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jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
White lies and fantasies seem like little things that entertain and don't have much impact on others, but in Richard Roper's How Not To Die Alone, the fiction one man created surrounding his life has vast repercussions when revealed.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Andrew's job is a touch on the melancholy side as he roots around in homes while trying to find the next of kin for people who die alone. Good news for him that he's got a rich family life to go home to...or at least that's what his co-workers believe after a one-time misunderstanding that he's never corrected, and in fact chosen to elaborate upon over the years. When a new employee, Peggy, starts in his group and shadows him for training, Andrew's life and routines, which include listening to a massive Ella Fitzgerald record collection and a model train affinity and discussion board, have been shaken up and given new life. As their friendship develops and the possibilities for a different kind of future become a stronger reality Andrew must make a choice: does he start living his life more fully and come clean about his nonexistent wife and children at the risk losing face and Peggy or should he perpetuate his solitary routine and keep the ruse going?
A quick read with plenty of funny and relatable moments to balance out the more poignant ones, this story shows an entertaining case of what-ifs from a life lived within one's imagination instead of the real world that seems to foster loneliness. Taking the dark subject matter surrounding various situations and thoughts brought about by death and infusing it with humor and life provides a certain levity while maintaining an appropriate emotional punch for the more serious and somber elements raised and addressed throughout the narrative. Andrew and Peggy, with their respective quirks, go though periods of growth and transformation throughout the novel, which makes their characters feel believable and developed.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Andrew's job is a touch on the melancholy side as he roots around in homes while trying to find the next of kin for people who die alone. Good news for him that he's got a rich family life to go home to...or at least that's what his co-workers believe after a one-time misunderstanding that he's never corrected, and in fact chosen to elaborate upon over the years. When a new employee, Peggy, starts in his group and shadows him for training, Andrew's life and routines, which include listening to a massive Ella Fitzgerald record collection and a model train affinity and discussion board, have been shaken up and given new life. As their friendship develops and the possibilities for a different kind of future become a stronger reality Andrew must make a choice: does he start living his life more fully and come clean about his nonexistent wife and children at the risk losing face and Peggy or should he perpetuate his solitary routine and keep the ruse going?
A quick read with plenty of funny and relatable moments to balance out the more poignant ones, this story shows an entertaining case of what-ifs from a life lived within one's imagination instead of the real world that seems to foster loneliness. Taking the dark subject matter surrounding various situations and thoughts brought about by death and infusing it with humor and life provides a certain levity while maintaining an appropriate emotional punch for the more serious and somber elements raised and addressed throughout the narrative. Andrew and Peggy, with their respective quirks, go though periods of growth and transformation throughout the novel, which makes their characters feel believable and developed.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
cindyshirld's review against another edition
2.0
Plot was very slow but managed to get through it. Can't help but feel bad for the main character though and glad that his life somewhat got better at the end.
horsley123's review against another edition
4.0
An easy, enjoyable read. Nothing to frighten the horses - a bit which is sad, a bit which is happy, the baddies get their comeuppance and the goodies live happily ever after. Lovely, warm bath of a book.
notorious_mjt's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book as a recommendation after I really enjoyed "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine". The stories are kind of similar, Andrew is a man who works as part of a council service that provide paupers funerals for people who have died alone and have no one to pay for the services. He lives in a state of near-isolation barely talking to anyone, including his co-workers and his estranged sister. The only people he seems to have any regular interaction with are members of a model train enthusiast forum. When a new person starts at his job, Andrew begins to open up about the tragic events of his past.
It might have been the mindset I was in while I was reading this book but I had to stop several times because I was about to ugly cry. The story itself takes a little while to get going but soon you're kind of engrossed in Andrew's story.
It might have been the mindset I was in while I was reading this book but I had to stop several times because I was about to ugly cry. The story itself takes a little while to get going but soon you're kind of engrossed in Andrew's story.
rerosenthal85's review against another edition
3.0
Cute, with some very funny writing. Early on I caught Eleanor Oliphant vibes from the story without realizing there are references to that book in some of the synopses. Uplifting and enjoyable.
kbeeks15's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a sweet, funny, honest story about life and how to best live it. Happy to have read this one!
lovelykd's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not sure what I expected but I can assure you it wasn’t what I read—not by any stretch.
Andrew is 42, lives alone, has a fondness for trains and the music of Ella Fitzgerald. His current job entails going into the homes of those who died alone and finding proof that someone, somewhere, cared about or loved them—at some point—and then notifying that someone of their loss.
Sheesh. What a job that would be!
Anyhoo. Andrew is content to maintain this non-exemplary way of life, which happens to include the fake family he’s created so as not to appear to be a “loser”, until he meets new trainee, Peggy.
Peggy immediately makes an impression on Andrew, causing him to re-evaluate everything about the world he’s so carefully created.
This was a heavy read.
I spent a lot of time cringing because Andrew was so painfully awkward: each interaction, particularly the ones involving Peggy, was tough to read because Andrew was not only shy but endlessly insecure and unsure of everything.
And while many of his idiosyncrasies became endearing, they were also vivid reminders of how broken and lost he truly was.
Peggy offers comic relief and a break from Andrew’s neuroticism, but she also was tussling with some heavy issues of her own, so there was that; plus you still spend a majority of the time in Andrew’s head, watching him battle his endless cache of emotional issues.
It was exhausting and, honestly, by the time I got to the end, the ruse had gone on far longer than necessary, and I just wanted to see it resolved.
The book is written in a charming way and I couldn’t help but love Peggy, but Andrew is borderline problematic.
Yes, he could be adorable at times, but his passive aggressive behavior got old fast and, at one point, I remember thinking he deserved most of what he’d received as a result of his willful passivity.
Overall, a nice debut...but definitely heavier than expected.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ for this Advanced eGalley. Opinion was not influenced
Andrew is 42, lives alone, has a fondness for trains and the music of Ella Fitzgerald. His current job entails going into the homes of those who died alone and finding proof that someone, somewhere, cared about or loved them—at some point—and then notifying that someone of their loss.
Sheesh. What a job that would be!
Anyhoo. Andrew is content to maintain this non-exemplary way of life, which happens to include the fake family he’s created so as not to appear to be a “loser”, until he meets new trainee, Peggy.
Peggy immediately makes an impression on Andrew, causing him to re-evaluate everything about the world he’s so carefully created.
This was a heavy read.
I spent a lot of time cringing because Andrew was so painfully awkward: each interaction, particularly the ones involving Peggy, was tough to read because Andrew was not only shy but endlessly insecure and unsure of everything.
And while many of his idiosyncrasies became endearing, they were also vivid reminders of how broken and lost he truly was.
Peggy offers comic relief and a break from Andrew’s neuroticism, but she also was tussling with some heavy issues of her own, so there was that; plus you still spend a majority of the time in Andrew’s head, watching him battle his endless cache of emotional issues.
It was exhausting and, honestly, by the time I got to the end, the ruse had gone on far longer than necessary, and I just wanted to see it resolved.
The book is written in a charming way and I couldn’t help but love Peggy, but Andrew is borderline problematic.
Yes, he could be adorable at times, but his passive aggressive behavior got old fast and, at one point, I remember thinking he deserved most of what he’d received as a result of his willful passivity.
Overall, a nice debut...but definitely heavier than expected.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ for this Advanced eGalley. Opinion was not influenced
bookpanther's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
How Not to Die Alone is a charming and quirky novel that centers around the theme of loneliness. The story follows Andrew, who works a seemingly grim day job at the Death Administration, where he arranges funerals and tries to find the next-of-kin for those who have died alone. Andrew is also keeping a huge secret, and when Peggy, a newcomer at work, enters into his life, he is afraid that everything might unravel.
I personally found this book quite funny -- at times over-the-top but often subtle and witty as well. The way Andrew got himself in his situation seemed ridiculous on the outset, but I found my often-awkward-self relating to his thoughts and feelings. However, among all the "antics" we find in this story lives some heavier themes of loneliness and depression, though it felt like something was missing in this exploration for me.
Still, if you want to read a story that centers on a more unusual topic and see some great character growth, I'd recommend this one.
How Not to Die Alone is a charming and quirky novel that centers around the theme of loneliness. The story follows Andrew, who works a seemingly grim day job at the Death Administration, where he arranges funerals and tries to find the next-of-kin for those who have died alone. Andrew is also keeping a huge secret, and when Peggy, a newcomer at work, enters into his life, he is afraid that everything might unravel.
I personally found this book quite funny -- at times over-the-top but often subtle and witty as well. The way Andrew got himself in his situation seemed ridiculous on the outset, but I found my often-awkward-self relating to his thoughts and feelings. However, among all the "antics" we find in this story lives some heavier themes of loneliness and depression, though it felt like something was missing in this exploration for me.
Still, if you want to read a story that centers on a more unusual topic and see some great character growth, I'd recommend this one.