There is something comforting about seeing the world in plain facts. Massini modernizes this desire, expanding how to view the world, by adding new words in which to express ourselves.

How often have you reached for a word to describe how you feel, but all you can grasp is ‘astonishing’, ‘disappointed’, ‘content’? None of which actually hit the heart of your experience?

Massimi dispels these moments of loss by inventing new worlds - inspired by people or events all through history. Each entry is a mix of multiple examples, building a foundation and a history for each word. The stories are usually disconnected, and at times it can be confusing what point he’s trying to make.

Despite that, my favorites letter was ‘O’ for Oatism and Olivarism. In this chapter, the author covers our ongoing obsession with work. He speaks to the historic expectation that a job was a means to an end (leisure), a Japanese executive who dropped dead of a heart attack after working 200 hours of overtime in a month, and a Spanish Duke and Count who made himself indispensable, but then stopped sleeping, and went insane. In short, you get a lot in each chapter.

If you’re looking for a whimsical take on language and the tribulations of life, The Book of Nonexistent Words will be a joy.

This book is unlike any other of I have heard of or read, both in content and in talent of writing, and to try and capture it will be difficult, but I am going to try my best!

Other languages and cultures have words that describe complex emotions, states of being, situations, etc... Have you ever searched for a word to describe your innermost feelings, but came up short? Stefano Massini takes that concept and turns it into a 26 chapter book in which each chapter, a different letter of the alphabet, is a brilliantly and poetically told story from history, whether distant or near. From that story, he then coins a new word that is taken from the context of the story and gives a definition. After the "A" story, I was captured.

"Anchorism: Indicates the state of mind of those who feel forgotten by the rest of the world, realizing that the life of everyone around them carries on just the same regardless of their own personal suffering."

This definition resonated with me on such a deep level that I consumed the rest of the book in 24 hours. If you are a lover of history, short stories, lore, and language, this book is an absolute MUST READ for you. Halfway through the book I paused and pre-ordered the physical copy because I knew it would be one I would want to return to over and over.

Stefano Massini is brilliant. I hope this book explodes with popularity when it is published in October- it deserves all the credit it can be given!