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A Body Made of Glass: A Cultural History of Hypochondria
Part cultural history, part literary criticism, and part memoir, A Body Made of Glass is a definitive biography of hypochondria. Caroline Crampton’s life was upended at the age of seventeen, when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a relatively rare blood cancer. After years of invasive treatment, she was finally given the all clear. But being cured of the cancer didn’t mean she now felt well. Instead, the fear lingered, and she found herself always on the alert, braced for signs that the illness had reemerged.
Now, in A Body Made of Glass, Crampton has drawn from her own experiences with health anxiety to write a revelatory exploration of hypochondria—a condition that, though often suffered silently, is widespread and rising. She deftly weaves together history, memoir, and literary criticism to make sense of this invisible and undercovered sickness. From the earliest medical case of Hippocrates to the literary accounts of sufferers like Virginia Woolf and Marcel Proust to the modern perils of internet self-diagnosis, Crampton unspools this topic to reveal the far-reaching impact of health anxiety on our physical, mental, and emotional health.
At its heart, Crampton explains, hypochondria is a yearning for knowledge. It is a never-ending attempt to replace the edgeless terror of uncertainty with the comforting solidity of a definitive explanation. Through intimate personal stories and compelling cultural perspective, A Body Made of Glass brings this uniquely ephemeral condition into much-needed focus for the first time.
Now, in A Body Made of Glass, Crampton has drawn from her own experiences with health anxiety to write a revelatory exploration of hypochondria—a condition that, though often suffered silently, is widespread and rising. She deftly weaves together history, memoir, and literary criticism to make sense of this invisible and undercovered sickness. From the earliest medical case of Hippocrates to the literary accounts of sufferers like Virginia Woolf and Marcel Proust to the modern perils of internet self-diagnosis, Crampton unspools this topic to reveal the far-reaching impact of health anxiety on our physical, mental, and emotional health.
At its heart, Crampton explains, hypochondria is a yearning for knowledge. It is a never-ending attempt to replace the edgeless terror of uncertainty with the comforting solidity of a definitive explanation. Through intimate personal stories and compelling cultural perspective, A Body Made of Glass brings this uniquely ephemeral condition into much-needed focus for the first time.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2024
About the author
Caroline Crampton
4 books49 followersCaroline Crampton writes non-fiction books about the world and how we live in it. She is also the creator and host of the Shedunnit podcast which unravels the mysteries behind classic detective fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 7, 2024
I had two good reasons for reading this. One: the author is the creator of my favorite podcast (Shedunnit), and two: I also suffer from hypochondria/health anxiety. I found the book very interesting - it has two focuses, the historical context of hypochondria, and the author’s own experience with it. The latter was the most interesting to me, but the former had plenty to offer, too - I didn’t know that John Donne, or Moliere, or Jane Austen’s mother (possibly explaining all the hypochondriacs portrayed in her novels) all suffered from hypochondria. The book addresses the stigma associated with the term, and helped put my own experience in a wider context, encouraging me to view my periodic struggles with greater compassion.
April 30, 2024
This was really fascinating. I’m already a fan of Caroline’s with the Shedunnit podcast, but even if this wasn’t hers it would be fascinating. It maybe wasn’t the best book to read while dealing with a few issues I need to get checked out (*this* migraine is actually cancer/stroke, the spot in my nose is actually a tumor), but in a way it was as it helped show that none of us are alone in whatever health anxiety we may have. I really loved the ancient sources and examples from more modern history and literature. I got a bit glassy eyed towards the end with all the modern techniques for dealing with these health issues, but that’s a me thing, not a book thing. Really great book about hypochondria and health anxiety. I highly recommend the audiobook as it’s narrated by the author and I think she has a great voice.
(For some reason the kindle book ends on ~280 and then the next page for acknowledgments is 311…?)
(For some reason the kindle book ends on ~280 and then the next page for acknowledgments is 311…?)
January 23, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for this DRC.
A History of Hypochondria told through the lens of history, science and personal memoir. Caroline Crampton takes us back to the first written records of hypochondria, how the word originated, and the many different ways it has been treated or ignored. Worked through-out with literary accounts from well-known writers and scientist, Crampton lets us in on her personal journey with cancer and hypochondria.
This was a fascinating and dense book written in a completely accessible style. The best parts for me were Crampton’s personal story. I learned so much, especially using the term Health Anxiety instead of hypochondria makes such a difference in perception.
#ABodyMadeofGlass #NetGalley
A History of Hypochondria told through the lens of history, science and personal memoir. Caroline Crampton takes us back to the first written records of hypochondria, how the word originated, and the many different ways it has been treated or ignored. Worked through-out with literary accounts from well-known writers and scientist, Crampton lets us in on her personal journey with cancer and hypochondria.
This was a fascinating and dense book written in a completely accessible style. The best parts for me were Crampton’s personal story. I learned so much, especially using the term Health Anxiety instead of hypochondria makes such a difference in perception.
#ABodyMadeofGlass #NetGalley
April 18, 2024
I love it when my job (GP) intersects with great books (like this one).
Caroline Crampton has a very good reason to be anxious about her health - she starts off the book with her teenage cancer diagnosis, which was not as straightforward as initially hoped, but which she ultimately was given the ‘all clear’ from. It started her down a path - all too familiar to those who experience it and those who work in healthcare - of repetitive and obsessive health anxiety.
Here, as an eloquent narrator and remarkably objective analyst, she tries to understand the thought processes behind hypochondria, in what might have been a therapeutic exercise for her (or, as she alludes, might have made things worse).
She appears to have sifted through centuries of records and literature, finding what writings remain by those who helped shape the definition of hypochondria, as well as all those who we suspect (or know) suffered from it. We journey through all the aspects of the condition, in a delightful blend of history, art and philosophy. It’s all very entertaining and interesting, and even for someone with medical training like myself, it was full of trivia and reminders about how language, and the history carried within words, underpins our daily interactions and understandings related to health.
Topics touched upon include the inequality of healthcare, and how hypochondria is sometimes a luxury for the wealthy or the bored. One of the best chapters deals with quacks and the rise of the devious wellness industry, which of course feeds off fear and anxiety. The internet gets the attention it deserves, as do more recent smart devices which allow individuals to observe, own (and maybe obsess over) their own health data. The pages dedicated to the placebo and nocebo effect are also very well-written, showing how important these two factors have become in modern healthcare.
Crampton acknowledges that helping (and not getting frustrated by) hypochondriac patients can be difficult for doctors and other practitioners, but she made me realise how more effort is needed on my part, at least to try and understand what the less loud patients are saying. The importance of language and choice of words when one describes illness to a healthcare practitioner can unfairly affect the response, such as in cases of language barriers or difficulties with summarising or explaining vague and complex symptoms.
There are many dry articles, definitions and studies about this subject, but this powerful little book is the most clear and honest text I’ve come across. It ends rather suddenly, but not without explaining why, and like every good book of this type it looks towards the future and asks a number of pertinent, unanswered questions.
The author’s hard-earned insight allows her to explore hypochondria and lay it bare for the benefit of readers, doctors and co-sufferers. It is both a comprehensive overview of the topic and a very vulnerable, honest and detailed account of what it means to live in fear of illness.
Caroline Crampton has a very good reason to be anxious about her health - she starts off the book with her teenage cancer diagnosis, which was not as straightforward as initially hoped, but which she ultimately was given the ‘all clear’ from. It started her down a path - all too familiar to those who experience it and those who work in healthcare - of repetitive and obsessive health anxiety.
Here, as an eloquent narrator and remarkably objective analyst, she tries to understand the thought processes behind hypochondria, in what might have been a therapeutic exercise for her (or, as she alludes, might have made things worse).
She appears to have sifted through centuries of records and literature, finding what writings remain by those who helped shape the definition of hypochondria, as well as all those who we suspect (or know) suffered from it. We journey through all the aspects of the condition, in a delightful blend of history, art and philosophy. It’s all very entertaining and interesting, and even for someone with medical training like myself, it was full of trivia and reminders about how language, and the history carried within words, underpins our daily interactions and understandings related to health.
Topics touched upon include the inequality of healthcare, and how hypochondria is sometimes a luxury for the wealthy or the bored. One of the best chapters deals with quacks and the rise of the devious wellness industry, which of course feeds off fear and anxiety. The internet gets the attention it deserves, as do more recent smart devices which allow individuals to observe, own (and maybe obsess over) their own health data. The pages dedicated to the placebo and nocebo effect are also very well-written, showing how important these two factors have become in modern healthcare.
Crampton acknowledges that helping (and not getting frustrated by) hypochondriac patients can be difficult for doctors and other practitioners, but she made me realise how more effort is needed on my part, at least to try and understand what the less loud patients are saying. The importance of language and choice of words when one describes illness to a healthcare practitioner can unfairly affect the response, such as in cases of language barriers or difficulties with summarising or explaining vague and complex symptoms.
There are many dry articles, definitions and studies about this subject, but this powerful little book is the most clear and honest text I’ve come across. It ends rather suddenly, but not without explaining why, and like every good book of this type it looks towards the future and asks a number of pertinent, unanswered questions.
The author’s hard-earned insight allows her to explore hypochondria and lay it bare for the benefit of readers, doctors and co-sufferers. It is both a comprehensive overview of the topic and a very vulnerable, honest and detailed account of what it means to live in fear of illness.
May 1, 2024
Well researched, highly informative. Has me wondering if I am a bit of a hypochondriac myself.
May 13, 2024
A really fascinating book, blending a personal story with the history of a diagnosis. Very much enjoyed it.
April 23, 2024
This was a very informative book. For anyone who has ever dealt with a recurring disease this is a must read. I would recommend this book.
March 30, 2024
An intense deeply researched look at hypochondria the author shares her life her illness her continued fear of a cancer relapse.This is a scientific study and a personal memoir a well written book that is eye opening and informative.#netgalley #eccobooks
April 25, 2024
A body made of glass by Caroline Crampton is a memoir of her experience with being a hypochondriac after getting diagnosed with cancer and the long history of hypochondriac ages ago. Many people in the past have had this illness without knowing what it is and how no one new how to help them. This book was very informative and interesting till the end. I learned a lot about hypochondriac and have a better understanding of them and why they do the things and think the way they do. I have more compassion for the people in my life that suffer from this because it’s not easy to overcome.
May 18, 2024
This is a fantastic book - impeccably erudite, deeply emotional, and unafraid of the complexities of the condition it excavates. It reveals all the facets of a much-maligned condition and situates it as a deeply human and understandable response to the fears we carry about our own vulnerabilities. It is astonishing that Crampton writes in such a studied and considered way about health anxiety while at the same time weathering its storm.
April 16, 2024
Un viaggio in cui si intrecciano la storia del termine ipocondria , i trattamenti e la visione di questo disturbo in varie epoche e l'esperienza personale dell'autrice .
Non propone "una cura" o un lieto fine, ma una sorta di inclusione del disturbo come una delle varie sfaccettature che possono comporre un essere umano .
Non propone "una cura" o un lieto fine, ma una sorta di inclusione del disturbo come una delle varie sfaccettature che possono comporre un essere umano .
May 12, 2024
I really loved this thorough, probing and entirely human exploration of hypochondria. Beautifully written, engaging, fully aware of all the humour and anxiety and unanswerability of compulsive conditions. I am very glad Caroline wrote it and very glad to have read it.
May 12, 2024
While it did provide a thorough cultural history of hypochondria, it avoided exploration of the underlying causes and treatments - which would have made it a more interesting and compelling read.
Want to read
May 17, 2024for hank green
Read
May 19, 2024one star - recommended
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews