Waiting on Wednesday

The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan
January 4, 2011
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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.


David. Levithan. Need I say more? This is his first book that's been written for adults, which makes me really interested in (1) the feedback it will get (2)how it differs from his young adult books. I'm also in love with this cover. It's so simple and artsy and just plain gorgeous. I would seriously do anything to get a copy of this book before it is released (anything within reason). January 4th can't come soon enough!