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A Lover's Discourse

By Xiaolu Guo
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3.57 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,235 ratings, 416 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Lover's Discourse by Xiaolu Guo is a poignant narrative exploring the intricacies of love and communication in a cross-cultural relationship. Set in London, the story follows a Chinese woman and an Englishman as they navigate language barriers, cultural differences, and personal identities. Through their dialogue and experiences, the novel delves into the challenges and beauty of understanding and connection in a globalised world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring the nuances of love and relationships through a poetic and philosophical lens. Set against a backdrop of cultural exchanges and linguistic discoveries, it's perfect for those who appreciate narratives rich with introspection and social commentary, capturing the complexity of connection and identity in a globalised world.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A funny and charming new novel from Xiaolu Guo about love, language, displacement and finding our place in the world.

A Lover's Discourse is described as 'a fragmentary meditation on the nature of love' by the Guardian.

A Chinese woman comes to post-Brexit London to start over, just as the Brexit campaign reaches a fever pitch.

Isolated and lonely in a Britain increasingly hostile to foreigners, she meets a landscape architect, and the two begin to build their future together.

Playing with language and the cultural differences that our narrator encounters as she settles into her new life, the lovers must navigate their differences and their romance, whether on their unmoored houseboat or in a cramped apartment in east London.

Suffused with a wonderful sense of humour, this intimate novel asks what it means to make a home and a family in a new land.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A Lover's Discourse by Xiaolu Guo receives praise for its truthful and lively language, reminiscent of Lydia Davis, as it captures relationship dynamics without sentimentality. It delicately explores love, desire, and connection across cultures, revealing profound themes about migration, language, and alienation. The fragmented narrative delivers nuanced reflections, leaving readers thoughtful, as it balances moments of darkness with humour and life-affirming insights.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529112481

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 May 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 231g

Pages: 288

Collections

Contemporary Romance Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Romance Xiaolu Guo

About the Author

Xiaolu Guo was born in China. She published six books before moving to Britain in 2002. Her books include- Village of Stone, shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize; A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, shortlisted for the Orange Prize; and I Am China. Her recent memoir, Once Upon a Time in the East, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award and the Rathbones Folio Prize 2018. It was a Sunday Times Book of the Year. Her most recent novel A Lover's Discourse was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2020. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a visiting professor at the Free University in Berlin.

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