When Glen goes through another heartache, he heads off to Verona to help others with their own heart aches. Along the way, he learns a bit about himself and love.
Ok, I probably would’ve liked this story a bit more if I didn’t love the RomCom Letters to Juliet, which has a similar plot and if I hadn’t been to Verona myself, experiencing it full of other tourists (making it one of the least likely places I’d go for love advice). Unfortunately, because of these factors, I just couldn’t really get into this book.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Juliet's Answer
By Glenn Dixon

I found the premise of this book engaging—a High School English teacher from Canada takes a journey to heal his broken heart to a place famous for its literary romantic roots. But Dixon's real-life story of unrequited love did not feel genuine to me; the friendship so far from a romance that it almost seemed invented for the sake of the story. While I especially loved the idea that there are people who write letters from Juliet, I wondered why they would let someone so inept in a relationship offer advice to anyone. In contrast, the other letter writers seemed so thoughtful and sincere, their carefully crafted notes proved they were really just sounding boards for the letter writer, while Dixon seemed to revel in his own awkward responses. I kept thinking I would be disappointed if I took the time to write a letter and got a response back from him. The classroom scenes that are interspersed with the ones set in Italy follow the arc of Dixon's tale too neatly; honestly, I would have preferred the entire story told in Italy, since the people Dixon meets are lively and fun, and far more interesting than the bland woman he is pining for back home. His description of Verona, though, is terrific, the city came alive for me and truly made me want to experience it myself.


For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — Because I loved the premise and the setting.
Reminded me of… Eat Pray Love - for the journey, romance, and travel aspects
For my full review — click here

I was expecting more a blend of fiction -- simply couldn't connect with the author's voice/story. Shame, because the subject is a fascinating one. DNF.

Text from feature on Bustle.com:
"Be warned: after reading Glenn Dixon’s travel memoir, Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak, you’re in for a serious case of FOMO. Setting off into the world with an idea that all romantically-inclined travelers (and readers) will wish they had thought of first, Dixon travels to Verona, Italy (in the wake of some heartbreak of his own) where he volunteers to answer the thousands of heartfelt letters that arrive every year addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet, sent to her hometown. In the process, he finds himself diving into the story of Romeo and Juliet as well, exploring the mysteries of the heart, that humans have encountered since the beginning of time."

This was a very cute, heartwarming story. In addition to that, I think I understand Romeo and Juliet even more than before. As others have said, it is strongly reminiscent of Letters to Juliet, and in some places, reminded me a little of Anne Fortier's fabulous novel, Juliet. Very enjoyable read.

Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak is an intriguing story about a high school teacher who's attempt at love has fallen short. He then embarks on a journey to Verona, Italy to spend a summer answering letters that were sent to Juliet.

I thoroughly enjoyed this touching memoir. It almost reminded me of the movie "Letters to Juliet" which my mom has driven me to watch atleast ten times. Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is incorporated into the story which adds a nice touch.

It's written well and even though it's not my favorite type of book, I was happy with it from beginning to end.

4****

I enjoyed it but I didnt feel like it was really that unique.

I look at Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak by Glenn Dixon as two separate books. One is a personal journey. The other is a history of a place and an organization. While the personal story of this book is not for me, the legend of Casa di Giuletta and the history of the secretaries of Juliet is fascinating. It makes me want to visit Verona and the Casa di Giuletta and perhaps write my very own letter to Juliet.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/02/juliets-answer.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

I loved this book! I just enjoyed reading about the letters that "Juliet" writes back to her fans. And I loved this teacher's journey in researching the truth behind the famous love story Romeo and Juliet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this heartwarming and creative memoir.

A delightful read ! This is the story of a man with a broken heart on a journey to heal and understand true love. Glen Dixon is a English teacher who has been spurned by a lover. He sets out on a journey to Verona Italy , to read the letters left at Juliet's wall. He involves himself with the culture of love, the passion and seeks to better understand his own heart. through the study of Romeo and Juliet's love.
I found this a very enjoyable read that is heartfelt and compassionate . The people of Verona embrace the aspects of true love that is reflected in his writing. .At the heart of true love in Verona he reaches a understanding and returns to his life renewed.
This is very much in the tradition of Eat Pray Love . Its is one mans journey to heal his heartbreak and become a better man, a better teacher and understand his own needs for love. It is both poetic, lovely to read and compassionate. The culture of Italy , the people, food and romance is finely featured here to sweep the reader away. Well Done. Thank you for the advance reading copy which did not influence my review. Bravo !

Juliet's Answer

One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak



by Glenn Dixon

Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books

Gallery Books



Biographies & Memoirs

Pub Date 07 Feb 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Juliet's Answer through the publisher and Netgalley:

In a home in Verona Italy people leave letters to the fictional Juliet, Glenn Dixon Spurned by Love heads to Verona to answer the letters to Juliet.

People from all over the world come to leave letters for Juliet.

For twenty years Glenn Dixon taught Shakespeare to High-School Students.

While there they celebrate Juliet's 730th birthday.

I give Juliet's Answer five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

Completely unexpected and delightful, JULIET’S ANSWER by Glenn Dixon is full of wit, heartfelt emotion, quandaries, love, and the quintessential happy-ever-after.

This book sounded like it would be a travelogue with a man’s observations on love, but it’s not. Mostly memoir with some fiction to protect the innocent, JULIET’S ANSWER is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was everything I’d hoped it would be, and so much more, that I read it extremely fast.

The author is quite good at building suspense and telling a heartwarming story that includes numerous personalities. I really like the back and forth between the students learning Shakespeare, to the author and friends answering letters written to Juliet in Verona. You get a real feel for the numerous personalities, and the author’s dilemma, with this method. Never once did this back and forth timeline seem choppy.

I laughed out-loud several times at the surprising nuggets tucked in at the right places. The story has some excellent emotion spread throughout, but the halfway mark really touched my heart. I think this book is the perfect change of pace for those who love romantic fiction. Written by a talented memoirist, JULIET’S ANSWER has wonderful positive nuances added to offset life’s rough patches. I love memoirs and I love fiction – this book combines both seamlessly, which has made me a fan of this new-to-me author.

A gifted storyteller, but if Glenn Dixon’s acknowledgements prove anything, it takes a village to write a book this good. I could tell that it was finely honed because there is nothing wrong with it. There’s a small lull when I wondered if anything else could be said, but then it picks up again with more fun in the final chapters.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated with the history of Romeo and Juliet, or to anyone who enjoys a feel-good story of true love. Intriguing, funny, entertaining, and hopeful, JULIET’S ANSWER is armchair travel well taken.

Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest.

I loved this look at the people that answer Juliet's letters and the details that made it feel so real.

I love reading this book! Juliet's Answer is nonfiction and autobiographical but the way the author was able to write it all down was quite engaging and entertaining you simply just keep flipping the pages. The subject matter is fascinating enough, a group of people who answer letters from around the world addressed to fictional Juliet (of Romeo & Juliet) about love. Add to that, the author being a volunteer secretary just ramps up the interest in the book. Subject matter, writing style, entertainment value, added knowledge and maybe an epiphany on love just makes Juliet's Answer a must read.

Glenn Dixon taught high school English for two decades, which of course included introducing his students to the beauties of Shakespeare. Many times Romeo and Juliet was the course of study; he read sections with the students and had them act out fight scenes and the balcony scene. He got them excited about a story that’s been around for centuries.

His own love life was torturous; he had been in love with the same woman for years, and while they spent a lot of time together off and on as “best friends,” she didn’t return his romantic interest. So he decided to take some time to visit Verona, the scene of the tragic tale of young lovers at the mercy of their families’ feud. Modern-day Verona now receives upwards of 10,000 letters a year from lovelorn people needing answers from “Juliet.” And they get their answers: Volunteers in the city who call themselves “the secretaries of Juliet” painstakingly read every letter and craft responses, mailing them back out to the letter-writers all around the world. And Dixon joined the ranks of these “secretaries,” twice, in an effort to find answers himself.

In his memoir, he shares his own heartbreak, played out over about 20 years, and writes snippets of the many letters he received and responded to as a volunteer in Verona. He goes back and forth between his history with the woman, “Claire,” he loved; with his time in the classroom teaching the classic play; with his time in Italy, talking about the sites in the city, some of his fellow volunteers, and his search to find a solution to his heart’s desire.

The whole is a simple book that reminds us all that the search for love is universal and is often painful. It’s a small part travel guide, giving readers a peek into the beautiful old city. It even digs into some history and the possibility that a real Romeo and Juliet existed. But so much is Dixon’s complaints about his own miserable love life that it made me a bit irritated with him. At the end, he shares with a radio interviewer about the best way to respond to letter writers: “Sometimes you really want to tell these people to get it together, to smarten up — but of course you can’t say that. That’s not what they want to hear.” He goes on to say that it’s best to just allow them to share, to listen to them. Honestly, I wanted to do the same thing: just tell him, “For heaven’s sake, Glenn! Stop spending time with this woman who’s never going to love you back romantically, cut ties, and allow yourself to move on!!” Arrgggghhhh. So in essence, this book is all of us readers “listening” to him. And half of it is a bit annoying.

If you’d like a quick read that gives insights into Verona and Romeo and Juliet’s story, this is still a nice choice. But just be prepared to be aggravated at the author’s own love life.

Juliet’s Answer: One Man’s Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak

5
FEB
This non-fiction book by Glenn Dixon reads like a novel – a smooth and engaging story about how a high school teacher travels to Verona to volunteer for a group that answers letters sent to Shakespeare’s Juliet. Just as the love-lorn are seeking advice from Juliet, Dixon is seeking insight into a failed relationship.

Dixon adeptly cuts back & forth between his time in Verona and scenes from his classroom, where high school students are grappling with the play Romeo & Juliet.

Never straying too deeply into conflict or emotion, this charming but light book could easily be a Hallmark Valentine’s Day movie.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair & honest review.

Juliet’s Answer is a highly entertaining read. Glenn Dixon, a high school teacher in Canada, spends the summer in Verona answering the thousands of letters that come to Juliet Capulet. Struggling with love himself, he gains insight into matters of the heart while visiting the various haunts associated with Romeo and Juliet. My favorite part of the story by far was learning so much more about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the prior stories that it may be based on. Dixon imparts this knowledge in a creative manner by relaying the lessons he taught his high school class regarding the play. I also enjoyed learning more about the letters that come to Juliet and how the process of answering the letters began.

After reading Juliet’s Answer, I have added Verona to my list of places to visit. Dixon describes the town beautifully, and I cannot wait to see it someday for myself including Juliet’s house and statue. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it. Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to reach this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew immediately through the summary that this was a book I needed to read. And it did not disappoint. A truly wonderful true story by Glenn Dixon about his journey to Verona and his time spent with the Secretaries of Juliet. it offered an amazing escapism and imagery of Verona, having never been there myself but have so desparately wished to visit some day, and after finishing this even more so. Thank you for sharing your amazing story.

A tale of multiple inputs, Dixon takes us through his reasoning to go to Verona, the city itself and the legend of Juliet so embraced by thousands of tourists and locals alike, all mixed with scenes from his classroom as he works with students as they study and discuss the work of Shakespeare. Wonderfully written and feeling much like letters home from a friend, the story moves smoothly incorporating the pieces to produce a whole.

From the explorations that Dixon did while in Verona to see if perhaps, Romeo and Juliet did exist, through his own growth as he shares the troubles of those who have written to Juliet, the author allows us an entrée into a very personal story: the one of his own growth and healing. There is plenty of time dedicated to the thought of love: where and how to find it, how to recognize it as true, how to recover from the loss, and even some science mixed in to explain the dopamine effect. The one common bond that all humans share is that desire for love and the acceptance and comfort that come from it.

Dixon brings Verona to life for the reader, and most importantly, he brings that same descriptive voice to evoke the scenes and feelings of play to his students: moments that were enriched and enhanced with his time there. Throughout his journey, we learn of his own heartbreak, healing and eventual love as the magic of the city and his explorations and openness have brought.

Each section of the book brings a new perspective or moment that is discussed and absorbed, with language that is accessible and insights into the play that bring readers new insight into the play. While Dixon’s story and perspective are revealing, he doesn’t overburden readers with complexity, this is a story that gradually reveals its depth, and is better for it. A wonderful balance in which the unseen seekers of advice become integral to the story’s progression and the author’s growth, allowing readers a front row seat to the changes and experiences. A wonderful read, far less self-healing than it is uplifting and reaffirming, perfect for readers who want a new perspective on love.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.