In recognition of National Book Month, we're thrilled to bring another installment of the Flowly Book Review Series. This week let's join Flowly team member, Christine, and embark on an exploration of Bittersweet by Susan Cain.
What’s it about?
Bittersweet encapsulates a profound connection to enduring emotions, intertwining poignancy and sorrow with a heightened appreciation for the world's beauty. If you've ever found comfort in sad music or felt inspired on a rainy day, you might connect with this emotional book. Susan Cain, famous for promoting introversion in her book 'Quiet,' now delves into the complexities of our experiences with sadness and longing. She emphasizes how embracing the bittersweet aspects of life can enhance creativity, connections with others, and a sense of transcendence. She shows how this mindset empowers us to transcend personal and collective anguish, whether from loss, heartbreak, addiction, or illness, uniting us in profound and unexpected ways amid today's discord and anxiety.
Why did you choose to read Bittersweet?
I've been a huge fan of Susan Cain since her book, Quiet. Additionally, Bittersweet hit close to home as one of my best and oldest friends feels melancholy on a regular basis. When I read the opening, where Susan Cain talked about liking sad songs in college, I knew I had to read it because it reminded me of my friend.
What are the main takeaways?
1. If The Myth of Normal helped me understand that anger is an essential emotion to my physical and emotional well-being, this book helped me understand that my sad emotions are essential for my well-being as well. I think society as a whole tries to stay away from sad emotions, but Susan Cain outlines a good argument that sadness is actually the connecting emotion that allows us to feel more connected to life, and others. After all, you can't be sad or long for an experience or a person long-past if there weren't good emotions like happiness and love associated with it.
2. If The Myth of Normal outlines compassion to healing, this book outlines the emotion that becomes the bonding agent for compassion: sadness.
3. Japan is known for its citizen’s longevity. There are various factors that allow them to live longer and healthier, but Susan Cain introduces something new to this conversation: their bowing culture. I thought that it was extremely interesting how a simple physical act of bowing could activate your vagus nerve and ultimately be beneficial for your wellness.
How did Bittersweet affect you?
I would consider myself to be a happy person overall, but this book made me reflect on my earlier years when I had more of a melancholic temperament and learned to mask it really well. There are times when I find myself slipping on the happy mask and am trying to give myself more permission to wallow in my emotions rather than trying to run away from it.
Who should read Bittersweet?
It's going to sound like a cop-out, but I would recommend this book to everyone. Just like how her first book helped with mainstream acceptance of introversion, I think this book will start a cultural conversation around "negative emotions" and how they can be harnessed for the good of society instead of something we run away from.
Have a book you would like to review and share with the Flowly community? Send us an email at contact@flowly.world.