Break-ups, breakdowns and a quest to become zen

Born To Be Mild Rob Temple Sphere €17.99 ★★★★★

Until the age of 30, Rob Temple (above) was a successful journalist and the author of the four ‘Very British Problems’ books, with a huge following on social media. Now 35, he is back living with his parents in Cambridgeshire after the break-up of his marriage, struggles with alcoholism and a succession of debilitating panic attacks, all alluded to here in his latest book, if not in great detail.

This gentle memoir, subtitled ‘Adventures For The Anxious’, recounts his struggles with his mental health. With the support of his heroic and very likeable parents, he embarks upon a series of ‘adventures’ in an attempt to overcome his fears and phobias and find some ‘zen’; seemingly harmless excursions that inevitably end with a whimper not a bang.

Among a host of activities, he takes up bowling, learns to make sushi, buys an expensive Goop detox, tries yoga, goes vegan, visits a beekeeping sanctuary, experiences a flotation tank and learns Spanish. He also has an exciting day out at a service station on the M25 and travels alone to Barcelona, Berlin and Blackpool.

What this all adds up to, however, is not entirely clear. This is definitely not a misery memoir – Temple is amiable company and never feels sorry for himself. He writes well, is funny in a constantly questioning, self-deprecating way, with a good turn of phrase and a fine eye for the comic possibility. His account is raw and honest and provides some interesting insights into his struggles with mental illness, but the book reads like a series of blog pieces from the frontline of mental anguish rather than a coherent narrative. It’s all rather charming but relentlessly one-note.

By the end, he can only conclude that he has learned nothing but has spent less time in bed. Perhaps that’s enough.