A dictionary with select words whose definitions showcase a nonlinear pattern of events in one couple's relationship. That's all you need to know about this book - it's formatted the way a dictionary is, and instead of the literal meaning, an experience is shown revolving around the meaning of the word. Now, let's get away from my serious explaining and onto the reviewing! I won't be putting up a read more because really, there won't be any spoilers. You can't spoil anything about this book no matter how hard you tried, really.
The Lover's Dictionary was written by David Levithan, and I've been dying to buy it ever since I read
Every Day (which I also reviewed
here). After reading that book, I did some research on the author and stumbled upon The Lover's Dictionary, which immediately piqued my attention. Searching was a massive pain, and I was only able to buy it two days ago, when I was having some bonding time with my family over at the mall. Of course I was excited to read it and finished just a few hours ago. Usually, I'd finish a book within a few hours or so, but I wanted the savor this book and just read at my own pace.
It goes from A-Z with a number of words here and there. When I was reading the first half, I decided to gather my small post its and stick them in the pages of the definitions I loved, sort of like dog-earing them except with post its. Midway, I realized my post its would have better use in my Junior year coming this June and decided to simply list down the words whose stories I loved.
At first, I had forgotten that the book was about one relationship and ended up thinking that each word's experience came from a different couple. Again, it was only in the middle where I realized that it was centered around one and only one couple. So I read on until the end, and put down the book with a bitter disappointment that it was other. It's times like these where I wished I was a slow reader.
So after reading, I checked out opinions of people regarding the book, and I'd have to disagree with one point made: you have to be in love/in a relationship/be bitter over a recent ex to fully come to love this book. I disagree. I am not in love, not in a relationship, nor am I bitter about a nonexistent ex, yet I still loved the book. Perhaps it's the romantic in me speaking, but whatever. And really, why would you exclude a certain type of people from reading what they wanted? I don't get it.
Here comes my outburst: I loved it. And I especially loved that it was nonlinear, meaning that the events shown were not in order. So an experience in section E could have gone after a word in section Y, so on and so forth - it makes you think, what really happened, which came first? After reading the last entry (Zenith), I was momentarily upset at what happened and then remembered it wasn't in order. They were all scattered, as if the person narrative was remembering one random memory at a time and connected them to a certain word.
I enjoyed the book very much and will most definitely read it again. And I hope you guys read it, too! Not all parts of the book are about being in love.
