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ibisette's review against another edition
2.0
such a bland book. It started out with an interesting perspective, with Andrew's quite special job. So I kept reading hoping there would be more to it. I wish I had not taken the courage to finish it. Not worth it.
rottenromance's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
johannatrainer's review against another edition
3.0
(Audio)
What a lovely story, filled with good humor and a heartfelt storyline. I enjoyed the characters a lot and even though I found the end a tad unbelievable (the forgiveness!!) I still enjoyed it. The reading was really good too.
What a lovely story, filled with good humor and a heartfelt storyline. I enjoyed the characters a lot and even though I found the end a tad unbelievable (the forgiveness!!) I still enjoyed it. The reading was really good too.
heatherems's review against another edition
3.0
A solid THREE STAR read, with likable characters and an agenda to recognize how many people experience loneliness in our society, Richard Roper is ambitious in his work "How Not to Die Alone".
The main character, Andrew, is used to address the topic of loneliness in several different aspects of life. Andrew experiences loneliness and trauma as a child, loneliness and loss as a young adult, and continuing loneliness in the workplace and in his own home in his middle age. He is not really living, just making it through the day. And to top it off, his work includes perusing the belongings of those who have died alone in his city in order to determine if they have anyone at all who would care enough to attend (and perhaps pay for) their funeral.
Amazingly, Andrew seems OK with all of this, until Peggy enters the picture as a work associate who is tasked to help him out. She is funny, down-to-earth, and treats him as a real person. She reminds him of what real friendships and relationships are all about. Unsurprisingly, Andrew's world is turned upside-down by his realization of what an empty life he has, and how much he wants to change things and matter to someone else.
Andrew's boss, Cameron, is eager to connect with his employees any way he can, and ultimately recommends a monthly dinner with hosts rotating amongst Cameron, Andrew and the other co-workers. This results in Andrew having to confront the facade that he has put forth to his co-workers, which helps him build a community of friends and is in turns humorous and heart-warming.
While I found the characters, especially Peggy and Andrew to be appealingly real, warm and interesting, the book felt a bit flat to me. I liked it, and read it quickly, but it did not leave a huge impact on me nor were the characters highly memorable. I do admire the author's attempt to address loneliness, not only in the lives of his main characters, but in society in general. Peggy's idea to start a company to work with folks who live alone and don't have any interactions or visitors is certainly a timely topic.
Recommended for general fiction readers who like their characters to be involved in social causes. A solid, genuine novel.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and to Penguin Group Putnam for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #HowNotToDieAlone #Fiction
The main character, Andrew, is used to address the topic of loneliness in several different aspects of life. Andrew experiences loneliness and trauma as a child, loneliness and loss as a young adult, and continuing loneliness in the workplace and in his own home in his middle age. He is not really living, just making it through the day. And to top it off, his work includes perusing the belongings of those who have died alone in his city in order to determine if they have anyone at all who would care enough to attend (and perhaps pay for) their funeral.
Amazingly, Andrew seems OK with all of this, until Peggy enters the picture as a work associate who is tasked to help him out. She is funny, down-to-earth, and treats him as a real person. She reminds him of what real friendships and relationships are all about. Unsurprisingly, Andrew's world is turned upside-down by his realization of what an empty life he has, and how much he wants to change things and matter to someone else.
Andrew's boss, Cameron, is eager to connect with his employees any way he can, and ultimately recommends a monthly dinner with hosts rotating amongst Cameron, Andrew and the other co-workers. This results in Andrew having to confront the facade that he has put forth to his co-workers, which helps him build a community of friends and is in turns humorous and heart-warming.
While I found the characters, especially Peggy and Andrew to be appealingly real, warm and interesting, the book felt a bit flat to me. I liked it, and read it quickly, but it did not leave a huge impact on me nor were the characters highly memorable. I do admire the author's attempt to address loneliness, not only in the lives of his main characters, but in society in general. Peggy's idea to start a company to work with folks who live alone and don't have any interactions or visitors is certainly a timely topic.
Recommended for general fiction readers who like their characters to be involved in social causes. A solid, genuine novel.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and to Penguin Group Putnam for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #HowNotToDieAlone #Fiction
jordysbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a big fan of these charming British character studies about people who are forced to confront their issues and traumas in order to grow and become the best versions of themselves, and this book was no exception. It’s for sure a quieter story with only a few characters and a pretty basic plot, but I became invested in Andrew very quickly and I really responded to his relationship with Peggy. I was nervous about their platonic friendship turning into something more, but I thought the author handled what could have been an icky plot device in a graceful and emotional way. I thought the book really picked up near the end once Andrew’s lies start to unravel, and if I had one issue, it would have been that I would have preferred for this to occur a little sooner. That being said, if you’re a fan of Nick Hornby or books such as #Less or #EleanorOliphant, I think you’ll enjoy this as well.
xhalexj's review against another edition
3.0
Read this book while feeling down about my dating life and stuff so it happened to be a perfect read for a depressing moment. I'm admitting that because it plays into how much I enjoyed the novel so I'm giving this a three-star rating because while it made me feel great it wasn't the best book I've ever read. It's a perfectly acceptable story about a man who has trouble with loneliness and moving forward in life. As someone struggling with the same, it resonated with me but I recognize that it's one of those books where happy people might read it and call it hollow. With that in mind, my review might be a little biased but I think it's fair to call this a very well-written, conversational, engaging, but average book.
daisyfriesen's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of Andrew. He works in the office that tries to find the next of kin of people who die alone. He has also been lying to everyone he works with about having a wife and two kids. He's sad and friendless, except for his online model train forum friends. Peggy comes to work in his office and suddenly he has a real friend and wants badly to tell her the truth. I felt for the main character, but I couldn't always understand the choices he made. As the story went on and I knew more of his past he made more sense. In the end I found the idea that he lied about having a family for 5 years a little unbelievable.
enlamont's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0