Museum of Broken Relationships

by Drazen Grubisic Olinka Vistica

What to do with the fragments of a love affair?

A postcard from a childhood sweetheart. A wedding dress in a jar. Barbed wire. Silicone breast implants. Red stilettos, never worn. These objects and many others make up the inspiring, whimsical, sometimes bizarre, and always unforgettable population of the real-life Museum of Broken Relationships.

A decade ago, two lovers were struggling through their own painful breakup, desperate to heal their heartbreak without destroying the memory of the love they had shared. Then, an idea struck: they would create a communal space, a kind of refuge for - and cathartic celebration of - the everyday objects that had outlasted love. These items, along with the anonymous, intimate stories each piece represented, quickly captured hearts and imaginations across the globe. As word spread, the tiny museum became a worldwide sensation.

Collected here are 203 of the best, funniest, most heartwarming and thought-provoking pieces that offer an irresistible experience of human connection. The Museum of Broken Relationships is a poignant celebration of modern love - and a must-read for anyone who has ever loved and lost.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Relationships, Memoir, Photography, Romance, Psychology

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[CristiinaReads୨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳A beautifully written and photographed book that captivates you with every single broken relationship story...



➳A true and honest picture book that really did take my breathe away either through the tears of sadness and tears of laughter that this novel gets your flowing. Not a regular novel that I would usually read or take my time to enjoy, but I am truly glad I was able to read these short stories. I highly recommend taking your time and enjoy this masterpiece if you never plan on going to the ACTUAL museum that is located in New York City since the pictures added in this album/novel are just way too great to miss out as well are the stories!

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[da AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want confirmation that for all our uniqueness, we're more alike?
Searching for a Valentine Day gift to soothe a broken heart?
Thanks, anonymous library employee for adding this to my local branch's 'picks' display.

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of books like PostSecret and Humans of New York, The Museum of Broken Relationships" Modern Love in 203 Everyday Objects is a book you're going to want to pick up. And I have a copy to giveaway, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing!

Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic were a couple for four years. When their relationship ended, they came up with a novel idea - a place to store all the painful triggers of past loves, creating a vault for both their tangible and intangible heritage. We named this repository The Museum of Broken Relationships.

The collection tours, but there are two permanent museums - on in Zagreb, Croatia and one in Los Angeles, California. And now there's a book!


I found the concept fascinating. We all have mementos - things we keep that remind us of a love or a loss. Things that may bring comfort - or sadness. There is a time to let those heartbreaking items go - both physically and emotionally.


Those are the items housed in the museums - ranging from small toys, stuffed animals, wedding dresses, shoes, rings, letters and more. I think the belly button lint was the most unusual, but there were more unexpected items. Each item appears in a full colour photograph. Accompanying each item is the story behind it - and why it has finally been let go. The dates of the beginning and the end are also noted. A relationship gone sour is the most prevalent, but death is also behind some of the stories.

What is the appeal of this you ask? We all have a little streak of voyeur in us - glimpsing a peek into some else's heartache or heartbreak. And it's impossible not to keep turning pages. And at the end, I thought about one or two things I could send in.......

[bookmarkbelles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Museum Of Broken Relationships @brokenships was heart breaking but beautiful. I first heard about this museum when I watched an episode of WAGS LA and became interested with the concept. I had no idea there was even a book out but I'm very grateful to the beautiful Monisha at @foreverromancebooks for sending me a copy ❤️😘 if you're not familiar with The Museum Of Broken Relationships, they basically showcase items that were donated by others from past relationships, along with a lil back story of some sort of that said relationship. It's almost artistic the way they can make something so beautiful out of something so broken and share it with the world. I really want to visit one day. I went ahead and added it to my bucketlist. Thank you @brokenships for reminding us that we're not so alone when it comes to having our heart broken and that we're all connected through emotions. I really enjoyed this book! If you have a chance to walk by a bookstore, locate this book and flip through it. Trust me, you will end up taking it home.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would make a fantastic gift this Christmas. It is filled with so much heart and left me so happy and changed. I loved looking at all the items in the book and reading the little stories next to the photos. It was such an endearing, moving, heartbreaking, inspiring and, at times, strange look into the things we hold dear, the things that change us and the things that sometimes put us back together. You are in for a treat when you read this book and it will be one of those books that you will come back to again and again and again. I just loved this book, such a delight and so very original.

[epstuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are so sad and happy and real.

[Ellis ♥]

Quando ho adocchiato questo compendio, il pensiero è subito corso a un romanzo letto proprio quest'anno: Il museo delle promesse infrante. Solo che quello si trattava per l'appunto di un romanzo, mentre il museo di Olinka e Dražen esiste realmente e ha sede a Zagabria (Croazia).
Il titolo è un po' fuorviante perché al suo interno non ci sono solo storie di rotture, ma anche di "speranza", rinascita e augurio per una vita migliore. Ogni oggetto, apparentemente insignificante, racchiude al suo interno le emozioni e i ricordi di coloro a cui è appartenuto. Non mi sento di dare una valutazione a questo libro perché trattandosi di scorci di vite realmente vissute, non penso sia corretto esprimersi in proposito. Però voglio condividere con voi una frase che mi ha molto colpito:

Quando due persone si amano davvero, nessun sogno resta solo tale.

[Chaitanya Sethi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to keep on your bedside and pick up at any hour of the day. The tapestry of human stories is fascinating.

[Κonstantina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most bizarre idea turned to one of the most revealing and amazing museums (and books)
It's a "MUST"

[Sharon Hodnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn't what I expected. Each page has a picture of an object and a brief history of the relationship. Loved this book. Some stories though brief capture heatbreak far better than entire novels.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first 10/5 stars for 2018.

I love simple books that are powerful in message. This is the poster child for it.

A book chronicling objects that symbolize loss for people; some objects that once were a symbol of happiness.

This book, in its simplicity, made me think of a note my husband gave me 12 years ago that I have kept, reread every so often and smile each time. In the event of divorce, how that would change. Funnily, I never thought of it that before reading this book. How powerful is that?

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have all been hurt by love. This book is a tender, quirky, and delightful look at the emotions connected with loving and then losing someone: lover, sibling, friend, parent. Inside the pages of the book are examples of mementos left at the Museum of Broken Relationships, a traveling installation piece of everyday objects brought by people as symbols of love and loss. Beautifully arranged on the pages, these mini-stories will make you laugh and cry; they will wound you and uplift you. What a novel and wonderful idea, created by two Croatian artists who broke up but decided to collect the objects they had shared as a couple. The idea grew into a permanent collection, first in Zagreb and then in locations around the world. Reading these stories you will understand that we are all the same when it comes to these vulnerable, raw but beautiful emotions. If everyone read these stories or went to the museum, perhaps the world would be a more hopeful place.

[KD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this...I first saw it in January 2017 at the Museum of Broken Relationships in Copenhagen, at the top of the Rundetarn, where we spent hours sheltering from the cold and poring over the objects. As young and poor travellers, we couldn't afford the 20 euros on the beautiful book chronicling the exhibition, so I was delighted to find this copy in a discount book warehouse in London the other day.

The concept to the Museum of Broken Relationships is a globally crowd-sourced touring exhibition commemorating what's lost, but not forgotten. This book is a beautiful record of the diversity of experience of love found and love lost, and I'd recommend to anyone. So glad to have picked this up! I'll always keep this on my bookshelf and show people.

[HattieB · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpectedly funny and emotional read. I highly recommend you pick this book up.

[Sofia Bahia · Rating 5 out of 5]

lindo e cafona e engraçado e gostoso de ler

[Leonard · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a strange book with photos of objects that represent former relationships. The objects are varied, from rubber gloves and a copy of the New Yorker to belly button lint and a butcher knife. There is information about each image. There are dates and a locations, but no names. This book is not as deep or profound as you might expect; in fact it's quite shallow and not all that interesting.

[Oliver Prandolini · Rating 5 out of 5]

can’t recommend enough

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Museum of Broken Relationships - Modern Love in 203 Everyday Objects by Olinka Vistica is a collection of items donated by those hurt by love. Each artefact is stunningly photographed and accompanied by a short story or explanation. Often including the location and duration of the relationship, they provide a rare glimpse into a person's heartbreak and lost love.

Every reader will be able to relate to the stories and I was touched by the emotionally charged personal accounts.

The collection includes a variety of heartbreaking, amusing, petty, bizarre and downright surprising contributions. It was hard to believe the donors could bear to part with some of the artefacts donated, while others were filled with cathartic cleansing. While many of the donors seemed ready to move on, others continue to carry their heartbreak.

I enjoyed reading the stories and was surprised how many came from short relationships (less than a year). Relationships with parents and children are also included and you can still donate to the collection if you want to.

I highly recommend The Museum of Broken Relationships. This is a well curated collection from a museum that now has galleries all over the world. For those of us who haven't visited one, this is the next best thing. For those who have, this makes the perfect memento.

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not many things on my list of things I really want to do, or I suppose, my "bucket list"... Before picking this book up, it had exactly one thing on it. Within five pages of this book, visiting one of these museums made it on the list.
I could not put this book down. Some of these stories are so sad... Some are more amusing, or happy. The emotional scale is pretty much everywhere. But what I liked best it that it's so real. Every one of these words are heartfelt. And every one of these objects would be meaningless to anyone else. It's just really amazing how we can attach so much meaning to everyday objects.
This was definitely a great idea, for both the museums and the book. I hope to see some of these objects for real one day.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Natalie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Human beings are fascinating creatures. If you need proof of this then you need look no further than the book, The Museum of Broken Relationships – Modern Love in 203 Everyday Objects. This hardcover, artistic-style photographic book is a veritable treasure trove of the tangible objects that were left behind in the aftermath of some failed relationships. What could have been a series of banal, everyday objects of little monetary value, prove to be fascinating for the stories that are attached and the sentimental weight they once bore. This is ultimately a voyeuristic and hopeful activity because we see that these people have overcome their heartbreak and are now in a place where they can celebrate these totems of their past love in such a public way.

To read the rest of this review please visit: http://magazine.100percentrock.com/re...

[Natalie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Human beings are fascinating creatures. If you need proof of this then you need look no further than the book, The Museum of Broken Relationships – Modern Love in 203 Everyday Objects. This hardcover, artistic-style photographic book is a veritable treasure trove of the tangible objects that were left behind in the aftermath of some failed relationships. What could have been a series of banal, everyday objects of little monetary value, prove to be fascinating for the stories that are attached and the sentimental weight they once bore. This is ultimately a voyeuristic and hopeful activity because we see that these people have overcome their heartbreak and are now in a place where they can celebrate these totems of their past love in such a public way.

To read the rest of this review please visit: http://magazine.100percentrock.com/re...

[Ashley Holstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a relationship ends, the detritus that remains is painful. It’s thrown away. Burned. Donated. Shredded. Except for that one object—the wedding dress in the mason jar, the GPS, the little rubber piggy—that makes its way into boxes during every move. Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic started this little museum when their relationship ended because they wanted to remember. Since then, thousands of people have submitted notes and objects to the museum. This book is a collection of that: A sad recounting of 203 loves lost, but also a bright light, a sign of the ability to carry on.

From 4 Great Books About Relationships at Book Riot.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the concept (documentation of what was sent in and became a museum exhibit about objects representing broken relationships that originated in Croatia) of this book fascinating and thought-provoking.

I expected to find in its pages relics from breakups but it’s so much more : shattered relationships between parents and children, friends and lovers, casual acquaintances and flings. Mementos are powerful in triggering memories and I’d imagine whomever mailed in these objects wanted to feel liberated from what they represented.

Definitely worth a read, especially if you’re a fan of PostSecret. I was sad when I reached the last page; some of the stories about the objects gave me chills.

[Peter J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly preferred the book to the museum itself (side note: the Los Angeles site has closed). In the book, I found myself pouring over the stories, whereas, at the museum I found myself examining the items. It is a worthy concept of meditation. What things take on more meaning that they otherwise would because they represent a particular time of life. Reading the stories afresh, I appreciated the museum's purpose all the more. There are stories from widows, sons, unrequited or unfulfilled loves among the eye-catching and more publicity catching affairs gone south. Those stories - particular the woman taking her husband's ashes on the trips they were unable to take - stuck with me more.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember where I heard about this book but I knew that I really wanted to read it.

I know I still have memento's of old relationships. They are in a box, packed away and every once in awhile I will come across them. After reading this book, I thought about sending them to this museum.

With pictures of the items and the notes that came with them, not all broken relationships were romantic. There are several from daughters who are breaking ties with their mother or father. Some are funny and others you could feel the pain of that relationship as it slipped away.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as soon as I recever it in the mail because it was so unusual. It's an art book that contains photographs of memorabilia from people's broken relationship, with an explanation of the significance of the object was. Some of the stories are beautiful and touching, and others are creepy and sad. My favorite object is a button from the TV show the X-files, that says "I want to believe."

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautiful... The museum of broken relationships is a collection of images and a short paragraph about items donated by people who have in one way or another 'broken up'. I was deeply moved by the whole reading experience. I found it intriguing looking at the different items donated by strangers and the importance of those items. This is one of the best "picture books" I've read in a long time.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of all the people who shared their heartfelt stories of love in this book. The layout of the book with the pictures adds to the beauty of the stories, some sad, others not so sad.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, full of some strange and some mundane things. I enjoyed it, but sort of wish that there was more information about some of the items, though I know that was completely up to the contributor and not the authors.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I read it in between preparing to move house. It was sad, funny, poignant, all the emotions that go with endings. I wonder if I could send them a memento from my much loved soon to be former home? Or would this be unfair to my wonderful future home and a new beginning?