I think the problem is I don't like short stories. I don't like collections of short stories and by the end, when I was expected to remember which character was which... I was just done.

I loved the idea of this book - one book can affect different people in different ways. Sometimes the right book just falls into your lap and it's a perfect fit. I love the idea of no two persons read the same book or get the same things out of the same book... but the stories were too short in that I didn't get invested in the characters before moving on. And then some (all? I have no idea) of the characters came back in the last chapter? It was just too much. There was also no complusion to keep reading.

I loved how all of the different lives in this book are intertwined with each other and come full circle in the end. Character development of each person was so good and i loved reading each persons story and having it be all wrapped up nicely in the end. I loved this book.

A marvelous book about the power of writing, and the magic of connecting through storytelling. I have to confess that I felt slightly disappointed initially by the varying points of view but I was quickly won over, immersed in each new story-within-this-story, witnessing how Bauermeister subtly pulled threads from here and there and wove them into surprising new places.

The epigraph, a quote from The Writings of Madame Swetchine, is, "No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture." This truth is elegantly illustrated as we dip in and out of the lives of disparate readers of Alice's book (and one who doesn't even read the book but employs it in a brilliant way).

Some favorite quotes:

"But he understood the feeling of living in a world where few questions had a single, solid answer. Understood, too, that in that world, creativity often dwelt next to confusion."

"Science heard that fragment of a second and wondered how to make it fit into a whole. Fiction wondered what hearing it felt like."

"...but that was the beauty of books, wasn't it? They took you places you didn't know you needed to go."

"Ignoring the fact that grief is not a stalker but a stowaway, always there and up for any journey."

A gorgeous, moving, and fully satisfying read.

I loved this book and highly recommend. It is a collection of linked stories more than a novel. The first story centers on an author writing a book. The following stories are all about people who interact with the book in multiple ways: readers, book sellers, editors, audiobook narrators, etc.

This was a charming read and I've heard that the audiobook is also excellent.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley.

Oh my gosh-I loved this book! Each perspective so intently drew me into every individual story about how one book has the capacity to change the course of a life. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved the original concept with this book. How does one book look in the lives of a variety of individuals? There were multiple mini stories with some more interesting than others. One of my favorite mini stories involved a homeless teenager. Would have loved to learn more of her story.

This was the book chosen to read on a book retreat and we all really enjoyed it and recommend it to others. It brought up a lot of great conversations and would be a great book club choice.

Synopsis:

One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go… Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.

Review:

This book highlights how the same book can mean be experienced so differently depending on who is reading it and even what stage of life they are in. That's actually why I stopped posting starred reviews on my Instagram - I never want to discourage someone from reading a book because it's not something that I typically enjoy or if I read it at a time it didn't resonate with me. This is a lovely book to read to recognize the importance of books and how they can change lives.

Alice has always wanted to write a book. A couple of events propel her to finally do it. Her novel is found in a "slush pile" at a publishing house and is deemed a gem. THEO becomes a novel that touches many readers, even ten years after its release.

The story is told in chapters from a variety of characters points of view. They are all quite different people who run the gamut of backgrounds. Many have had the book passed on to them by an enthusiastic reader. They all have personal reactions to the novel. Most of the vignette type chapters are almost like interconnected short stories. Some do have threads between people in other sections.

I love books about books. NO TWO PERSONS touched me on a deep emotional level. The author knows just how to add poignancy without it becoming too maudlin. The author's notes at the end added more understanding and authenticity for me. I am again embarrassed that this lovely book sat too long on my NetGalley feedback list. A fiction book club finally nudged me into reading this. I found out through this meeting that this book has a link to THE SCENT KEEPER which I read a couple years ago.

I highly recommend this tale to all readers. As the title implies, no two people will read this beautiful novel in the same way. Of course, that is often the case with most books. Thanks to St. Martin's Press (my all time favorite) and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review this novel.

No Two Persons is about a book and 9 people that read it. Each chapter is from a different perspective starting with the author. Each person comes across the book at a pivotal point in their life, causing them to take another look at where they are.

I don’t think I’ll be able to do this beautiful book justice with my review, but I will do my best.

No Two Persons opens with the quote “No two persons ever read the same book” and then takes you through an author’s journey of writing a book: “Theo”, and 9 others’ journey of reading it. With each chapter it continuously proves the quote. A different part of Theo resonates with each character but for all of them, it helps them take a look at their life and either make a change or accept it. Theo's impact on all of their lives is undeniable.

NTP is such a poignant book that I felt connected to each character even though for the most part they exist within the confines of their chapter. All the characters gave me something to think about, and most of them got me teary eyed.

Despite how little time you spend with each character in this book, you still get to know them intimately, care for them deeply; all 10 characters leave their mark. (Though I did have favorites). I also loved the little ways the characters’ paths crossed one another. I delighted in finding one characters’ fingerprints in another’s chapter.

Themes of parental trauma, human connection, communication and miscommunication are weaved throughout each of these chapters. It deals with loss, grief, strength, relationships (familial and romantic). And it does a great job of showing the weight and impact of these things on our lives.

This is a book I will be thinking about over and over again, for all the little life lessons that are in it, and all the nuances it manages to highlight.

It also helps that it’s beautifully written. 😆

🎧 While I loved reading this as an audiobook thanks to the great narrators, I feel that I would have benefited more from the slower pace reading with a physical or ebook. To highlight, pause, and really savor the words.

Thank you so so much to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

This book is a tribute to the power of books, and the fact that every book touches the reader in a different way. Alice's brother, Peter, dies young, and Alice, always wanting to write, pours her grief into a book, Theo. After many rejections, an agent decides to publish it. Various readers read the book, and each reader takes a message from the book - as if it was written for them.
It is touching and heartfelt. It resonated with me, because I have always believed that there is a book for everyone - and reading special books can really touch your heart, and help you through various situations.
This book was a treasure to read. I enjoyed each story and each character.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

No Two Person is based on the premise that no two people experience the same book. What an ode to reading and the power of words. This novel follows a variety of people affected by a book from the author, the literary agent, the agent's assistant, the audiobook narrator, and readers. It's both a mundane and personal look at each person's life and how the book in question, Theo, impacts them in ways both big and small.

These characters were so fleshed out and sunk deeply into me as I was reading. This covers hard things and is not sweet and saccharine at all but rather a deeply nuanced look at a character during their slice of life in which the book was placed into their path.

LOVED LOVED LOVED - one of my favorite books of 2023. Books about books can be hit or miss for me and this was a definite hit. I loved how it was essentially a bunch of vignettes that were semi-interconnected, but showing the many different ways that books can impact our lives. It was beautiful and lovely and I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book captured my deepest feelings for a book. For as many people who read a book, no one ever reads and perceives it the same one. Every person reading the book is reading a unique story. This book is the telling of how one book, named Theo changed the lives of several individuals who read it. Theo had a powerful impact for the characters in this story who all found themselves at different points in life and on different paths searching for something. From the writer to the assistant to the actor to the artist to the diver to the teenager to the bookseller to the coordinator to the agent, Theo’s story had a profound impact. I will be recommending this one to all of my friends, bookish or otherwise.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a great book!

It amazes me how one book can be read so differently by many people. It's why book clubs exist, right? This story follows a book and how it was experienced by ten different people. I normally don't like short stories, but each chapter is a story about how a fictional book called, "Theo," affected different character's lives. Each chapter takes about 20-30 minutes to read, and I was sad when each one ended. I wanted to keep living the story of the characters.

Then it became even better when some of the lives became intermingled later in the book. I loved every single chapter, and I was excited to meet the new characters in each part. This was a book that I didn't want to end. Erica Bauermeister is obviously a wonderful storyteller.

I gave this book five out of five stars. I was given this book for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a egalley version.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY!! I gobbled yp this story in a day! Bauermeister is a master and if you have read any of her other books, tgus one might be the best! It is so beautifully written and the story has such relatable characters.

The story follows different characters and their experiences with a beautiful story written in a book. It is filled with such sollow and longing, an emotion that can be so hard to capture, but Bauermeister does it well.

I highly recommend this book. Although you may finish the book, the story will stick with you!

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a beautifully-written book and an homage to the power of the written word. The title and theme are derived from a quote by Edmund Wilson: “No two persons ever read the same book.” And this book sets out to prove the point.

Although billed as a novel, No Two Persons is better described as a series of short stories set over nearly a decade, each of which focuses on a person whom a singular book affects. The thread between these ten stories seems a bit gossamer, but many of the stories themselves are strong. For me, the first story concerning author Alice Wein was the strongest. Born out of a heart-wrenching loss, Theo is Alice’s first novel and marks a catharsis in her life. As the book passes through various phases, from pre-publication, to production, to publication and beyond, we get a glimpse of how it affects those who come in contact with it. I would have liked to return to Alice from time to time to see what she is doing in the interim.

The following stories are of varying quality. The most intriguing one involves Rowan, a popular actor who, due to a rare skin condition, can no longer perform on screen. He reinvents himself as an audiobook narrator of, among other things, Theo. This story’s focus on the process of the amount of work and dedication that goes into making an audiobook is extremely illuminating, especially as I was listening to an audio version of No Two Persons. Another really good story is that of the “caretaker,” a sixty-ish man named William who, following the death of his beloved wife, leaves his California life behind to manage a ghost town. A snowstorm leaves him with an opportunity to read Theo and through it, he finds a way to reconnect with his wife.

For me, the ending was a bit abrupt. The epilogue seemed somewhat disconnected from the rest of the book. Nonetheless, it did tie up a couple of the stories, and the book left its impression on me. Additionally impressive was the full cast of narrators in the audio version. Each of the stories was told by a different narrator, infusing a sense of realism into the book. I really appreciate that in a book that celebrates audio production, the production here was of such high quality.

Dispute its sometimes uneven tone, No Two Persons is a book worth reading – or, especially, listening to. I think each reader will find a little of himself or herself in at least one of the stories.

Note: I received an ARC of No Two Persons from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. The above is my honest review.

NOW TWO PERSONS is not for me. I wanted desperately to like this book, but the characters didn't connect with me. I still believe that the concept and the overall plot are solid, but it was difficult for this reader to get through.

Books affect us all in different ways, and this book shows how that can happen through beautiful stories of people finding hope and love.

I loved this book and so did my book club! It was a great conversation starter and I highly recommend this one for bookclubs. I always say that the same book can hit different readers in different ways and that is exactly the story in this book. It reads like a collection of short stories that all relate to the same book that is published in the first story. We don't ever get to read the "book" but we get a lot of points of view about how that book affected the reader. It's such a unique premise! I really enjoyed it! Highly recommend!