This felt like something I would like, but it didn't grab me. I ended up not finishing this title. I really think that others will enjoy it though.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. I usually love short stories but just couldn’t get into these. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love the concept of this book. It takes loneliness, a feeling that we all experience, and shows the complexities and differences of it through the eyes of a variety of writers. Each writer's story and writing style gives the reader a glimpse into their experiences with loneliness and how loneliness can mean different things to different people. In a time when many of us have felt more isolated than ever, I think that this book, full of great writing and keen observations, will help readers feel more united in their loneliness.

Thank you to Catapult, Counterpoint, Softskull and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available April 19th.

Isolation is a term most of us are very familiar with these days. We are told to isolate from our jobs, our elderly, our children, our vulnerable, our schools and institutions. We are told to go into lockdown and quarentines. Yet what do these words really mean?

The Lonely Stories captures the quintessential emotion of our current era, the longing ache, the ugliness, and, in some cases, the relief. Through short stories by masterful Storytellers, the collection shows us that maybe there is beauty and art in being alone, just as there is beauty in finding a community of loners. I throughly enjoyed reading this collection and will remember the stories for a while.

A remarkably varied collection of essays and stories by an impressive group of authors under the general umbrella of being alone. I’m not quite sure if this is quite enough to bring these pieces together as a little infield whole and, astonishingly, this was not conceived or conceptually about the pandemic, as I thought it might be.

I was drawn to the idea of “The Lonely Stories: 22 Celebrated Writers on the Joys & Struggles of Being Alone” because I’m no stranger to the feeling of loneliness. Whether it was feeling left out of activities as a kid because of my disability or the heartbreak of being “ghosted” in my early 20s. But, I just couldn’t get into the book. All of the essays were written well and covered a variety of topics that I think will resonate with many people. But, I personally didn’t relate to them and therefore didn’t enjoy the book as much as I hoped I would.

3/5 stars for the lonely stories, edited by Natalie Eve Garrett.

The Lonely Stories is a series of essays about the joys and struggles of being alone. There are 22 stories in this collection, some heart breaking, some lovely. These stories made me think and some hit close to home. As with any anthology or collection, some of the stories were not ones I enjoyed, but others I absolutely loved.

My favourites in this collections were: "Javelinas" by Claire Dederer, "At the Horizon" by Maggie Shipstead, "Exodus 2020" by Emily Raboteau and "On Witness and Respair" by Jesmyn Ward.

This collection is a diverse look at loneliness in many facets, including on writers move toward sobriety, living with chronic illness, being an immigrant and not understanding language, the loss of a loved one and the beginning of Covid in 2020. These stories don't only focus on the sadness and despair that often comes with loneliness, but it also focusses on the solitude and insight you can gain.

It was wonderful to read this variety of stories and I appreciated the various takes on loneliness. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

A beautiful collection of ruminations on what it means to feel lonely. It was a delight to read the different interpretations and perspectives on loneliness and how loneliness intersects with sadness, joy, grief, anxiety, self-discovery, relationships, etc. Reading this left me feeling content and contemplative.

The Lonely Stories features 22 stories, mostly original and a few previously published. My favorite original stories were “Javelinas” by Claire Dederer which chronicles the author’s relationship with herself and with alcohol; “At the Horizon” by Maggie Shipstead which is a lovely meditation on being alone; and “The Perpetual Foreigner” by Jean Kwok which details her experiences growing up and being an immigrant twice. Jesmyn Ward’s previously published “On Witness and Respair” is a moving story about the death of her husband. Anthony Doerr’s previously published “Am I Still Here?” is an amusing anecdote about loneliness and the pull of modern technology.

I recommend this collection to anyone in the mood for a meditative read and those who enjoy thinking about the complexities of loneliness, whether you are alone or not.

Thank you to NetGalley and Catapult for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Natalie Eve Garrett's collection The Lonely Stories brings together stories from diverse authors reflecting on the theme of loneliness. What I appreciated was the variety of feelings associated with loneliness and teasing apart the difference between loneliness and being alone and solitude, which does not have as much of a negative connotation to it. Stories highlight both the struggles of being lonely as well as the craving for solitude. Examples included living with chronic illness, what is was like to live in New York City when the coronavirus first hit the city, and being an immigrant in a foreign country (twice over). Some authors (Anthony Doerr, Yiyun Li, Jesmyn Ward, and Lidia Yuknavitch) I truly enjoy contributed to this collection. Li highlights the differences between grief and tragedy. Doerr writes about the push and pull of technology. Literature's portrayal of men versus women and the concept of aloneness was described, where men go on solitary quests, while there is no female equivalent. Recognizing that one is happy in a relationship but also missing being alone was resonant. These stories give the reader a lot to reflect on. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

Thanks to Catapult via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

Even though the title is a good description about the stories, it doesn't describe how many way people look at being alone. It's not always a sad way but it is always a way to grow and to change ones life. Every one of the stories is a heartfelt place where the author was willing to go while writing their story. I like every one of the story because in each story the author takes you on a journey that makes you look at your own aloneness and how you feel about being alone. The stories will take you from a diving experience, a writer's dilemma, to how one decides when to change ones life and it will make you go, Huh at the end.
So, don't let the title stop you from enjoy this book, because you'll find that being alone is ok.

I want to thank Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press, Catapult and Netgalley for this intriguing book.

Raw real honest look at loneliness solitude emotions that everyone feels differently.Each essay is a gem of human emotions each left me thinking about the feelings I had just read about.Will be recommending this exceptional group of essays.#netgalley #thelonelystories.

In a lovely collection of essays tackling loneliness, we see varying voices exploring grief, heartache, loss, racism, xenophobia, poverty, parenthood, chronic illness, etc.

While we still go about our day-to-day lives in a seemingly never ending pandemic, reading about the hope that comes out in the different understandings of loneliness featured in this collection helped put into words some things I'd been grappling with. Solitude and separation through multiple lenses and different writing styles helps make the term feel like it's expanding.

There were definitely a few essays that felt more fleshed out and put-together than others but overall, this was incredibly insightful.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

These stories were so raw and honest explaining how each writer has experienced their own form of "loneliness". It really made me think about how I process being lonely and what that looks like to me and how do I feel during this time. With many of the stories, I could relate to their feelings. I very much appreciated a few of the stories that referenced they preferred being alone then going out. I have felt that and this helped to show that it is ok. Each person interprets feelings in different ways and loneliness may hit at different times and different ways. Whether it is a death of a loved one, traveling alone, a break up, etc. I wanted more of each story and would love to read more from these well written authors.

An absolutely incredible collection of essays. I stayed up all night reading, indulging in my solitude and it was a transcendent experience.

I cannot wait for This to his shelves and to also never run into a Hairy pig beast at any point in my life.