The Lover's Dictionary

(Paperback)

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Description

Autonomy, n. "I want my books to have their own shelves," you said, and that's how I knew it would be okay to live together. A nameless couple meet, fall in love, move in together, and then the hard work of loving each begins. Told as a series of dictionary entries, The Lover's Dictionary is an intimate portrait of a relationship in all its guises; a compelling, deeply romantic story of two people loving each other: passionately, imperfectly. Through these short entries, Levithan opens an intimate window into the couple's space, giving a name to their everyday struggles, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

Reviews

'Levithan does the dictionary a great deal of justice, showing that the right words really can say it all, and doing it with an effortless grace.' New Yorker 'A tender meditation on identity and romantic love that evolves with surprising grace.' Washington Post 'The Lover's Dictionary burrows into intimate corners of a relationship between two anonymous lovers. It's a romantic parable for word nerds...Levithan's prose is pared back, and his observations, drawn from life, provide a powerful sense of recognition...This charming and wise excursion into love's conundrums is a perfect read for Valentine's Day.' Age 'What remains consistent in The Lover's Dictionary is Levithan's devotion to brevity as the key to the book's elegance...both inventive and true to life.' Sydney Morning Herald 'Joy and laughter sit alongside fights and disenchantment...In its succinct brevity, its almost like a series of beautifully observed prose poems. Touching, funny and very clever.' Herald Sun 'The choice of words is inspired, covering the ebb and flow and sometimes the pain and confusion of new love.' Sunday Telegraph 'Can a novel built around dictionary definitions be sexy and romantic Yes, it can. Sparely and beautifully written.' Sunday Age 'A modern-day love story constructed like no other.' Vogue '[A] delightfully clever book.' Book of the week. NZ Woman's Weekly

Author Bio

David Levithan is the author of Boy Meets Boy, Are We There Yet and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn).