Loneliness Books
Anxious People
I love this book for so many reasons. After listening to the audiobook, I bought a hard cover, read it, and discussed with my IRL book club. I love it even more now. My copy cannot be loaned out as almost every page has been marked with hearts, tears, and underlined words. Fredrik Backman knows humans and he delivers brilliant insights, silly scenes, and a story of real people doing their best. Anxious People is a book about understanding others, showing kindness, finding community, and accepting that all humans make mistakes. I love this book and hope you do too.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: A Novel
Eleanor avoids human contact, spending her weekends alone talking to no one (except her chats with Mummy). The impact of her isolation is dramatic which makes her journey in finding friendship fabulous. Gail Honeyman says an ordinary young adult who had an extremely solitary existence was the inspiration. I enjoyed the pace and content of this novel. A book about friendship, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine shows us the only way to survive is to open your heart.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
There is so much in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, fascinating and challenging themes and plot. The premise is that Addie makes a single life-long choice that comes with a dire consequence. Addie gains the freedom she wanted and a life with no one to answer to. Yet no one remembers her, she can’t leave a mark or create meaning. The resulting loneliness is unfathomable. The explorations of knowing what we want, the impact of others in our lives, consequences of choices, and the lengths we will go to for connection all make for a fascinating read.
The Odyssey
The Odyssey is an epic story about a mortal man Odysseus and his interactions as he journeys back to his wife Penelope and their son Telemakhos, a trip that takes 20 years. Homer explores fidelity, fate, and homecomings in this novel. He does this through the telling of many adventures with gods and mortals. Odysseus longs for home, while Penelope longs for Odysseus. Their 20-year separation demonstrates the impact extreme loneliness has on two people. There are many translations of this classic. I enjoyed Robert Fitzgerald’s translation (Emily Wilson well regarded too).
Never Let Me Go
Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth have grown up together, always being told they are special. In this moving novel by Kazuo Ishiguro we hear Kathy’s perspective. We learn why the three are special and what it means for each of them and for society. Our connections with one another, humanity, and truth are all explored in this award winning novel (there is a movie too). I loved Never Let Me Go so much and will read anything Ishiguro writes.