Writer and broadcaster John Diamond had cancer. For a broadcaster, he had a particularly cruel type of tumour, one that robbed him of his voice. Luckily though, it did not take his writing skills, nor completely eradicate his acerbic sense of humour - although it is easy to imagine the latter becoming a bit 'dented' on bad days.
Prior to his death, Diamond wrote of the progression of his disease and the treatment he received in his regular newspaper columns, prompting hundreds of letters from readers wishing that he had been writing when they were diagnosed. In doing so, he shattered many of the taboos associated with this illness, one that is discussed in hushed tones (if at all), referred to with euphemisms and generally avoided for fear of inciting the wrath of the 'Cancer Gods' who might seek revenge. In C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too, John Diamond wrote "the book which he himself was looking for" on the night he received his bad news.
At that point, Diamond wanted to know what it was like to be a person with cancer, having to deal with the pain, anger and fear. This book is, as he pointed out, a book about HIS cancer. It is not a book about a personal battle, since he despised the warlike metaphors applied to the disease. It is not a book of alternative cures, or of positive messages. The bottom line is that this is an account of the bare bones of Diamond's illness, with symptoms and treatments described in alarming detail - as the author says on one occasion " I know: gross. What were you expecting when you bought a book on cancer?"
Well, frankly, the depth of detail involved was NOT what I was expecting when I bought this particular book and I found myself constantly asking as I read it "Did we really need to know THAT?" Yet, at the same time, I was also not expecting to laugh out loud while reading it, as I did on several occasions.
John Diamond freely admitted to being a hypochondriac and described two distinct types of hypochondria. According to him, chronic hypochondriacs turn every twinge, pimple and sniffle into a life threatening medical crisis. On the other hand, acute hypochondriacs just want a doctor to acknowledge that they have a minor illness, something which makes them look ill and can be discussed at the pub. The author didn't seem to consider for a moment that there may be a third type - people who might find his writing terrifying. Those who, having received their diagnosis, might read his book with mounting panic at the thought of what they might have to face in their own future. My own mother died of cancer and I know that she would have been terribly frightened had she read this book. For her, the fear it engendered would almost have been worse than the disease itself and, in her case at least, ignorance was most definitely bliss.
It is for this reason alone that I couldn't recommend this book, particularly to someone one who had friends or family diagnosed with cancer - or been diagnosed themself. Which is a shame, as Diamond writes beautifully - just a little too honestly. And, whereas I applaud his personal courage and his decision to bring the subject of cancer out into the open, to shatter some of the myths behind it, I can't help feeling that some of these myths might have been best left unshattered.
Had the book focused more on the emotional effects of cancer than the physical, I believe it would have better served its purpose in being the kind of book that would be of great use and comfort to the many people who receive that diagnosis every day. It is witty, honest and intensely personal, totally devoid of jargon and described on the cover as "inspirational". For those who are fans of his writing, it is undoubtedly Diamond's best. At the same time, it is also his worst. Graphic throughout, it is not for the medically squeamish and, if I were unlucky enough to be suffering from cancer - as one in three of us will at some stage of our life - it is definitely NOT the sort of book I would want to read.
Were I rating this book for the quality of the writing, it would receive the full 5/5. If I were rating it for content, however, my rating would be much lower. Thus it gets 3/5 with a caution that you might not like what you read and should definitely think very carefully before giving this book to anyone who might be suffering from cancer. And, in the interests of fairness, I should perhaps make the point that 15 out of 16 people who have reviewed the book at amazon.co.uk have rated it 5*'s, which, if nothing else, just goes to prove how subjective book reviewing is!
Publisher: Vermillion
ISBN:0091816653
Price: £7.99 p/b
Date Reviewed: November 2002
My Rating: 3/5
