The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

If you found yourself deeply affected by the solitude and loneliness of Eleanor Oliphant, you might be interested in exploring the topic further through Olivia Laing’s erudite nonfiction book on the topic. As with Laing’s other work, The Lonely City blends memoir and art history as she examines how social dislocation inspired, motivated or made miserable four iconic artists: Edward Hopper, who epitomised urban loneliness in his famous painting ‘Nighthawks’; Andy Warhol, whose busy, aspirational lifestyle belied his deep insecurity; Henry Darger, the posthumously celebrated outsider artist; and David Wojnarowicz, the performance artist and photographer who died of complications related to Aids.

From our article Books like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine