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21 Truths About Love

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9780349424750

Price: £13.99

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Honest, vulnerable, hilarious, and profoundly human’ Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones and the Six

From the beloved author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend comes a wonderful new novel about a struggling man, written entirely in lists.

Daniel Mayrock’s life is at a crossroads:
1. His bookshop is failing.
2. He’s sick of feeling useless.
3. His wife, Jill, is ready to start a family.
4. She has no idea about 1 and 2.


Dan is scared.

Then Jill gets pregnant.

And now all Dan knows is:
5. Dan loves Jill.

Brimming with Dan’s hilarious sense of humour and unique world-view, his obsessive list-making paints a picture of a man who’s willing to do just about anything for the love (and soon-to-be new love) of his life…

Praise for Matthew Green:

‘A novel as creative, brave, and pitch-perfect as its narrator . . . It has been a long time since I read a book that has captured me so completely, and has wowed me with its unique vision’ Jodi Picoult on Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

‘A fresh, humorous exploration of what makes us vulnerable and what makes us responsible, and you can’t help but root for Daniel Mayrock even when he’s at his most mistaken. This is a love story of great pathos and beauty’ Sharma Shields, author of The Cassandra

‘What to know about this novel: 1) It’s written entirely in lists. 2) It’s about an anxious man struggling with family and financial issues. And 3) It’s an unconventional, endearing tale of impending fatherhood’ The Washington Post

‘Reasons we love 21 Truths About Love: 1. It’s deeply moving and full of emotion. 2. The protagonist is relatable (he quit his job to open a bookshop!) And so are his struggles. 3. It’s a thoughtful reflection about love and what it means to be a good person 4. Did we mention the protagonist owns a bookshop? 5. It’s one of the most unique books out today, because: 6. It’s written entirely in lists’ BookBub

Reviews

It's not quite enough to say that 21 Truths About Love is original, it is radical and extraordinary. I have no idea how Matthew Green made a story comprised entirely of lists feel so human but that's exactly what this story is: honest, vulnerable, hilarious, and profoundly human
Taylor Jenkins Reid, <i> New York Times </i> bestselling author of <i> Daisy Jones and the Six </i>
What to know about this novel: 1) It's written entirely in lists. 2) It's about an anxious man struggling with family and financial issues. And 3) It's an unconventional, endearing tale of impending fatherhood
The Washington Post
A fresh, humorous exploration of what makes us vulnerable and what makes us responsible, and you can't help but root for Daniel Mayrock even when he's at his most mistaken. This is a love story of great pathos and beauty
Sharma Shields, author of <i>The Cassandra</i>
A quick, light read, and an unexpected pleasure
The Seattle Times
Often moving, sometimes shocking, always entertaining, this superbly crafted work emphasises the incalculable variety of the novel form
Booklist
A clever, genre-bending portrait of a man under pressure
Kirkus Reviews
Dicks has impeccable comedic timing and touchingly renders family dynamics
Publishers Weekly
Funny, sad, uplifting but always relatable. A must read for fans of Rachel Joyce and Gabrielle Zevin
Shelf Awareness
You should read this book if you like: Humour, obsessive list-making, stories about obsessive list-making, bookshop owners, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Something Missing
Goodreads
a heartfelt, very funny love story . . . 21 Truths About Love will captivate and entertain you from List #1
The Day
Reasons we love 21 Truths About Love: 1. It's deeply moving and full of emotion. 2. The protagonist is relatable (he quit his job to open a bookshop!) And so are his struggles. 3. It's a thoughtful reflection about love and what it means to be a good person 4. Did we mention the protagonist owns a bookshop? 5. It's one of the most unique books out today, because: 6. It's written entirely in lists
BookBub
The most phenomenally entertaining and clever novel of the year. Poignant and hilarious... curl up with what is sure to be a singular sensation in the literary world
BookWeb
A fresh, original new novel. Blending humorous and witty takes on life's idiosyncrasies with a raw and deeply human main character, [Green] pens the perfect between-the-holidays book for readers who enjoyed Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and How Hard Can it Be?
BookReporter
I really, really liked this book. It is unique and funny and insightful and surprisingly moving
Lit and Life