A beautiful book, with well drafted characters. The author explains pain and loss well and keeps you turning the pages.

This is an absolutely beautiful book that has been so effectively translated into English from its original German. It is a tender account of the lives of a set of siblings – two brothers and a sister – who lose both their parents in a car accident when they are all teenagers. The book examines the effect this tragic loss has on their lives, how it impacts the decisions these children make, how these decisions then shape their adult lives and the paths they follow. The purpose? To get us to weigh up nature vs nurture – what is innately us, and what about us is the result of our environment.

The narrator is the youngest brother, Jules, and we follow him through his awkward teenage years as he is dumped at a boarding school, neglected by his older brother and sister, and has his first forays into awkward intimate relationships.

And we follow the impact of these scars on Jules and his older brother and sister through the years, observing as Jules wracks himself to try and find what it is he wants to do vs the guilt that shadows him, and vs his own inability to flourish in intimate relationships.

“Incidentally, what touched me far more was the way one character separates life into an outside and an inside world. I’ve thought about that a lot in these past few days, because I’ve realised that I do something similar.”

This is a wonderfully affecting book. You get deep under the skin of these characters. All are richly drawn, full of complexities and nuance, and there’s a great balance of love and conflict between these siblings that keeps you rooting for them all.

This novel is both epic and intimate, and it never loses its sense of tragedy that gives a bittersweet atmosphere to these lives that we follow. It’s no wonder this book was an international bestseller when it was published back in 2018. It deserves to be widely read as it is so fulfilling and leaves the reader with many questions on how to assess the role of fate and chance in their own lives.

“Life is not a zero-sum game. There are people who just have bad luck, who lose everything they love, little by little.”

Profound, sonorous, poignant, and deeply cathartic, The End of Loneliness is but one of the few novels that I would consider a literary magnum opus — a league on its own. Brimming with philosophical ruminations, insurmountable truths, and penetrating insights, it explores grief, life and death, camaraderie, yearning, solitude, and dreams of the lives forgone.
"What if there’s no such thing as time? If everything we experience is eternal, and it’s not time that passes us by, but we ourselves that pass by the things we experience? I often ask myself this. It would mean that while our perspective would change and we would distance ourselves from treasured memories, they would still be there, and if we could go back we would still find them in the same place. Like leafing through a book backward, perhaps even back to the beginning."
Devastated by the death of their parents, Jules Moureau along with his siblings the unconventional Liz and the nerdy Marty are shipped off to a boarding school. With shattered lives, the siblings try to cope amidst the grief, pain, and loss. While in boarding school, Jules meets the mysterious Alva and their world will never be the same again.
"She looked into my eyes, and I’ll never forget how in doing so we were able to glimpse each other’s inner worlds. For one brief moment I saw the pain that hid behind her worlds and gestures, and in exchange she sensed what I held deep inside."
Several years later, the siblings, consumed by years of heartbreak and loneliness, reunite and forge a bond that ultimately changes the course of their lives. Meanwhile, Jules is still stuck in his "dream", he chases a ghost, in the form of his first love, Alva, calling back the past, grasping those fleeting moments — lives that could or might have been.

Beautifully told and written with exquisite prose and multi-faceted characters, Wells genuinely captures the heart and caresses the soul. With steady pacing, the novel allows the reader to reflect and meditate on several illuminating passages. This is something that needs to be slowly savoured and not devoured. It rather ends in a mellifluous and hopeful denouement, but not before encountering life's trials and tribulations. I have to commend Charlotte Collins for the brilliant translation. It's as if it was written in its original German language.

For someone who has befriended grief, pain, loss, and death for a long time since I was eight years old, this novel encapsulates all the broken parts in me that made me who I am today.
"Kierkegaard says the self must be broken in order to become itself [...] To find your true self you need to question everything you encountered at birth. And lose some of it, too, because often it’s only in pain that we discover what really belongs to us... It’s in the breaches that we recognize ourselves."
Reminiscing about the past, it always brings me to tears when I think of those memories especially that part of me that I left behind in the darkness.
"Life is not a zero-sum game. It owes us nothing, and things just happen the way they do. Sometimes they’re fair and everything makes sense; sometimes they’re so unfair we question everything. I pulled the mask off the face of Fate, and all I found beneath it was chance."
That said, I’ve long been afraid to love with all of me for the fact that every time I love someone, it never seemed to last long enough. Every time I give all of me, I don’t get everything back. I have embraced my solitude for far too long that I've forgotten how it’s like to have someone there to help me even if I have a few friends surrounding me. I'm really blessed to have known my Alva, "someone who could be sad, warm-hearted and cheerful all at once." Alva showed me that it's okay to trust and it’s okay to get hurt because someone will be there to pick up the shattered pieces of my heart. Alva broke the strong walls and barriers that I've built around me. Alva pulled me back when I wanted to walk away. Alva told me to stay because I’m sick of always being left behind. Alva understood me wholly and I can honestly say that that was the end of my own loneliness. Perchance, yours too.

Fanastic meandering, philosophical, heart breaking novel, up there with Donna Tart as a must read epic. Beautifully written, evocative and packed full of family memories that now feel like my own.

The End of Loneliness is a tearjerker and the novel does not shy away from melodrama. It occasionally drifts into the overly sentimental and its reliance on dream sequences may irritate some but I loved this book. A tale of childhood trauma and the unravelling and reforming of the humans at its heart, it's can be a tough read but impossible to look away from. A triumph.

Marty, Liz and Jules were happy. With quite distinct personalities, they were cherished and supported by their loving parents… until the fateful day of the accident.

Miles away from the warmth of their home, the siblings find themselves segregated at a state boarding school. The loss creates a void that each tries to fill in a different way, bringing them further apart. While Marty focuses on his studies and Liz plays with the concept of escapism, Jules meets a girl.

Alva is like a tide, she comes and goes and seems to drag with her little grains of past, present and future. Through the eyes of Jules, the reader will be introduced to the transformations instigated by these waves, transformations that have a far wider reach than the pair.

“It’s wonderful, it’s wonderful, it’s wonderful –
good luck my baby.
It’s wonderful, it’s wonderful, it’s wonderful –
I dream of you.”

“The End of Loneliness” by Benedict Wells is a train with now as the last stop. There are no assigned seats, the ambiguous beginning offering the reader the freedom to choose from which angle they would rather observe the development of the journey.

The pace is quite swift at first, a collection of glimpses becoming the foundation of the main character’s persona. The landscape is ever-changing, memory after memory after memory. Instead of coming to a complete halt though, part one feels like a puzzle of skipped heartbeats, moments when time itself seems to go through an existential crisis and cease to be.

“Moon River, wider than a mile,
I’m crossing you in style someday.
Oh, dream maker, you heartbreaker,
wherever you’re going I’m going your way.”

The second half of the novel slows down; the ephemeral soft focus of part one gives place to abundant layers and texture. While there seem to be fewer flashes in number, each appears to be drawn-out, trapped in some sort of forever. It’s no coincidence that this change takes place when Jules reconnects with Alva, a testament to Benedict Well’s sensitive writing.

Speaking of the author’s voice, calling it crystal clear would perhaps suggest rough edges that don’t exist in this book. Not to say that there isn’t turbulence in it, but the tone is that of someone who has found comfort at the end of the ride, someone who has made peace with the ups and downs.

“I’ve known Death a long time, but now Death knows me, too.”

A meditation on life, “The End of Loneliness” by Benedict Wells is, at the end of the day, a book about family, loss and fate, a book about a man who’s trying to find his way around the three. A gracefully written emotional roller coaster, it will offer to hold your hand and take you down your own memory lane. It comes full circle, a novel that you experience, that you live through.

Recommend to readers who enjoyed “In Every Moment We Are Still Alive” by Tom Malmquist, “The End of Your Life Book Club” by Will Schwalbe and “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin.

A poetic first line “I’ve known Death a long time but now Death knows me, too.” Jules awakes from a coma after a motorbike accident. He reminisces of times growing up, revealing stories that surely must be drawn from life. An orphan as a child, he finds a friend in Alva who he finds again later in life. It is a beautifully written book where the memories are what I am drawn to.

A journey of loss that leads to enlightenment

This is such a powerful story and the writing is so poignant. The original story was written in German and yet the translation has managed to capture this beautiful journey of love and loss.
All the bases are covered - family, loneliness, sibling rivalry and so much more.

The main character, Jules, and his two older siblings are left orphans after the sudden death of their parents and are sent to live in a bleak boarding school. They are left reeling and they each develop different coping mechanisms in order to deal with their huge loss. Liz becomes rebellious, bordering on self-destruction, Marty throws himself into his studies and Jules withdraws.

When Jules meets Alva, a classmate, he falls head over heels in love with her. She has her own burdens and secrets and this brings them closer together. They part ways when they leave school and lose touch for many years.

The seemingly simple story belies such insight into the way humans deal with loss. The story follows the three siblings through the trials and tribulations of life and how growing older can bring wisdom and insight.

The author used his own experience with loss at an early age to shape this wonderful story and it is no wonder the book ended up on the bestseller list. He is a great admirer of John Irving and I detected echoes of The Cider House Rules.

All in all, it’s a wonderful read, not to be missed.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

I am currently developing a section of the school library that will present a diverse and eclectic range of contemporary crime and thriller novels. This genre has been so popular in terms of what is being borrowed, but I feel like the young people are sticking to 'what they know' in terms of titles or writers that they've already heard of or have seen their parents reading. My mission is to include more novels like this one and improve the range and diversity of fiction that they can choose from in order to expand their reading horizons. I absolutely loved this book. It kept me gripped from the very first page and without giving away any spoilers, was a dark, intense and satisfying journey. I think that the young people will love its distinctive voice as well as be gripped by the story and intrigued to follow it to its tense conclusion. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for intelligent, credible writing with a strong hook that won't let you go. Treat yourself to The End of Loneliness

Very dramatic and sad, full of tragedy - I found it hard to read in places, but the storyline of the three main characters was likeable and interesting. Very easy and straightforward to read too.

The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells, translated from the German by Charlotte Collins, winner of the 2016 European Prize for Literature, follows siblings Marty, Liz and Jules, who, in the wake of the tragic death of their parents in a car crash, are forced to grow up very quickly and adapt to their new lives. It's a moving story about family ties, love, memory, grief, loneliness and the long shadow cast by childhood trauma.

I really loved the first half of this novel that describes the family dynamic before the tragic car accident. Their father was a timid and emotionally fragile artist and their mother was a teacher, a graceful and incredibly charming woman, described as a mixture of Grace Kelley and Ingrid Bergman. The three siblings had an idyllic childhood that was often spent vacationing in France. At the same time, the author was very successful at building tension in this section of the book. Despite the picturesque descriptions, there was a constant sense that something dark is lurking just around the corner.

Following the death of their parents, the siblings are sent to a bleak boarding school, and from that point on, the novel explores how each of them adapts to this new situation, and the different paths that they take later in their adult lives. We see how their relationship dynamic changes during he course of their lives. They are all very flawed individuals, but that's what makes them believable.

Another strength of the novel is how the author examines the theme of loneliness that seems to follow the characters throughout their lives, and we see how each of them, in their own way, try to alleviate the "burden" of loneliness.

I was hoping that the book would spend an equal amount of time following the life story of each sibling (I was particularly interested to hear more about Liz), but in the later half of the novel, the author chose to mainly focus on the life of the younger brother, Jules, who was only 11 when their parents died, and who comes across as the most introspective of the three siblings. He often ruminates on the past and imagines the alternative lives that he and his siblings might have had, if they had not gone through the trauma of losing their parents at such a young age.

A major theme of the book is how our memories might sometimes get distorted in order to protect us. At certain points throughout the book, Jules realises how he unintentionally or, in some cases, deliberately, misremembered certain events or conversations. I think this book would appeal to fans of Julian Barnes whose books often deal with the unreliable nature of memory. Certain parts of this novel particularly brought to mind Barnes's novel "The Sense of An Ending". 

* Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book via Netgalley.

A wonderful book, beautifully written by Benedict Wells and beautifully translated by Charlotte Collins. Made me cry on the tube, which I have never done before! I can fully understand why it has been so popular in Wells' native Germany. A tender, poignant story about real love and real life.

I loved this book. It was heartbreakingly beautiful at times, and compellingly written.
Although fiction, I think it would do as good a job as many of the self help books flying around nowadays.
The story of Jules, the main character, and the tragedy and loneliness that dominates his early life, leads us through a long journey of mistakes, near-misses, and life lessons that ultimately end in a wonderful conclusion of acceptance and happiness.
A book that addresses some of the harder philosophical questions of life, but leaves you with an incredible feeling of well-being and contentment.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Benedict Wells for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in two sittings, such an powerfully emotional read. It follows the main character and his siblings through life after the tragic loss of their parents. Deals with so many human tragedies and life events. The last part is so powerfully hearbreaking I had to put it down till I knew i had time to finish it alone. You get utterly wrapped up in the main chatacters life. A compulsive emotional read.

'The End of Loneliness' is beautifully written and I enjoyed reading it immensely. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley. The author has written a lilting, poignant novel with meaning on many levels and I just wonder how much of the unhappiness of the characters at various stages came from his own childhood. If only Jules' and Alva's concept of the 'zero-sum' life existed but sadly I have to agree that it doesn't exist. The descriptions of the characters and the settings were vivid and I felt myself entwined with the story and really didn't want it to end. I hope this is just the beginning of great success for Benedict Wells.

This is an incredibly moving, beautifully written story - I loved every minute of it! Following the idyllic childhood of one boy, which becomes extremely tough overnight, and the effects of it throughout his life.

Eleven-year-old Jules and his siblings, Marty and Liz, live sheltered, seemingly idyllic lives in Munich with their devoted mother and father. Until, that is, both parents are killed in a catastrophic road accident while motoring in France and the children are sent to a grim state boarding school, where they rapidly drift apart.

Jules changes from a fearless, vivacious boy into a withdrawn teenager who writes stories and lives through his imagination. The only person able to reach him is the equally damaged Alva, whom he comes to love, but they are divided by a misunderstanding after leaving school.

Many years later they are given a chance to make amends, but their relationship has never been straightforward – grief shadows both their lives.

Seven years in the writing, The End of Loneliness is German author, Benedict Wells’ first novel to be published in the UK. Prior to translation it won the European Union Prize for Literature, was on the German bestseller list for over 18 months, and was translated into 26 languages.

Born in Munich in 1984, Wells writes from experience. He attended three separate Bavarian boarding schools from the age of six, and like his protagonists, suffered acute loneliness during this period. He moved to Berlin after graduating in 2003, but decided against attending university, opting instead to focus on his writing while earning his living by holding down a variety of jobs. He lived in Barcelona for a period but has recently returned to Berlin.

Superbly translated by Charlotte Collins (award-winning translator of The Tobacconist), The End of Loneliness is a book you fall into from the first page. It is a poignant exploration of the past told through the ruptured lives of the siblings: a moving tale of loss, longing and familial love. Wells has produced an outstanding piece of writing; one that will linger in your thoughts long after the story ends.

Liz, Marty, Jules. Siblings who suffer loss, unrequited love, and pain, yet still end up okay at the end of it all. The realism of the melancholy in this story is so wonderful. Usually, when such sad, dramatic book has a 'happy' ending, I feel a bit miffed, like something has been taken from me. But here, I was satisfied - I had felt the agony of Jules, and now was ready for him to be happy again. Perhaps it is because his ending was happy, but it was not what he wanted.

Wells has such a lovely way with words, that you don't really care that nothing really happens in the story. The narrative to this book is so incredibly passive, with nothing ever actually happening to our characters. Instead, we hear everything is a past tense, the dialogue we read is nothing but exposition for the prose surrounding it.

I think this is one of those genuinely sad books, a rare find.

I really loved The End of Loneliness. It is a beautiful and brave book about the effects of trauma on three very different children. Early on in the book, the parents die in a car crash. Instead of being sent to live with relatives, Jules, Liz and Marty are sent to a state boarding school and effectively separated. Each of them reacts to their new surroundings differently, and this defines the characters they will become in later life.
We mostly follow Jules, who goes from being outgoing to being wiathdrawn. At school he finds a kindred spirit called Alva, and they become close friends. Jules clearly loves Alva, but she is not ready to love him, so she forces him to see something he cannot forgive.
Liz never settles down, and needs to experience everything in order to feel alive. Marty finds stability in his studies, and becomes very successful in business. Jules doesn't know what he wants to do to be happy. The author very successfully makes us feel what Jules is feeling, and wish him happiness in his life.
I will not spoil what happens in the end of the book. It is not a straight forward happy ending, but Jules and his siblings end up happier and wiser and find a way to be a family to each other.

This is a superb read originally written in German - and it has been translated perfectly. Jules, Liz and Marty lose their parents in a car crash and they are sent to boarding school. There, Liz and Marty, the older siblings, establish their own lives, and Jules, younger and more needy, strikes up a friendship with a kindred spirit, Alva.

The novel follows Jules, specifically, through the years; through his career and relationships, through his thinking about his parents, in particular his fractured relationship with his father. He gets back in touch with Alva, who is living in Switzerland with her older husband, a writer. When he dies of Alzheimer’s, Jules and Alva get together, have a family and start over with their new lives.

It’s a sad but well-written read. I enjoyed this and am in awe of the writer’s quality here.