You Left Early, Louisa Young
You Left Early, Louisa Young
8 Rating(s)
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

You Left Early

Author: Louisa Young

Narrator: Louisa Young

Unabridged: 12 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 06/28/2018


Synopsis

‘Extraordinarily powerful’ Emma Thompson There are a million love stories, and a million stories of addiction. This one is transcendent. Louisa Young met Robert Lockhart when they were both 17. Their stop-start romance lasted decades, in which time he became a celebrated composer and she, an acclaimed novelist. This is both a compelling portrait of a lifelong love affair, and an incredibly affecting guide to how the partner of a 'charismatic, infuriating, adorable, self-sabotaging’ alcoholic can find the strength to survive when the disease rips both their lives apart. ‘Rich and moving and beautifully written’ ‘Spectacular. I can’t stop thinking about it’ Cathy Rentzenbrink ‘Extraordinarily candid’ ‘Beautiful, and heartbreaking, and true’ Sam Baker, ‘Moving, harrowing and tirelessly empathetic’

About Louisa Young

Louisa Young was born in London and read history at Cambridge. She co-wrote the Lionboy series with her daughter, and is the author of eight further books including the bestselling My Dear I Wanted to Tell You, which was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award, and was a Richard and Judy Book Club choice, and its acclaimed sequels The Heroes’ Welcome and Devotion. Her work is published in 36 languages. She lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alice on May 20, 2019

This is a book for anyone who has ever been or loved an addict, and everyone else too really. Beautifully written and unsparing in its honesty, it charts the course of love, life, grief and hope. Highly recommended. I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. It's honest, heartbreaki......more

Goodreads review by Caroline on January 17, 2019

A beautiful, heroic book that must have been hell to write. Young writes the biography of her relationship with genius composer and tragic alcoholic—and eventual mal vivant (thank you Guardian obituary)—Robert Lockhart. A sobering snapshot of the brutal emotional and physical damage alcoholism can i......more

Goodreads review by Rosie on April 02, 2021

The first 100 pages were a struggle to read, however if you persevere with it, it gets better and more interesting. This book went from 1☆ when I first started reading it to 3.5☆......more

Goodreads review by Mae on May 09, 2021

Tänuväärne kogemus kaante vahele pandud, aga kohati jäi mu jaoks eklektiliseks või katkendlikuks. Kuigi autor järgis kronoloogilist ajajoont, siis ometi olid mingid veidrad lüngad. Võis ka muidugi olla, et kuna tegemist on omas ringkonnas tuntud inimestega, siis eeldas autor, et lugejal on arvestata......more

Goodreads review by Josa on August 16, 2018

This is the deeply personal memoir of a long relationship between a writer and a composer who glanced off each other's lives for years and years before coming to rest. The rest was a long time a-coming as the composer, Robert Lockhart, was an alcoholic, and the writer, Louisa Young, was busy bringin......more


Quotes

‘Rich and moving and beautifully written’ ‘An extraordinarily powerful and moving work – for all… An achingly beautiful book which I devoured in two sittings. Amazing’ ‘Spectacular. I can’t stop thinking about it. Louisa Young is a beautiful, beautiful writer and there is great courage and love in the way she addresses her subject. It’s the portrait of a man and his times and his illness told with love but also with an unflinching honesty that feels like a great gift to the reader’ ‘Beautiful but, yes, sobering story … it is, at heart, an old-fashioned love’ ‘Extraordinarily candid… As much as it’s an overwhelming love letter, Young’s book is also a sobering reminder of the devastating effects of alcoholism, not just on an individual’s life, but on everyone else around them’ ‘The most riveting, heartbreaking book I've ever read about addiction, but above all about the nature of love. Already one of my books of the year’ ‘Brave, honest and beautiful’ ‘Louisa Young's memoir of her long, bruising love for musical genius Robert Lockhart is as honest as the morning after and the best account of loving against all sense since Penelope Mortimer’s ’ ‘I’m still fucking crying. And it’s such a great work of art. I wish I'd read it before I worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor’ ‘Oh my God, it’s so beautiful, and heartbreaking, and true’ 'Had me weeping into my pillow… Anyone who has ever loved an addict will recognise most of what she has to say’ ‘An important book, one that demands we rethink a culture of blame around alcoholism … moving, harrowing and tirelessly empathetic’