Book: The Lover's Dictionary
Author: David Levithan
Pages: 211
How Long it Took Me To Read: 1 day.
Read On: Paperback aka a physical copy.
Plot Summary: A modern love story told through a series of dictionary-style entries is a sequence of intimate windows into the large and small events that shape the course of a romantic relationship.
General Thoughts: I had heard and seen this book for years now and never seriously thought about picking it up. I have read one other book by the same author, Everyday, and I had some issues with it. But the style of this book drew me in. Can you really tell a story in 185 definitions? Can a love story be condensed in just 185 words? I was intrigued! Also, this lovely red cover and it's cute illustrations finally made me get this book.
I first thought it was a YA book and was not entirely looking forward to a YA love story. But from the first page in, the first word in, you know this is a adult relationship. Yay!
Review: This is a quirky little book. Strange. Heart-felt. Realistic. Vague. Non-linear. But very good. It takes some getting used to, this style of writing and this unique method of story-telling. The non-linear story telling was a bit jarring at times, for instance, the entries jumped from the first week of the relationship to two years later. But once you got into the rhythm of the story, it didn't matter
The book does a wonderful job of really getting across how it feels like being in a long term relationship. The good, the bad, the heady feeling in the beginning to the relaxed comfort of the middle and to the sometimes bitter end. To the great qualities in a partner. To the qualities we put up with. The quiet happy moments. To the sad ones with screaming and name calling.
Even though we didn't get to know the names of these two characters, we got a real good sense of them as people and them as a couple.
I really enjoyed this book. And can recommend it for those who want to read a very unique book. And word nerds!
Also some of the words reminded me of studying for my GRE! :)
Rating: 4/5
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