How Much the Heart Can Hold cover art

How Much the Heart Can Hold

Seven Stories on Love

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How Much the Heart Can Hold

By: Carys Bray, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Bernardine Evaristo, Grace McCleen, Donal Ryan, Nikesh Shukla, D. W. Wilson
Narrated by: Grainne Gillis, Jane Collingwood, Jeff Harding, Jilly Bond, Luke Thompson, Raj Ghatak, Sarah Barron
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About this listen

A brilliant collection of seven original stories inspired by different concepts of love, by seven award-winning authors.

Love is not a singular concept.

In this collection, seven award-winning authors explore seven concepts of love: from philautia (self-love) to agape (love for humanity) and from storge (a natural affection for family) to mania (a frenzied, obsessive love):

La Douleur Exquise (the pain of unrequited love)
'Before It Disappears' by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan (c) 2016

Pragma (enduring love)
'One More Thing Coming Undone' by D. W. Wilson (c) 2016

Philautia (love for oneself)
'White Wine' by Nikesh Shukla (c) 2016

Mania (obsessive love)
'Magdala, Who Slips Sometimes' by Donal Ryan (c) 2016

Storge (familial love)
'Codas' by Carys Bray (c) 2016

Eros (erotic love)
'The Love Story' by Grace McCleen (c) 2016

Agape (love for humanity)
'The Human World' by Bernardine Evaristo (c) 2016

Seven authors; seven short stories; seven flashes of love.

The publication of How Much the Heart Can Hold is heralded by a Sceptre short story competition. The winning story, based on a concept of love, will be published in the paperback edition.

©2016 Carys Bray (P)2016 Hodder & Stoughton Anthologies Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Short Story
All stars
Most relevant
Bernadine Evaristo’s story was so compelling and thought provoking and to some maybe a little irreverent, but I captured the here and now.
The Southern American reader I really struggled with.
Overall, I enjoyed the different aspects of love that were explored.

Good stories

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I did not find that the stories were a real reflection of what they were meant to represent. A real disappointment

A good idea not successfully developed

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