The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
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- Create Date：2021-11-21 11:20:59
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：John Koenig
- ISBN：1797135848
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Summary
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a website and YouTube channel， created by John Koenig， that defines neologisms for emotions that do not have a descriptive term。 The dictionary includes verbal entries on the website with paragraph-length descriptions and videos on YouTube for individual entries。 The neologisms， while completely created by Koenig， are based on his research on etymologies and meanings of used prefixes， suffixes， and word roots。 The terms are often based on "feelings of existentialism" and are meant to "fill a hole in the language"， often from reader contributions of specific emotions。
Reviews
Charles Lincoln
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I have been following the YouTube channel that is eponymously named after or for this book。 This is one of my favorite YouTube channels that is filled with emotion and memory。 I absolutely love the YouTube channel and I saw this a few days ago at Barnes & Noble and absolutely had to get a copy。 I even picked up an Audible copy as well so I could hear the audio book by the author who was also the voice for the YouTube channel。I think if you like David Foster Wallace， you will absolutely love this I have been following the YouTube channel that is eponymously named after or for this book。 This is one of my favorite YouTube channels that is filled with emotion and memory。 I absolutely love the YouTube channel and I saw this a few days ago at Barnes & Noble and absolutely had to get a copy。 I even picked up an Audible copy as well so I could hear the audio book by the author who was also the voice for the YouTube channel。I think if you like David Foster Wallace， you will absolutely love this book。 It’s also interesting that he does not really get into the debates about prescriptive list and descriptive best views on language。 But he rather flips the entire idea on its head more about the perception of the world。 It’s not necessarily about whether dictionaries are correct but really what the idea of having a definition implies whether or not it is a prescriptive or descriptive definition。Overall on emotional telling that probably resonates with most people。 Absolutely enjoyed and loved this。 。。。more
T。 James Capellaro
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I have waited 12 years for this project’s evolution into a book I could hold in my hands。 I have followed John， his words， and his work each year， and have been utterly changed by it all。 This book， John’s work， is simply essential to our species and has been foundational to my work as a BH Psychotherapist。 Specifically in the realm of emotional granularity （our brains’ verbiage for emotional concepts）。 This book is not only a gift to the vividness and complexity of the human brain， but a gift t I have waited 12 years for this project’s evolution into a book I could hold in my hands。 I have followed John， his words， and his work each year， and have been utterly changed by it all。 This book， John’s work， is simply essential to our species and has been foundational to my work as a BH Psychotherapist。 Specifically in the realm of emotional granularity （our brains’ verbiage for emotional concepts）。 This book is not only a gift to the vividness and complexity of the human brain， but a gift to the beauty and depth of the human experience。 John， I am so incredibly thrilled for you and continue to be moved by every piece of your work。 Thank you for this， for everything you have given me， for embodying my experience in moledro， and for the immense influence you have in my life and work。 。。。more
Kim Lockhart
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This is the culmination of a long-running project: the creation of words and phrases to describe emotional situations for which we have no language。 I had not previously thought about what huge gaps we have in our lexicon， when it cones to expressing how we feel。 Imagine what release it might be for the flustered and frustrated， if they could （sorry for the cliché） "use their words。" This is long overdue， fascinating， and eminently valuable。 Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with This is the culmination of a long-running project: the creation of words and phrases to describe emotional situations for which we have no language。 I had not previously thought about what huge gaps we have in our lexicon， when it cones to expressing how we feel。 Imagine what release it might be for the flustered and frustrated， if they could （sorry for the cliché） "use their words。" This is long overdue， fascinating， and eminently valuable。 Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an uncorrected proof copy， whereby I could peruse this treasure at my leisure。 This is the kind of book you may wish to own， much like a dictionary， when you need a way to articulate how you feel and how you think things are going in your life。 。。。more
Libbye
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Many of these words were really interesting， and you can feel how much effort and time went into putting descriptions to these emotions。 A very pensive book。
Irene
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This book is absolutely beautiful。 Koenig gives name to many of the feelings and thoughts we have in our daily lives， the little epiphanies and the big， the joys， the insecurities， the things that make us human， which sometimes feel entirely alienating， when in fact， other people feel them too。 I listened to the audiobook I got today after recommending it to the three library branches I use （find out if there's more than one library system in your area， it's improved my life exponentially）。 Luck This book is absolutely beautiful。 Koenig gives name to many of the feelings and thoughts we have in our daily lives， the little epiphanies and the big， the joys， the insecurities， the things that make us human， which sometimes feel entirely alienating， when in fact， other people feel them too。 I listened to the audiobook I got today after recommending it to the three library branches I use （find out if there's more than one library system in your area， it's improved my life exponentially）。 Luckily they got it in right away。 Koenig's reading is wonderful。 I first found out about him through his YouTube channel， and I think his reading of the text adds to it。 Still， I can't wait to get my physical copy so I can annotate it。 I'm already planning to re-read it next year， and take my time with it the second time。 This is a supremely re-readable book。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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As someone who didn’t know the author （YouTube， TED Talk and blog famous）， I’m here to tell you that this book still holds up。 I’m also here to say I’m an eager new follower after this cathartic stroll through words that could help explain the feelings we don’t （yet！） have names for。This book drew me in from the word “sonder。” It’s a word to wrap around the feeling you experience （perhaps in a city or an enclosed space with others） that you’re suddenly conscious that all of the people around you As someone who didn’t know the author （YouTube， TED Talk and blog famous）， I’m here to tell you that this book still holds up。 I’m also here to say I’m an eager new follower after this cathartic stroll through words that could help explain the feelings we don’t （yet！） have names for。This book drew me in from the word “sonder。” It’s a word to wrap around the feeling you experience （perhaps in a city or an enclosed space with others） that you’re suddenly conscious that all of the people around you have stories and dialogues， thoughts and dreams and struggles that you’re not privy to， you can only imagine。While it may seem strange to want to read a dictionary， especially straight-through （if you’re not an annoyingly smart character from a novel）， this book is for all of the emotions your heart and soul processes from time to time， but the [English] language has never given name to。Some word definitions are given a tasteful paragraph， others a savory mini essay。 Each collection of words is sorted into 6 thematic categories， each curtained by a whimsical photo collage that fills the page， and often a matched thought from a famous author。I’d recommend this book as a gift for any writer， blogger， or lover of words。 If you enjoy writers that thoughtfully observe the world around them to weave prose， memoir， or essays revealing the beauty of human connection and human experience （Jhumpa Lahiri， John Green， and Donald Miller） you’ll enjoy this read。 If you enjoy Lemony Snicket， this book will make your head explode。 That would be unfortunate。I refrained from trueholding this book review （look it up） as I’m very grateful to Zachary Knoll and Kassandra Rhoads of Simon & Schuster， Inc。 and Goodreads for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy in all of its pre-published paperbacked glory。 。。。more
Conner Horak
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A beautiful book in every sense of the word。 It gives us a vernacular to define the nuances of the relationships between ourselves， each other， and the universe as a whole while， ironically， freeing us from the bonds of language。 As an artist and as a human， I found THE DICTIONARY OF OBSCURE SORROWS one of the most inspirational and fulfilling books I've ever read。 A beautiful book in every sense of the word。 It gives us a vernacular to define the nuances of the relationships between ourselves， each other， and the universe as a whole while， ironically， freeing us from the bonds of language。 As an artist and as a human， I found THE DICTIONARY OF OBSCURE SORROWS one of the most inspirational and fulfilling books I've ever read。 。。。more
Deedi Brown （DeediReads）
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All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking。com/deedireads and on Instagram at @deedireads！First， thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy of this book。 It was so totally right up my alley as a lover of words — not just of reading， but of language itself。The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows grew out of John Koenig’s >10-year-old Tumblr blog and YouTube channel， where he creates words to describe feelings and emotions that are unnamed but common and connective。 Each definition inc All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking。com/deedireads and on Instagram at @deedireads！First， thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy of this book。 It was so totally right up my alley as a lover of words — not just of reading， but of language itself。The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows grew out of John Koenig’s >10-year-old Tumblr blog and YouTube channel， where he creates words to describe feelings and emotions that are unnamed but common and connective。 Each definition includes not only the word and its meaning， but also the etymology and/or linguistics behind how and why he arrived at that word， plus pronunciation。 Some of the definitions also have longer passages in the style of his YouTube videos， more like contemplations than dictionary entries。I read a handful of pages of this book a day， which is definitely the best way to experience it。 You don’t want to fly through; you want each definition to have time to strike something inside you。 And they absolutely do。 I love the mission of this little dictionary to give us a shared vocabulary for what connects us as humans。 Koenig has a real talent for this work， and the book is beautiful， occasionally funny， and truthful。 And the nerdy， word-lover part of me loved the etymology， too。This would make a great unique gift for the word-lover in your life， or even a white elephant gift。 It would also be a worthy purchase for your coffee table， or just to flip through when the mood strikes。 。。。more
Nicole
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Like， I get it。 It's interesting， but it wasn't a prodound or enthralling read。。。 Like， I get it。 It's interesting， but it wasn't a prodound or enthralling read。。。 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this dictionary。Words can hurt， words can console。 Words can make or break a relationship， or words can save a life。 Words can make someone understand you and all the mixed up things that happen everyday， or you to understand them and how they deal with the modern world。 John Koening has first on his website， and now in the book The Dictionary of Observed Sorrows has attempted to give us the language for dealing wi My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this dictionary。Words can hurt， words can console。 Words can make or break a relationship， or words can save a life。 Words can make someone understand you and all the mixed up things that happen everyday， or you to understand them and how they deal with the modern world。 John Koening has first on his website， and now in the book The Dictionary of Observed Sorrows has attempted to give us the language for dealing with and sharing with others those moments in life that previously had no way of being described。 Once a thing is named， than it can be addressed and handled。 This is not a book that you read straight through， nor a book that you can flip through alphabetically or by neurosis， or confused feeling。 This is more of a book you flip through， daily， or open to a random page and just start reading， learning that 'Wellium' is a word for an excuse you come up with to rationalise a disappointing outcome。 Just in case you need to tell others。 The best is that you find a word or in my case many words that summed up feelings or thoughts that I thought or felt in the past。 I always thought I was alone in thinking that。 It's nice to know that I wasn't as alone as I thought。 The words or terms come from Mr。 Koening's fertile imagination， created from old words， fallen out of favor， or portmanteaus from foreign languages。 The book is very fun， inspiring in some cases， groan inducing in others。 The world seems to be going in so many directions both wrong and right， really backwards and to an apocalyptic possible future。 This dictionary might be the only way to truly descrie what is happening。 。。。more
Melissa
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"The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of new words for emotions。 Its mission is to shine a light on the fundamental strangeness of being a human being。"This sweet little book finds its home， genre-wise， somewhere between philosophy and poetry。 True to its title， The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows offers dictionary-style entries for made-up words that endeavor to give voice to the nuances of the human emotional experience。 I absolutely loved everything about this book！"Despite what di "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of new words for emotions。 Its mission is to shine a light on the fundamental strangeness of being a human being。"This sweet little book finds its home， genre-wise， somewhere between philosophy and poetry。 True to its title， The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows offers dictionary-style entries for made-up words that endeavor to give voice to the nuances of the human emotional experience。 I absolutely loved everything about this book！"Despite what dictionaries would have us believe， this world is still mostly undefined。"I loved all of the definitions for things that people absolutely experience， but probably would never have otherwise found words for （like keyframe， which is “a moment that felt innocuous at the time but ended up marking a diversion into a new era of your life，” and sitheless， which is “to feel wistful upon brushing past a person you once shared a life with”）， and how the author shared the etymology that led to each entry。"It’s a calming thing， to learn there’s a word for something you’ve felt all your life but didn’t know was shared by anyone else。"Interspersed with photography， epigrams， and longer essays， it is a giftable / keepsake book， perfect for word nerds， creatives， deep thinkers， or anyone who feels their emotions particularly deeply。 （Here's looking at you， Enneagram 4s。） I read a digital ARC， but can't wait to purchase a hardback copy for my bookshelf！"Words will never do us justice。 But we have to try anyway。"——A huge thank you to John Koenig， Simon & Schuster， and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Olivia ♡
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First off， I absolutely love this cover。I've been a big fan of Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows for years since the Tumblr days。 I found myself fascinated by the capture of an incredibly specific emotion or situation that I had felt but never quite thought about how to describe it - monachopsis has been one of my favorite words since I first saw it described years ago。Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a project that was started by John Koenig， who decided to coin various feelings that tend to be alm First off， I absolutely love this cover。I've been a big fan of Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows for years since the Tumblr days。 I found myself fascinated by the capture of an incredibly specific emotion or situation that I had felt but never quite thought about how to describe it - monachopsis has been one of my favorite words since I first saw it described years ago。Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a project that was started by John Koenig， who decided to coin various feelings that tend to be almost universal in the human experience， but don't have words that describe these emotions。 Koenig writes in the beginning that "Not so long ago， to be sad meant you were filled to the brim with some intensity of experience" and then goes on to encourage us all to "savor it while it lasts - if only because it means that you care about something in this world enough to let it under your skin。" I've always enjoyed reading through the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows， but during the current times， I found many of the feelings described to be particularly apt。One of the cool things to see is how each word or phrase came to be decided upon - usually， it was a portmanteau， and seeing how each piece of the blend came to be selected to form a word that perfectly encapsulates the feeling it is trying to convey。 I also liked seeing how the words are pronounced since when I tend to learn a word from a book， I often don't know how to pronounce it。 These two pieces weren't found in the original online Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows project， so seeing it now for words both familiar and new was fun。 The organization of this book， into sections on the outer world， the inner self， the people you know， the people you don't， the passage of time， and the search for meaning was a very thought-provoking way to organize a so-called dictionary， so that was really interesting。I enjoyed reading the essay definitions a lot - many of them ended up being an extended metaphor， which hit very differently from some of the shorter ones when there was enough time for the reader to really explore the feeling that was associated （the Dorothy one was particularly hard-hitting for me）。 Many times， a lot of thought-provoking questions were raised in these metaphors， and I found myself getting lost while exploring all of these words。Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC。Blog ♡ Tumblr ♡ Instagram 。。。more
Jade
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3。5 stars A unique combination of dictionary and poetry， obviously a focus on language but also touches on the evolving nature of words and their meaning。 The author lays out what to expect from the book/dictionary and its layout， which divides into 6 chapters with definitions grouped into different themes and sections: 1。 The outer world， 2。 The inner self， 3。 The people you know， 4。 The people you don’t， 5。 The passage of time， and 6。 The search for meaning。 The author beautifully explains it 3。5 stars A unique combination of dictionary and poetry， obviously a focus on language but also touches on the evolving nature of words and their meaning。 The author lays out what to expect from the book/dictionary and its layout， which divides into 6 chapters with definitions grouped into different themes and sections: 1。 The outer world， 2。 The inner self， 3。 The people you know， 4。 The people you don’t， 5。 The passage of time， and 6。 The search for meaning。 The author beautifully explains it in the introduction of the book that the words chosen are new， rescued from obsolete to a newly redefined meaning， and some words completely stitched together， and others。 An example of this is also laid out in the introduction as a way to prepare the reader on what they can expect regarding the change in words and how they will be reformatted: “when we speak of sadness these days， most of the time what we really mean is despair， which is literally defined as the absence of hope。 But true sadness is actually the opposite， an exuberant upwelling that reminds you how fleeting and mysterious and open-ended life can be。 That’s why you’ll find traces of blues all over this book， but you might find yourself strangely joyful at the end of it。” I think this is a really interesting somewhat reference style book， not exactly useful in everyday life but a fun definitely a fun treat。 ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Evelyn
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I was SO excited to see this book is coming out！ I have been a fan of John Koenig's work since 2015， when I was looking out of a hotel window in Japan and mused to my daughter that it struck me that everyone out there has had a full life and our paths never crossed; they never knew anything about me and my full life and I knew nothing about theirs。 My daughter said there's a word for that--"sonder"--and introduced me to the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows。 I love the videos and definitions availab I was SO excited to see this book is coming out！ I have been a fan of John Koenig's work since 2015， when I was looking out of a hotel window in Japan and mused to my daughter that it struck me that everyone out there has had a full life and our paths never crossed; they never knew anything about me and my full life and I knew nothing about theirs。 My daughter said there's a word for that--"sonder"--and introduced me to the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows。 I love the videos and definitions available online， but to have them all together in one book is such a treat。 It's not organized alphabetically like a normal dictionary， but rather， as the author explains at the beginning， by theme and then in no particular order， which seems entirely fitting for this book。 My favorite books amaze me with insights that an author shares where I think， "I didn't know anyone else had ever thought of that/felt that way！" That's what this book is all about。 I think it's something to be savored in small bits so that you can ruminate on those definitions that really speak to you。 I expect to give this beautiful book as a gift frequently--I can think of so many people who will love it as I do！ Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this delightful book。 。。。more
Teresa Grabs
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What a fantastic dictionary and one that writers （and readers） will love to peruse。 Language is always evolving and I am sure that many of these new words will catch on and become part of the common language in time。 Wonderful cover！Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an advance copy。
TheBookNook
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I really enjoyed this book and look forward to having a hard copy of it。 As humans we experience so many emotions and most of them we struggle to explain。 To have a word that helps expound these hard complex emotions brings a sense of comfort and heartfelt relief。 There is so much frustration and even anger when trying to explain what you're feeling but you don't know how because you lack the words to describe it and it leaves you feeling disconnected and often times alone。 Having a word that de I really enjoyed this book and look forward to having a hard copy of it。 As humans we experience so many emotions and most of them we struggle to explain。 To have a word that helps expound these hard complex emotions brings a sense of comfort and heartfelt relief。 There is so much frustration and even anger when trying to explain what you're feeling but you don't know how because you lack the words to describe it and it leaves you feeling disconnected and often times alone。 Having a word that defines what your are feeling brings a sense of validation to those feelings。 Knowing that others feel these same things and we now have words/definitions to express them can also bring us closer together and help us form stronger connections due to a deeper understanding of our own feelings as well as each others。 Just a few words that resonated with me were: heartspur， liberosis， nighthawk， sonder， hiddled， fawtle， tinin and so so so many more。 This book would also be great for someone who likes to journal， like myself， as it offers wonderful words for journal prompts。 。。。more
Seher
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I first heard about Joe Koenig years ago （probably around 6th or 7th grade） and even then it wasn't him I heard about。 I heard about a person who had started to make up words to describe feelings no one had put into words before。 But that was the end of it; one exercise in a classroom with a teacher who left soon after。 And then I came across this book。 A book that described some of the aches inside of me， made me feel a little less alone。 That helped me describe some of my relationships and som I first heard about Joe Koenig years ago （probably around 6th or 7th grade） and even then it wasn't him I heard about。 I heard about a person who had started to make up words to describe feelings no one had put into words before。 But that was the end of it; one exercise in a classroom with a teacher who left soon after。 And then I came across this book。 A book that described some of the aches inside of me， made me feel a little less alone。 That helped me describe some of my relationships and some of my fears。One should skip the Oxford dictionary and make students read this in school; they'll end up producing much better people。Thank you Edelweiss for a chance to read and review this ARC。 。。。more
Kidron Tirey
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Koenig delivers a fascinating presentation of the most beautiful words of my lifetime。 Thank you Simon & Schuster for recognizing the literary need for this pragmatic and opportune book。 Now if only a new word could be invented to capture this glee of learning words that better reveal the human condition。
Kelsey
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I am in awe of this book and John Koenig。 This is a book that will make you feel not alone。 It is a book that will make you feel heard， seen。 This is a book that will spark joy and wonder at the beautiful world of words。 This is now probably one of my favorite non-fiction books that I have read in a while。 The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows spoke to me on so many levels。 From the prologue to the second word in the book， "trumspringa，" which means "the temptation to step off your career track and I am in awe of this book and John Koenig。 This is a book that will make you feel not alone。 It is a book that will make you feel heard， seen。 This is a book that will spark joy and wonder at the beautiful world of words。 This is now probably one of my favorite non-fiction books that I have read in a while。 The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows spoke to me on so many levels。 From the prologue to the second word in the book， "trumspringa，" which means "the temptation to step off your career track and become a shepherd in the mountains， following your flock between pastures with a sheepdog and a rifle， watching storms at dusk from the doorway of a small cabin， just the kind of hypnotic diversion that allows your thoughts to make a break for it and wander back to their cubicles in the city;" I knew that I would love this book。 I am living trumspringa currently， and how cool is it that I have a word for this now。 A word that is not tied to any of our social norms or feelings surrounding specific terms。 A word that can be anything or nothing， but I am the one who can choose how I relate to it。 The author poses though=provoking questions regarding our modern vocabulary。 Why are some items called what they are？ Where did the term come from？ What are the feelings or emotions that are tied to that word？ One example of many that the author provides in the book is "sadness。" Sadness， and I apologize if I am destroying how beautifully it was written in the book， it means fullness。 It was not something that meant sorrow or a feeling of emptiness。 It is intended to be full of emotion， whether joy， grief， happiness， delight， distress， or other emotions。 The book goes on in great detail about all the author's new words， how he created them， and what languages or common phrases he pulled from。 I currently have this on Kindle， thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley， but I think this will be one of the needed books for the coffee table。 I cannot thank Simon and Schuster and NetGalley enough for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 I hope you have the pleasure of reading this book。 。。。more
Crystal King
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A beautiful， strange book， that reads a little differently than a dictionary in that it meanders and muses and dives deep into emotions in a way that a regular dictionary could never do。 But there is no narrative， so if one is expecting a thread to run through them all， they may be disappointed， but lovers of words and of language will find this to be a truly delightful addition to their bookshelves。
Lisa Wright
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The perfect browsing book。 Open to any page and feel that jolt of recognition as Koenig gives a name to a feeling， a sorrow， a joy that you never knew other people felt along with you。 Highly addictive， but let serendipity be your guide。
Gina Zappa
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I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley， so many thanks to them and the publisher， Simon & Schuster。 To quote this amazing book that I just finished reading "The eye is a keyhole through which the world pours in， and a world spills out。"。 I truly felt the weight of a world of words pouring in as I read The Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows。 So many words for feelings I've been carrying around for so long and longing to express！ What a pure delight this collection is， so whimsical I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley， so many thanks to them and the publisher， Simon & Schuster。 To quote this amazing book that I just finished reading "The eye is a keyhole through which the world pours in， and a world spills out。"。 I truly felt the weight of a world of words pouring in as I read The Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows。 So many words for feelings I've been carrying around for so long and longing to express！ What a pure delight this collection is， so whimsical and poignant。 Some of my favorite new words were Immerensis， Zenosyne， Jouska， Zielschmerz， Nighthawak and my absolute favorite of the bunch （being that I relate to it fully， having felt it time and time again， especially upon viewing Evan Peters） is Hankersore - adj。 finding a person so attractive it actually kinda pisses you off。 I feel that one deeply。 By the end of this book I felt rejuvenated， having read so many words for so many of the feelings I feel so often， and knowing that others must be feeling this same way too， or else these words wouldn't have had to be pulled into existence。 。。。more
Alexander Peterhans
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"This is a dictionary—a poem about everything。"Based on a podcast that I haven't heard， this is a dictionary of newly created words， that try to capture something of the human experience heretofor uncaptured。The lazy comparison is of course with Douglas Adams' and John Lloyd's The Meaning of Liff， a similar idea but more concerned with being funny。fensivenessn。 A knee-jerk territorial reaction when a friend displays a casual interest in one of your obsessions。 Mandarin 粉絲 （fěnsī）， fan， admirer + "This is a dictionary—a poem about everything。"Based on a podcast that I haven't heard， this is a dictionary of newly created words， that try to capture something of the human experience heretofor uncaptured。The lazy comparison is of course with Douglas Adams' and John Lloyd's The Meaning of Liff， a similar idea but more concerned with being funny。fensivenessn。 A knee-jerk territorial reaction when a friend displays a casual interest in one of your obsessions。 Mandarin 粉絲 （fěnsī）， fan， admirer + English defensiveness。Pronounced “fen-siv-nis。”That's not to say this dictionary isn't funny - it certainly is。 But the whole is more draped in a blanket of melancholy。 Vonnegut's "so it goes" very much applies here。Most of the words and definitions chimed with me， a couple didn't （so it goes）。hanker soreadj。 Finding a person so attractive it actually kinda pisses you off。From hanker， to pine after something + canker sore， which gets worse the more you’re aware of it。Each word is described succinctly， but lyrically。 Then a short explanation is given of the new word's etymology - mostly two existing words （from various languages） that are gently portmanteau'd。 Then a pronunciation guide is given。Inbetween sections of words， there are longer essays， diving deeper into selected words。 I wasn't a fan of these - they tend to overexplain ideas， where the shorter definitions have more punch。 It's also where the overal writing style started to grate with me - there is a glibness in the writing， that at times works beautifully， at other times slips on its own oiliness。proluctancen。 The paradoxical urge to avoid doing something you’ve been looking forward to—opening a decisive letter， meeting up with a friend who’s finally back in town， reading a new book from your favorite author—perpetually waiting around for the right state of mind， stretching out the bliss of anticipation as long as you can。 Latin pro-， forward + English reluctance。 Pronounced “proh-luhk-tuhns。”There are also intermittent illustrations that， to be completely honest， did not do a lot for me。"Such is life。 Some days you wake up in Kansas， and some days in Oz。"All that said， there is much here to delight the melancholic reader。（Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss） 。。。more
Megan
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The words in this book are so achingly familiar。 Reading through them， I had such a strong sense of wonder and understanding。 These have been so needed， even if they don't end up as "real" words， as they are almost a lifeline for when you feel misunderstood or alone。 I loved being able to read a few of these at a time and just let the ideas sink in。 There are some beautiful concepts within this book， ones that I never would have thought of explicitly， even if I had a sense of them in the back of The words in this book are so achingly familiar。 Reading through them， I had such a strong sense of wonder and understanding。 These have been so needed， even if they don't end up as "real" words， as they are almost a lifeline for when you feel misunderstood or alone。 I loved being able to read a few of these at a time and just let the ideas sink in。 There are some beautiful concepts within this book， ones that I never would have thought of explicitly， even if I had a sense of them in the back of my head。 I will definitely be picking up a copy of this for myself and several as gifts。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
David V。
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Received as an ARC from the publisher。 Started 6-30-21。 Finished 7-1-21。 I was so excited to get this book that I moved it to the top of my TBR pile rather than wait until closer to its release date in November。 I was not disappointed as I read it all in one 24-hour period。 What a delight and thought-provoking book。 Not only are the definitions clever but the root words are just as interesting。 Example: hanker sore--finding a person so attractive it actually kinda pisses you off。 （From hanker， t Received as an ARC from the publisher。 Started 6-30-21。 Finished 7-1-21。 I was so excited to get this book that I moved it to the top of my TBR pile rather than wait until closer to its release date in November。 I was not disappointed as I read it all in one 24-hour period。 What a delight and thought-provoking book。 Not only are the definitions clever but the root words are just as interesting。 Example: hanker sore--finding a person so attractive it actually kinda pisses you off。 （From hanker， to pine after something + canker sore， which gets worse the more you're aware of it。） Another one: silotia--the fear that you've been mentally deranged all your life and everybody around you knows， but none of them mention it to you directly because they feel it's not their place。 （from Finnish silote， a spackle putty used to cover up cracks in walls。 Pronounced sil-oh-shuh。 The essays before each chapter are brilliant observations of life。 Mr。 Koenig has a wonderful writing career ahead of him。 。。。more
Chad Guarino
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A dictionary collection of new and innovative words for some oddly familiar human emotions。 Great for logophiles who’d like to impress or infuriate friends at dinner parties。 The main problem here is most likely one you can readily anticipate: it reads like a dictionary， so it works best in short bursts only。**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster**
Mardi
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[Review of uncorrected page proofs]A unique collection of words you didn't know you needed， "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows" is a lexicon of feelings， moods， and sensations。 Perfect for bibliophiles， logophiles， and linguaphiles， it belongs on the shelf next to James Liptons' "Exaltation of Larks"。 [Review of uncorrected page proofs]A unique collection of words you didn't know you needed， "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows" is a lexicon of feelings， moods， and sensations。 Perfect for bibliophiles， logophiles， and linguaphiles， it belongs on the shelf next to James Liptons' "Exaltation of Larks"。 。。。more
Soula Kosti
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It's wonderful and so fulfilling to be able to put a feeling or thought into words and John Koenig helps us do just that in "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows。"This book would make a great addition to every library and bookcase; a book that you can pull off the self whenever you're feeling like it， when you're so lost in your thoughts and feelings and want to find the answers for all those emotions within the pages of a book。 Koenig helps us see through these word entries that we're not alone; t It's wonderful and so fulfilling to be able to put a feeling or thought into words and John Koenig helps us do just that in "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows。"This book would make a great addition to every library and bookcase; a book that you can pull off the self whenever you're feeling like it， when you're so lost in your thoughts and feelings and want to find the answers for all those emotions within the pages of a book。 Koenig helps us see through these word entries that we're not alone; that our intrusive thoughts do not belong exclusively to us （like klexos: when we're dwelling on the past） and that unexpected things occur for all of us （like how we've all experienced a moment of tangency: a fleeting glimpse of what might have been）。 What I mainly liked in this book:- The fitting way the words are split into sections - The use of imagery throughout the book - The use of quotes in the beginning of each chapter/section- The pronunciation guide for each word and the mention of the language of originCan't wait to purchase a print copy of this beautiful book to add to my collection！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Manda Nicole
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I have been in love with The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows for many years， always overjoyed to see the words floating around， and always wishing they'd be arranged in a physical copy someday and I am beyond thrilled to see that finally happen！This book is beautiful in so many ways。 Even though these are made up words to express feelings it makes my heat jump to come across one that perfectly describes the feeling or mood I'm experiencing in a far more eloquent way than I could come up with on my I have been in love with The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows for many years， always overjoyed to see the words floating around， and always wishing they'd be arranged in a physical copy someday and I am beyond thrilled to see that finally happen！This book is beautiful in so many ways。 Even though these are made up words to express feelings it makes my heat jump to come across one that perfectly describes the feeling or mood I'm experiencing in a far more eloquent way than I could come up with on my own。I can not wait until this hits shelves I will absolutely be purchasing my very own copy。 Fellow word nerds， writers， anyone with deep emotions should be lining up for this one as well。 Thank you NetGalley and John Koenig and publisher for allowing me to view an e-copy in exchange for my honest opinions。 。。。more
Kristina Aziz
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