THE LOVER'S DICTIONARY
BY DAVID LEVITHAN | PUBLICATION: JANUARY 4, 2011FARRAR, STRAUS, AND GIROUX | GENRE: FICTION/ROMANCE
RATING: ★★★✬
"When its small truths felt like ours."
____________________________________________________________________
There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you're in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.
If the moment doesn't pass, that's it―you're done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it's even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover's face.
How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.
If the moment doesn't pass, that's it―you're done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it's even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover's face.
How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.
____________________________________________________________________
Vignettes of Love
acronym, n.
“I remember the first time you signed an email with SWAK. I didn't know what it meant. It sounded violent, like a slap connecting. … And the next time you wrote, ten minutes later, you explained. I loved the ridiculous image I got from that, of you leaning over your laptop, touching your lips gently to the screen, sealing your words to me before turning them into electricity. Now every time you SWAK me, the echo of that electricity remains.”
This is a love story — a boy meets a girl and falls in love. There is nothing unusual about the plot; it isn’t a fairy tale with a perfect ending, nor is it a tragedy marked by betrayal or loss. Instead, we follow a nameless narrator as he recounts how he met his girlfriend, how they moved from first dates to exclusivity, and eventually into a shared home. It’s ordinary in the best way. It’s the kind of story that could belong to anyone, and that’s exactly what makes it beautiful.
I read this book alongside my husband. I can’t recall every emotion we felt then, but I remember why it mattered to us: the words were familiar. We recognized ourselves in the small, ordinary moments Levithan captured — the kind of moments that make a relationship feel lived‑in and real.
circuitous, adj.
“We do not divulge our histories chronologically.”
The book’s structure is its most brilliant charm. From aberrant to zenith, we move through the alphabet, each word opening a vignette — a moment, a confession, a memory. We follow these fragments not to chase a grand revelation, but to witness how love is built in small, significant pieces. Levithan reminds us that not every love story needs to be profound to matter; it only needs to be true.
ineffable, adj.
“These words will ultimately end up being the barest of reflections, devoid of the sensations words cannot convey. Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.”
I’ve always loved the concept of this book — Levithan’s playfulness with language, the intimacy of the narrator’s voice, the way the story feels both exposed and sincere. The narration is stripped of bravado; it’s tender, vulnerable, and believable. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just entertain — it resonates.
You might want to try it too.
acronym, n.
“I remember the first time you signed an email with SWAK. I didn't know what it meant. It sounded violent, like a slap connecting. … And the next time you wrote, ten minutes later, you explained. I loved the ridiculous image I got from that, of you leaning over your laptop, touching your lips gently to the screen, sealing your words to me before turning them into electricity. Now every time you SWAK me, the echo of that electricity remains.”
This is a love story — a boy meets a girl and falls in love. There is nothing unusual about the plot; it isn’t a fairy tale with a perfect ending, nor is it a tragedy marked by betrayal or loss. Instead, we follow a nameless narrator as he recounts how he met his girlfriend, how they moved from first dates to exclusivity, and eventually into a shared home. It’s ordinary in the best way. It’s the kind of story that could belong to anyone, and that’s exactly what makes it beautiful.
I read this book alongside my husband. I can’t recall every emotion we felt then, but I remember why it mattered to us: the words were familiar. We recognized ourselves in the small, ordinary moments Levithan captured — the kind of moments that make a relationship feel lived‑in and real.
circuitous, adj.
“We do not divulge our histories chronologically.”
The book’s structure is its most brilliant charm. From aberrant to zenith, we move through the alphabet, each word opening a vignette — a moment, a confession, a memory. We follow these fragments not to chase a grand revelation, but to witness how love is built in small, significant pieces. Levithan reminds us that not every love story needs to be profound to matter; it only needs to be true.
ineffable, adj.
“These words will ultimately end up being the barest of reflections, devoid of the sensations words cannot convey. Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.”
I’ve always loved the concept of this book — Levithan’s playfulness with language, the intimacy of the narrator’s voice, the way the story feels both exposed and sincere. The narration is stripped of bravado; it’s tender, vulnerable, and believable. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just entertain — it resonates.
You might want to try it too.
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About the Author:
David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
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