The Reading Cure

Oct 09 2023 20 ep. 83 mins 3
The Reading Cure Podcast artwork

In this bibliotherapy podcast, Dr Steven Davies and Dr Alexander Fox discuss the life-changing insights that great books have to offer. Each episode offers an in depth, mental health-focused analysis of a chosen book, and through their conversation, Alex and Steven try to get to the root of how we can best use that author's wisdom to avoid common pitfalls and live happier, more fulfilling lives.

  Education  Health & Fitness  Arts
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Civilization and its Discontents by Sigmund Freud

Oct 09 2023 75 mins  
In this fourth episode of the second season, Alex and Steven delve into Sigmund Freud's seminal work, "Civilisation and its Discontents." They navigate the realms of civilisation's promise and its inherent discontent, exploring the psychological tapestry Freud weaves to elucidate human suffering in the face of social evolution. Topics discussed include:To what extent has civilisati

Nebraska

Aug 03 2023 100 mins  
In this thought-provoking bonus episode, Alex and Steven journey through the landscapes of Alexander Payne's 2013 film, "Nebraska." Join them as they navigate the complex world of Woody, a character on a quest that speaks to universal human experiences. Topics discussed include:Woody is on a determined quest to claim his million dollars in the promised land of Nebraska. What kind o

Desperate Characters by Paula Fox

May 02 2023 112 mins  
In this third episode of the second season, Alex and Steven delve into Paula Fox's captivating novel, Desperate Characters. They explore the intricacies of the characters and their interactions with the world around them, as well as the socioeconomic conditions of New York at the time. Topics discussed include:In what sense are the characters desperate?To what extent are the charac

Solitude by Anthony Storr

Feb 16 2023 92 mins  
In this second episode of the second season, Alex and Steven discuss Anthony Storr's insightful and humane work called Solitude. Topics discussed include: Has the world of therapy almost pathologized the need for solitude? What are the main benefits of solitude? Are there ways in which solitude could be detrimental? To what extent is a lack of solitude a contributing factor to ment

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee

Dec 21 2022 87 mins  
In this first episode of Season 2, Alex and Steven discuss the film version of Edward Albee's iconic play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring two of the great actors from the Golden age of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Topics explored include: the reasons behind the antagonism between the couple; was the playwright making a social and political criti

The Shawshank Redemption

Oct 12 2022 85 mins  
In this bonus episode, Steven and Alex, with a loving yet critical eye, take a look at one of the most iconic movies of all time: Stephen King's Shawshank Redemption. Topics explored include: What are Andy Dufrene's character qualities that allow him to endure the arbitrary cruelties of prison life and aid him in his successful plot to escape?; What can we learn from this

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R.L. Stevenson

Aug 04 2022 98 mins  
In Episode 12, Alex and Steven explore the horror classic "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by R.L. Stevenson. Topics discussed include: why is this novel so iconic?; in what ways might the typical reaction to Hyde reveal the nature of evil?; how can we understand the narrator, Utterson, from a psychological point of view?; how might Jekyll have dealt with his conflicts i

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Jun 13 2022 91 mins  
In this eleventh episode, Alex and Steven discuss Viktor Frankl's iconic work 'Man's Search for Meaning'. Topics explored include: In what ways did Frankl's concentration camp experiences help him understand the pivotal role of meaning in a human being's life?; What is the essence of logotherapy and how does it differ from other psychotherapy approaches?; Is the will to meaning the

Rear Window

May 20 2022 82 mins  
In this bonus episode, Alex and Steven explore Alfred Hitchcock's examination of the American psyche and of the nature of cinema in his 1954 masterpiece, Rear Window. Topics discussed include: is Jeffries' voyeuristic behaviour 'normal' or 'unhealthy' (or perhaps both!) and what is its ethical status?; what does Jeffries' desire to watch his neighbours' private lives say about

Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym

Apr 13 2022 96 mins  
n their tenth episode, Steven and Alex explore the trials and tribulations of the autumnal stage of life in their discussion of Barbara Pym's Booker Prize short-listed novel, 'Quartet in Autumn'. Topics examined include: Does the office quartet, with their hesitancy about getting involved in each other's lives, suggest that human beings in general are somewhat reclusive?; What is e