How Not to Die Alone
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4.0 • 67 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Smart, darkly funny, and life-affirming, How Not to Die Alone is the bighearted debut novel we all need, for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, it's a story about love, loneliness, and the importance of taking a chance when we feel we have the most to lose.
"Off-beat and winning...Gives resiliency and the triumph of the human spirit a good name." --The Wall Street Journal
All Andrew wants is to be normal. That's why his coworkers believe he has the perfect wife and two children waiting at home for him after a long day. But the truth is, his life isn't exactly as people think . . . and his little white lie is about to catch up with him. Because in all of Andrew's efforts to fit in, he's forgotten one important thing: how to really live. And maybe, it's finally time for him to start.
"Roper illuminates Andrew's interior life to reveal not what an odd duck he is, but what odd ducks we all are." --The New York Times Book Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Roper's delightful debut is as funny as it is touching. Andrew is a 42-year-old single man whose life became complicated by an accidental lie about having a wife and children, told while interviewing for a job. After he's hired, the lie mushrooms, but he can't find a way to fix it during the following five years at the U.K.'s Death Administration Council, where his responsibilities include inspecting the homes of people who have died alone, and arranging their funerals. Not only do Andrew's annoying boss and two irritating coworkers ask casual, typical questions about his family, it's also decided that there will be dinners sponsored by each employee in his or her home. The plot becomes even more complicated for Andrew when he is put in charge of showing the ropes to a new employee, Peggy, a woman he's attracted to but who is married and has two daughters. As he grows closer to Peggy, Andrew's social awkwardness adds to his problems: he once finds himself so filled with trepidation about a planned encounter that he spontaneously apologizes after hearing a coworker sneeze. This story of a neurotic, tenderhearted man struggling to learn how not to be alone is irresistible.
Customer Reviews
Nice way to talk about life and death
As we usually don’t think about life and death directly, this is a great step into the seriousness of it. The author also deals with how we treat each other in our families, often in ways that are unskillful. The way the characters grow within the story over time is excellent.
Delightful
A thoroughly enjoyable read. A story about good people and grim circumstances. And hope.
How Not to Die Alone
I loved Andrew’s sweet, tragic, darkly tender story from the start, and his metamorphosis even more. “How Not to Die Alone” is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.