I’m quite a ways out of my breakup blowout, but one book that really helped me, and still does, iss Diane Vaughan’s “Uncoupling”. It’s more a study in sociology or psychology than a self-help book, but it made me feel much more ‘normal’ when I could peg, by chapter, what stage of the un-relationship-ing I was in.
What are other books you’d recommend for those going through a breakup, from either the initiator or partner aspect? There have been a lot of relationship threads lately (I wasn’t sure if this should be in IMHO or here, but it was book related, so…) and maybe recommending good helpful reads would give some solace.
What books, if any, helped you through downtimes or endtimes of past relationships?
Heartburn by Nora Ephron is pretty classic. It tells you exactly the sort of potatoes you need to make in the beginning, middle, and ending stages of a relationship.
High Fidelity helped me through one particularly bad breakup. While that relationship didn’t turn out the way Rob and Laura’s did, it was an engrossing read about engaging characters going through pain similar to mine.
Yes, it is a child’s book, but I was working in a bookstore when my wife left, and for some reason this book caught my eye. I read through it, shed some tears, and felt better about myself afterwards.
Trust me…you owe it to yourself to at least glance through it at the bookstore.