Review copy provided by publisher.
35-year-old comedian, Andy Dawson, grapples with his girlfriend of 4 years dumping him. As Andy navigates middle-aged singledom and his stalled career we are treated to comedic self-destruction and curious choices (I mean, who among us hasn’t found themselves renting out a houseboat after a breakup, right?!) as he struggles to find equilibrium.
Good Material is a good read showcasing Dolly Alderton’s impressive ability to capture the nuance of emotions and relationships on the page. I’ve seen this compared to High Fidelity, which I agree with. It also reminds me a bit of Fleishman is in Trouble as we later hear Andy’s ex’s perspective, though I don’t think that change in perspective has quite the impact here as Fleishman, nor does it appear to intend to.
In the acknowledgements Alderton thanks her male friends who helped her to craft Andy’s character and voice as inspired by Nora Ephron’s methods with When Harry Met Sally. I appreciated this insight into Alderton’s process as I think she was very successful in writing the male voice.
That Bookish Life 