All the Lonely People
Conversations on Loneliness
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Narrated by:
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Sam Carr
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By:
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Sam Carr
About this listen
Read by the author, Dr Sam Carr.
'Empathetic, enlightening, deeply human' - Michael Harris, author of Solitude
An intimate portrait of loneliness, All the Lonely People sees psychologist Dr Sam Carr collect hours of conversations with people young and old, including single parents, carers, teenagers and the bereaved – all shared over countless cups of tea.
In stories of love and loss, of trauma and hope, told from care homes, living rooms, classrooms and kitchens, Carr discovers that while each of their stories is utterly unique, they are all born out of the same desire for human connection.
As Carr interweaves these touching and powerful tales with his own personal narrative, he opens a window onto the inner lives of regular people – the forgotten, misplaced or misjudged – who all feel isolated in some way.
Sparking a profound conversation about a universal emotion, which may simply be an inevitable part of life in an increasingly disjointed world, he questions what we can do to build stronger human relationships, and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Critic reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to end. I love how the author weaves his own life stories and reflections into what is shared. As well as his authenticity and openess with sharing his life, and his genuine care and empathy for the people he interviewed and theirs stories shares.
I highly recommend. And believe if you see this, then take it as a sign that perhaps there is a message or messages within this book that are meant for you to know.
A Must Read/ Listen
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Around half of these human mini-dramas come from the author's academic research in the field (on studies like 'The Loneliness Project'), where he sat down with people, often old or migrant, and helped them tell their version of loneliness. I imagine it was therapeutic for them, and it certainly makes for thoughtful reading.
The other half of this book takes the form of a memoir, as Carr bares all about various difficult points in his life, which in retrospect he now realises were either moments of loneliness for him, or else must have been so for certain loved ones (his father, ex-partner, colleagues, and even son). Because of this, I found it valuable that the audiobook was narrated by the author, since it added a layer of personal vulnerability and honesty, as well as the feeling that one is listening to an expert on the subject.
As the stories are woven together, a small glimpse appears of just how different loneliness can be for different people, and how it's not just the typical cinematic loneliness that we know so well.
I wished there were more of these stories, and I found myself wanting more when the book ended. Not in some 'misery-porn' sort of way, but because I hope that stories like these will help me be a more empathic person, and help me spot loneliness (even in myself), when it becomes a problem.
Moving and important stories
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