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Wie ich dank Shakespeare in Verona die große Liebe fand
When Glenn Dixon is spurned by love, he packs his bags for Verona, Italy. Once there, he volunteers to answer the thousands of letters that arrive addressed to Juliet--letters sent from lovelorn people all over the world to Juliet's hometown, people who long to understand the mysteries of the human heart.Glenn's journey takes him deep into the charming community of Verona, where he becomes involved in unraveling the truth behind Romeo and Juliet. Did these star-crossed lovers actually exist? Why have they remained at the forefront of hearts and minds for centuries? And what can they teach us about love?When Glenn returns home to Canada and resumes his duties as an English teacher, he undertakes a lively reading of Romeo and Juliet with his students, engaging them in passions past and present. But in an intriguing reversal of fate and fortune, his students--along with an old friend--instruct the teacher on the true meaning of love, loss, and moving on.An enthralling tale of modern-day love steeped in the romantic traditions of eras past, this is a memoir that will warm your heart.
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2017
26 people are currently reading
1355 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Dixon
13 books72 followersGlenn Dixon's new novel, The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances, will be published April 7, 2026 (Atria books in the US, HarperCollins in Canada and Australia). It's set in the near future in a Smart House where the appliances (especially a young Roomba vacuum cleaner named Scout) hope to save their elderly Humans from the insidious Grid that runs the City.
His previous novel, "Bootleg Stardust" was published in April 2021 (Simon & Schuster). It is the story of the fictional band Downtown Exit and their disastrous 1974 European Tour where the secrets that each character keep finally emerge in the burning down of hotel rooms, punches on stage and finally the theft of the legendary Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Truck. The soundtrack is available on Spotify.
Glenn Dixon's third book was "Juliet's Answer" (Simon & Schuster, January 2017). As the lone male secretary at the Club di Giulietta in Verona, he answered the real letters to Juliet and he learned something of love, of Shakespeare and of the sun splashed hills of this ancient Italian city.
Publishers Weekly gave his second book, "Tripping the World Fantastic", a starred rating, saying it "succeeds by connecting readers intimately with the souls of music-makers all over the world." From a trip to Bob Marley's grave in Jamaica to sitar lessons on the banks of the Ganges, Dixon tells the story of music and just why it has such a powerful effect on us all. www.tripping-the-world.com
Like a cross between Nick Hornby and Roddy Doyle, Dixon has written stories and articles for the New Yorker, National Geographic, the Globe and Mail and Psychology Today.
His first book was Pilgrim in the Palace of Words: a journey through the 6000 languages of Earth.
He lives and works in Calgary, Canada.
His previous novel, "Bootleg Stardust" was published in April 2021 (Simon & Schuster). It is the story of the fictional band Downtown Exit and their disastrous 1974 European Tour where the secrets that each character keep finally emerge in the burning down of hotel rooms, punches on stage and finally the theft of the legendary Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Truck. The soundtrack is available on Spotify.
Glenn Dixon's third book was "Juliet's Answer" (Simon & Schuster, January 2017). As the lone male secretary at the Club di Giulietta in Verona, he answered the real letters to Juliet and he learned something of love, of Shakespeare and of the sun splashed hills of this ancient Italian city.
Publishers Weekly gave his second book, "Tripping the World Fantastic", a starred rating, saying it "succeeds by connecting readers intimately with the souls of music-makers all over the world." From a trip to Bob Marley's grave in Jamaica to sitar lessons on the banks of the Ganges, Dixon tells the story of music and just why it has such a powerful effect on us all. www.tripping-the-world.com
Like a cross between Nick Hornby and Roddy Doyle, Dixon has written stories and articles for the New Yorker, National Geographic, the Globe and Mail and Psychology Today.
His first book was Pilgrim in the Palace of Words: a journey through the 6000 languages of Earth.
He lives and works in Calgary, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
March 22, 2017
Please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com for this review and others.
Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak is an intriguing story about a high school teacher who's attempt at love has fallen short. He then embarks on a journey to Verona, Italy to spend a summer answering letters that were sent to Juliet.
I thoroughly enjoyed this touching memoir. It sort of reminded me of the movie "Letters to Juliet" which my mom has influenced me to watch at least ten times. Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is incorporated into the story which adds a nice touch.
It's written well and even though it's not my favorite type of book, I was happy with it from beginning to end.
4****
Thanks to Netgalley for sharing a copy with me in exchange for an honest review.
Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak is an intriguing story about a high school teacher who's attempt at love has fallen short. He then embarks on a journey to Verona, Italy to spend a summer answering letters that were sent to Juliet.
I thoroughly enjoyed this touching memoir. It sort of reminded me of the movie "Letters to Juliet" which my mom has influenced me to watch at least ten times. Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is incorporated into the story which adds a nice touch.
It's written well and even though it's not my favorite type of book, I was happy with it from beginning to end.
4****
Thanks to Netgalley for sharing a copy with me in exchange for an honest review.
February 26, 2017
Juliet’s Answer by Glenn Dixon is a 2017 Gallery Books Publication
This memoir tells the amazing journey taken by Glenn Dixon, a school teacher, from Canada, who volunteers to read and respond to letters written to Shakespeare’s Juliet while visiting Verona, Italy.
These letters are filled with vulnerability, suffering, loneliness, and sometimes despair, of those who have lost love, are broken hearted, or simply unsure if what they are feeling is the real deal or a passing attraction.
At first Glenn struggles with his responses to these letters, but soon finds himself pouring his heart into his careful and thoughtful answers on behalf of Juliet. But, he also finds the work cathartic as he struggles through his own unrequited love situation.
‘A glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
The Dixon’s narrative switches back and forth between this time in Verona and the time he spends with his students, teaching them the finer points of Romeo and Juliet.
Romance and love is messy, it’s complicated, painful, filled with angst and uncertainty, but it’s also the one thing we wish for above all others.
Glenn’s story is filled with such raw and poignant emotion, while touching on the human condition and mysterious ways love manages to find us when we are least expecting it.
I loved Dixon's teaching style, his connection with his students, his love of literature, and his openness as he recalls the pain of lost love, the lessons life teaches when we are at our lowest points, and how to rebound from that by applying the wisdom we acquire along with way and letting life work things out the way they are intended to be even if it’s exactly how you thought things would end up.
I loved the history of Verona and the virtual tour Glenn took me on, highlighting locations and monuments closely tied to Romeo and Juliet. The setting created the perfect backdrop for this story.
The letters were reminders of the various ways love touches us, the insecurities it draws out, the fear love will pass us by, but the story also offers a resolution, offers hope, exuberance and peace, and the assurance that love will find you in its own time.
While the book is very light and easy, it also left me pondering the miracle that is love. Watching Glenn find the happiness he felt was so elusive is inspirational, charming, and heartwarming.
I was delighted by his story and I’m glad he chose to share it with us.
4 stars.
I received a copy of this book as an XOXOpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark
This memoir tells the amazing journey taken by Glenn Dixon, a school teacher, from Canada, who volunteers to read and respond to letters written to Shakespeare’s Juliet while visiting Verona, Italy.
These letters are filled with vulnerability, suffering, loneliness, and sometimes despair, of those who have lost love, are broken hearted, or simply unsure if what they are feeling is the real deal or a passing attraction.
At first Glenn struggles with his responses to these letters, but soon finds himself pouring his heart into his careful and thoughtful answers on behalf of Juliet. But, he also finds the work cathartic as he struggles through his own unrequited love situation.
‘A glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
The Dixon’s narrative switches back and forth between this time in Verona and the time he spends with his students, teaching them the finer points of Romeo and Juliet.
Romance and love is messy, it’s complicated, painful, filled with angst and uncertainty, but it’s also the one thing we wish for above all others.
Glenn’s story is filled with such raw and poignant emotion, while touching on the human condition and mysterious ways love manages to find us when we are least expecting it.
I loved Dixon's teaching style, his connection with his students, his love of literature, and his openness as he recalls the pain of lost love, the lessons life teaches when we are at our lowest points, and how to rebound from that by applying the wisdom we acquire along with way and letting life work things out the way they are intended to be even if it’s exactly how you thought things would end up.
I loved the history of Verona and the virtual tour Glenn took me on, highlighting locations and monuments closely tied to Romeo and Juliet. The setting created the perfect backdrop for this story.
The letters were reminders of the various ways love touches us, the insecurities it draws out, the fear love will pass us by, but the story also offers a resolution, offers hope, exuberance and peace, and the assurance that love will find you in its own time.
While the book is very light and easy, it also left me pondering the miracle that is love. Watching Glenn find the happiness he felt was so elusive is inspirational, charming, and heartwarming.
I was delighted by his story and I’m glad he chose to share it with us.
4 stars.
I received a copy of this book as an XOXOpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark
December 20, 2016
Not much of a non-fiction reader to begin with, I surprised myself by how much I ended up enjoying this memoir. It reads with the ease of a light, breezy fictional narrative in quite the relatable voice from Glenn Dixon, who travels to Verona and volunteers his time answering letters addressed to Juliet Capulet, a practice and service I didn't know existed. I genuinely felt Iike I was transported to Italy, seeing the various landmarks through Dixon's words. What's more, I learnt a lot more of Romeo and Juliet than I thought I had known via the chapters of the Shakespeare lessons he gave to a class of high school students in his time as an English teacher.
It's not the most flowery of language when it comes to the writing and it sometimes verges on being too passive a voice, but there is something so captivating and readable that I found it an enjoyable book. Shakespeare's "To thine own self be true" definitely applies here - Dixon definitely comes across earnest and honest to his own self, and in extension, us the readers.
It's not the most flowery of language when it comes to the writing and it sometimes verges on being too passive a voice, but there is something so captivating and readable that I found it an enjoyable book. Shakespeare's "To thine own self be true" definitely applies here - Dixon definitely comes across earnest and honest to his own self, and in extension, us the readers.
June 7, 2019
So much of this book is Dixon’s complaints about his own miserable love life that it made me a bit irritated with him. At the end, he shares with a radio interviewer about the best way to respond to letter writers: “Sometimes you really want to tell these people to get it together, to smarten up — but of course you can’t say that. That’s not what they want to hear.” He goes on to say that it’s best to just allow them to share, to listen to them. Honestly, I wanted to do the same thing: just tell him, “For heaven’s sake, Glenn! Stop spending time with this woman who’s never going to love you back romantically, cut ties, and allow yourself to move on!!” Arrgggghhhh. So in essence, this book is all of us readers “listening” to him. And half of it is a bit annoying.
*I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/juliets-answer...
*I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/juliets-answer...
February 5, 2017
Juliet’s Answer is a highly entertaining read. Glenn Dixon, a high school teacher in Canada, spends the summer in Verona answering the thousands of letters that come to Juliet Capulet. Struggling with love himself, he gains insight into matters of the heart while visiting the various haunts associated with Romeo and Juliet. My favorite part of the story by far was learning so much more about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the prior stories that it may be based on. Dixon imparts this knowledge in a creative manner by relaying the lessons he taught his high school class regarding the play. I also enjoyed learning more about the letters that come to Juliet and how the process of answering the letters began.
After reading Juliet’s Answer, I have added Verona to my list of places to visit. Dixon describes the town beautifully, and I cannot wait to see it someday for myself including Juliet’s house and statue. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it. Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to reach this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After reading Juliet’s Answer, I have added Verona to my list of places to visit. Dixon describes the town beautifully, and I cannot wait to see it someday for myself including Juliet’s house and statue. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it. Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to reach this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2017
A neat little story about a guy's experiences in love, and as a letter writer for love letters to and from Juliet. What I liked most about the story was the detail included about Verona, Italy, a city I know pretty well and love a lot. It's, of course, the perfect backdrop for a story about love, and its beauty really come across in Dixon's writing.
Before this book, I had no idea that you could write a letter to Juliet and receive a response. I love it! And even though I'm with my life-long love and am happily married, I think I may pop them a letter just for the fun of it!
I recommend this book for a sweet and easy read. Perfect summer reading! 3.5 stars.
Before this book, I had no idea that you could write a letter to Juliet and receive a response. I love it! And even though I'm with my life-long love and am happily married, I think I may pop them a letter just for the fun of it!
I recommend this book for a sweet and easy read. Perfect summer reading! 3.5 stars.
February 9, 2017
Completely unexpected and delightful, JULIET’S ANSWER by Glenn Dixon is full of wit, heartfelt emotion, quandaries, love, and the quintessential happy-ever-after.
This book sounded like it would be a travelogue with a man’s observations on love, but it’s not. Mostly memoir with some fiction to protect the innocent, JULIET’S ANSWER is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was everything I’d hoped it would be, and so much more, that I read it extremely fast.
The author is quite good at building suspense and telling a heartwarming story that includes numerous personalities. I really like the back and forth between the students learning Shakespeare, to the author and friends answering letters written to Juliet in Verona. You get a real feel for the numerous personalities, and the author’s dilemma, with this method. Never once did this back and forth timeline seem choppy.
I laughed out-loud several times at the surprising nuggets tucked in at the right places. The story has some excellent emotion spread throughout, but the halfway mark really touched my heart. I think this book is the perfect change of pace for those who love romantic fiction. Written by a talented memoirist, JULIET’S ANSWER has wonderful positive nuances added to offset life’s rough patches. I love memoirs and I love fiction – this book combines both seamlessly, which has made me a fan of this new-to-me author.
A gifted storyteller, but if Glenn Dixon’s acknowledgements prove anything, it takes a village to write a book this good. I could tell that it was finely honed because there is nothing wrong with it. There’s a small lull when I wondered if anything else could be said, but then it picks up again with more fun in the final chapters.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated with the history of Romeo and Juliet, or to anyone who enjoys a feel-good story of true love. Intriguing, funny, entertaining, and hopeful, JULIET’S ANSWER is armchair travel well taken.
Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
This book sounded like it would be a travelogue with a man’s observations on love, but it’s not. Mostly memoir with some fiction to protect the innocent, JULIET’S ANSWER is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was everything I’d hoped it would be, and so much more, that I read it extremely fast.
The author is quite good at building suspense and telling a heartwarming story that includes numerous personalities. I really like the back and forth between the students learning Shakespeare, to the author and friends answering letters written to Juliet in Verona. You get a real feel for the numerous personalities, and the author’s dilemma, with this method. Never once did this back and forth timeline seem choppy.
I laughed out-loud several times at the surprising nuggets tucked in at the right places. The story has some excellent emotion spread throughout, but the halfway mark really touched my heart. I think this book is the perfect change of pace for those who love romantic fiction. Written by a talented memoirist, JULIET’S ANSWER has wonderful positive nuances added to offset life’s rough patches. I love memoirs and I love fiction – this book combines both seamlessly, which has made me a fan of this new-to-me author.
A gifted storyteller, but if Glenn Dixon’s acknowledgements prove anything, it takes a village to write a book this good. I could tell that it was finely honed because there is nothing wrong with it. There’s a small lull when I wondered if anything else could be said, but then it picks up again with more fun in the final chapters.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated with the history of Romeo and Juliet, or to anyone who enjoys a feel-good story of true love. Intriguing, funny, entertaining, and hopeful, JULIET’S ANSWER is armchair travel well taken.
Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
February 7, 2017
Delving into the first chapter, I have been well surprised to learn that there is a place in Verona called “Club di Giulietta” (http://www.julietclub.com/en/) where you can send a letter about your broken heart. So nice to have in this world people who volunteer their time and efforts to try mending that little part of your body which gives so much trouble when lets itself fooled by feelings that are no right! (“ Each answer was two to three paragraphs long”). Glenn Dixon, the main character, travels to this city and decides to be one of those who answers the letters-
“All were asking about this soul wrenching experience that is both our deepest sorrow and our greatest joy.”
Reading about other people's wounds left by unanswered feelings of love and trying to provide them with some remedy , Dixon embarks on the journey of healing his own heart. His story is full of emotional moments which make this book about fixing unhappiness a wonderful reading.
"This sort of love is fueled by dopamine. In the presence of the one we love, dopamine gushes into our caudate nucleus, exactly the same center in the brain that lights up in those addicted to crack or alcohol or gambling. Love, then, is an addiction—as anyone who has ever truly been in love can affirm. It takes us over, wholeheartedly, and makes us do some pretty foolish things."
“All were asking about this soul wrenching experience that is both our deepest sorrow and our greatest joy.”
Reading about other people's wounds left by unanswered feelings of love and trying to provide them with some remedy , Dixon embarks on the journey of healing his own heart. His story is full of emotional moments which make this book about fixing unhappiness a wonderful reading.
"This sort of love is fueled by dopamine. In the presence of the one we love, dopamine gushes into our caudate nucleus, exactly the same center in the brain that lights up in those addicted to crack or alcohol or gambling. Love, then, is an addiction—as anyone who has ever truly been in love can affirm. It takes us over, wholeheartedly, and makes us do some pretty foolish things."
July 31, 2017
Mercutio: Any man that can write may answer a letter.
-Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene IV
In Juliet's Answer, author Glenn Dixon pretty much ticks all the boxes on a modern day travel memoir: His real life has provided a situation rife with dramatic irony (in his case, a tale of woe; of unrequited love) which he was able to finally confront and interpret through a trip to a foreign land (complete with a highly interesting project while in Verona, Italy), and then reinterpret in the routine life that followed (as a high school English teacher guiding his students through a reading of Romeo and Juliet back home in Calgary), and throughout this personal story, he adds in the history and geography of Verona, as well as research on the neurochemical and social underpinnings of human romantic love. While on the one hand I was always aware that Dixon probably had an editor over his shoulder saying, “You need some history here, some sciency stuff here” – while there was something obscurely formulaic and nonorganic about the format – I can't deny that the content was all interesting enough to keep my focus. I read this book on the beach, just a few weeks before heading to Italy (including Verona) myself, and it was all that I had hoped for and more.
It's a bit pretentious, I can see that now. I guess I thought I had to adopt a certain tone with Juliet. Perhaps you have some words of wisdom for me? I mean really.
That's what I stuffed into the red letter box in the courtyard across from the statue of Juliet. Juliet of the golden right breast...There was nothing to do now, except go back to Canada and wait for my answer.
Forever unlucky in love and something of an expert on Shakespeare, it wasn't by chance that Dixon decided to spend time one summer in Verona as one of “Juliet's Secretaries” at the Club di Giulietta: apparently, anyone can write a letter to Juliet (and either drop it in the mailbox in front of her family home or address it to Juliet c/o Verona, Italy – it will reach her) and with a staff there that can respond in nearly any language, one can expect an eventual handwritten and personalised reply by mail. Dixon himself volunteered to be one of the English language secretaries, and as he had hoped, reading the love letters of strangers and being forced to consider appropriate responses focussed him on his own emotional needs and beliefs about love. I found everything about the Club di Giulietta – its history, staff, the types of letters they receive and the efforts to respond appropriately – to be totally fascinating. While in Verona, Dixon sought out those places mentioned in Romeo and Juliet, and even he was surprised to learn that the pair likely did exist (Dante even placed the Montagues and Capulets in his Inferno). There's also some traveloguing – Dixon sharing his favourite gelato and pizza places – and again, I found this all interesting.
After this first summer in Verona, Dixon returned to teaching again, and this section felt a bit forced to me. I understand the usefulness to this book of going through the highlights of Romeo and Juliet with a grade ten class – Dixon gets to stress which parts are important and explain their deeper meanings as though answering the questions of first time readers – but I got the sense that these sections didn't literally occur as written: I didn't really believe that some couple got together because they were stirred up by the balcony scene; that the girl in the hijab was absent for a few days when Juliet's father started talking about her arranged marriage. In the end notes, Dixon explains that these students were amalgamations (which I figured would have to be the case to protect their privacy), but that everything he wrote did happen at some time – and I buy that, but it still rang a false note in the moment: I expect my nonfiction to all be true. Dixon himself went through some emotionally charged experiences this year as well, and where the details of his life dovetailed with the text of the play at the exact same time, I again had the feeling of facts having been arranged to suit after the fact: not untrue, perhaps, but manipulated. Still, Dixon does have a story to tell.
The following summer, Dixon returned to Verona; older and wiser. This time, he was present for (and participated in) the annual festival that the Club di Giulietta holds in honour of Juliet's birthday – all fascinating to read about – and this climactic celebration coincided with a happy transformation of events in Dixon's own life. As I said at the beginning, Dixon's life does have dramatic irony worthy of documenting – his tale follows a satisfying story arc and the supporting information (Shakespeare, Verona, the Club di Giulietta) is rich in interest – so my only complaint is really that of formatting: the way that Dixon's story has been moulded into a cookie-cutter memoir; likely not his fault. Bonus: Now I know how to ask for chocolate in the bottom of my gelato cone.
January 13, 2024
Onako, osrednje štivo.
February 7, 2017
"… everyone yearns for a little magic. Everyone wants the Gates of Paradise to open for them, and when I wrote my letter to Juliet, it was one last knock on the door. It was one last attempt at a happy ending.”
Juliet’s Answer contains real stories in which the author recounts his experience of traveling to Verona and joining a group that is dedicated to answering the many letters that are addressed to Juliet. That is Juliet of Romeo and Juliet. After the city of Verona began receiving numerous letters from all over the world addressed to Juliet, all having to do with woes of love, a group was established that came to be known as Secretaries of Juliet. Glenn Dixon, who was a teacher for over twenty years and taught Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to his classes, decided to travel to Verona and volunteer his time in answering the letters to Juliet. He does this in an effort to heal, understand heartbreak, and maybe learn something about the ever complicated subject of love.
“… the sentiments were all the same. All of them were asking about love. All were asking about this soul-wrenching experience that is both our deepest sorrow and our greatest joy.”
This is a nice, breezy, and enjoyable read for fans of soul-searching memoirs, as well as lovers of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The book is presented and organized beautifully into three “acts” containing photos as well as a map and a reader’s guide. The author takes turns talking about his experiences in Verona, flashing back to his struggle with heartbreak, and also dissecting and discussing the play of Romeo and Juliet in one of his classes. Each section is interesting and there is a really nice flow to the structure of the stories, particularly the way the author’s class on Romeo and Juliet is mixed in. A lovely read that tackles the subject of love and brings Verona to life.
You can find all my reviews and bookish articles @ https://aboutabookreviews.com
Juliet’s Answer contains real stories in which the author recounts his experience of traveling to Verona and joining a group that is dedicated to answering the many letters that are addressed to Juliet. That is Juliet of Romeo and Juliet. After the city of Verona began receiving numerous letters from all over the world addressed to Juliet, all having to do with woes of love, a group was established that came to be known as Secretaries of Juliet. Glenn Dixon, who was a teacher for over twenty years and taught Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to his classes, decided to travel to Verona and volunteer his time in answering the letters to Juliet. He does this in an effort to heal, understand heartbreak, and maybe learn something about the ever complicated subject of love.
“… the sentiments were all the same. All of them were asking about love. All were asking about this soul-wrenching experience that is both our deepest sorrow and our greatest joy.”
This is a nice, breezy, and enjoyable read for fans of soul-searching memoirs, as well as lovers of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The book is presented and organized beautifully into three “acts” containing photos as well as a map and a reader’s guide. The author takes turns talking about his experiences in Verona, flashing back to his struggle with heartbreak, and also dissecting and discussing the play of Romeo and Juliet in one of his classes. Each section is interesting and there is a really nice flow to the structure of the stories, particularly the way the author’s class on Romeo and Juliet is mixed in. A lovely read that tackles the subject of love and brings Verona to life.
You can find all my reviews and bookish articles @ https://aboutabookreviews.com
February 7, 2017
I was excited to read this book, but found it disappointing. The sections about him teaching Shakespeare were entertaining, but the relationship part was tedious. Basically, the author has a long term friend who doesn't want a relationship. In fact, he spends a lot of the book saying that they are really great friends and had been for years. But he does not speak to her ever again after she finds someone else. He then goes to Verona to 'cure his heartbreak' and finds someone else in the process. It reads a bit thin, but maybe I'm just not the right target audience.
February 5, 2017
3.75 ⭐. I don't read a lot of memoirs but I found I enjoyed this book. It was a light and fluid read and you could quite easily picture the narrator and what he's describing. I particularly enjoyed the story of him teaching Shakespeare to his students. As he says throughout the story, everyone is looking for love. It is human nature to do so. The tricky part is knowing when you've found it, how to keep it and knowing when to let go if it isn't working. Almost everyone has struggled with this at one point or another in their life. How you deal with it is what makes you who you are. Hearing some of the letters that Glenn answered as a scribe of Juliet goes to show that all this is universal. No matter what part of the world you're from, people struggle with how to find love. For some it comes easy and for others, not so much. A good read if you need a reminder that no matter what, you're not alone.
May 31, 2017
Review to come
January 10, 2018
Dixon’s connections to his students, himself, the story of Romeo and Juliet and the writers of the letters he answers makes this an enjoyable read. The setting of Verona makes it a great escape read, too. I’m so happy he found his answer to his letter to Juliet!
July 25, 2023
Милая, но совершенно необязательная книга про любовь к Шекспиру и проблемы белых интеллигентных мужчин средних лет
April 23, 2018
This was not what I expected. I didn't read the back to throughly and expect a novel similar to the move about Juliet's letters. While this wasn't earth shattering prose, it was a lovely memoir. I especially liked the flashes back to his classroom teaching Romeo and Juliet. We should all have teachers who approaches tough materials the way Dixon did.
May 4, 2018
Cute, quick read, enjoyable, predictable.
The best part of the book was reading about how the main character taught his high school class about Romeo and Juliet. So interesting! Yet... unrealistic... the class seemed to study this one play for about 5 months.....
The best part of the book was reading about how the main character taught his high school class about Romeo and Juliet. So interesting! Yet... unrealistic... the class seemed to study this one play for about 5 months.....
May 21, 2017
https://ayearofbooksblog.com/2017/05/...
Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak is the heartwarming account of Glenn Dixon's struggles in relationships and his search for love. This memoir will be featured at the 2017-18 Grimsby Author Series, in the fall, and I look forward to meeting the author who bravely quit his job and travelled to Verona in search of himself and yearning for love.
Glenn was a highschool teacher. He had a passion for Romeo and Juliet and was striving to engage a group of unique students to learn from this Shakespearean play. He created interest and through readings, enactments and even a mock court case as the class discussed the play and the fate of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Each of the students gained insight from the class discussions into their own struggles.
Glenn had travelled to Verona the previous summer and volunteered as Juliet's secretary at the Juliet Club. Letter writers from around to world write to Juliet hoping for answers about love and relationships. These epistles come in many languages and a volunteer group of secretaries write back to the if there is a return address.
"The Juliet Club has been handling Juliet’s mail for many years; this unique phenomenon has made Verona the world-wide known “capital of love”. Addressed to “Juliet, Verona” thousands of letters arrive from all over the world and our team of volunteers replies to each and every one of them in the name of the most famous heroine in literature keeping alive this extraordinary epistolary tradition". (Juliet Club website)
Once Glen realized that he would never have a relationship with the woman he loved he quit his teaching job and headed back to Verona for a fresh start. In Verona, he learned about himself as he reflected on the content of the letters and the responses he was writing. He also described Verona in a way that makes the reader want to pack their bags and explore!
Juliet's Answer is a memoir to enjoy and inspired me to search for more information about the Juliet Club. According to the club's website, thousands of letters have been received since the 1930s and each letter is carefully read, translated and a response sent. The letters are kept in a special archive. Travellers can volunteer for one day or more, returning letters to those looking for love.
After listening to the audio version of the book, I was disappointed to learn that the narrator was not the author. It was well told but would have been more authentic if the experiences were shared by Glenn himself. If readers are looking for more information, Glenn's website hosts many pictures of Verona including the statue of Juliet.
My daughter will likely be reading Romeo and Juliet in grade 9 and I may have to reread the play as she studies it. Juliet's Answer has also inspired me to investigate the offerings at Stratford and Romeo and Juliet will be featured this summer. I sure hope that my daughter has a teacher who shares Glenn's enthusiasm for Romeo and Juliet and I am looking forward to meeting the him at he Grimsby Author Series event.
Juliet's Answer: One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak is the heartwarming account of Glenn Dixon's struggles in relationships and his search for love. This memoir will be featured at the 2017-18 Grimsby Author Series, in the fall, and I look forward to meeting the author who bravely quit his job and travelled to Verona in search of himself and yearning for love.
Glenn was a highschool teacher. He had a passion for Romeo and Juliet and was striving to engage a group of unique students to learn from this Shakespearean play. He created interest and through readings, enactments and even a mock court case as the class discussed the play and the fate of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Each of the students gained insight from the class discussions into their own struggles.
Glenn had travelled to Verona the previous summer and volunteered as Juliet's secretary at the Juliet Club. Letter writers from around to world write to Juliet hoping for answers about love and relationships. These epistles come in many languages and a volunteer group of secretaries write back to the if there is a return address.
"The Juliet Club has been handling Juliet’s mail for many years; this unique phenomenon has made Verona the world-wide known “capital of love”. Addressed to “Juliet, Verona” thousands of letters arrive from all over the world and our team of volunteers replies to each and every one of them in the name of the most famous heroine in literature keeping alive this extraordinary epistolary tradition". (Juliet Club website)
Once Glen realized that he would never have a relationship with the woman he loved he quit his teaching job and headed back to Verona for a fresh start. In Verona, he learned about himself as he reflected on the content of the letters and the responses he was writing. He also described Verona in a way that makes the reader want to pack their bags and explore!
Juliet's Answer is a memoir to enjoy and inspired me to search for more information about the Juliet Club. According to the club's website, thousands of letters have been received since the 1930s and each letter is carefully read, translated and a response sent. The letters are kept in a special archive. Travellers can volunteer for one day or more, returning letters to those looking for love.
After listening to the audio version of the book, I was disappointed to learn that the narrator was not the author. It was well told but would have been more authentic if the experiences were shared by Glenn himself. If readers are looking for more information, Glenn's website hosts many pictures of Verona including the statue of Juliet.
My daughter will likely be reading Romeo and Juliet in grade 9 and I may have to reread the play as she studies it. Juliet's Answer has also inspired me to investigate the offerings at Stratford and Romeo and Juliet will be featured this summer. I sure hope that my daughter has a teacher who shares Glenn's enthusiasm for Romeo and Juliet and I am looking forward to meeting the him at he Grimsby Author Series event.
February 4, 2017
All my reviews can be found at ivereadthis.com
Before I dive into my review, I should come right out and say that the author Glenn Dixon is a friend of mine. I met him shortly after I moved to Calgary and I don’t know exactly how we came to be friends, but I do know that I would see him out at numerous book events, and the rest is history. Although he’s my pal, I promise this is an honest review. If I read the book and didn’t like it (which would have been incredibly awkward, to say the least) I simply wouldn’t have reviewed it. Such is the risk* I take when befriending authors and publishing book reviews at the same time.
I read Glenn’s last book a few years ago, Tripping the World Fantastic, and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. But many people clearly disagreed with me because it was nominated for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize, so lots of people did love it. I’m so excited to say that I didn’t have that same experience with his latest release Juliet’s Answer, because I fell head over heels in love with this book.
One reason to pick up Juliet’s Answer is the unique premise. It’s a memoir and a love story, written from a man’s (!) perspective. Glenn is a world traveller, and after having taught Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet in his high school classroom for 20 years, he decides to travel to Verona where the (supposedly) real-life Romeo and Juliet’s story played out. While there, he volunteers for an official club that responds to the thousands of letters a year that are sent to ‘Juliet’, asking for her advice on love. Why people want advice from a young girl who died mere days after experiencing true love is beyond me (aren’t there better authorities on the matter who maybe lived a bit longer?) but I’m clearly a cynic. Glenn was too, as he was driven back to Verona by heartbreak, but there is a happy ending to this story, and hint hint, it involves him falling deeply in love again.
What makes this book so fantastic is the fact that Glenn effortlessly weaves various story lines into an easy to follow and suspenseful narrative. While he describes his travels he also tells the story of teaching the famous play to one of his classes, which is hilarious. This is probably my favourite part of the book, because his inner dialogue as a teacher is priceless. We get to know some of his students and their own personal stories, while at the same time he describes his own love troubles; his balance of humour and heartbreak is brilliant. At the same time, he drops in a few interesting points of research about the science of love and how we’ve come to view it over the centuries. Plus there are fabulous pictures at the end, so we get to see all the beautiful places he’s visited. What’s not to love?
*My husband claims I never take any risks-well there you have it, proof that I do!
Before I dive into my review, I should come right out and say that the author Glenn Dixon is a friend of mine. I met him shortly after I moved to Calgary and I don’t know exactly how we came to be friends, but I do know that I would see him out at numerous book events, and the rest is history. Although he’s my pal, I promise this is an honest review. If I read the book and didn’t like it (which would have been incredibly awkward, to say the least) I simply wouldn’t have reviewed it. Such is the risk* I take when befriending authors and publishing book reviews at the same time.
I read Glenn’s last book a few years ago, Tripping the World Fantastic, and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. But many people clearly disagreed with me because it was nominated for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize, so lots of people did love it. I’m so excited to say that I didn’t have that same experience with his latest release Juliet’s Answer, because I fell head over heels in love with this book.
One reason to pick up Juliet’s Answer is the unique premise. It’s a memoir and a love story, written from a man’s (!) perspective. Glenn is a world traveller, and after having taught Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet in his high school classroom for 20 years, he decides to travel to Verona where the (supposedly) real-life Romeo and Juliet’s story played out. While there, he volunteers for an official club that responds to the thousands of letters a year that are sent to ‘Juliet’, asking for her advice on love. Why people want advice from a young girl who died mere days after experiencing true love is beyond me (aren’t there better authorities on the matter who maybe lived a bit longer?) but I’m clearly a cynic. Glenn was too, as he was driven back to Verona by heartbreak, but there is a happy ending to this story, and hint hint, it involves him falling deeply in love again.
What makes this book so fantastic is the fact that Glenn effortlessly weaves various story lines into an easy to follow and suspenseful narrative. While he describes his travels he also tells the story of teaching the famous play to one of his classes, which is hilarious. This is probably my favourite part of the book, because his inner dialogue as a teacher is priceless. We get to know some of his students and their own personal stories, while at the same time he describes his own love troubles; his balance of humour and heartbreak is brilliant. At the same time, he drops in a few interesting points of research about the science of love and how we’ve come to view it over the centuries. Plus there are fabulous pictures at the end, so we get to see all the beautiful places he’s visited. What’s not to love?
*My husband claims I never take any risks-well there you have it, proof that I do!
February 16, 2017
What a piece of crap book by a piece of crap author. I think it's disgusting and shameful at how he has treated 'the love of his life' Claire after she made a decision that put a finality to his hopes of being with her. She had said that she didn't want to be with him, didn't find him attractive obviously and yet he decided to hold onto a very slim chance that she would change her mind. She didn't. I'm confused as to why so many people are sympathetic to him and are calling Claire 'breathtakingly callous'. He was breathtakingly optimistic in the face of outright rejection - for years! What an idiot. He deserves no sympathy. She was upfront and never led him on or even kissed him. So pathetic. It's brutal how he has hung her out to dry in order to have a 'bombshell' for his book. Without the Claire piece, it's a tiring and weak read in the extreme. This only gives the media something to write a review about, gives some mystery to an otherwise crap book. What could the bombshell be? Oooooh...
This 'heartbreak' conveniently explains why he goes on his 'search for love' and comes at his dearest friends expense. What a shallow, selfish and disloyal 'friend'.
This 'heartbreak' conveniently explains why he goes on his 'search for love' and comes at his dearest friends expense. What a shallow, selfish and disloyal 'friend'.
May 19, 2017
Truly entertaining! I didn't look at the pictures or read the note to readers until I read the book. I was so enchanted I wanted to picture everyone in my own mind. I loved the students - each and everyone of the them. I enjoyed hearing about the lives of Juliet's secretaries and the office and scenery - so much to take in. I know this is a memoir but it read like fiction and it makes me so happy that it actually happened. A wonderful love story that is sure to become a family treasure and a good read.
January 31, 2017
3.5 stars. This book was a light, bright shiny read; a palate cleanser after the violence of The Orenda. I enjoyed the classroom scenes where students learned about Romeo and Juliet, interspersed with the details of Verona and the Secretaries of Juliet. Glenn Dixon has done a good job with this creative non-fiction book.
May 10, 2017
2.5 stars
While I enjoyed reading about Shakespeare and Verona and Romeo & Juliet, I found the parts about the author and his 'love' story a bit dull. I also found the dialogue stilted and I couldn't really get the chemistry between him and Desiree at the end.
But, made me want to visit Verona and re-read Romeo & Juliet.
While I enjoyed reading about Shakespeare and Verona and Romeo & Juliet, I found the parts about the author and his 'love' story a bit dull. I also found the dialogue stilted and I couldn't really get the chemistry between him and Desiree at the end.
But, made me want to visit Verona and re-read Romeo & Juliet.
November 21, 2017
Why I picked it — Because I loved the premise and the setting.
Reminded me of… Eat Pray Love - for the journey, romance, and travel aspects
For my full review — click here
Reminded me of… Eat Pray Love - for the journey, romance, and travel aspects
For my full review — click here
February 17, 2017
2.5 stars. . there was a nice flow to the writing style, but it just seemed a bit tedious. Maybe just not my cup of tea
March 8, 2024
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the book club I wouldn’t have finished this book!
December 30, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GmX5...
Wow.
Ich bin total begeistert von diesem Buch und konnte es nicht weglegen. Es ist eine Liebeserklärung, Offenbarung und irgendwas dazwischen.
Dieses Buch beruht auf einer wahren Geschichte, nämlich die des Autors selbst.
Glenn ist in seine beste Freundin verliebt und das seit vielen Jahren, doch sie erwidert es nicht.
Glenn ist Lehrer und er nimmt mit seiner Klasse "Romeo und Julia" von William Shakespeare durch und analysiert es bis ins Detail - und das so genial, dass ich jedes Mal eine Gänsehaut hatte.
In den Sommerferien reist Glenn nach Verona und schließt sich dort "Julias Sekretärinnen" an. Denn am berühmtesten Balkon der Welt gibt es einen Briefkasten und dort werfen viele Menschen ihre Sorgen niedergeschrieben auf Papier hinein. Glenn beginnt sie zu lesen und zu beantworten, wie viele andere in diesem Büro.
**
Ich bin ehrlich: ich weiß nicht, wie ich diese wundervolle Geschichte in Worte fassen soll. Was ich alles gelernt und herausgefunden habe, ist fantastisch. Viele Mythen gibt es um und über "Romeo und Julia" und einige werden dort aufgedeckt oder zumindest angegangen. Ich bin wirklich begeistert und überzeugt, dass dieses Buch die Liebe zu Shakespeare tatsächlich wiederspiegelt und nicht wie andere, sie niedermacht.
Wir wissen: Julia wird mit ihren jungen Jahren zur Ehe mit Prince gedrängt und sie möchte das auf keinen Fall. Sie würde lieber den Tod wählen, als ... In dem Buch wird Romeo als ihr Rettungsanker gezeigt, als ihren Ausweg aus etwas, was sie nicht möchte.
In Glenns Klasse gibt es ein Mädchen, welches ein ähnliches Schicksal erwartet, wie Julia. och die Schule setzt sich für das Mädchen ein ...
Auch toll ist, das Glenn mit seiner Klasse "Romeo und Julia" nicht nur durchgeht und list, sondern auch einzelne Szenen durchspielt und eben komplett durchleuchtet. So etwas hätte ich mir in der Schule auch gewünscht.
Ach ja, das Buch läuft anders, als man es annimmt und das hat mir wahnsinnig gut gefallen.
Wow.
Ich bin total begeistert von diesem Buch und konnte es nicht weglegen. Es ist eine Liebeserklärung, Offenbarung und irgendwas dazwischen.
Dieses Buch beruht auf einer wahren Geschichte, nämlich die des Autors selbst.
Glenn ist in seine beste Freundin verliebt und das seit vielen Jahren, doch sie erwidert es nicht.
Glenn ist Lehrer und er nimmt mit seiner Klasse "Romeo und Julia" von William Shakespeare durch und analysiert es bis ins Detail - und das so genial, dass ich jedes Mal eine Gänsehaut hatte.
In den Sommerferien reist Glenn nach Verona und schließt sich dort "Julias Sekretärinnen" an. Denn am berühmtesten Balkon der Welt gibt es einen Briefkasten und dort werfen viele Menschen ihre Sorgen niedergeschrieben auf Papier hinein. Glenn beginnt sie zu lesen und zu beantworten, wie viele andere in diesem Büro.
**
Ich bin ehrlich: ich weiß nicht, wie ich diese wundervolle Geschichte in Worte fassen soll. Was ich alles gelernt und herausgefunden habe, ist fantastisch. Viele Mythen gibt es um und über "Romeo und Julia" und einige werden dort aufgedeckt oder zumindest angegangen. Ich bin wirklich begeistert und überzeugt, dass dieses Buch die Liebe zu Shakespeare tatsächlich wiederspiegelt und nicht wie andere, sie niedermacht.
Wir wissen: Julia wird mit ihren jungen Jahren zur Ehe mit Prince gedrängt und sie möchte das auf keinen Fall. Sie würde lieber den Tod wählen, als ... In dem Buch wird Romeo als ihr Rettungsanker gezeigt, als ihren Ausweg aus etwas, was sie nicht möchte.
In Glenns Klasse gibt es ein Mädchen, welches ein ähnliches Schicksal erwartet, wie Julia. och die Schule setzt sich für das Mädchen ein ...
Auch toll ist, das Glenn mit seiner Klasse "Romeo und Julia" nicht nur durchgeht und list, sondern auch einzelne Szenen durchspielt und eben komplett durchleuchtet. So etwas hätte ich mir in der Schule auch gewünscht.
Ach ja, das Buch läuft anders, als man es annimmt und das hat mir wahnsinnig gut gefallen.
December 27, 2017
Manchmal gibt es ja Leseproben, die lesen sich recht gut, doch das komplette Buch kann mich aus irgendeinem Grund nicht überzeugen. Bei Wie ich dank Shakespeare in Verona die große Liebe fand von Glenn Dixon war das ganz und gar nicht der Fall. Schon die Leseprobe fand ich bezaubernd und ich bin so froh, dass ich "den Rest" ebenfalls gelesen habe, denn Glenn Dixons wahre Geschichte ist wunderschön!
Der Lehrer Glenn Dixon erzählt davon, wie er - enttäuscht von der Liebe - nach Verona geht, um dort als "Julias Sekretär" zu arbeiten. In Verona kommen jedes Jahr mehr als 10.000 Briefe an - adressiert an Julia (ja, die Julia aus Romeo & Julia). Unglaublich! Diese gelangen in ein eigens dafür eingerichtetes Büro und um dieser Briefeflut Herr zu werden, bietet Glenn seine Hilfe bei der Beantwortung an. Dabei lernt er auch viel über sich, das Leben, die Liebe.....
Bereits nach den ersten Seiten hat Glenn Dixon mich "gehabt". Er schreibt authentisch und berührend, ich konnte mich gut in seine Lage versetzen - sein aussichtsloses Sehnen nach Claire, sein Hoffen, dass sich doch noch etwas entwickelt. So ist die Liebe.... Glenn Dixon überzeugt auch mit seiner Sprache, in der ersten Hälfte des Buchs beschreibt er einen abendlichen Spaziergang zu Julias Haus und danach durch die Altstadt mit ihrer besonderen Stimmung und dem Licht - ich war begeistert und wollte sofort nach Verona fahren. Und diesen Gedanken hatte ich nicht zum letzten Mal. Nachdem ich das Buch beendet hatte, wollte ich sowohl Urlaub in Verona machen als auch sofort Shakespeares Romeo und Julia noch einmal lesen. Wenn das kein Verdienst des Autors ist.
Berührend waren natürlich auch die Briefe der bei Julia Hilfesuchenden, ganz besonders der Brief der schwerkranken Erin hat mich zu Tränen gerührt. Mir gefällt die Vorstellung, dass Menschen auf der ganzen Welt sich hinsetzen, ihre Gedanken aufschreiben und an eine fiktive Person in Italien schicken. Nun ja, Kinder machen das ja auch mit ihren Briefen an den Weihnachtsmann.
Fazit: Begeistert habe ich Glenn Dixons Buch gelesen und denke auch noch nach Beendigung über die Geschichte nach. Mir schwirrt sie als schöner Gedanke im Kopf herum, die Liebe, Romeo & Julia, Verona.... Wie ich dank Shakespeare in Verona die große Liebe fand ist ein wundervolles Buch!
Der Lehrer Glenn Dixon erzählt davon, wie er - enttäuscht von der Liebe - nach Verona geht, um dort als "Julias Sekretär" zu arbeiten. In Verona kommen jedes Jahr mehr als 10.000 Briefe an - adressiert an Julia (ja, die Julia aus Romeo & Julia). Unglaublich! Diese gelangen in ein eigens dafür eingerichtetes Büro und um dieser Briefeflut Herr zu werden, bietet Glenn seine Hilfe bei der Beantwortung an. Dabei lernt er auch viel über sich, das Leben, die Liebe.....
Bereits nach den ersten Seiten hat Glenn Dixon mich "gehabt". Er schreibt authentisch und berührend, ich konnte mich gut in seine Lage versetzen - sein aussichtsloses Sehnen nach Claire, sein Hoffen, dass sich doch noch etwas entwickelt. So ist die Liebe.... Glenn Dixon überzeugt auch mit seiner Sprache, in der ersten Hälfte des Buchs beschreibt er einen abendlichen Spaziergang zu Julias Haus und danach durch die Altstadt mit ihrer besonderen Stimmung und dem Licht - ich war begeistert und wollte sofort nach Verona fahren. Und diesen Gedanken hatte ich nicht zum letzten Mal. Nachdem ich das Buch beendet hatte, wollte ich sowohl Urlaub in Verona machen als auch sofort Shakespeares Romeo und Julia noch einmal lesen. Wenn das kein Verdienst des Autors ist.
Berührend waren natürlich auch die Briefe der bei Julia Hilfesuchenden, ganz besonders der Brief der schwerkranken Erin hat mich zu Tränen gerührt. Mir gefällt die Vorstellung, dass Menschen auf der ganzen Welt sich hinsetzen, ihre Gedanken aufschreiben und an eine fiktive Person in Italien schicken. Nun ja, Kinder machen das ja auch mit ihren Briefen an den Weihnachtsmann.
Fazit: Begeistert habe ich Glenn Dixons Buch gelesen und denke auch noch nach Beendigung über die Geschichte nach. Mir schwirrt sie als schöner Gedanke im Kopf herum, die Liebe, Romeo & Julia, Verona.... Wie ich dank Shakespeare in Verona die große Liebe fand ist ein wundervolles Buch!
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