Kolkata, July 30: Pages And Chapters launched Ms Mithu Chakraborti's debut book, Anatomy of Misery, Part I: Men's Misery at Oxford Bookstore. The launch brought together eminent personalities from literature, cinema and psychology for a thought-provoking discussion on men's emotional well-being, mental health and the culture of silence surrounding male vulnerability.
The evening featured a panel discussion moderated by Ms Oindrila Dutt, arts curator, broadcaster and writer, with legendary actor-author Mr Barun Chanda, National Award-winning filmmaker Mr Ashoke Vishwanathan, and Dr Nilanjana Bagchi , a veteran in the field and Head of Department, Psychology, Bethune College, joining the author in an engaging conversation that explored the central themes of the book and the urgent need for empathy-driven conversations around men's emotional struggles.
Anatomy of Misery, Part I: Men's Misery is a work of narrative nonfiction and popular psychology comprising twelve interconnected case narratives revolving around veteran psychologist Dr Leela Menon and the men who seek her counsel after years of suppressing their emotions behind the familiar phrase, "I'm fine". Through these narratives, the book examines themes such as loneliness, emotional isolation, domestic abuse against men, the pressures of being a provider and the personal cost of a society that often expects men to remain emotionally silent.
"For over twenty years in corporate India I watched men break quietly and get promoted for it. I wrote this book because the man who most needs to hear this conversation will rarely pick up a self-help book, but he may choose to read a story. Empathy is not a limited resource. Extending compassion to men does not diminish it for women", said Author, Mithu Chakraborti.
The author also shared that the second volume of the series, Anatomy of Misery, Part II: Working Women's Misery, is currently in progress - a book about two jobs, one guilt, and everything a woman carries between them - reinforcing her larger vision of creating conversations rooted in empathy across gender.
The book has already drawn comparisons to the narrative sensitivity of Mitch Albom and the case-study tradition of Oliver Sacks, while its consulting-room framework evokes the storytelling architecture associated with Arthur Conan Doyle.
The launch concluded with a discussion with readers, reinforcing the growing relevance of conversations around emotional well-being and mental health in contemporary society. Anatomy of Misery, Part I: Men's Misery, priced at INR 499/-, will be available at all leading bookstores and online platforms for purchase.
