The Comfort Book: Difference between revisions

📈 '''Commercial reception'''. The publisher reports an instant ''{{Tooltip|New York Times}}'' bestseller debut in the U.S.,<ref name="PRH2021" /> and the UK publisher reports an instant No. 1 on ''{{Tooltip|The Sunday Times}}'' list.<ref name="Canongate2021" /> In trade reporting, ''{{Tooltip|The Bookseller}}'' noted that Richard Osman led the UK 2021 e-book chart with Haig’s ''The Comfort Book'' in second place, based on {{Tooltip|Bookstat}} data.<ref name="Bookseller2022Ebook">{{cite news |title=Osman and Haig lead e-book chart for 2021 as market stalls |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/features/osman-and-haig-lead-e-book-chart-for-2021-as-market-stalls |work=The Bookseller |date=4 February 2022 |access-date=28 October 2025 |last=Tivnan |first=Tom}}</ref> A week after publication, ''{{Tooltip|The Bookseller}}'' also reported the title topping Amazon’s Most-Sold Non-Fiction chart.<ref name="Bookseller2021Amazon">{{cite news |title=Amazon Charts: Haig doubles up at the top |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-charts-haig-doubles-top-1271975 |work=The Bookseller |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref> A special “Winter Gift Edition” from Canongate followed later in 2021.<ref name="GiftEd2021">{{cite web |title=The Comfort Book: Special Winter Gift Edition |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Comfort_Book.html?id=6KCezgEACAAJ |website=Google Books |publisher=Canongate Books |date=28 October 2021 |access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref>

 

 

👎 '''Criticism'''. ''{{Tooltip|Kirkus Reviews}}'' judged the collection “a handful of pearls amid a pile of empty oyster shells,” noting that many entries are only a few sentences long.<ref name="Kirkus2021">{{cite web |title=The Comfort Book (review) |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/matt-haig/the-comfort-book/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |date=6 July 2021 |access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref> ''{{Tooltip|The Guardian}}’’’s in-brief piece said the book would “both inspire and irritate,” suggesting some readers might find it “trite and banal.”<ref name="GuardianBrief2021" /> Beyond the book itself, ''{{Tooltip|The Spectator}}'' ran a critical essay earlier in 2021 arguing “Life is hard; make it easier on yourself by not reading Matt Haig,” reflecting ongoing debate about his popular self-help style.<ref name="Spectator2021">{{cite news |title=The banality of Matt Haig |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-banality-of-matt-haig/ |work=The Spectator |date=23 January 2021 |access-date=28 October 2025 |last=Ditum |first=Sarah}}</ref>