The Lonely Hunter

how our search for love is broken
Aimée Lutkin

‘A Sex and the City for mid-30s millennials that is confessional, ironic, and fun … Lutkin injects a fresh anti-glamour into her escapades.’

Fried Klotz, Sunday Independent

‘In unflinching, honest prose that deftly weaves sociological and cultural analysis with her personal journey, The Lonely Hunter challenged everything I assumed about the nature of loneliness and what it means to lead an authentic life ... A deeply relatable story that will resonate with readers, lonely or not.’

Doree Shafrir, author of Thanks for Waiting and Startup

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‘An insightful and thorough investigation into one woman’s loneliness and the systemic ways we’re all becoming less connected ... It might seem like a depressing topic, but I laughed so hard and learned so much.’

Blythe Roberson, author of How to Date Men When You Hate Men

‘Wry, smart, full of bittersweet detail and vivid scenes, The Lonely Hunter is engaging without giving in to easy answers and is willing to ask the big questions — what makes a good life, and what do we want from each other?’

Rosalie Knecht, author of the Vera Kelly novels

‘At once heartbreaking and deeply funny, Lutkin’s The Lonely Hunter captures the essence of seemingly endless singlehood in a world built for couples. As vulnerable as she is illuminative, Lutkin achieves what so many of us singles are looking for — she makes us feel less alone.’

Rebecca Fishbein, author of Good Things Happen to People You Hate

‘I’m not sure how one could read The Lonely Hunter and NOT fall in love with Aimée Lutkin! Her memoir is at once a tender, vivacious consideration of modern romance and an incisive cultural study of American loneliness — a great and heartwarming achievement.’

Rachel Vorona Cote, author of Too Much

‘A brilliant reframing of the cultural narrative around singledom with an impassioned defence of its pleasures ... With sparkling intellect and wit, Lutkin argues that being single can be just as life-giving as companionship.’

Publishers Weekly

‘A blend of memoir and reportage, The Lonely Hunter will convince you that our “search for love is broken”, whether you’re single or not.’

Vogue

‘[The Lonely Hunter] will change the way you perceive solitude forever.’

Hayley Maitland, Vogue Australia

‘Interesting and thoughtful.’

James Greig, Dazed

‘[The Lonely Hunter is an] astute, poignant, meditation on the single life, as well as dating, sex and connection.’

The Sydney Morning Herald

‘Part memoir, part cultural criticism, The Lonely Hunter reveals society’s pathologising of love and loneliness for an insightful and full-of-heart read.’

Denizen

‘A funny, honest and confronting account that challenges views about being single in a world built for couples.’

The Sunday Times

A COSMOPOLITAN BEST NON-FICTION BOOK OF 2022

The Lonely Hunter explores the rise of singledom, the realities of loneliness, and whether it is possible to live contentedly alone.

‘So what’s going on in your love life?’ This seemingly innocent question at a dinner party prompted Aimée Lutkin to finally tell the truth: it had been six years since her last relationship, and she was starting to suspect that it would be better to accept the life she had as a single woman — a life she liked very much — rather than keep searching for a partner. But Lutkin’s answer was met with uproar; surely she couldn’t give up on love? So she threw herself into dating, going on two dates every week over a number of months.

Documenting her experiences, Lutkin explores the reality of sexual relationships today and reveals how the cultural messages we receive shape our expectations of love. From weird Tinder hookups to the way the self care industry capitalises on our fear of being alone, and from the complexities of queer dating to the truth about the ‘loneliness epidemic’, she uses her experiences to fearlessly tell a wider story about how we love now.