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All in the Mind

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All in the Mind

By: Alastair Campbell
Narrated by: Clive Mantle
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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Martin Sturrock desperately needs a psychiatrist. The problem? He is one.

Emily is a traumatised burns victim, Arta a Kosovan refugee recovering from a rape. David Temple is a long-term depressive, while the Rt Hon Ralph Hall MP lives in terror of his drink problem being exposed.

Very different Londoners, but they share one thing: every week they spend an hour at the Prince Regent hospital, revealing the secrets of their psyche to Professor Martin Sturrock. Little do they know that Sturrock’s own mind is not the reassuring place they believe it to be. For years he has hidden in his work, ignoring his demons. But now his life is falling apart, and as his ghosts come back to haunt him, the only person he can turn to is a patient.

Set over a life-changing weekend, Alastair Campbell’s astonishing first novel delves deep into the human mind to create a gripping portrait of the strange dependency between patient and doctor. Both a comedy and tragedy of ordinary lives, it is rich in compassion for those whose days are spent on the edge of the abyss.

©2008 Alastair Campbell (P)2010 Random House AUDIO GO Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction Haunted
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On the surface a book about mental health issues, politics and alcoholism doesn't sound a 'must read', however Alistair Campbell uses his intimate knowlelge of all of these to weave an absorbing tale of life in Britain today. He is fearless in raising the blunt realities of people's lives and never takes the easy route when it comes to the plot. At one point I literally came to a standstill, totally shocked by a character's action. This was a stunning book which despite it's tough issues did raise a laugh sometimes. It's characters will stay with me for sometime and I would recomend it to anyone who has ever had to deal with the effects of mental health on themselves or those around them.

Totally absorbing

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a beautiful book. left me in tears. I would love to forget it and read it again if I could.

beautiful

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I wasn’t sure if this was going to be for me but I absolutely loved reading the book- I was absorbed by the characters and the storyline straight away and I laughed, grimaced and cried throughout. Would highly recommend especially to those who work in mental health and understand the toll on patients and those who treat them.

A great story about mental health and psychiatry

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Fascinating story. But Clive Mantle’s performance was just incredible. He makes every one of the huge cast of characters come alive, each in a unique way. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook

Clive Mantle is brilliant

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I wasn’t sure what to think about the book at first, associating the author with politics rather than fiction. A friend recommended the book and I listened to it relatively quickly. There are clearly autobiographical elements in some of the characters and the book uses the novel to take the listener through a number of thought provoking and difficult areas. It describes mental health issues really well and shows that we are all complex and many of the issues raised in the book are areas that a lot of people experience at some point in life.

It’s not my normal book (mostly detective fiction) so the following statement needs to consider this but I can’t think of a book that has made me think about so many things whilst reading it. A difficult read at times. The narrator does an amazing job with a difficult subject. Thoroughly recommended - I will certainly buy his next book.

A brilliant and thought provoking book

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