The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

This book hit me harder than I expected. I did not sit down and read it cover to cover. I would pick it up, flip to a random page, and every time it felt like it spoke directly to whatever I was feeling in that moment. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is not the kind of book you “finish.” It is something you keep around. Something you revisit when you cannot explain what is going on inside you, and the book somehow finds the words first. What John Koenig did here feels rare. He gives names to emotions that usually stay unspoken. Feelings that exist in that strange in-between place. The space between longing and acceptance. Between nostalgia and loss. Between knowing you have changed and not knowing who you are becoming. Seeing a word for those feelings - sonder, onism, zenosyne - feels like finally being understood in a language you did not know existed. The writing is gentle and honest. There is no trying to impress the reader. No over explaining. It feels like he sat with these emotions long enough to understand them, and then offered them to you without judgment. Even the design of the book feels intentional. There is space to breathe. The layout slows you down. The illustrations do not try to steal attention. Everything in it respects your inner world. The reason this became a five star read for me is because it feels personal. It does not just describe emotions. It gives you the feeling of being seen. It holds up a mirror and says, this is real, you are not imagining this. It is a reminder that being human is strange and painful and beautiful and confusing, and that you are not the only one who feels all of those things at once. If you are someone who feels deeply, who questions everything at night, or who struggles to put your emotions into words, this book is worth having in your life. Do not read it all at once. Read it when you need it.

This book is everything I hoped it would be. The words and definitions are thoughtful, well written, and ring all sorts of bells. If you don’t already know, the premise is that there are things we all experience or feel that we don’t exactly have words for, and this book sets out to provide them- which it does quite well. But beyond the word itself, it also explains and guides through some of the more elusive emotions that we live through, and does so with kindness, love and compassion. The book is divided into 6 chapters: 1. Between living and dreaming (seeing the world as it is) 2. The interior wilderness (defining who you are from the inside out) 3. Montage of attractions (finding shelter in the presence of others) 4. Faces in a crowd (catching glimpses of humanity from a distance) 5. Boats against the current (holding on in the rush of the moment) 6. Roll the bones (connecting the dots of a wide-open universe) Within each section the words are not listed alphabetically, but rather, thematically. As with any dictionary, I don’t think it’s meant to be read in order- you can if you want but I’ve been leafing through and skipping around. There is an index at the end which is alphabetical, in case you are looking for a particular word. The only thing I wish was different is that the pronunciations of each word are done with the emphasized syllable italicized instead of uppercase, which I don’t like but is a very tiny annoyance. Overall I would say this book is absolutely worth having, and reading!

I have been delighted with this book. The thoughts and feeling that the words invoke, keep me reading.

In days (20 October 2025), it'll be 11 yrs since John Koenig uploaded 'Sonder' on YT (26 October 2014) -- the first of his works I'd seen. There's a gravity to describing the voiceless but profound truths constantly around us. John's eloquently been collecting these insights over a decade now... and each entry deserves its own moment of silence... to ponder, feel the depth, to reflect on realisation it's been a hazy part of you only now coming into focus, with a name. Buying the Kindle version, have had a reference at my fingertips. Oddly reassuring, to refer by name, emotions that for decades to millions of years, were nameless. Like a shield against an all-enveloping dark, our purpose is to light a little. Easy five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve honestly never reviewed a book before so this is my first one. With a background in teaching language arts in schools this book is very amusing. Definitely found a word for experiences I’ve never been able to describe. My husband and I enjoy opening this one up from time to time and read a couple pages together.

This book is a great idea and it's an interesting read but I was disappointed in the fact that it's all made up words. I was really hoping it included actual words from different languages that we don't have a descriptive word for in English.

John Koenig has brought us back into an experience of when words were first spoken and then written, to what they might become if we were to let loose and create better ones to describe, indicate and communicate where we are while our experience of being here continues to evolve. While dictionaries tend to conserve language as it has been, keep it in tact, they do absorb new words as they become commonplace. Amidst the all encompassing silence in which all words are meaningless chatter and gibberish, Koenig has offered us words he has invented to help us both to express and understand our existence, what it is to be here on a lonely planet in the depths of what appears to us as infinite space peppered with countless stars. Taking an overview, while his invented words are compelling and worthwhile to appreciate, his explanations how and why he created them results in a profound intellectual adventure in reading. Anthony Burgess, author of the novel "A clockwork Orange," was among wordsmiths who also have taken a deep dive into language and sought for better words for expressing and understanding ourselves and each other. Whether you are a writer or not, you will as an avid reader enjoy Koenig's book for presenting a unique take on what language is in terms of the words in it and what it might become as our existence on the planet evolves. After all, our whole existence is built out of and composed of words. Koenig invites us to think about that from his perspective. I waited for him several years to complete this book and get it published. It was well worth the wait.

A fun read for those who enjoy wordplay. Very nice hardcover with illustrative photos at the beginning of each section.

Really lovely

Libro unico e sorprendente, promuove l'empatia riconoscendo sentimenti condivisi della condizione umana per cui nessun linguaggio ha parole, fino ad ora. acquistato a malincuore da Amazon , per un amico a Perugia. Anche se, preferirei non arricchire ulteriormente il multimiliardario e abusatore dei diritti dei lavoratori, dopo la brexit, non c'era altra opzione per regalare questo libro che cambia la vita dal Regno Unito. Sostieni invece la tua libreria locale X Unique and stunning book , promotes empathy by recognising shared feelings of the human condition that no language has words for , until now. Bought from Amazon Italy for a friend in Perugia. Even though, I would prefer not to enrich further the multi-billionaire , and abuser of workers rights, since brexit , there was no other option to gift this life changing book from the uk

Allereerst: het is een prachtig uitgevoerd boekje. Mooie hardcover, goed papier and prachtige lay-out. Gene boek om van kaft tot kaft in één keer door te lezen. Maar wel een boek om zeer regelmatig op te pakken en een paar bladzijden te lezen. Perfect cadeau ook voor mensen die 'talig' zijn.

This book contains most of the untitled emotions you had, must read

This book is definitely one of the best and most beautiful works I have ever bought.