An Unknown Woman [Paperback]

Alice Koller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1991

A different version of Thoreau's Walden, this universal, timeless book explores the philosophical and psychological issues of self-identity. A companion volume to the simultaneously released follow-up, The Stations of Solitude.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (September 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553354825
• ISBN-13: 978-0553354829
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #500,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alice Koller's Life..., February 10, 2001

By 

Mike Donovan (Middle America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unknown Woman (Paperback)

Steady as she goes. As a male reading this book, I was struck by the fact that so many consider this a "women's book." No way. This is a great book for ** anyone ** wanting a glimpse inside a solitary life. Ms. Koller's vivid telling of living alone with her dog (Logos) is truly remarkable. If you ever begin to feel lonely and isolated from life, as if you are "outside the circle," pick up this book and read how being alone doesn't have to mean lonely. No, this book is not a book for women, this is a book for anyone with a beating heart and a curiosity of a wonderful life lived alone. Alice Koller is one stable and balanced individual - great book!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars perceptive read, November 8, 2005

By 

E. M. Bristol "bibliophile" (boston, mass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Unknown Woman: A Journey to Self-Discovery (Hardcover)

Thirtysomething Alice Koller looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the face she saw. Feeling the urgent need to reassess her life, she saved up enough money to spend several months in a secluded house in Nantucket. Her only companion was her puppy, Logos. Faced with solitude, she began the challenging task of dissecting who she was and deciding who she wanted to become. She found that her adult self was not that much different from the child who so desperately sought her mother's attention and affection. She finds her difficulty with jobs and men have their roots in her early conflict with her mother. She emerges clear-sighted and independent: "I don't need anyone to tell me what I'm like, what I do well, what I ought to try. I know who I am a little bit more each day." Through writing and vigorous soul searching she comes to realize this. And the reader will share in her ultimate triumph.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remakable exploration of a soul, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: An Unknown Woman (Paperback)

I loved this book. I stumbled upon it accidentally and it was not at all what I expected. It is insightful and so well-written that you feel you are with her on both her actual journey and her inward one.