bookedbyruqs's review
3.0
I read this book over a period of more then a month, here and there and I still didn’t like it. However I can appreciate it and the messages it was trying to convey. If I read it all in one go I would’ve hated it even more. I did the audiobook especially since I couldn’t read it physically. I tried so much but kept putting it down. If you are finding it hard to read the physical book, then the audiobook may be the way to go.
I know I'm probably in the minority here but this book didn't wow me at all. It is a series of stories of people from all walks of life in Brisbane, all of whom contribute some understanding to the question of 'what is love'. It would actually make a great social media series of vignettes that you dip in and out of when you want to read something inspiring.
I found that it was a bit repetitive/boring after a while - mainly because there are no central characters that flow throughout the book so therefore there is very little character development for the reader to get emotionally involved with despite the emotional nature of each of the little stories that make up the book. I liked the way the author collected the stories - but (for me) it would have been better to have fewer stories that were more fully developed than tiny snippets of so many stories.
The problem with the word ‘love’ is that our minds immediately jump to romance. But the real-life anecdotes in this anthology go so much beyond plain old romance. It comprises love in all its forms – parent, sibling, friend, work, country. It even covers heartbreaks and hopes. The variety is the strongest plus point of this book.
You might call this a collection of human stories rather than love stories. Some of the tales are philosophical, some are funny, some sweet, some sad, some weird. But all depict myriad human emotions. There are forty-three “chapters” herein. Some of these focus on a single person’s recollections, while some chapters are more like a collection of 3-5 stories set around a common theme. Interspersed in between are Dalton’s own thoughts of the ‘love stories’ in his own life.
I didn’t know how to rate this book because all of these are real love stories and rating them felt like rating people and their experiences.
All in all, the book is a collection of love made through love. And today, if there's one thing the world needs more of to heal itself, it's love. Simple, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness love for self and for others and for the planet.
At the same time, reading these in one go will create a bit of a saturation, especially as it isn’t fast-paced. I think this anthology will work far better if you savour it in small bites rather than gulping it down in one go.
I would recommend this to those who are looking for evidence that the world is not entirely self-obsessed and there’s plenty of love to go around. There are many beautiful stories that will leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.
I know I'm probably in the minority here but this book didn't wow me at all. It is a series of stories of people from all walks of life in Brisbane, all of whom contribute some understanding to the question of 'what is love'. It would actually make a great social media series of vignettes that you dip in and out of when you want to read something inspiring.
I found that it was a bit repetitive/boring after a while - mainly because there are no central characters that flow throughout the book so therefore there is very little character development for the reader to get emotionally involved with despite the emotional nature of each of the little stories that make up the book. I liked the way the author collected the stories - but (for me) it would have been better to have fewer stories that were more fully developed than tiny snippets of so many stories.
The problem with the word ‘love’ is that our minds immediately jump to romance. But the real-life anecdotes in this anthology go so much beyond plain old romance. It comprises love in all its forms – parent, sibling, friend, work, country. It even covers heartbreaks and hopes. The variety is the strongest plus point of this book.
You might call this a collection of human stories rather than love stories. Some of the tales are philosophical, some are funny, some sweet, some sad, some weird. But all depict myriad human emotions. There are forty-three “chapters” herein. Some of these focus on a single person’s recollections, while some chapters are more like a collection of 3-5 stories set around a common theme. Interspersed in between are Dalton’s own thoughts of the ‘love stories’ in his own life.
I didn’t know how to rate this book because all of these are real love stories and rating them felt like rating people and their experiences.
All in all, the book is a collection of love made through love. And today, if there's one thing the world needs more of to heal itself, it's love. Simple, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness love for self and for others and for the planet.
At the same time, reading these in one go will create a bit of a saturation, especially as it isn’t fast-paced. I think this anthology will work far better if you savour it in small bites rather than gulping it down in one go.
I would recommend this to those who are looking for evidence that the world is not entirely self-obsessed and there’s plenty of love to go around. There are many beautiful stories that will leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.
cassie_tee's review
4.0
What a lovely book. It was nice to hear so many interesting (and not always happy) love stories. It was also particularly good because tent e talks about all these places in Brisbane that I’ve been so it was way to picture some scenes.
mandz00's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
berndm's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I expected fiction, but this is more (literary) journalism. It feels like Trent Dalton is going back to his roots. What a beautiful project to collect ideas on what love is from random strangers and to weave a book from it.
The multitude of perspectives from so many walks of life certainly broadened my own perspective enormously. It never fails to amaze me how many different views on life exist and how each of them adds something that mustn’t be forgotten.
The book is honest, personal, heartfelt, lovely (dare I add, sentimental) and enriching. It has it’s lengths and lulls but this is exactly one of the many things to be learned from reading it: you have to take the not-quite-as-great with the good.
And a book to drive home that love in its many forms is ultimately the one thing that counts is sorely needed in these times. Not because they are loveless times but because one needs to “balance the bad with the good”.
The multitude of perspectives from so many walks of life certainly broadened my own perspective enormously. It never fails to amaze me how many different views on life exist and how each of them adds something that mustn’t be forgotten.
The book is honest, personal, heartfelt, lovely (dare I add, sentimental) and enriching. It has it’s lengths and lulls but this is exactly one of the many things to be learned from reading it: you have to take the not-quite-as-great with the good.
And a book to drive home that love in its many forms is ultimately the one thing that counts is sorely needed in these times. Not because they are loveless times but because one needs to “balance the bad with the good”.
kikkrareads's review
5.0
What a beautiful collection of stories, intertwined with the authors journey!