How Not to Die Alone

by Richard Roper

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

• ISBN10: 0525539883
• ISBN13: 9780525539889
• Publish Date: 28 May 2019
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: G P Putnam's Sons
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525539889

Reviews

[Bianca]

He dusted himself down, suddenly aware that people had seen him fall and were enjoying their dose of schadenfreude. He avoided eye contact and carried on, head down, hands thrust into his pockets. Gradually his embarrassment gave way to something else. It was in the aftermath of mishaps like this where he would feel it stir at his core and start to spread out, thick and cold, making it feel like he was walking through quicksand. There was nobody for him to share the story with. No one to help him laugh his way through it. Loneliness, however, was ever vigilant, always there to slow-clap his every stumble.

About a lonely middle-aged man pretending to his co-workers that he has a wife and kids in order to keep up with the impulsive lie he told years ago. It had some sentimental moments, but I found this book mostly dull and I wasn’t really drawn into the characters.‬

[wcs53]

I bought this book to read as part of an online book club, so I really had no expectations for it. It turns out that it was a great read and one that I eventually found too hard to put down.

The story is centred around Andrew, an English man in his 40s, who works for the local council in the department that deals with the affairs of people who die alone. He also lives alone, but has lived a lie with those he has worked with for the past 5 years, who think he is happily married with 2 children. The lie of his other life grew from a misunderstanding at his interview for the job and has grown ever since, with Andrew unable to put things straight as it has gone on for so long. A new female employee comes into the office and bring a fresh breath of air into Andrew's life, but how can he be honest with her without compromising himself in the eyes of the other employees.

I loved the characters in this book, as well as the British humour. For sure at times it was heartbreaking, but there were also moments of hope and times when it was uplifting. As the story unfolded many questions were answered, such as why Andrew was alone and why he had chosen to weave the lie of the other life.

This is the author's first novel and I look forward to more from him in the future.