The Lover’s Dictionary

 

I saw this book flooding the “must-read” shelves of every bookstore I went into a-few months back. I completely ignore the urge to pick it up or read it’s back cover review. I thought the tittle alone describes it perhaps and as of that moment a highly romantic-chic-flick-type of book wasn’t a priority for purchase.

This review is actually, well… long over-due for a write up. I have finished reading about a week ago after deciding to go ahead and give my ebook copy a try; mainly because of a friend’s high praise and recommendation (Thank’s to you ChaEstra!). The reason I said it is long over-due because, I had countless times trying to construct and draft a review but I couldn’t come up with an idea on how to do it. I am hoping that I would be able to present what I truly feel and how I was intensively connected when reading it. I am afraid  that to write a review by only saying how I love it is an understatement specially on a book that is written in a  radically distinctive, highly unusual and one of it’s kind novel by David Levithan.

As I have said, the cover indeed says it all. It is a DICTIONARY and it is a NOVEL. Even with the recommendations and stuff, I dared not to check other reader’s feedbacks and reviews. Interested of how intriguing this book’s impression at my end, I seemed to be looking and wanting to surprise myself and it did.

The plot is a narration of a love story of the nameless narrator’s relationship to a lover whom he(was the narrator a HE?) met on an internet dating site. The narrator was a HE alright, because he mentioned of playing the role of “Kurt” in “The Sound of Music” stage play when was eight. As I was saying, this is a NOVEL that is telling a story in a manner that is cleverly presented using carefully chosen complicated and some unornamented, rare and common words. Beautiful words that most of us haven’t taken the time to speak anymore or not at all. The words are arranged in alphabetical order such as a dictionary, over which the definitions are incidents, moments, ideas, emotions, dialogues and reactions of both the narrator and his lover.

This is a love story that is full of intimacy and rawness. The writing is simple yet the concept is refreshing, excruciating and powerful. The ups and downs of their relationship are realistic. At some point, I was able to connect on certain passages and situations where personal experience just looked similar. I was entertained on how hilarious and humorous some chapters are. I read slowly and surely. Digesting each word entry and it’s description. I flipped back and re-read pages several times and truly connecting with the idea of it. I smiled, smirked, giggled and laughed as I went word for word and exhale romantic sighs at the fairly familiar lines that somehow hit me close to home. The words are arranged chronologically hence the timeline of the story jumps from one situation to another making the structure of the writing more exhilarating to which as a reader, it is making me constantly impatient with anticipation on the outcome of the story and excited on what the new chapter would bring. For a love story that started on an internet dating site, this novel is complete and applicably realistic.

For those who are confused and weighing the rocks of the relationship, this book will give you ideas. How to spot issues that are better dealt beforehand than later.

For those who are un-attached, this book is an inspiration.

For those who are in relationship of unconditional feeling of love and commitment like myself, this book is making me more and forever in-love and happy of what  I truly have now in my hands because I can never imagine a life of ME outside US.

This is a painful and sad story which is only thing I hate of this book. Everyone loves a happy ending may it be in real life, in a story or in movies and everyone deserves joy in life, who doesn’t?. In all fairness, David Levithan is a good writer. This is the first I read of his works and I’m glad it is this book.

Since this novel is a dictionary at the same time, I guess a review won’t be complete if I can’t come up with my top words listed as favorites. I actually have lots on the list but I chose the ones having a line or two, or a couple more as definitions. I will leave the rest to you, my dear readers to find out the rest.

Here goes:

misgivings, n

Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us .

“There are things I miss” you said, “But, if I didn’t have you, I’d miss more”.

breathtaking, adj.

Those mornings when we kiss and surrender for an hour before we say a single word.

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

Ineffable, adj.

These words will ultimately end up being the barest of reflections, devoid of the sensations words cannot convey. Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.

reservation, n.

"There are many times when I worry that I’ve already lost myself. That is, that my self is so inseparable from being with you that if we were to separate, I would no longer be. I save this thought for when I feel the darkest discontent. I never meant to depend so much on someone else."

Happy Reading Everyone!!

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