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By Samantha Harvey (Author)
Publication Date: January 7, 2021
The Shapeless Unease is a raw, lyrical, and deeply honest account of a year without sleep. In this intimate memoir, acclaimed novelist Samantha Harvey chronicles her battle with chronic insomnia—its agonizing restlessness, its distortions of time and self, and the mental unraveling that comes with long-term sleep deprivation.
What begins as a simple diary of sleepless nights unfolds into a deeply philosophical and poetic meditation on the nature of consciousness, memory, fear, and grief. Harvey’s writing is both intellectually rich and emotionally piercing, blending her experience with reflections on literature, language, and the fragility of the mind.
"Insomnia is not a state of being without sleep, but a state of being without peace." — Samantha Harvey
The Shapeless Unease is for anyone who has struggled with anxiety, sleeplessness, or the hidden suffering that takes place in silence. But it’s more than just a book about insomnia—it’s a beautifully written inquiry into the human condition. Harvey’s vulnerability on the page is both comforting and courageous, reminding us that even in our most fragmented states, we are not alone.
If you appreciate memoirs that mix poetic prose with existential reflection, this book will resonate deeply. It’s a slim volume that somehow contains whole worlds.
Genre: Memoir, Mental Health, Literary Nonfiction
ISBN: 9781783787940
Publisher: Vintage
Pages: 208 pages
Language: English
Described as “a small miracle of a book” by Nathan Filer, The Shapeless Unease is one of those rare reads that manages to be both unsettling and soothing at once. Samantha Harvey captures the shape of mental turmoil in language that feels almost sacred. If you're drawn to books that speak to the depths of the human psyche with elegance and compassion, this one belongs on your shelf.