John D Ross: Shakespeare's Tremors & Orwell's Cough; Diagnosing the Medical Groans and Last Gasps of Ten Great Writers

A fascinating and entertainingly learned little book. As indicated it focuses on wroter’s illnesses and general physical and mental decrepitude - in their work and their lives.This sounds as if it might be morbidly dressing but in fact, not so. Yes, the pall of death does, to be honest, necessarily hang over much of it, but it is written about with style and entertaining vigour and it manages to give new and intriguing insights and little pen portraits of writers and works that one thought one know.

It’s good for dipping in to a chapter at a time -and for going back to when reading works by any of the writers dealt with.