiunile lui filosofic-psihologice. Și, ca să fie treaba treabă, nici traducerea lui Radu Paraschivescu nu ajută prea mult (chiar dacă nu are prea multe greșeli, ci mai degrabă stângăcii). Citind, m-am simțit în postura cârcotașului căruia nu-i convine nimic la cartea asta. Recunosc, aș fi vrut să-i dau 3 stele, pentru că am mai dat trei stele unor cărți la fel de proaste, dar așteptările pe care mi le-au creat împreună numele lui Lodge, numele lui Radu Paraschivescu, titlul cărții și câteva recomandări pe care le citisem anterior nu au fost nici pe departe îndeplinite.
February 5, 2011
First thing is that after reading the last words in the book, I closed the book with an intense satisfaction and with the same amount of satisfaction I wanted to start again.
Therapy is about a man falling in an existential void, obsessively tryin to(regain something) "breathe" through a dramatic philosophy, women, voyages and professional displeasure. And more! but I don't want to ruin it for you.
It's written rather nostalgic and humourous, but authentically pin pointing the(importance of having) downs in life.
Therapy is about a man falling in an existential void, obsessively tryin to(regain something) "breathe" through a dramatic philosophy, women, voyages and professional displeasure. And more! but I don't want to ruin it for you.
It's written rather nostalgic and humourous, but authentically pin pointing the(importance of having) downs in life.
June 7, 2015
This was a lot better than it should have been considering it was written by a largely forgotten comic writer who peaked in London just before it started swinging. The humor is clean and conservative, the kind of stuff a vaguely dirty grandpa might tell you in private. But there's a serious, sad story here and it's told in some interesting, possibly gimmicky ways that remind me of Philip Roth's much praised The Counterlife. You also learn more than you ever wanted to about Søren Kierkegaard and the production of multi-camera British sitcoms.
October 16, 2015
I thought this was a fabulous book. It is the story of Laurence "Tubby" Passmore, a television script writer who is having trouble at home, suffereing with a wonky knee and has a star who wants to leave his show. His psychotherapist suggests he keep a journal. He also goes to physiotherapy, acupuncture and aroma therapy - he is a bit of a mess. What follows is a hilarious tale of his life, female encounters and a sweet tale of his first love. A very enjoyable read.
May 3, 2007
David Lodge totally cracks me up. I thought this book started out incredibly strong... I was laughing out loud reading it at work, and I think Lodge works with a lot of cool ideas, but I think it lost a little wind at the end. Actually, I found the last third a little disconnected from the rest of the book, but I still would recommend this book as entertaining beach reading.
October 17, 2011
What began as a character study of an irritatingly self-possessed, contemporary Englishman who writes sitcoms, evolved into a subtle review of what can happen when one takes time for, of all people: Kirkegaard, the Danish philosopher. This is a wacky book about recollecting oneself. I loved it.
July 15, 2013
A brilliantly clever book. The main character identifies with Kierkegaard. Alas the ending (though very neat) is subtly off; one of the characters shows a moral blindness that doesn't fit with what we know of her. Kierkegaard would not approve.
April 5, 2017
From an author I adore, it's a neat and nice book, but not of Lodgean heights. The best bit in it is the way he handles his hero's sudden obsession with Kirkegaard. And makes me nostalgic of Copenhagen...
August 31, 2019
Este libro ha envejecido muy mal: se detiene en descripciones innecesarias, y los puntos de humor son simples y burdos. La historia me ha parecido muy plana.
https://lahierbaroja.com/2019/05/16/t...
https://lahierbaroja.com/2019/05/16/t...
August 1, 2007
very funny book about mid life crisis, loss of love, and kierkegaard. sounds pretentious, but it's not...so clever in that oh so british way.
September 27, 2015
A great book I wouldn't have read otherwise. Excellent writing, character development and ending. Very funny. All in all, a feel good book about a neurotic character like me :)
January 30, 2016
Funny, with winsome middle aged protagonist and a surprisingly touching and satisfying ending.
August 3, 2018
Kill me, please.
April 4, 2021
"Terapia"
David Lodge 7/10 ⭐
Noi toți avem nevoie de terapie, unii de cea intensivă, alții doar de alcool.
Please meet Tubby, scenaristul unui sitcom popular din UK, căsătorit, cu 2 copii care sunt deja mari.
Trecut de ai săi 50 de ani, Tubby este un bărbat nefericit, care însă conștientizează că nu ar avea motive de ce. Casă, masă, lucru bun și plătit, soție, sex, pseudo-amantă, 4 terapeuți, mașină, succes. Ce ar putea să îi creeze așa un disconfort, încât să nu se simtă fericit. Și colac peste pupăză, îl deranjează blestematul de genunchi.
Well, atunci când nu mai aparții locului sau cuiva, urmează schimbări, situații amuzante în care te spargi de râs, decizii stranii și gânduri buclucașe.
Tubby este genul acela de om, care își poate călca pe nerv, dar nu cumva să supere pe cei din viața lui, dusă până la absurd ideea fixă, încât nu spune la nici unul dintre terapeuții săi despre faptul că mai merge la altcineva. Ținea morțiș să le dea de înțeles că fiecare este unic și de neînlocuit.
"Deși îmi lipsește stima de sine, asta nu înseamnă că nu vreau să fiu stimat de alții".
Tubby este și naratorul acestei cărți, și duce un soi de monolog într-un jurnal, recomandat să fie scris de psihologul său.
Dacă veți ajunge vreodată să citiți această carte, mai citiți ceva în paralel. Dialogurile puține face lectura încărcată, chiar dacă este amuzantă și plăcută.
Pentru a îi rezista în totalitate, este necesar să îi acordați timp și răbdare.
Lodge ne oferă povestea unui om care nu are idee de fericire și cu ce se mănâncă asta. Personajul principal este într-o continuă căutare, de ce nu funcționează butonul "Sunt fericit"?! Cum să iasă, din vârtejul vieții, întreg și nevătămat, fără să supere pe careva, și să fie în sfârșit împăcat cu propria conștiință, acceptarea de sine?!
Sfârșitul a fost unul atât de tâmpit, în sensul amuzant al cuvântului, încât aș fi vrut o continuare, dar, domnul Lodge nu s-a gândit la cititorii ca mine! Egoistul!
Mâna pe carte, spor să aveți!
Cristina Platon 🖤🖤🖤 Danke shön baby mult de tot pentru carte!
#foxbooks #citimpentruschimbare #terapia #davidlodge #editurapolirom
David Lodge 7/10 ⭐
Noi toți avem nevoie de terapie, unii de cea intensivă, alții doar de alcool.
Please meet Tubby, scenaristul unui sitcom popular din UK, căsătorit, cu 2 copii care sunt deja mari.
Trecut de ai săi 50 de ani, Tubby este un bărbat nefericit, care însă conștientizează că nu ar avea motive de ce. Casă, masă, lucru bun și plătit, soție, sex, pseudo-amantă, 4 terapeuți, mașină, succes. Ce ar putea să îi creeze așa un disconfort, încât să nu se simtă fericit. Și colac peste pupăză, îl deranjează blestematul de genunchi.
Well, atunci când nu mai aparții locului sau cuiva, urmează schimbări, situații amuzante în care te spargi de râs, decizii stranii și gânduri buclucașe.
Tubby este genul acela de om, care își poate călca pe nerv, dar nu cumva să supere pe cei din viața lui, dusă până la absurd ideea fixă, încât nu spune la nici unul dintre terapeuții săi despre faptul că mai merge la altcineva. Ținea morțiș să le dea de înțeles că fiecare este unic și de neînlocuit.
"Deși îmi lipsește stima de sine, asta nu înseamnă că nu vreau să fiu stimat de alții".
Tubby este și naratorul acestei cărți, și duce un soi de monolog într-un jurnal, recomandat să fie scris de psihologul său.
Dacă veți ajunge vreodată să citiți această carte, mai citiți ceva în paralel. Dialogurile puține face lectura încărcată, chiar dacă este amuzantă și plăcută.
Pentru a îi rezista în totalitate, este necesar să îi acordați timp și răbdare.
Lodge ne oferă povestea unui om care nu are idee de fericire și cu ce se mănâncă asta. Personajul principal este într-o continuă căutare, de ce nu funcționează butonul "Sunt fericit"?! Cum să iasă, din vârtejul vieții, întreg și nevătămat, fără să supere pe careva, și să fie în sfârșit împăcat cu propria conștiință, acceptarea de sine?!
Sfârșitul a fost unul atât de tâmpit, în sensul amuzant al cuvântului, încât aș fi vrut o continuare, dar, domnul Lodge nu s-a gândit la cititorii ca mine! Egoistul!
Mâna pe carte, spor să aveți!
Cristina Platon 🖤🖤🖤 Danke shön baby mult de tot pentru carte!
#foxbooks #citimpentruschimbare #terapia #davidlodge #editurapolirom
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