This Book Has a Unique Musical Componen

3 weeks ago 30

cover of Songs for Other People's Weddings by David Levithan, with songs by Jens Lekman

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Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.

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David Levithan has a deep backlist of books (most of which I’ve read) and is especially known for his epic authorial collaborations. He’s cowritten YA novels with many different authors, including John Green, Jennifer Niven, Nina LaCour, and Rachel Cohn (to name a few). His latest collaboration is a novel about adults for a change. And this time, he paired up with musician Jens Lekman, instead of another writer, to create this quirky, yet beautiful story. But the book is also more than just a book. At the risk of sounding trite, it’s also an experience.

The main character of the book, J, and Jens Lekman have a few key things in common. They are both Swedish pop singers. They both wrote songs called, “If You Ever Need a Stranger (to Sing at Your Wedding).” And they both sing at the weddings of fans and friends — in fact, Lekman dedicated the book to the 132 couples who had him perform at their weddings. However, the similarities between J and Jens end here. In a New York Times interview, Levithan said he didn’t even know anything about Lekman’s personal life when he was crafting the narrative of the book.

With past cowriters Levithan traded off writing chapters, but this time, Lekman wrote the songs to correspond to each chapter and put them together in a concept album called “Songs for Other People’s Weddings,” which you can also access via QR code at the beginning of the book.

All access members continue below for more on this unique book experience.

Songs for Other People’s Weddings by David Levithan, with songs by Jens Lekman

What sets J apart from Jens Lekman, and perhaps all other wedding singers, is that he always writes an original song about the couple for each wedding. The book is structured to show the evolution of J’s personal life in 10 weddings—and the album includes the original songs J wrote for each one.

His longtime girlfriend, V, who has recently moved from Sweden to NYC to further her career. In the past, J was always the one leaving and going on tour, while V stayed behind. And, to be honest, J has always focused more on his own wants, needs, and dreams than V’s. This shakeup of the dynamic leaves J questioning his future with V. He’s also pondering big philosophical quandaries about love, fidelity, and commitment.

But while the book contemplates these topics, it also celebrates music. From the opening pages, featuring a wedding where guests are asked to wear costumes representing their favorite songs to the final words of the book, this story fully embraces the power of music. The way music can bring people together and make lonely people feel understood. The ability a song has to somehow hint at emotions that can’t be explained through words alone. That’s why it’s important to listen to the songs on the album and not just read the lyrics!

As a long-time David Levithan fan. I loved falling back into his crisp, hilarious writing style. The idiosyncrasies of each wedding were particularly delightful to read, and I appreciated how J’s story felt contemplative and bittersweet.

I also loved getting reintroduced to Jens Lekman. (My much cooler sister was a fan in high school; I still remember hearing his songs through the wall that separated our bedrooms). The concept of a collaborative novel and album was fascinating for me. And I hope it will be for you if you decide to give this duo a try!