Book Review: “All the Lonely People” by Mike Gayle

 

Source: GoodReads

 

Book Name: All the Lonely People

Author: Mike Gayle

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Language: English

Genre: General Fiction

 

Author Biography

 

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham, England. He moved to London to start a journalism career after earning a degree in sociology. Prior to taking a position as the features editor of another adolescent journal, he started out by penning a column of advice for a publication for young women. He has written for a variety of publications, including The Sunday Times, Cosmo, and The Guardian.

 

Before he began writing novels full-time in 1997, Mike wrote thirteen of the more than thirty novels that have been published. After stints in Manchester and London, Mike currently resides in Birmingham with his wife, two children, and a rabbit.

 

A Short Overview ( Spoiler Alert ! )

Not just Hubert Bird experiences loneliness. All he needs to do is comprehend it. During his weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, Hubert Bird conjures up a vision of the perfect retirement, one that is filled with delight, friendship, and fulfillment. 

But Hubert Bird is telling the truth. In actuality, as day after day passes, he doesn't see a single person. That is, until he receives some fantastic news that, in an odd way, turns out to be the worst news conceivable and forces him to return to a world he has long since turned his back on.

“And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn’t quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely and most likely had been for a very long time.” 

Hubert now needs to accomplish what might seem impossible: make his real life coincide with his invented existence before the truth is discovered. Along the way, Hubert finds a second chance at romance, renews an old friendship, and joins a daring neighborhood project to end loneliness once and for all.

Hubert Bird is undoubtedly beginning to experience age-related effects. But with the cause of his previous isolation constantly lurking in the distance, will he ever be able to live the life he's been portraying for so long?

 

Public Verdict

 

“Mike Gayle is on World Beating Form with All the Lonely People. It's the right book at the right time and you're going to love it.”

―Jenny Colgan, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner

 

“I'm such a fan of Mike's, and think this is absolutely his best yet. The characters are so warm and so real, and the issues of loneliness and displacement are so very topical and important.”

―Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author

 

“A heartwarming story about the power of community and human connection. Hubert Bird stole my heart.”

―Beth O'Leary, author of The Flat-Share

 

My Personal Review

 

This is a tale of loneliness and how, despite all odds, you can make friends with people who are completely unrelated to you. It's also a tale about being given permission to start living life again after a loss. All the Lonely People, however, is much more than just its narrative and cast of individuals.

 

Because the issues are so absolutely pertinent to contemporary culture, the setting and the characters might be transposed to any location. It's hard to pinpoint exactly how Mike Gayle accomplished this, but he exposed the flaws in the basic foundation of contemporary Britain and proposed a remedy that, in my opinion, has the potential to improve lives.

 

This fantastic novel weaves a feeling of community, belonging, and the methods to accomplish it in a way that appeals to the reader's emotions. 

It is quite stunning and has a few very emotional moments (don't say I didn't warn you). Really, it is. It is heartfelt without being cheesy, and it tackles challenging material head-on, which is incredibly refreshing.

 

Bottom Line

 

It is a crucial book on the value of connections and creating your own family since it holds a mirror up to society's prejudices and shortcomings.

 

I'm confident that Mike Gayle will have a long and illustrious career as an author, and I'm looking forward to his next book, which has yet to be named. Mike Gayle, Outstanding effort! Definitely recommended!

 

My rating for the book is 4 out of 5.

You can purchase this book on Amazon.

 

Written By: Dharchini Priya P