A non-traditional style of novel, The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan follows a dictionary setup while recounting parts of the narrator’s relationship with his girlfriend.
The narrator is writing this dictionary as series of entries to explain his love for his girlfriend. The entries range from first impressions to reasons for love to arguments or disagreements had by the couple. The novel is non-linear; rather, the setup of the novel is alphabetical and each entry describes a thought or memory. As the novel progresses and we get further into the alphabet, certain anecdotes and comments begin to make more sense and some arguments and themes begin reappearing to be reevaluated.
Like most relationships, their relationship is not perfect and the narrator is searching for answers on how to handle something the girlfriend confronted him with: should he end it now or is their love strong enough to overcome this situation? How much effort should each person put into saving the relationship? Since there is no black and white logic to love, the narrator is using this dictionary to sort through his feelings towards his girlfriend and the direction of the relationship.
So often love is described as mystical and purely blissful. This novel takes more of a real life approach and examines how confusing relationships can get. It is a quick read, yet it is fun and honest. As a reader, you can tell that the narrator is struggling to hold onto the better parts of the relationship while deciding if the negative parts outweigh the positive. The Lover’s Dictionary sums up how complex the concept of love can be, such as part of the entry under ‘ineffable’: “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.”*
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*Levithan, David. The Lover’s Dictionary. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. Page 120.
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