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Currency
If You Are Lonely and You Know It
He tends to his garden and bees. He keeps quiet. He avoids drama. Until one transgression causes an emotional adventure in this heartfelt short story by Yiyun Li, a PEN/Hemingway Award–winning author.
Lonely, thanklessly courteous, and without the benefit of status, Gordon Schulmeister is only tolerated in his younger, hip, and gentrified Oakland neighborhood. Now, amid the tensions of a pandemic, the cantankerousness of his landlord, and dog sitting an intimidating pit bull, Gordon has never felt the target on his back so acutely. To keep his neighbors off his heels, with some hope and a sigh, Gordon might have to finally speak up.
Yiyun Li’s If You Are Lonely and You Know It is part of Currency, a compounding collection of stories about wealth, class, competition, and collapse. If time is money, deposit here with interest. Read or listen in a single sitting.
Lonely, thanklessly courteous, and without the benefit of status, Gordon Schulmeister is only tolerated in his younger, hip, and gentrified Oakland neighborhood. Now, amid the tensions of a pandemic, the cantankerousness of his landlord, and dog sitting an intimidating pit bull, Gordon has never felt the target on his back so acutely. To keep his neighbors off his heels, with some hope and a sigh, Gordon might have to finally speak up.
Yiyun Li’s If You Are Lonely and You Know It is part of Currency, a compounding collection of stories about wealth, class, competition, and collapse. If time is money, deposit here with interest. Read or listen in a single sitting.
24 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2021
291 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Yiyun Li
61 books1,780 followersYiyun Li is the author of seven books, including Where Reasons End, which received the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; the essay collection Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life; and the novels The Vagrants and Must I Go. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, and Windham-Campbell Prize, among other honors. A contributing editor to A Public Space, she teaches at Princeton University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
March 6, 2022
3.5 stars
April 1, 2021
Staying fully present in the moment may avoid excessive worry about the future.
December 5, 2024
Single Life
Gordon is 62 and has been married twice and abandoned by his mother once. He is a renter living in the add on apartment owned by the woman who watched over him after his mother left.
Iris is really the only person Gordon interacts with except his stepdaughter who asked him to watch her pit bull. The dog causes him to interact with the neighbors, though Gordon is always polite even when talking to himself.
This is kind of a time-in-life story that is kind of sad. Well written with the characters well hashed out. Four stars
Gordon is 62 and has been married twice and abandoned by his mother once. He is a renter living in the add on apartment owned by the woman who watched over him after his mother left.
Iris is really the only person Gordon interacts with except his stepdaughter who asked him to watch her pit bull. The dog causes him to interact with the neighbors, though Gordon is always polite even when talking to himself.
This is kind of a time-in-life story that is kind of sad. Well written with the characters well hashed out. Four stars
April 4, 2021
3.5 stars.
There are 8 short stories in the Amazon Original collection titled Currency. Friends, trends, and dividends - a compounding collection of stories about wealth, class, competition, and collapse.
This is #2 of 8, and I liked this one better than the first. Set in a gentrified Oakland, this tale revolves around two characters, and the tensions of both the COVID-19 lock down and a visiting canine. The writing and characterization are really good, and I liked the themes explored. Again I felt the ending was rather abrupt, and while this won't stay long with me, I enjoyed it while reading.
I listened to this on audio, which was well narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner.
There are 8 short stories in the Amazon Original collection titled Currency. Friends, trends, and dividends - a compounding collection of stories about wealth, class, competition, and collapse.
This is #2 of 8, and I liked this one better than the first. Set in a gentrified Oakland, this tale revolves around two characters, and the tensions of both the COVID-19 lock down and a visiting canine. The writing and characterization are really good, and I liked the themes explored. Again I felt the ending was rather abrupt, and while this won't stay long with me, I enjoyed it while reading.
I listened to this on audio, which was well narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner.
May 25, 2021
This is a thoughtful, interesting story that covers a lot of themes, including gentrification, ageism, parenthood, mental health, isolation, and the environment (specifically wildfires). It’s the first story I’ve read that’s so contemporary that Covid-19 is discussed, both in details (ex.: Van Gogh’s sunflowers on a mask) and in the stress and isolation of lockdowns. I appreciated that the prejudice against pit bulls was brought up, and that it was the main character’s motivation to reflect on his life. As usual, I love Li’s characterizations, but they were a bit crowded in this short story; it would have been a fantastic if it was longer.
November 15, 2022
Status Quo
Li tackles problems that are faced by people who have a lower economic status: "Homeowner—what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home. Another point: "speaking does not guarantee a reply; being listened to and responded to requires status. And again: "You hold on to some things for sentimental reasons, and other things for practical reasons. The same with people—most of them."
In her book, her protaganist, "Gordon liked to feel puzzled by un-pressing matters. They were worthier of his imagination: pressing matters do not allow the luxury of hypothesizing without ever having to come to a conclusion.
"(Some) nights Gordon felt that perhaps talking to himself and the trees and the flowers and animals was not enough. After a conversation with his neighbor, Edwin, Gordon realizes: " The world is full of random dangers that threaten to turn lives into statistics. The rational make forecasts and predict with data sets. Parents do not give birth to and raise data sets. Parenthood is not some special currency,” Iris said. “Being a parent is not a status thing. There is never as good a parent as the one who doesn’t give birth to a child,”
“Half the world believes the wrong things. The other half doesn’t believe the right things.” - Iris in If You are Lonely and You Know It (Currency)
Li tackles problems that are faced by people who have a lower economic status: "Homeowner—what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home. Another point: "speaking does not guarantee a reply; being listened to and responded to requires status. And again: "You hold on to some things for sentimental reasons, and other things for practical reasons. The same with people—most of them."
In her book, her protaganist, "Gordon liked to feel puzzled by un-pressing matters. They were worthier of his imagination: pressing matters do not allow the luxury of hypothesizing without ever having to come to a conclusion.
"(Some) nights Gordon felt that perhaps talking to himself and the trees and the flowers and animals was not enough. After a conversation with his neighbor, Edwin, Gordon realizes: " The world is full of random dangers that threaten to turn lives into statistics. The rational make forecasts and predict with data sets. Parents do not give birth to and raise data sets. Parenthood is not some special currency,” Iris said. “Being a parent is not a status thing. There is never as good a parent as the one who doesn’t give birth to a child,”
“Half the world believes the wrong things. The other half doesn’t believe the right things.” - Iris in If You are Lonely and You Know It (Currency)
June 17, 2021
Gordon is retired and lives in a gentrified neighbourhood. He's pet-sitting a pitbull for his Stepdaughter but the neighbours don't want the dog around because of the stereotypes associated with the breed.
This was one of my least favourites of the collection at the time of reading but interstingly it's one of the ones that has stayed with me since. It's a sharp observation on how neighbourhoods change and develop over time, and how the older population can sometimes be viewed in society.
This was one of my least favourites of the collection at the time of reading but interstingly it's one of the ones that has stayed with me since. It's a sharp observation on how neighbourhoods change and develop over time, and how the older population can sometimes be viewed in society.
September 25, 2021
I agree with other reviewers that this story is quiet and thoughtful, and it's one of my favorites of capturing a current moment, especially in California, where masks are worn, fire is a worry, and gentrification creep feels constant. I liked the literary qualities of the unusual characters and the subversion and challenges to societal ideas of motherhood. There is a lot contained in this little story.
October 11, 2022
Very odd short story that did't go anywhere.
November 26, 2022
a sadly very realistic story and snippet of a life about a man that takes in a pit-bull and the reaction of the neighbors to that.
well written with fantastic sentiments and great sentences.
well written with fantastic sentiments and great sentences.
February 4, 2025
This met the 52 Book Club – Lunar New Year Challenge for me because of Gordon, who contemplated situations carefully, offering wisdom and insights in subtle ways. I liked his reflective nature. The ending was clever, wrapping up the story well, even if somewhat abrupt. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Gordon and wished he had felt less isolated.
June 14, 2021
This was my introduction to the work of Yiyun Li, and I will be adding her work to by TBR pile in the future! She crafted a spare and lovely little story in the hills of Oakland. Gordon, an older man and temporary caretaker of a large boisterous dog, is at odds with the world. He's at odds with the neighborhood, with his neighbors, with his peers, and with his family. He isn't a bad man- he's just a man that time forgot. He's the only renter in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. The HOA is not happy with his large dog, and he is holding on to a very tenuous connection to a former step daughter by holding onto the leash of this dog. She needs help, he doesn't know how to care for her, but he does know how to care for the dog. Do not worry, pet readers: there is no animal peril afoot; only the crushing mantle of human loneliness. This piece also comments on our current pandemic climate, but in a more effective way than Tolentino's.
March 22, 2021
Interesting look at community during the pandemic and how a pitbull is a source of new tension.
September 14, 2021
by Yiyun Li
"Homeowner - what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home"
Oh man - so many thought provoking moments in such a short space of time!
The first thing that jumped out at me was the obvious breed specific hatred that people aim at certain dogs (I guess the same way we do with humans) - not for having done anything, but for simply daring to exist, happily.
It was the rude way in which people go about addressing others that they think are in the wrong but don't see the irony of how wrong it is that they treat people a certain way while trying to get their "correct" opinion across.
The dismissive way we, as people, tend to talk to those whom we see as 'lesser' than us or having a lower social status.
As someone without children yet myself, I have never had an issue with putting kids first - after all they are the next generation, they are vulnerable, their lives matter more right? WRONG!
We all matter and I cannot say I haven't had times where a parent (sometimes a complete stranger to me) has expected me to raise their wants and needs far above my own because of their decision to start a family "...like that little woman Vicky strut around and demand all these special treatments, all these things they have no right to demand because...what? They belong to that species called parents?". And I'm not talking about the standard things that make us decent human beings with regards to how we treat and prioritise children and just other people in general. I'm talking about absolutely ridiculous demands that are actually on the parent themselves to deliver, but they've come to believe I am part of the 'lesser' that should step aside for them and elevate their demands above my own quality of life.
What Li does fabulously here, is right when I started to feel that similar twang of annoyance that I get when I encounter these people in real life, she reminded me that there are also so many people out there who understand that their struggle is no greater than a childless person and our fears, however irrational they may seem, are valid.
I am so glad Gordon's character has the company and advice of old Iris Blessing who just doesn't give a flying HOOT! She doesn't care for pretentious attitudes and unreasonable requests and reminds him that it's ok to ignore those who base their worth on having a less than savoury personality and a nose up in the air "...don't let those people bully you!"
"Homeowner - what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home"
Oh man - so many thought provoking moments in such a short space of time!
The first thing that jumped out at me was the obvious breed specific hatred that people aim at certain dogs (I guess the same way we do with humans) - not for having done anything, but for simply daring to exist, happily.
It was the rude way in which people go about addressing others that they think are in the wrong but don't see the irony of how wrong it is that they treat people a certain way while trying to get their "correct" opinion across.
The dismissive way we, as people, tend to talk to those whom we see as 'lesser' than us or having a lower social status.
As someone without children yet myself, I have never had an issue with putting kids first - after all they are the next generation, they are vulnerable, their lives matter more right? WRONG!
We all matter and I cannot say I haven't had times where a parent (sometimes a complete stranger to me) has expected me to raise their wants and needs far above my own because of their decision to start a family "...like that little woman Vicky strut around and demand all these special treatments, all these things they have no right to demand because...what? They belong to that species called parents?". And I'm not talking about the standard things that make us decent human beings with regards to how we treat and prioritise children and just other people in general. I'm talking about absolutely ridiculous demands that are actually on the parent themselves to deliver, but they've come to believe I am part of the 'lesser' that should step aside for them and elevate their demands above my own quality of life.
What Li does fabulously here, is right when I started to feel that similar twang of annoyance that I get when I encounter these people in real life, she reminded me that there are also so many people out there who understand that their struggle is no greater than a childless person and our fears, however irrational they may seem, are valid.
I am so glad Gordon's character has the company and advice of old Iris Blessing who just doesn't give a flying HOOT! She doesn't care for pretentious attitudes and unreasonable requests and reminds him that it's ok to ignore those who base their worth on having a less than savoury personality and a nose up in the air "...don't let those people bully you!"
January 18, 2025
Yiyun Li’s If You Are Lonely and You Know It is a tender, haunting, and exquisitely written exploration of loneliness, longing, and human fragility. Known for her ability to weave emotionally complex narratives, Li once again captures the quiet intensity of isolated lives and the peculiar ways in which people connect—or fail to.
The book follows a collection of characters whose lives intersect in surprising and poignant ways, often tied by their shared solitude. Each story examines the inner worlds of these individuals, shedding light on their desires, regrets, and the elusive quest for meaning in a world that often feels indifferent. Li’s prose is sharp yet compassionate, giving voice to emotions that are difficult to articulate yet deeply familiar to anyone who has experienced loneliness.
What sets Li apart as a storyteller is her unflinching honesty. She avoids romanticizing loneliness, instead presenting it as a natural part of the human condition. Her characters are flawed, sometimes painfully so, but their vulnerability makes them profoundly relatable. Through them, Li delves into universal questions: What does it mean to be alone? Can connection truly heal, or does it only provide temporary relief?
Li’s writing is spare yet lyrical, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and expansive. Her ability to capture small, seemingly inconsequential moments and turn them into profound reflections on life is remarkable. The result is a work that feels deeply personal, as though she’s speaking directly to each reader.
If You Are Lonely and You Know It is not a book that provides easy answers, but it is one that offers solace in its understanding. It’s a masterful meditation on the quiet ache of existence, a reminder that while loneliness is a shared human experience, so too is the capacity for empathy and connection.
A must-read for fans of introspective fiction, this collection reaffirms Yiyun Li’s place as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary literature.
The book follows a collection of characters whose lives intersect in surprising and poignant ways, often tied by their shared solitude. Each story examines the inner worlds of these individuals, shedding light on their desires, regrets, and the elusive quest for meaning in a world that often feels indifferent. Li’s prose is sharp yet compassionate, giving voice to emotions that are difficult to articulate yet deeply familiar to anyone who has experienced loneliness.
What sets Li apart as a storyteller is her unflinching honesty. She avoids romanticizing loneliness, instead presenting it as a natural part of the human condition. Her characters are flawed, sometimes painfully so, but their vulnerability makes them profoundly relatable. Through them, Li delves into universal questions: What does it mean to be alone? Can connection truly heal, or does it only provide temporary relief?
Li’s writing is spare yet lyrical, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and expansive. Her ability to capture small, seemingly inconsequential moments and turn them into profound reflections on life is remarkable. The result is a work that feels deeply personal, as though she’s speaking directly to each reader.
If You Are Lonely and You Know It is not a book that provides easy answers, but it is one that offers solace in its understanding. It’s a masterful meditation on the quiet ache of existence, a reminder that while loneliness is a shared human experience, so too is the capacity for empathy and connection.
A must-read for fans of introspective fiction, this collection reaffirms Yiyun Li’s place as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary literature.
November 15, 2022
Status Quo
Li tackles problems that are faced by people who have a lower economic status: "Homeowner—what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home. Another point: "speaking does not guarantee a reply; being listened to and responded to requires status. And again: "You hold on to some things for sentimental reasons, and other things for practical reasons. The same with people—most of them."
In her book, her protaganist, "Gordon liked to feel puzzled by un-pressing matters. They were worthier of his imagination: pressing matters do not allow the luxury of hypothesizing without ever having to come to a conclusion.
"(Some) nights Gordon felt that perhaps talking to himself and the trees and the flowers and animals was not enough. After a conversation with his neighbor, Edwin, Gordon realizes: " The world is full of random dangers that threaten to turn lives into statistics. The rational make forecasts and predict with data sets. Parents do not give birth to and raise data sets. Parenthood is not some special currency,” Iris said. “Being a parent is not a status thing. There is never as good a parent as the one who doesn’t give birth to a child,”
“Half the world believes the wrong things. The other half doesn’t believe the right things.” - Iris in If You are Lonely and You Know It (Currency)
Li tackles problems that are faced by people who have a lower economic status: "Homeowner—what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home. Another point: "speaking does not guarantee a reply; being listened to and responded to requires status. And again: "You hold on to some things for sentimental reasons, and other things for practical reasons. The same with people—most of them."
In her book, her protaganist, "Gordon liked to feel puzzled by un-pressing matters. They were worthier of his imagination: pressing matters do not allow the luxury of hypothesizing without ever having to come to a conclusion.
"(Some) nights Gordon felt that perhaps talking to himself and the trees and the flowers and animals was not enough. After a conversation with his neighbor, Edwin, Gordon realizes: " The world is full of random dangers that threaten to turn lives into statistics. The rational make forecasts and predict with data sets. Parents do not give birth to and raise data sets. Parenthood is not some special currency,” Iris said. “Being a parent is not a status thing. There is never as good a parent as the one who doesn’t give birth to a child,”
“Half the world believes the wrong things. The other half doesn’t believe the right things.” - Iris in If You are Lonely and You Know It (Currency)
May 10, 2022
Twice divorced and abandoned by his mother, now sixty-some year-old Gordon is resigned to his loneliness. He lives in a tiny cottage shed behind Iris’s house, tending the garden and bee keeping. He agrees to watch pitbull Ajax in the Oakland suburb for his former step-daughter and runs afoul of the opinionated neighbors.
This is an odd piece where nothing much happens or gets resolved. However, it does introduce a lot of ideas during the slice of life musings. Covid-19 is incorporated well without seeming gimmicky. It shows how stress makes some less compassionate and understanding instead of more. It looks at the evolution of shared spaces, how we treat aging people, and when pacificism might be a problem. It mentions the bias against certain breeds of dogs. It questions whether parents are more worthwhile than those without progeny, the rights of homeowners versus renters, and any other argument others make to convince us their demands and needs are more important than our own. The downside is it doesn't resolve any of those notions before abruptly terminating. You have to bring a lot of the conversation with you as a reader which won't work for everyone.
This is an odd piece where nothing much happens or gets resolved. However, it does introduce a lot of ideas during the slice of life musings. Covid-19 is incorporated well without seeming gimmicky. It shows how stress makes some less compassionate and understanding instead of more. It looks at the evolution of shared spaces, how we treat aging people, and when pacificism might be a problem. It mentions the bias against certain breeds of dogs. It questions whether parents are more worthwhile than those without progeny, the rights of homeowners versus renters, and any other argument others make to convince us their demands and needs are more important than our own. The downside is it doesn't resolve any of those notions before abruptly terminating. You have to bring a lot of the conversation with you as a reader which won't work for everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2021
In 'If You Are Lonely and You Know It', Gordon is contented with his life of quietude - taking care of his garden, walking his stepdaughter's pit bull Ajax and chatting with Iris. However, an incident involving Ajax puts him in the spotlight.
Despite the brevity of the story, I got to know Gordon pretty well. His background, simple routine, hobbies and habits were delved into. I enjoyed the conversations between him and Iris, as well as their observations and opinions.
The incorporation of Covid-19 elements such as lockdowns and face masks brought a sense of currentness and relatability. The pit bull issue seemed to be building up to something big but ended up going nowhere.
Overall, 'If You Are Lonely and You Know It' captured the lonely serenity of the main character's life and the bleakness of the pandemic.
Despite the brevity of the story, I got to know Gordon pretty well. His background, simple routine, hobbies and habits were delved into. I enjoyed the conversations between him and Iris, as well as their observations and opinions.
The incorporation of Covid-19 elements such as lockdowns and face masks brought a sense of currentness and relatability. The pit bull issue seemed to be building up to something big but ended up going nowhere.
Overall, 'If You Are Lonely and You Know It' captured the lonely serenity of the main character's life and the bleakness of the pandemic.
December 27, 2021
If You are Lonely and You Know It is part of the Currency collection of short stories. This worked really well as a short story. It's an interesting take on loneliness during the pandemic and how our interaction with our neighbors, especially in common public spaces, has changed. Gordon normally keeps to himself and doesn't interact much with his neighbors, but tensions arise when the pit bull that he's dog sitting for becomes a "threat" in the neighborhood. There is a calmness to the writing that transfers to the calmness of the character of Gordon. I enjoyed learning about Gordon's back story and I feel like the author successfully developed the character of Gordon in this contemporary short story.
Part of The Currency Collection, short stories that explore wealth, class, competition, and collapse.
Part of The Currency Collection, short stories that explore wealth, class, competition, and collapse.
July 9, 2022
"Speaking does not guarantee a reply; being listened to and responded to requires status."
"Overall, Gordon was not liked but rather tolerated by the neighbours, but a pit bull could change all that."
Set in a community in Oakland during the pandemic & lockdown, Gordon is a retired man dog-sitting his stepdaughters pit-bull.
Gordon has good manners, but yet people think he's odd because he often tends to talk to anything that isn't human (bees, dogs, birds, oak trees, plants, etc.)
This short story covers the stereotypes of pit-bulls, the assumed status that comes with being a parent, isolation, gentrification, and the class system of this housed community.
"Gordon liked to feel puzzled by un-pressing matters. They were worthier of his imagination: pressing matters do not allow the luxury of hypothesizing without ever having to come to a conclusion."
"Overall, Gordon was not liked but rather tolerated by the neighbours, but a pit bull could change all that."
Set in a community in Oakland during the pandemic & lockdown, Gordon is a retired man dog-sitting his stepdaughters pit-bull.
Gordon has good manners, but yet people think he's odd because he often tends to talk to anything that isn't human (bees, dogs, birds, oak trees, plants, etc.)
This short story covers the stereotypes of pit-bulls, the assumed status that comes with being a parent, isolation, gentrification, and the class system of this housed community.
"Gordon liked to feel puzzled by un-pressing matters. They were worthier of his imagination: pressing matters do not allow the luxury of hypothesizing without ever having to come to a conclusion."
February 28, 2023
Castle Court sounds like it belongs on the other side of the tunnel but I'm giving this one the benefit of the doubt because there are some real nice sentences that'll I'll be ruminating on for a long while.
"Homeowner- what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home. Why not, more precisely, house owner or property owner. To own a home sounds a preposterous claim." I can already picture the people I'm going to quote this too in the future because they've put the word "homeowner" on a pedestal.
"'Parenthood is not some special currency,' Iris said. 'Being a parent is not a status thing.'" Seriously I can already see myself screaming this at entitled parents in the future.
And those are just 2 of the nuggets in this story.
"Homeowner- what a strange word, as though people living in a rented place have a lesser right to speak of the sweetness of home. Why not, more precisely, house owner or property owner. To own a home sounds a preposterous claim." I can already picture the people I'm going to quote this too in the future because they've put the word "homeowner" on a pedestal.
"'Parenthood is not some special currency,' Iris said. 'Being a parent is not a status thing.'" Seriously I can already see myself screaming this at entitled parents in the future.
And those are just 2 of the nuggets in this story.
February 29, 2024
I live in a home with a very intimidating bulldog who scares the heck out of me sometimes with his big and ferocious bark! He’s a sweet heart of a dog and very affectionate but that bark is his sworn duty I believe. He uses that bark when we get a knock on the door or when a delivery person pulls in to drop off a package or if someone puts a foot on our property as they walk by. He does a great job of warning these people that he lives here and will protect us all.
This book gave me all the emotional feelings I get for good pets and aren’t all pets just purely good? The story is short, it is sweet and it draws the reader right in.
This book gave me all the emotional feelings I get for good pets and aren’t all pets just purely good? The story is short, it is sweet and it draws the reader right in.
July 20, 2021
I don't know...
I'm not sure what to say about this short story. I was surprised to turn the kindle page and discover it was over, done, the end.
It's an essay on the thought process and.content.of a lonely and.open minded man in his early 60's. He was abandoned by his mother as a child. He believes everyone else has more right to be here than he does. He's lonely. He knows it. The end.
Maybe I'll read some other reviews to see if I missed an obvious point to the story. Maybe, but probably not.
I'm not sure what to say about this short story. I was surprised to turn the kindle page and discover it was over, done, the end.
It's an essay on the thought process and.content.of a lonely and.open minded man in his early 60's. He was abandoned by his mother as a child. He believes everyone else has more right to be here than he does. He's lonely. He knows it. The end.
Maybe I'll read some other reviews to see if I missed an obvious point to the story. Maybe, but probably not.
September 2, 2022
Gordon faded to the background when he was abandoned by his mother. Now he lives with Iris, a friend of his mom who helped raise him. The company of nature is more appealing to him than that of most people. When a kerfuffle with a dog causes talk in the neighborhood, he realizes that parents worry about every possible thing that can go wrong in their mission to keep their kids safe. Even if they don't want to be parents at all. A sobering thought to be sure. A good short story about people's need to control others and the rebellion and disdain it sparks.
March 11, 2021
I enjoyed this short story and so far it my favourite of the 8 "currency" short stories. I really liked the 2 main characters - quite different and yet alike in some ways. I loved the way the author explored the relationship and their past. The end surprised me, it was quite abrupt and my initial reaction of one of disappointment because I wanted to explore what happened next but then I thought it was actually quite a pertinent ending.
August 12, 2022
Decisions, Decisions
Some definite real life dilemmas create hard choices. Dogs must be dogs and react to other dogs around them though the results may be scary and risky to others. George’s aunt was giving unhelpful advice about his dog and I felt worried about the ultimate ending of the story, knowing that the unhappy neighbors would not rest their concerns and pressure on George to remove the dog from that neighborhood.
Some definite real life dilemmas create hard choices. Dogs must be dogs and react to other dogs around them though the results may be scary and risky to others. George’s aunt was giving unhelpful advice about his dog and I felt worried about the ultimate ending of the story, knowing that the unhappy neighbors would not rest their concerns and pressure on George to remove the dog from that neighborhood.
January 10, 2023
A look at a man whose only companions are a foster pit bull disliked by the neighborhood, and an elderly widow who rents him the bungalow on her property. These seem to be enough for him at the moment, as he goes out of his way to avoid conflicts with the neighbors and his dog, and continues taking care of his crochety elderly landlord by doing her chores and creating a garden on the property. An interesting slice of one man's life.
December 13, 2023
Good reads
This short story is a testament to Li’s masterful storytelling, weaving together richly drawn characters and thought-provoking themes. 'If You Are Lonely and You Know It' is a compelling addition to the Currency collection, offering a profound exploration of wealth, class, and the human experience. It's a captivating read that lingers, inviting reflection on the complexities of modern society and the resilience of the human spirit."
This short story is a testament to Li’s masterful storytelling, weaving together richly drawn characters and thought-provoking themes. 'If You Are Lonely and You Know It' is a compelling addition to the Currency collection, offering a profound exploration of wealth, class, and the human experience. It's a captivating read that lingers, inviting reflection on the complexities of modern society and the resilience of the human spirit."
April 26, 2025
This is one of the eight short stories in the Amazon Original series, Currency, about class and privilege. I fell in love with this story, and it broke my heart. I don't know why I related so much to this. Maybe because I'm a neurodivergent introvert and have always struggled in social situations. Maybe because there was a dog in the story. Who knows, but what matters is that Yiyun Li has a new fan, and it's me.
March 2, 2021
Wished it would have turned I to a book
I really liked this story and it's characters and also the mood..I was sorry I couldn't find out what happened next to Gordon and Ajax and Iris. There was a lot left undiscovered. But it was a very thoughtful tidbit and teaser for a novel if the author ever cared to follow them further into their futures.
I really liked this story and it's characters and also the mood..I was sorry I couldn't find out what happened next to Gordon and Ajax and Iris. There was a lot left undiscovered. But it was a very thoughtful tidbit and teaser for a novel if the author ever cared to follow them further into their futures.
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