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“I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.” 

— Lily King, “Writers & Lovers”

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Writers & Lovers is a late coming-of-age story that follows Casey Peabody, a woman in her thirties living in Boston, as she grapples with grief, financial struggles, and complex romantic entanglements, all while working on her first novel. Casey suffers through life in the wake of her mother’s death, her recent breakup with ex-boyfriend Luke, and her shortcomings as an up-and-coming author. Casey finds herself in a love triangle with two men: the charismatic, successful father Oscar, and the youthful, spontaneous, yet flaky Silas. King’s novel is an engaging and messy exploration of the brutal strains of life, allowing the reader to sympathize with Casey. However, King relies heavily on overused tropes to present us with one-dimensional characters.

King’s novel is an engaging and messy exploration of the brutal strains of life, allowing the reader to sympathize with Casey.

Casey sacrifices stability for the pursuit of her passion. Every person in her life is a writer, however each forsakes the pursuit for more ‘practical’ careers and leaves Casey to question whether her efforts are all for naught. Casey—a tortured artist swarmed by male attention—is a cliché. I empathize with the complex trauma tied to her mother’s recent passing and applaud King’s ability to infuse the book with raw and vulnerable emotion, but overall I felt that King guilt tripped me into endorsing the character’s questionable personality. The disrespectful way she treats her various boyfriends, every lethargic day at the restaurant where she works, and each self-deprecating thought about her writing, is coupled with an excuse regarding her mother—it is next to impossible as a reader to discount Casey’s grief. She is a moping, annoying, complaining lead, but because every aspect of her life seems to work against her, it is impossible not to pity the woman. However, a pitiable character doesn’t equate to an engaging one. Repetitive rants and spirals overtake the pages. Complex characters are important—nobody wants to read about a one dimensional figure. Yet it is clear in King’s writing that she doesn’t recognize Casey’s flaws.

Yet it is clear in King’s writing that she doesn’t recognize Casey’s flaws.

Admittedly, I can see how the book might resonate with those who relate to the character. She forsakes stable careers and relationships in favor of her craft. She is incredibly dedicated to her writing, even when it seems to bring her nothing but frustration, stressing that “I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.” King’s ego, on the other hand, barred me from sympathizing with Casey.

Perhaps King would have succeeded in authoring a memoir instead of disguising herself through Casey. Her portrayal of Casey serves as a vessel to write about herself. In an interview with 26 on February 24, 2021 by Elena Bowes, King states that “[the book] was the first idea I got after [King’s mother’s] death. And I knew Casey’s mother was dead, too, that she was thunderstruck and grieving, and the book became a place where I could put all my emotions, my grief, which I desperately needed.” Many writers choose to channel their mourning through their writing, which can be a beautiful way to heal and accept. King’s execution of this idea however, fails to incorporate complexity beyond grief. Casey writes her novel while King writes hers, a meta choice that seemingly serves to display King’s hubris.

Casey writes her novel while King writes hers, a meta choice that seemingly serves to display King’s hubris.

Writers & Lovers encapsulates coping with the stressors that accompany emotional hardship and grief. Down-on-her-luck Casey understands how to prevent herself from spiraling from pain and imposter syndrome—she sticks with her writing and watches the geese in the park by her house to ease tension. The book depicts a myriad of emotions with accuracy and sincerity. However, it feels a tad preachy for my liking; King’s prose is trite and sappy. I recommend Writers & Lovers only to readers who feel a strong kinship with Casey’s story. 

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LILY KING is an award-winning author from Massachusetts. She is the author of the novels The Pleasing Hour, The English Teacher, Father of the Rain, and Euphoria, one of the New York Times Book Review‘s 10 Best Books of 2014 and winner of the Kirkus Prize. She now lives in Maine.

Writers & Lovers can be purchased here.