List-lovers, rejoice! Author Matthew Dicks has written a novel comprised entirely of that very thing. If you think it might be difficult to grasp the plot of a book written completely in list format, worry not; Twenty-One Truths About Love is as easy to understand as it is to read. This fast-paced epistolary novel takes us into the life of Daniel Mayrock, a former teacher turned bookshop owner, who is, frankly, failing at life. Daniel uses list-writing as a form of therapy, attempting to scratch out all of the ways he could be a better husband and potential father.
Daniel's bookshop is not making money, but he can't tell his wife Jill that. She wants to have a baby, and Daniel can't bear to lose face in front of her. Instead, he pretends that their savings is not dwindling away more and more with each passing month. He spends his days writing lists, in which he obsesses over his financial situation, tries to find ways to NOT get Jill pregnant, and dreams up get-rich-quick schemes.
Twenty-One Truths About Love is an unconventional little novel that is probably unlike anything you have ever read. The protagonist, Daniel Mayrock, is a self-deprecating character that readers will either relate to or love to hate. I unfortunately fell into the hate category, but maybe reading him as a woman, that can be expected. He continuously plays the victim card, looking for excuses as to why he cannot be a better husband, father, and man, in general. He continues to let bad things happen to him instead of taking control of his life. Daniel seems to lead a pretty miserable life, constantly comparing himself to his wife's deceased first husband, lamenting over how he doesn't want a child, and hating his wife's dog. And let's not forget the money woes, which utterly consume him. I was hoping that Daniel would redeem himself by the end of the novel, but unfortunately for me, that day never came. I still hated him by the end, making this novel feel less than satisfactory to me.
If you can look past unsavory personality types, however, there is a lot to like about this novel. It provided a nice change of pace, and didn't take itself too seriously. The list format is fun, although some of Daniel's lists were entirely too long and unnecessary.
Availability: Book Rating: *** Stars (I liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Twenty-One Truths About Love
GENRE: Epistolary Novels; Mainstream Fiction STORYLINE: Unconventional TONE: Funny; Moving WRITING STYLE: Engaging CHARACTER: Complex; Sympathetic SUBJECT: Anxiety; Booksellers; Business Failures; Despair; Families; Financial Crises; Lists; Married Men; Pregnant Women; Self-Doubt in Men
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