The Story of Pain

This elegantly conceived and written book approaches the problem of physical pain, not from the philosophical, medical or scientific perspective, but as ‘a history of the interpretation of bodily experiences’ (p. 25). Joanna Bourke seeks, using a multitude of fascinating literary, biographical and clinical sources, ‘to explore some of the ways that the historically unstable practice of pain is constituted and reconstituted in relation to ... social and environmental interactions, bodily comportment and language systems’ (pp. 21–2). Although she organises her material in a general chronological fashion, her scheme is essentially topical. Following the introduction, which establishes her thesis and cites the contemporary scientific definitions of pain as a dynamic phenomenon influenced by sensory, cognitive, affective and motivational factors, she describes the ‘Estrangement’ of pain in Chapter Two. Pain is stigmatising, upsetting to others, often perceived as a sign of weakness and selfishness; the experience even ‘alienates sufferers from themselves’ (p. 29). Yet to express one’s pain offers others the opportunity to offer comfort and compassion, and may assist the sufferer through opening him or her to empathy and intimacy with others. Bourke concludes the chapter with an illustration of the effectiveness of contemporary Internet communities in this respect

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