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All the Beautiful Things You Love
Elly and Enzo love each other.
Elly and Enzo are breaking up.
Now, everything must go.
When Enzo suddenly walks out on Elly after ten years together, she finds herself marooned in an expensive East London flat, surrounded by all their belongings. She is shell-shocked. Inconsolable. She can't bear to look at the objects that she and Enzo collected together, those innocuous items that define the key moments of every relationship.
Now she's listing it all on the table they found in Italy. The bike he bought for her birthday. Records, luggage, a vintage velvet couch. Anything that tells a story she'd rather forget. Elly thinks that selling these items to total strangers will help her move on from Enzo and heal her devastated heart. But she's about to get a lot more than she bargained for.
All the Beautiful Things You Love is a vivid and vibrant exploration of the things that bring us together and tear us apart, and those keepsakes that populate the wide-open spaces between where love ends and starts again.
PRAISE FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS YOU LOVE
'A pitch-perfect delivery of the clutter and noise our times bring to long-term relationships and their ends - insightful and hugely entertaining.' - Nick Earls
'Seidler's characters are so real, so vibrant I could swear they're in my contacts. A sheer delight from cover to cover, masterfully soundtracked with the author's trademark mashup of music and text. I inhaled it with all my senses and never want to let it go.' - Nadine Cohen
Elly and Enzo are breaking up.
Now, everything must go.
When Enzo suddenly walks out on Elly after ten years together, she finds herself marooned in an expensive East London flat, surrounded by all their belongings. She is shell-shocked. Inconsolable. She can't bear to look at the objects that she and Enzo collected together, those innocuous items that define the key moments of every relationship.
Now she's listing it all on the table they found in Italy. The bike he bought for her birthday. Records, luggage, a vintage velvet couch. Anything that tells a story she'd rather forget. Elly thinks that selling these items to total strangers will help her move on from Enzo and heal her devastated heart. But she's about to get a lot more than she bargained for.
All the Beautiful Things You Love is a vivid and vibrant exploration of the things that bring us together and tear us apart, and those keepsakes that populate the wide-open spaces between where love ends and starts again.
PRAISE FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS YOU LOVE
'A pitch-perfect delivery of the clutter and noise our times bring to long-term relationships and their ends - insightful and hugely entertaining.' - Nick Earls
'Seidler's characters are so real, so vibrant I could swear they're in my contacts. A sheer delight from cover to cover, masterfully soundtracked with the author's trademark mashup of music and text. I inhaled it with all my senses and never want to let it go.' - Nadine Cohen
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
49 people are currently reading
1361 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Seidler
3 books17 followersJonathan Seidler is a writer, creative and culture critic. His work has been published frequently in The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Monocle and GQ. Jonathan co-founded long-running music website One A Day, launched two nationally syndicated fiction series for Broadsheet and recently commissioned, edited and published an Unyoked anthology of nature writing. As a creative director, Jonathan produced nationally recognised pro bono campaigns for Keep Sydney Open, One Wave and the Equality Campaign. He is a regular guest on ABC Radio National's Download This Show, discussing media, culture and technology. He once played drums in bands, now mostly in his garage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
May 10, 2024
‘Elly has not cried very often since her life was drone-bombed into the ash that she now futilely attempts to blink away as she crawls down Commercial Street in search of coffee.’
All the Beautiful Things You Love is an exploration of love, grief, and the human condition that will resonate deeply with readers. The novel follows Elly and Enzo as their relationship of ten years comes to an abrupt end. In an attempt to offload painful memories, Elly decides to sell any possession that holds reminders of their relationship. It is through the history of these objects that we learn about their relationship.
Seidler's prose is elegant and raw, drawing readers into the lives of his characters with vivid imagery and heartfelt emotions. Through his characters, he captures the profound impact of loss on the human psyche, as well as the resilience and strength that emerge from the darkest of times.
All the Beautiful Things You Love is a beautifully crafted, compelling and emotional debut novel that will stay with you long after you finish. Jonathan Seidler's masterful storytelling and profound insights into the human experience make this a must read for anyone searching for meaning in life's most profound moments.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Macmillan Australia for gifting me an advanced copy of All the Beautiful Things You Love for review.
All the Beautiful Things You Love is an exploration of love, grief, and the human condition that will resonate deeply with readers. The novel follows Elly and Enzo as their relationship of ten years comes to an abrupt end. In an attempt to offload painful memories, Elly decides to sell any possession that holds reminders of their relationship. It is through the history of these objects that we learn about their relationship.
Seidler's prose is elegant and raw, drawing readers into the lives of his characters with vivid imagery and heartfelt emotions. Through his characters, he captures the profound impact of loss on the human psyche, as well as the resilience and strength that emerge from the darkest of times.
All the Beautiful Things You Love is a beautifully crafted, compelling and emotional debut novel that will stay with you long after you finish. Jonathan Seidler's masterful storytelling and profound insights into the human experience make this a must read for anyone searching for meaning in life's most profound moments.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Macmillan Australia for gifting me an advanced copy of All the Beautiful Things You Love for review.
June 9, 2024
All The Beautiful Things You Love is a very passionate story, and Seidler does an excellent job of evoking the all-consuming grief of heartbreak. There was one Antiques Roadshow-style moment that actually had my eyes welling up, and I’m not the kind of reader who usually cries.
My full review of All The Beautiful Things You Love is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of All The Beautiful Things You Love is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
May 25, 2024
Okay. Things I didn’t like and things I did like about this book.
Things I didn't like:
1) I find it incredibly unrealistic that Elly’s solution to preventing pregnancy was to use the pull-out method. Even if her first experience as a teenager when taking the contraceptive pill resulted in a hormone bonanza that made her into an angsty depressed teen. While this does happen, there are so many options available to women, and to have her dad as a doctor… like come on? You can’t tell me then she wouldn’t be well informed. Also give credit to your readers, especially those with a uterus, there are so many options available for contraception and we have our own experiences and know the experiences of our friends and family. Yes, it’s incredibly scary to consider getting an IUD or the implant, or even the monthly shot, but really any individual with the ability for critical thinking who wants to prevent pregnancy from occurring would not use such an anachronistic and unreliable method. Especially if as Elly says she believes “effective contraception was a joint responsibility”, you could have your partner partially pay for the procedure or research and go through the medical literature together to understand what the side effects are and what warning signs to look for. Furthermore, if you medically cannot take a synthetic hormone just use a condom, and if it supposedly feels like a “shrink-wrapped cucumber” have you heard of lube?
It felt like a way too convenient way for Elly and Enzo to have this big fight when for the first time in 10 years Enzo accidentally doesn’t pull out and Elly essentially panics saying they need to get the morning after pill immediately to prevent her falling pregnant. It would have been more realistic if she did fall pregnant from him still pulling out because hey, guess what, that method doesn’t work. But then I guess you’d have to tackle women’s choice and abortions which seems to be beyond the scope of this novel apparently.
For me, I think I’ve read way too many more authentic narratives that involve women coming to the realisation that they do or do not want kids. For example, ‘Sorrow and Bliss’ by Meg Mason or ‘Good Material’ by Dolly Alderton would be my top choices that explore this topic in way more depth.
2) The jumping between third person and first-person narrative. While a brave and unique decision to illustrate how we love each other and how we love ourselves and not just what we represent to each other (at least this was my reading of it) was incredibly jarring to read. I much preferred the third person narrative sections and if it wasn’t for the conversation with Jane where Elly said “there’s a big difference between loving someone in the third and first person” I would have spent the whole book wondering what the point of the jump was in the narrative voice.
Things I did like:
1) The inclusion of music and music references throughout the narrative really helped establish the scenes and Enzo and Elly as individuals. I felt like Jonathan Seidler wrote his best when he was writing about music and how it was understood by the two independently and in relation to each other. My favourite scene was when Elly and Enzo heard ‘Valentine’ for the first time and then Elly hearing the framed record played for the after she had sold it in the wake of their separation. I agree, lovers do give love songs meaning, so hats off to you Jonathan Seidler.
2) Lovers also do give objects that have a history in their relationship meaning. I understood Elly’s motivation to rid herself of the items that held specific meaning to her because of how she and Enzo interacted with it and the memories associated with these interactions an authentic motivation for the novel. It was a unique way to explore their relationship, and I enjoyed the non-linear way it was told and the catharsis of giving these items away.
BUT I also agree with Sofia (Enzo’s sister) that Elly should have spoken and organised any money she made from selling these items especially the table I feel should have been split. And the fact that at the end they don’t interact again aside from telling each other happy birthday seemed odd and unsatisfying from a reader perspective.
Things I didn't like:
1) I find it incredibly unrealistic that Elly’s solution to preventing pregnancy was to use the pull-out method. Even if her first experience as a teenager when taking the contraceptive pill resulted in a hormone bonanza that made her into an angsty depressed teen. While this does happen, there are so many options available to women, and to have her dad as a doctor… like come on? You can’t tell me then she wouldn’t be well informed. Also give credit to your readers, especially those with a uterus, there are so many options available for contraception and we have our own experiences and know the experiences of our friends and family. Yes, it’s incredibly scary to consider getting an IUD or the implant, or even the monthly shot, but really any individual with the ability for critical thinking who wants to prevent pregnancy from occurring would not use such an anachronistic and unreliable method. Especially if as Elly says she believes “effective contraception was a joint responsibility”, you could have your partner partially pay for the procedure or research and go through the medical literature together to understand what the side effects are and what warning signs to look for. Furthermore, if you medically cannot take a synthetic hormone just use a condom, and if it supposedly feels like a “shrink-wrapped cucumber” have you heard of lube?
It felt like a way too convenient way for Elly and Enzo to have this big fight when for the first time in 10 years Enzo accidentally doesn’t pull out and Elly essentially panics saying they need to get the morning after pill immediately to prevent her falling pregnant. It would have been more realistic if she did fall pregnant from him still pulling out because hey, guess what, that method doesn’t work. But then I guess you’d have to tackle women’s choice and abortions which seems to be beyond the scope of this novel apparently.
For me, I think I’ve read way too many more authentic narratives that involve women coming to the realisation that they do or do not want kids. For example, ‘Sorrow and Bliss’ by Meg Mason or ‘Good Material’ by Dolly Alderton would be my top choices that explore this topic in way more depth.
2) The jumping between third person and first-person narrative. While a brave and unique decision to illustrate how we love each other and how we love ourselves and not just what we represent to each other (at least this was my reading of it) was incredibly jarring to read. I much preferred the third person narrative sections and if it wasn’t for the conversation with Jane where Elly said “there’s a big difference between loving someone in the third and first person” I would have spent the whole book wondering what the point of the jump was in the narrative voice.
Things I did like:
1) The inclusion of music and music references throughout the narrative really helped establish the scenes and Enzo and Elly as individuals. I felt like Jonathan Seidler wrote his best when he was writing about music and how it was understood by the two independently and in relation to each other. My favourite scene was when Elly and Enzo heard ‘Valentine’ for the first time and then Elly hearing the framed record played for the after she had sold it in the wake of their separation. I agree, lovers do give love songs meaning, so hats off to you Jonathan Seidler.
2) Lovers also do give objects that have a history in their relationship meaning. I understood Elly’s motivation to rid herself of the items that held specific meaning to her because of how she and Enzo interacted with it and the memories associated with these interactions an authentic motivation for the novel. It was a unique way to explore their relationship, and I enjoyed the non-linear way it was told and the catharsis of giving these items away.
BUT I also agree with Sofia (Enzo’s sister) that Elly should have spoken and organised any money she made from selling these items especially the table I feel should have been split. And the fact that at the end they don’t interact again aside from telling each other happy birthday seemed odd and unsatisfying from a reader perspective.
May 8, 2024
This was one of those unexpected novels that seem like one thing on the surface but turn out to be so much more within the depths. All the Beautiful Things You Love is a love story, in reverse. We begin at the end, and as Elly sells all the things that made up her life with Enzo, we become privy to all the moments of their life together, what bound them tightly, and what eventually drove them apart.
This is lifelit at its finest. A story about people, places and feelings – so many feelings. It’s my favourite sort of novel nowadays. Character driven rather than plot driven. I spent a glorious Sunday afternoon on my back deck reading this novel from start to finish inside a few hours. I couldn’t put it down, or rather, I didn’t want to.
Not only does Elly get rid of everything she no longer wants to own, but she also meets some interesting people along the way. Some that become friends, others you wouldn’t want to run into again. But the entire exercise of selling everything on Marketplace changes Elly’s life for the better. A sort of declutter for the soul as well as the flat.
A beautiful life affirming story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
This is lifelit at its finest. A story about people, places and feelings – so many feelings. It’s my favourite sort of novel nowadays. Character driven rather than plot driven. I spent a glorious Sunday afternoon on my back deck reading this novel from start to finish inside a few hours. I couldn’t put it down, or rather, I didn’t want to.
Not only does Elly get rid of everything she no longer wants to own, but she also meets some interesting people along the way. Some that become friends, others you wouldn’t want to run into again. But the entire exercise of selling everything on Marketplace changes Elly’s life for the better. A sort of declutter for the soul as well as the flat.
A beautiful life affirming story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 12, 2024
When I was told that this book is perfect for people who love Good Materials by Dolly Alderton, I was convinced to read it. And whilst I got the vibes of Good Materials, I didn’t feel the same empathy for problematic characters in this book that I did in Good Materials.
Why do I think Elly and Enzo are problematic? Here’s why:
Elly didn’t want children, but made promises to Enzo and also trusted in the pull out method…
Enzo ‘accidentally’ finished inside Elly and then didn’t want to get the morning after pill for her.
Then there’s Enzo’s sister pestering Elly to have children and not understanding why Elly doesn’t want kids even though Enzo wanted both Elly and to have children.
Sorry, but you can’t have the best of both worlds.
There was so much miscommunication throughout the novel and I really couldn’t vibe with it.
Also the marketplace conversations didn’t feel super genuine, but were a little entertaining to read about.
When it comes to the writing style, I was really confused between first and third person change in narrative. It rarely works for me.
The only thing that worked well for me was the scenes that related to music.
Why do I think Elly and Enzo are problematic? Here’s why:
Elly didn’t want children, but made promises to Enzo and also trusted in the pull out method…
Enzo ‘accidentally’ finished inside Elly and then didn’t want to get the morning after pill for her.
Then there’s Enzo’s sister pestering Elly to have children and not understanding why Elly doesn’t want kids even though Enzo wanted both Elly and to have children.
Sorry, but you can’t have the best of both worlds.
There was so much miscommunication throughout the novel and I really couldn’t vibe with it.
Also the marketplace conversations didn’t feel super genuine, but were a little entertaining to read about.
When it comes to the writing style, I was really confused between first and third person change in narrative. It rarely works for me.
The only thing that worked well for me was the scenes that related to music.
June 14, 2024
3.75 stars
October 21, 2024
Oh this was goooood!
August 30, 2024
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me unfortunately. I loved reading about Elly and Enzo's relationship before their breakup, but the post breakup storyline kind of annoyed me. As Elly was selling off all of her belongings which had some sort of connection to Enzo, she would have these big deep conversations with these total strangers who come to buy the items. I just didn't find it terribly realistic. The writing was very good though.
Read
July 7, 2024DNF (finally) —
Incredibly boring, and I have had no motivation to continue reading it, even though it’s a short book. The story is unbelievable; like who is chatting this much, and this deep, with a stranger who is simply selling you their table?? Like I’m here to pick up a table, no I do not want to talk about your ex and your divorce ✋
Incredibly boring, and I have had no motivation to continue reading it, even though it’s a short book. The story is unbelievable; like who is chatting this much, and this deep, with a stranger who is simply selling you their table?? Like I’m here to pick up a table, no I do not want to talk about your ex and your divorce ✋
February 16, 2024
I loved everything about this book!!!
March 26, 2024
Really enjoyed this book!!! 5 stars from me
Read
September 29, 2024DNF.
I resent doing this to books but this was just so inauthentic and cringe.
I resent doing this to books but this was just so inauthentic and cringe.
July 5, 2024
I loved this book! I don’t cry much when reading but this book connected with me. It felt so real the way in which Elly connected her belongings to her memories and stories from her past but not in a schmaltzy way. I can totally see this as a movie or a tv series with each episode dedicated to the item being sold. Only down side is reading it on a kindle did not allow images of the items to be seen.
July 28, 2024
it was okay! the ending like made me sad but i guess it was still a nice finish. i think it being set in london and with all the british lingo, it was hard to really get into it bc i genuinely had no idea what they were going on about sometimes. and a lot of big words that i couldn’t be bothered to search up but it was an alright read nonetheless
August 24, 2024
this violently reminded me of dolly alderton and i didn’t rate it. the british themes are too much. i don’t know what i have against british things/people/places in books but im just not interested. i didn’t mind the end though.
July 7, 2024
4.5 stars. What do you do when everything in your home reminds me of the one who left you? Sell it!
This book packs an emotional punch as it explores the unravelling of a decade long relationship between Elly and Enzo. I loved the way it was written and the way the author explored the highs and many lows of a relationship breakdown, in a really mature and healthy way.
This book packs an emotional punch as it explores the unravelling of a decade long relationship between Elly and Enzo. I loved the way it was written and the way the author explored the highs and many lows of a relationship breakdown, in a really mature and healthy way.
September 13, 2024
Beautiful writing and a beautifully bittersweet story.
November 14, 2024
Very mid.
June 3, 2024
A pretty read about love and people and places and things. Enjoyable, funny, thoughtful and endearing.
June 1, 2024
I loved this book. The structure, the characters, the message it had about marriage and love and the choices we make or don’t make.
June 8, 2024
I just adored how this playful and feelful read honours the spaces, sounds and objects that adorn relationships and how they evolve.
June 25, 2024
I found this book a bit overrated. I feel like there wasn’t much of a plot other than Elly just selling all of her things and having unrealistically long conversations with strangers off marketplace. The climax all came to a very abrupt head and then within 2 pages the book had jumped 3 years in a timeline, with some out of order/ place/ context vows at the end and it was over… I also felt it was very obvious Elly was written by a Man and for the male gaze with very misogynistic undertones in her personality. Overall the book was fine, a bit meh and was expecting better to be honest.
June 9, 2024
2.5 stars. I really liked the writing style and the general idea of telling the story of a relationship through stuff, but I didn't find the characters or their relationship believable. One honest conversation early in the central relationship and the entire events of this book would have been avoided. It was miscommunication to the extreme. Elly was also really hard to like, and Enzo was only told through her eyes so his character fell a bit flat.
Read
June 23, 2024DNF @ 30%
February 7, 2025
A solid book to get me back into reading for 2025.
August 15, 2025
Jonathan Seidler's All the Beautiful Things You Love is a back-to-front love story: it's a sad story about two people who really love each other but break up over irreconcilable differences. It's also wickedly funny.
After abandoning two dreary books about neurotic characters, I found it a pleasure to romp through this novel. It's always one of life's domestic tragedies when a couple breaks up, but it's hard not to laugh when Elly who is not a screamer, is screaming and Enzo who rarely cries, is tearing up while the forgotten curry on the hob destroys the expensive La Creuset pot sending acrid wafts of smoke through the flat and eventually setting off the fire alarm. Enzo climbs out of the window of Academy Apartments as the London fire brigade arrives...
They have been together for a long time, and married a little while ago so it's a terrible wrench for Elly, from whose perspective the story is told, in both first and third person. She decides, as people so often do when in extremis, that getting rid of Things infused with memories of togetherness will make her feel better. She advertises online at Marketplace, and successive chapters involve disposing of a bicycle, a distinctive vinyl record, a handmade table, the complete boxed set of The Sopranos, a wagon (for transporting camping paraphernalia to Glastonbury), a purple couch and some luggage, once intended for great travels together.
And in the process of offloading these Things she meets some weird and wonderful people and does the sort of thinking that has to be done when a relationship ends.
TO read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/08/15/a...
After abandoning two dreary books about neurotic characters, I found it a pleasure to romp through this novel. It's always one of life's domestic tragedies when a couple breaks up, but it's hard not to laugh when Elly who is not a screamer, is screaming and Enzo who rarely cries, is tearing up while the forgotten curry on the hob destroys the expensive La Creuset pot sending acrid wafts of smoke through the flat and eventually setting off the fire alarm. Enzo climbs out of the window of Academy Apartments as the London fire brigade arrives...
They have been together for a long time, and married a little while ago so it's a terrible wrench for Elly, from whose perspective the story is told, in both first and third person. She decides, as people so often do when in extremis, that getting rid of Things infused with memories of togetherness will make her feel better. She advertises online at Marketplace, and successive chapters involve disposing of a bicycle, a distinctive vinyl record, a handmade table, the complete boxed set of The Sopranos, a wagon (for transporting camping paraphernalia to Glastonbury), a purple couch and some luggage, once intended for great travels together.
And in the process of offloading these Things she meets some weird and wonderful people and does the sort of thinking that has to be done when a relationship ends.
TO read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/08/15/a...
November 11, 2024
All the Beautiful Things You Love was an incredibly engaging and moving tale right from the very beginning. I listened to this one as an audiobook and the fantastic narration by Emma Woods kept me listening all day.
It’s the story of the marriage of Elly and Enzo and the aftermath of its demise. From the synopsis I had no idea that I was going to find this book so riveting, but Elly’s interactions while selling all their possessions on Marketplace are absolute gold. The people she meets and the stories behind various items, such as the table they bought in Italy and the vinyl records that Enzo bought and refused to unwrap, are so vividly portrayed that I felt like I was there.
Elly’s sarcasm and her wit were an absolute highlight. I found she was someone I could relate to so well and I completely understood what she was trying to achieve by removing all the memories of Enzo.
There were so many emotions playing out in these pages from love and happiness to grief and anger, it was a book that made me laugh out loud and also brought a lump to my throat.
It’s the story of the marriage of Elly and Enzo and the aftermath of its demise. From the synopsis I had no idea that I was going to find this book so riveting, but Elly’s interactions while selling all their possessions on Marketplace are absolute gold. The people she meets and the stories behind various items, such as the table they bought in Italy and the vinyl records that Enzo bought and refused to unwrap, are so vividly portrayed that I felt like I was there.
Elly’s sarcasm and her wit were an absolute highlight. I found she was someone I could relate to so well and I completely understood what she was trying to achieve by removing all the memories of Enzo.
There were so many emotions playing out in these pages from love and happiness to grief and anger, it was a book that made me laugh out loud and also brought a lump to my throat.
October 19, 2024
The concept of the book is interesting. Everyone does accumulate so much “stuff” and I think most people could imagine her having to clear it through Marketplace and interacting with some interesting types of people.. I found the story perhaps too descriptive however. Sure, great descriptions are good, but it goes a little too far, even detailing the exact way they are taking their tea.. It just seems to really force a vision in your head and in effect waste so much time but not really go anywhere.. The sexual references seem oddly placed & just read as being there because sex sells. I did listen to the audiobook of this and I did find the narrator a bit irritating and maybe that has affected my take on the book. Reading it myself may have been more beneficial. I love the cover and I love the title. Just didn’t love the book and would not recommend it.
September 26, 2024
This book was a really pleasantly surprising five stars for me. I am not usually captured by romantic fiction in the way I was by All The Beautiful Things You Love and really enjoyed the audio book format which reminded me of visiting Italy.
The best part of this book is the way it explores heartbreak through an experience almost everyone has had and hated, selling things on Facebook marketplace. The way the story was divided between past and present made the story feel so authentic, it was like chatting with a friend over a glass of wine.
🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
The best part of this book is the way it explores heartbreak through an experience almost everyone has had and hated, selling things on Facebook marketplace. The way the story was divided between past and present made the story feel so authentic, it was like chatting with a friend over a glass of wine.
🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews