Conversations on Love Review

"Conversations on Love" by Natasha Lunn combines guest's interviews with the authors personal history and what she learnt from every person. Gathering dozens of testimonies from a diverse cast of characters on their different experiences, CoL tries to understand not only all the types of love there are but how the romance obsessed society we live in tends to ignore all the other types of love around us while edifying an untenable fantasy.

General Impressions

I'm not usually much of a non-fiction reader, but I ended up reading this one right after "The Break Up Monologues" and "Sexuality: A Graphic Guide" and I loved how those three reads perfectly complemented each other, even if they might seem as completely different.

"Conversations on Love" started and still exists as a newsletter you can sign up for, so above all, everything that is discussed in it is accessible. You need not fear incomprehensible terms and concepts or chapters that just drag on and on.

The themes discussed can be very heavy at times though so you might find yourself having to take a few breaks.

What I liked the most about this book was that the author didn't only make sure that she interviewed all kinds of people with a diverse range of experiences and beliefs, they talked about different kinds of love including between friends, siblings, community and it was very obvious how conscient and respectful the author tried to be of every one of her guests.

At the end of each interview, the author also takes a few paragraphs or pages to consider what she learnt from each person and to see different occasions and events in her life through her more enlightened present view.

CoL ended up being one of the most transformative reads I ever came across.

Conclusions

This was the kind of book that you will close only to reopen at a later date again and again and you will never be able to forget or stop learning from it. Written with an openness to learn that was felt throughout the book, I can honestly say this not only taught me a lot but put into words feelings and ideas I had only brushed against before. Reading this book made me a better and more thankful person not only towards myself and the people around me but the rest of the world.

Thank you to Penguin Books and Viking for sending me this book proof.

Rating: 5/5