Author | Dolly Alderton |
---|---|
Cover artist | Yiting Nan Emma Ewbank |
Language | English |
Genre | Romance Comedy |
Published | 2023 |
Publisher | Fig Tree |
Publication place | United Kingdom |
Media type | |
Pages | 336 |
ISBN | 9780241993163 |
823/.92 | |
LC Class | PR6101.L4425 G66 2024 |
Preceded by | Ghosts |
Good Material is a 2023 romantic comedy novel by British author Dolly Alderton. The novel follows Andy, a 35-year-old struggling comedian who is blindsided when his girlfriend of almost four years, Jen, unexpectedly ends their relationship. The story explores Andy's attempts to cope with and understand the breakup, while navigating the challenges of dating and maintaining friendships in his thirties. Good Material has been praised for its wit, insight, and ability to capture the complexities of modern relationships.
Andy Dawson, a 35-year-old struggling comedian in London, navigates the aftermath of his unexpected breakup with his girlfriend of nearly four years, Jen Hammersmith. Blindsided by Jen's decision to end their relationship with little explanation, Andy becomes consumed with understanding her reasons, believing that uncovering the truth might help him win her back. As he grapples with his emotions, Andy engages in self-destructive behaviours, excessively drinking and obsessively monitoring Jen's social media presence.
In the wake of the breakup, Andy moves out of the apartment he shared with Jen, briefly staying with his mother and then his best friend Avi and Avi's wife Jane, who is also Jen's best friend, before finding a new place with Morris, an elderly conspiracy theorist. Seeking support from Avi and Jane, Andy attempts to gather information about his ex-girlfriend while simultaneously struggling with feelings of loneliness and personal failure. Despite his friends' efforts to be there for him, Andy feels like a burden and avoids openly discussing his pain.
Andy's attempts to distract himself from his heartbreak, including a short-lived stay on a houseboat and hiring a personal trainer, prove ineffective. His obsession intensifies when he discovers that Jen has started dating a new man, leading him to fixate on her boyfriend's social media presence. Alongside his personal struggles, Andy's comedy career begins to suffer, punctuated by a scathing viral review that criticises his lack of effort and originality in his performances. He enters into a brief relationship with a 23-year-old woman named Sophie, though he ultimately ends the relationship upon realising her feelings for him are stronger than his feelings for her.
Andy and Jen reconnect at the birthday party of Avi and Jane's son and end up spending the night together. The following morning, Andy realises that their relationship is truly over, prompting him to reassess his life and begin the process of moving on. Andy starts to revamp his comedy routine, incorporating his breakup into his material. The new, more authentic approach resonates with audiences, and he receives positive feedback, including from Jen herself.
In the novel's final pages, the narrative shifts to Jen's perspective, offering insight into her side of the story. She reveals that her relationship with Andy was challenging due to his emotional struggles and lack of ambition. Although the breakup was extraordinarily difficult for her as well, Jen believes that being single is the best decision for her personal growth. The book concludes with Jen planning a year-long tour of South America in 2020, fulfilling a long-held dream, while Andy prepares to perform his new show at The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh that summer.
A significant theme in the novel is the exploration of heartbreak and modern relationships. The protagonist, Andy, struggles to accept the end of his relationship with Jen, leading him to engage in various self-destructive behaviours such as drinking before noon, cyber-stalking Jen, and entering a morally dubious relationship with a much younger woman. [1] The novel delves into the complexities of these coping mechanisms and Andy's journey towards closure. [2] Friendship and support are highlighted as crucial elements during difficult times. [3] The novel addresses the challenges men face in expressing their emotions and seeking help from friends. [4]
Good Material is primarily written in the perspective of the male protagonist Andy, but in the final pages of the novel, Alderton employs a narrative shift, giving Jen a voice and allowing her to share her side of the story. [4] [3]
Alderton started writing Good Material in 2020, in the wake of a painful breakup. [5] To authentically capture the male experience of heartbreak and relationships, Alderton conducted extensive research, interviewing around 15 men of various ages, backgrounds, and personality types. Through these interviews, Alderton discovered a common theme: men often felt they lacked the language or permission to discuss their emotions in detail with their male friends. "They told her that when they spoke to their friends about their break-ups, 'they felt they were boring them. Some of them said they could talk for a while but eventually they would worry they weren't being entertaining enough or that their dignity was compromised.'" [6]
Alderton's decision to write from a male perspective was also influenced by her desire to challenge herself as a fiction writer and to create a character that could not be easily compared to herself, as had been the case with her previous novel, Ghosts . In Good Material, Alderton aimed to "stretch herself" and "write about someone who couldn't be compared to [her]," allowing her to explore new themes and ideas. [5]
While Good Material is not a direct sequel to any of Alderton's previous works, it does share some thematic similarities with her memoir, Everything I Know About Love, which chronicled her experiences navigating love and relationships in her twenties. Reviewers noted that "Good Material reads like the precursor to Everything I Know About Love. Before the wisdom, before the lessons, before the growth – Andy is the target demographic for the life advice Alderton offered up in her 2018 memoir." [6] [2]
Good Material received positive reviews from critics. Writing for The New York Times , Katie Baker described the novel as "deliver[ing] the most delightful aspects of classic romantic comedy — snappy dialogue, realistic relationship dynamics, humorous meet-cutes and misunderstandings — and leav[ing] behind the clichéd gender roles and traditional marriage plot." [4] Hephzibah Anderson of The Observer noted that "Alderton excels at portraying nonromantic intimate relationships with tenderness and authenticity" and that the novel "showcases Alderton's knack for rich characterisation and zippy dialogue like never before." [3] Michael Donkor, writing for The Guardian , highlighted the novel's "bouncy and very British comic sensibility", noting "the overriding impression it leaves is one of a writer comfortably settling into her groove, and very much in control of her material." [7] Kirkus Reviews gave a more critical review, describing the novel as "an easy read for those with a soft spot for the hopelessly doomed romantic," while noting that "save for a couple of quips about Boris Johnson and the wealth disparity between Andy and Jen, the novel lacks any meaningful social commentary." [1]
Daisy Lester of The Independent gave the novel a perfect 5/5 stars, calling it "a cliché-avoiding break-up novel" and praising its "whipsmart dialogue and relatable millennial themes." [8] Clare Mulroy of USA Today awarded the novel 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing that "Alderton's writing shines its brightest in the last 60 pages of the book when she uses a surprising and sharp juxtaposition to put the story to bed. Her ability to create complex characters and tell the story with a varied perspective is masterful, giving Andy (and us as readers) the closure that's needed from this heartbreak." [2] Anna Bonet of the i praised the novel, stating that "if only more books were as funny as this" and that "Alderton's take on the breakup novel showcases her knack for rich characterisation and zippy dialogue like never before." [9]
Critics drew comparisons between Good Material and Nick Hornby's novel High Fidelity due to their shared premise of a man dissecting a past relationship. [4] [7] [1] [8] Alderton's decision to write from a male perspective was seen as a bold choice that allowed her to stretch herself as a fiction writer. [5] The novel's exploration of themes such as the power dynamics in age-gap relationships, the pain of unrequited love, and the experience of feeling eclipsed by a younger generation in one's mid-thirties was commended. [6]
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, actress, author, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s, before her sales and chart peak came during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Some of Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records.
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written, Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial installments from 1875 to 1877, all but the last part appearing in the periodical The Russian Messenger. When William Faulkner was asked to list what he thought were the three greatest novels, he replied: "Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina, and Anna Karenina".
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran for six seasons from January 20, 1998, to May 14, 2003. The series starred James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery; Katie Holmes as his best friend and love interest, Joey Potter; Joshua Jackson as their fellow friend Pacey Witter; and Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley, a New York City transplant to Capeside. The show was created by Kevin Williamson and premiered on The WB as a mid-season replacement. It was produced by Columbia TriStar Television and was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. The series ended on May 14, 2003. A total of 128 episodes were produced, spanning six seasons.
Women of Sand and Myrrh is a novel written by Hanan al-Shaykh. It is al-Shaykh's fifth novel. It was originally published in 1989 as Misk al-ghazal and was published in English in 1992. The English translator is Catherine Cobham. Publishers Weekly chose Women of Sand and Myrrh as one of the 50 best books of 1992.
The Female Man is a feminist science fiction novel by American writer Joanna Russ. It was originally written in 1970 and first published in 1975 by Bantam Books. Russ was an ardent feminist and challenged sexist views during the 1970s with her novels, short stories, and nonfiction works. These works include We Who Are About To..., "When It Changed", and What Are We Fighting For?: Sex, Race, Class, and the Future of Feminism.
Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film and television director and screenwriter of Greek descent. She is known for her breakthrough feature film Head On (1998), and has directed television shows such as The Secret Life of Us, The Time of Our Lives and Ten Pound Poms.
Gail Godwin is an American novelist and short story writer. Godwin has written 14 novels, two short story collections, three non-fiction books, and ten libretti. Her primary literary accomplishments are her novels, which have included five best-sellers and three finalists for the National Book Award. Most of her books are realistic fiction novels that follow a character's psychological and intellectual development, often based on themes taken from Godwin's own life.
Trey Ellis is an American novelist, screenwriter, professor, playwright, and essayist. He was born in Washington D.C. and graduated from Hopkins School and Phillips Academy, Andover, where he studied under Alexander Theroux before attending Stanford University, where he was the editor of the Stanford Chaparral and wrote his first novel, Platitudes in a creative writing class taught by Gilbert Sorrentino. He is a professor of Professional Practice in the Graduate School of the Arts at Columbia University.
At the Bottom of the River is a collection of short stories by Caribbean novelist Jamaica Kincaid. Published in 1983, it was her first short story collection. The collection consists of ten inter-connected short stories, seven of which were previously published in The New Yorker and The Paris Review between 1978 and 1982. Kincaid was awarded the Morton Dauwen Zabel Award of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1983 for the collection.
S. is a 2013 novel written by Doug Dorst and conceived by J. J. Abrams. The novel is unusual in its format, presented as a story within a story. It is composed of the novel Ship of Theseus, hand-written notes filling the book's margins as a dialogue between two college students hoping to uncover the author's mysterious identity and the novel's secret, plus loose supplementary materials tucked in between pages.
Another Day is a young adult romance and fantasy novel written by American author David Levithan. The novel was published on August 25, 2015 through Random House Children's Books. Another Day is the companion novel to Levithan's popular teen romance novel, Every Day. Every Day establishes the story line through the perspective of "A", a mystical soul who falls in love with a girl named Rhiannon. Another Day features a similar story line; however, it is retold through Rhiannon's perspective. Both books were followed up by a sequel in 2018 entitled Someday that incorporates both A and Rhiannon's perspectives in different chapters along with a multitude of other perspectives.
Heartbreak on a Full Moon is the eighth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. The album is a double-disc, consisting of 45 tracks, and was released digitally on October 31, 2017, and onto CD three days later by RCA Records. Brown worked with several producers, including Prince Chrishan, A1, Amadeus, Boi-1da, D. A. Doman, and Scott Storch. The album also features guest appearances by Jhené Aiko, R. Kelly, Dej Loaf, Lil Yachty, Usher, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Kodak Black, Future, Young Thug, Ty Dolla Sign, and Verse Simmonds, with the deluxe edition having additional features from Agnez Mo, Trippie Redd, Ella Mai, and Solo Lucci. Recording sessions for Heartbreak on a Full Moon took place between the end of 2015 and August 2017.
The 6:41 to Paris is a short novel by Jean-Philippe Blondel. It was originally published in French as 06H41 by Buchet-Chastel in 2013. This English translation by Alison Anderson was published in 2015 by New Vessel Press.
Fidelity is a novel written by author Susan Glaspell (1876–1948). The novel was first published in Boston, in 1915, by Small, Maynard & Company. The story revolves around the life experiences of Ruth Holland, a young woman from a Midwestern town called Freeport, Iowa, who defies the societal mandates of her times when she falls in love with a married man and runs away to Colorado with him. When she returns to her hometown after 11 years, she has to deal with the death of her father, the break-up of her family, and the rejection of her loved ones.
Derek Owusu is a British writer and podcaster. He edited and contributed to the book Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space (2019), and released his debut novel, That Reminds Me, in November 2019. That Reminds Me was awarded the 2020 Desmond Elliott Prize. Owusu was named on the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list 2023.
JJ Bola is a Kinshasa-born, British poet, writer and educator, based in London. He has written three collections of poetry as well as two novels, No Place to Call Home (2017) and The Selfless Act Of Breathing (2021), and a non-fiction book about masculinity and patriarchy for young people, Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined (2019). His writing explores themes of displacement and belonging.
Such a Fun Age is a 2019 novel by American author Kiley Reid. It is her debut novel and was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons on December 31, 2019. It tells the story of a young Black woman in Philadelphia, who is wrongly accused of kidnapping while babysitting a white child, and the events that follow the incident. The novel received favorable reviews and was longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize.
Dolly Alderton is a British journalist, author and podcaster. She is a columnist for The Sunday Times. Her memoir Everything I Know About Love won a 2018 National Book Award for autobiography and was shortlisted for the 2019 Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year in the British Book Awards, and adapted into a BBC/Peacock eponymous television drama series.
Everything I Know About Love is a 2018 memoir by the British journalist Dolly Alderton, in which the author recounts the adventures of a woman navigating her 20s.
Caroline O'Donoghue is a writer from Cork, Ireland. As well as being a New York Times bestselling young adult novelist, she has also worked as a columnist, and has a podcast, Sentimental Garbage.