The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan is a remarkable and unique book and it makes me want to grab a dictionary and try to write the rest of the blog in the same style as the book.
remarkable, adj.
I am reading along thinking this book is so clever. Every page starts with a different word from the dictionary, in alphabetical order, and tells the story by defining the word in context to the developing relationship. It really is quite extraordinary and notably refreshing. I sure hope this book gets the attention it deserves.
unique, n., adj.
I have never read a book like it before. It is the sole example of a tale written as if by a dictionary, to my knowledge.
urge, v.
Does this earnest recommendation press you into action and make you want to jump up, run to the libray or bookstore, and take a look at this book? I sure hope so. I do recommend that you grab a dictionary before you sit down with it as there may be a few words you'll need to look up--I did!
example, n.
Though I am having fun trying to emulate his work, take a look at a few samples of Mr. Levithan's own words:
corrode, v.
I spent all this time building a relationship. Then one night I left the window open, and it started to rust. -p.64
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. -p. 120
lover, n.Here is what David Levithan says about the book on his website:
Oh, how I have hated this word...I have never wanted a lover. In order to have a lover, I must go back to the root of the word. For I have never wanted a lover, but I have always wanted to love, and be loved. - p. 137
The Lover’s Dictionary, my first book about post-teenagers, has now hit stores. As with many of my novels, it started as a story for Valentine’s Day – it was February 1st, and I knew I only had two weeks to write something, so I opened up a book of “words to know” and decided to take random words and apply them to a relationship. The result? The story of two people who have been together for a little over two years, told entirely in dictionary form. All the ups, all the downs, and all the in-between. --David Levithan
savor, v. with object
I gave myself over to the enjoyment of this book. I heartily recommend it to mature readers and hope they'll enjoy every minute of it, too.
