Reader's comments, Short story collection "Les secrets de l'Institut" :
First of all, I really appreciated each of the short stories, the way you write allows in a few paragraphs to get attached to the characters and to experience them from the inside. The small details that you give, allow to give them a real life and an accessibility. As a psychologist, I find that you well manage to describe the internal reality of the person living with symptoms and not a caricature of the pathology as we see too often in the media. It is human writing, sensitive and true. Plus, I liked the style of your writing. I appreciate short sentences, they help me to keep my attention (I sometimes read books where the sentences are long and indigestible for the reader, books that we end up closing). The little details that color the characters, the precise medical data, snippets of the characters, life histories, names, environmental details make it easy to create them in pictures and bring them to life in our eyes while we go through the pages of their stories. It's like there is familiarity in some characters.
Martin Perron, psychologist, Saguenay
I have the first title, "The Institute", and I can tell you that all your short stories are extraordinary. We never tire of reading it. And to you I can say it, I recognized myself in one of them, but now I'm doing really well. Thank you Janick I feel less alone!
Johanne Defoy , Saguenay
This collection of life in "The Institute" cannot be read in one go, oh no, you have to let yourself be permeated with this world, this kind of book is pondered over, it invites you to reflect on one case and then another is why I did not return to you immediately, because I keep it by my bedside and I sometimes reread the same news to go further in the mystery of human behavior. But what happens in the human brain, in positive or negative, is as intriguing as going to the moon ... Janick Laberge opens doors that are usually closed, drastically closed. It is often fascinating non-standard people who find themselves healing their ill-being, thank you Janick for bringing them back to our world! Doowmée Rockbrown, France
Hi Janick, I am reading your book. I love it. What fluidity. We embark on the environment described quickly. I realy love it! I just have 3 chapters read, but can't wait to go back. Maud Rusk, Quebec
Pierre and I finished your book with the first title "The Institute" and, being in the health field, I had a lot of fun guessing the diagnoses ... it's really good and well written. Well done and good continuity! Isabelle Khazoom, Montreal
Congratulations to Janick Laberge for the publication of "The Institute". You will find his collection of short stories under the name "Les secrets de l'Institut". Having learned that Stephen King's latest novel was also titled “The Institute”, Janick decided to rename her book to avoid misunderstandings. I had the pleasure of counting Janick as a student on several of my creative writing courses at UTAQ. Moreover, her collection includes one of the short stories she had created during one of these courses. I am very proud of her success, her undeniable talent and her excellent writing skills. I wish her good continuation in her writing process so well started. Francine Tremblay, Quebec
Janick , j’ai pu parcourir ton livre; j’ai été TRÈS ému à la lecture de Simone. Et Vesta: c’est comme un roman policier! Incroyable!
Tu as le talent de mettre en scène de façon très convaincante des problématiques de santé mentale, avec une belle qualité d’écriture, et en créant un suspense!
Ton livre est très réussi; j’ai déjà lu des livres par des psychiatres sur leurs patients et leurs vies, mais pas aussi prenant! Je pense à un livre de Dr David Goldbloom, actuellement à Toronto, (je ne me souviens pas du titre)…
Merci de m’avoir fait partager ta passion! Bonne continuation pour ton écriture!
François P. , psychiatre, Québec
I want to write to you to tell you that I finished reading your book yesterday. I started reading it a month ago and stretched the reading not wanting it to end! I savored each of the 10 short story. I love your writing style which accurately describes the characters and details. I had the impression of smelling the smells, of seeing the people described, I had the impression of listening to a film in each short story, so the description of the places and the people are so precise and focused on catchy details. I loved that you go through all the periods of this mythical hospital. I got attached to each character. Your description of the symptoms or mental health condition is fair and precise. For readers less familiar with diagnoses, I find that it raises awareness of reality. As for those who know more about diagnoses, then it gives a fair view and good examples of the different diseases or symptoms with the impacts in the different spheres of life. It is fair and well nuanced. Your descriptive and explanatory appendix at the end is great! I fell in love with Simone's short story. I loved your book from start to end and just can't wait for the next one. Your writing style makes us imagine the characters and awakens all our senses. We can feel your great sensitivity for people and your great respect.
I congratulate you on this wonderful book which I hope is the first in a long series! I will now watch your capsules online. I admire you for your talent and the enormous amount of work behind this work. I congratulate you for following your passions.
Véronique Gagnon, psychologist, Saguenay
Hello Janick, just to tell you that I loved your short stories, and the story of Pierre-Luc particularly touched me! Can't wait to read you again! Well done! Hanne Dallr, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean