AUser’sGuidetoMelancholytakesRobertBurton’sencyclopaedicmasterpieceTheAnatomyofMelancholy(firstpublishedin1621)asaguidetooneofthemostperplexing,elusive,attractive,andafflictingdiseasesoftheRenaissance.Burton’sAnatomyisperhapsthelargest,strangest,andmostunwieldyself-helpbookeverwritten.Engagingwiththerichculturalandliteraryframeworkofmelancholy,thisbooktracesitscauses,symptoms,andcuresthroughBurton’swriting.Eachchapterstartswithacasestudyofmelancholy-fromthemanwhowasafraidtourinateincasehedrownedhistowntothegirlwhopurgedaliveeel-asawayintoexploringthemanyfacetsofthismentalaffliction.AUser’sGuidetoMelancholypresentsinanaccessibleandillustratedformatthecolourfulvarietyofRenaissancemelancholy,andcontributestocontemporarydiscussionsaboutwellbeingbyrevealingtheearlierhistoryofmentalhealthconditions.
