From Booklist
Broussard got the inspiration for this collection from having her heart trampled on. The result of that break-up (which she describes in the introduction) is this collection of 26 stories, an A-Z primer on heartbreak by a group of talented young women writers. Two couples meet while on vacation in Anna Maxted's "Dagenham," which leads to the break-up of one of the couples and the solidifying of a relationship between the other pair. In Mary-Beth Hughes' "Honeymoon," Isabel learns her new husband doesn't share her interests or sense of wonder. She finds herself lying to him in order to fulfill his expectations, which only increases his desire for her. Jennifer Weiner's "Regret" is a sad meditation on her father's failed relationships with his wives and family. In Lucinda Rosenfeld's "Yuppie," Rachel is horrified when her boyfriend's lack of political savvy embarrasses her in front of her family. A hip, smart collection that's perfect for anyone who is recovering from a broken heart or looking for a good sampler of some of today's hot young authors. Kristine Huntley
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Book Description
FROM A TO Z—26 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER (OR HAVE HIM LEAVE YOU...)
When Meredith Broussard celebrated her 26th birthday and realized that she’d survived exactly 26 failed romantic entanglements, she reckoned it was high time to dissect this topic that had filled her life with so much . . . angst. With the help of 26 of today’s hottest young female writers, Broussard gets to the heart of the matter. The Dictionary of Failed Relationships is a hip collection of stories, all shedding light on the wide range of emotions (from anger to melancholy to rage supreme) associated with love gone wrong.
Ambivalence by Heidi Julavits • Berniced by Eliza Minot • Call-Hell by Amy Sohn • Dagenham by Anna Maxted • Etiquette by Thisbe Nissen • FAQ by Elizabeth Benedict • Green by Susan Minot • Honeymoon by Mary-Beth Hughes • Islands by Jennifer Macaire • Justice by Kathy Lette • Kid by Martha Southgate • LDR by Colleen Curran • Muay Thai by Rachel Resnick • Nightmare by Pam Houston • Orgasm by Darcey Steinke • Pain by Leslie Pietrzyk • Queer by Pagan Kennedy • Regret by Jennifer Weiner • Savage by Maggie Estep • Threesome by Dana Johnson • Underdog by Judy Budnitz • Vitriol by Shelley Jackson • Worship by Michele Serros • X by Suzanne Finnamore • Yuppie by Lucinda Rosenfeld • Zero by Erika Krouse
With tales both deliciously sassy and heartbreakingly true, The Dictionary of Failed Relationships will leave you laughing, crying, or asking that one key important question: Ain’t love a bitch?
About the Author
MEREDITH BROUSSARD is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. A literature and arts critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia City Paper, she has also written for Philadelphia Magazine, the Hartford Courant, the Chicago Reader, and the New York Press.
The Dictionary of Failed Relationships: 26 Tales of Love Gone Wrong FROM THE PUBLISHER
FROM A TO Z—26 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER (OR HAVE HIM LEAVE YOU...)
When Meredith Broussard celebrated her 26th birthday and realized that she’d survived exactly 26 failed romantic entanglements, she reckoned it was high time to dissect this topic that had filled her life with so much . . . angst. With the help of 26 of today’s hottest young female writers, Broussard gets to the heart of the matter. The Dictionary of Failed Relationships is a hip collection of stories, all shedding light on the wide range of emotions (from anger to melancholy to rage supreme) associated with love gone wrong.
Ambivalence by Heidi Julavits • Berniced by Eliza Minot • Call-Hell by Amy Sohn • Dagenham by Anna Maxted • Etiquette by Thisbe Nissen • FAQ by Elizabeth Benedict • Green by Susan Minot • Honeymoon by Mary-Beth Hughes • Islands by Jennifer Macaire • Justice by Kathy Lette • Kid by Martha Southgate • LDR by Colleen Curran • Muay Thai by Rachel Resnick • Nightmare by Pam Houston • Orgasm by Darcey Steinke • Pain by Leslie Pietrzyk • Queer by Pagan Kennedy • Regret by Jennifer Weiner • Savage by Maggie Estep • Threesome by Dana Johnson • Underdog by Judy Budnitz • Vitriol by Shelley Jackson • Worship by Michele Serros • X by Suzanne Finnamore • Yuppie by Lucinda Rosenfeld • Zero by Erika Krouse
With tales both deliciously sassy and heartbreakingly true, The Dictionary of Failed Relationships will leave you laughing, crying, or asking that one key important question: Ain’t love a bitch?
Author Biography: MEREDITH BROUSSARD is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. A literature and arts critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia City Paper, she has also written for Philadelphia Magazine, the Hartford Courant, the Chicago Reader, and the New York Press.
FROM THE CRITICS
Kirkus Reviews
Twenty-six women write of failed romances. Broussard tries to ride a wave of adolescent feminism thatﾽs sweeping the land by compiling a collection predicated on an artificial men-are-jerks foundation. This "is the kind of book Iﾽd enjoy reading after a breakup," she tells us. "Think of it as the literary equivalent of Ben & Jerryﾽs ice cream--delicious any time, but especially appropriate for times of PMS or heartbreak." Only five of the stories have appeared previously, and all are given single-word titles, each presumably a facet of failing love. Permit a sampling. "We were good-looking Americans, too, gleaming with a kind of ironic roadtrip sexy," begins Heidi Julavitsﾽs "Ambivalence," perhaps unwittingly pinpointing the reason why just the trip through Mexico wonﾽt seem romantically perfect for long. Thisbe Nissenﾽs "Etiquette" is nothing more than upscale self-help, not resembling a story. "Regret," by Jennifer Weiner, tells the old love story from the point of view of a daughter who winds up caught in the crossfire. Dana Johnsonﾽs couple, contemplating a "Threesome," quickly learns that in such endeavors someone invariably gets squeezed, and Susan Minot ("Green") contributes what reads essentially like a one-act play of lovers discussing and encountering ex-lovers on the ripe occasion of a wedding. Other contributors include Elizabeth Benedict, Pam Houston, and Anna Maxted. The theme here--if you can call it that--wearies quickly, but what can you expect from an editor who blames her ex for the bookﾽs very existence: "Tony, thank you. If you hadnﾽt been such a prick, this book wouldﾽve never come into being." Thin and born, apparently, of bitterness.
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