I am always on the lookout for books by Scottish writers, which was why I made the decision to read this book. This is the first and only book I have read by Janice Galloway but I hope to read more. I often read a book twice if I feel I've missed something first time round, I've now read this book twice but feel that even if I read it a hundred times I'll learn something new every time. The book doesn't really have a plot as such; its in present tense first person and charts the breakdown of the main character, ironically named Joy. Joy is a drama teacher who has suffered a major upset in her life that has triggered off a severe bout of depression which ...  Read the complete review

Undoubtedly the 'best' work I have ever read - this book is profound in it's exploration of the process of 'cracking up'. Galloway's easy writing style almost forces the reader to become the main character; there is no way you could read this book and keep a distance from it. It's not about story lines or plots ( although there is a thin one spread throughout), it's simply about the life of 27 year old Joy Stone; drama teacher, alcoholic, bereaved, depressive. And don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with labels either. Completely unassuming, the book tells it 'as it is'. Miniscual details and references threaded ...  Read the complete review

Janice Galloway’s book, “The Trick is to Keep Breathing”, breaks new ground, in that it is a revelation of what it can be like to be a woman in the modern world. Janice Galloway approaches the delicate subject of mental health with a scalpel and a magnifying glass. She strips away the layers of misconceptions about women and their neurosis in a way which is both shocking and revealing. Shocking because, unlike so many other of her contemporaries, Janice Galloway presents the facts in an uncompromising and vivid fashion, without the veneer of respectability, simply and truthfully. Joy, the ...  Read the complete review

The Trick is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway is a dark, sometimes confusing novel about a young woman (we find out near the end that her name is Joy) struggling with a mix of psychological issues after the death of her boyfriend. Galloway is a Scottish writer, and being scottish myself I could understand the dialogue and the locations. Some of the speech is very broad, and the layout of the book has some words added off the normal margins of the page and many unfinished thoughts. I do like it when books look different and have a more creative feel to them, which this book does. It is almost a poetry of thoughts and neuroses. The story is told from ...  Read the complete review