The Lover's Dictionary in Q&A with David Levithan

Feb 18, 2011 Laila rated it really liked it

I love it when authors assume their audience is smart enough to get it and treat them accordingly. In this book, Levithan tells a love story in a dictionary format. He doesn't explain the connection between the word and the anecdote, but leaves it up to the reader to make it. Here is the first entry:

aberrant, adj.
"I don't normally do this kind of thing," you said.
"Neither do I," I assured you.
Later it turned out we had both met people online before, and we had both slept with people on first dat ...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Claudia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011-book-challenge-150-books, contemporary-fiction

Levithan is flat-out amazing. I'm still in a daze over this book...I think what he's produced here is a series of prose-poems. I can hear his poetry in every entry. This book is ingenious: It IS a dictionary, a selective one. Starting with A and ending with Z, he tells the first-person narrative of a relationship between two people in NYC, from first date to...I'm not sure.

This story goes from 'aberrant, adj' to'zenith, n.' The nature of the entries makes the story non-linear, and non-sequential ...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Danielle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011-favorites, chicklit, books-i-own, for-review

Are you a word junkie? Do you love books just about as much as you love breathing? How about romantic tales told through words that only other bookish types appreciate the way you do? Through David Levithan’s most recent publication he does exactly this, but of course, more eloquently. From words such as cadence to ubiquitous to kerfuffle each delves deeper into the life and meaning behind the words on the page. Examining them not for the Webster’s Dictionary meaning, but a living breathing exam Are you a word junkie? Do you love books just about as much as you love breathing? How about romantic tales told through words that only other bookish types appreciate the way you do? Through David Levithan’s most recent publication he does exactly this, but of course, more eloquently. From words such as cadence to ubiquitous to kerfuffle each delves deeper into the life and meaning behind the words on the page. Examining them not for the Webster’s Dictionary meaning, but a living breathing example, all of which revolves around love.

It hasn’t been long since my last review of a Levithan book here on Chick Lit Reviews. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares was one of my favorite reads last year and not only that it exposed me to a new set of authors I am now seeking out actively. When I heard about The Lover’s Dictionary I immediately looked into when it would be out and soon discovered I could possibly review it. This was truly an indulgence read. But not entirely. I think that though the book lacked in actual names to the characters it still carried a story and meaning with each word I encountered. Like this one for example…

posterity, n.

"I try not to think about us growing old together, mostly because I try not to think about us growing old at all. Both things – the years passing, the years together – are too enormous to contemplate. But one morning I gave in. You were asleep, and I imagined you getting older and older. Your hair graying, your skin folded and creased, your breath catching. And I found myself thinking: If this continues, if this goes on, then when I die, your memories of me will be my greatest accomplishment. Your memories will be my most lasting impression." (p. 161, The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan)

Isn’t it beautiful? There is so much more to it than merely a short definition on the “meaning” of the word. More of a feeling, a history that the word expresses and David Levithan does an excellent job in this account of words. In this way the book is easy to savor, reading it over a lengthy time period and getting to know the imaginary characters in your mind. Or perhaps you, like me, will be to engulfed in the book to let it go with a few words and end up finishing it in a couple of hours. No matter how you choose to devour this fantastic new addition to Levithan’s library it’s sure to be enjoyed.

Most of all what I loved about this book were the stories. I’m not sure if anyone else really does this, maybe it’s a bookish-geeky thing, but I tend to make up stories about words. For example, in the last book I read by Levithan, Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, the two characters spend time making up “fake” stories about what was going on during the creation of the word. It’s quite hilarious actually, especially considering many of the words are quite old. For me, this was the first time I’d seen an author put in writing what I do quite a bit on my own. So, when I discovered that The Lover’s Dictionary was basically that, but centered all around love I knew I had to read it. This story could be about a couple you know, it could be you, it could be a completely made up set of people, but no matter who it is there’s still a connection there. And it’s absolutely lovely.

The Lover’s Dictionary isn’t quite a story, but it is. A history, of whomever you’d like it to be but always centered around love. Words from a dictionary become love letters, stories, arguments and complications with every turn of the page. This is a story that’s often heart-breakingly honest, but humorous at the same time. Perfectly good fun for the bookish soul! ...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Bex rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, reviewed

Sometimes there aren't any words for how much you love a book, it can take just ones reading or many, many times but it inevitably leads to that feeling in your chest that you've just read something wonderful.
That's how I feel about this book, I think it's safe to say that Levithan has managed what no one else has and beaten out JKR as my favourite author.
This book just tugs at my heart in all the right ways, and of course includes the laughs one expects from a Levithan book, and that lime green ...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: jan11, read-in-2011, favorites

I’ll let the description speak for itself in explaining the book, but I will say: this is a short read. I finished it in about an hour and like always, David Levithan does not disappoint.

The format of The Lover’s Dictionary is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Short snippets of the lives of a couple are showcased through dictionary definitions. The chosen words play out in each scenario, some funny, some tender, some angry, and some a little heartbreaking. Levithan somehow captures the narr ...more

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Jan 15, 2011 David rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 20, 2011 Lisa rated it it was amazing

full review on my blog: www.lisaloparo.wordpress.com/my-favor...

The Lover’s Dictionary is one of those books that instantly becomes yours when you’ve finished. It crawls into your heart and tickles your soul, until you feel like you could have written it yourself. It’s the book we all would write if we could find the words. Part of its universality stems from the fact that David Levithan wrote the book with no gender-specific personal pronouns: no “he”s or “she”s to determine the sex of the auth ...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Lorri Steinbacher rated it really liked it

Premise was unique. Images lovely. Really drew you in.

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Jan 02, 2011 Tameka rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-library, 2011, favorite-books-ever

Simple yet complex and utterly unique. This book is why I love words so much. I absolutely adored each entry. Some of them made me laugh out loud, others made me tear up, and others found me nodding my head in complete and utter agreement. It is hard not fall in love with this book for it's truthful and poignant look at the arc of a relationship. ...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Sab H. (YA Bliss) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, male-pov, adult

<3 <3 <3 <3

The story is so mundane and relatable that it's hard to pull away from. David is a master of words and it was exhilarating to read a bit of his wisdom. I just want to have this as a manual of life, of relationships and my reminder that love is everywhere :) ...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Vicki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I can still hear David's voice reading some of these from when we saw him. I have a list of my favourite words from this book. I took a long break in between reading this book but I still loved it all the same. ...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Katy Jean Vance rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, diversity, lgbtq, gift, 2011

This was beautiful! I highly recommend this book as a gift to a long time love of your life. : o) It's heavy but fabulous- you'll see yourself in it in so many ways. ...more

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