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A review by apauliner
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
I went into this with a curious mind after a good recommendation in a newsletter I trust (Earworm, by [a:Marie Telling|23013539|Marie Telling|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]). Up until 50% of the book, I thought I wasn't going to like it very much. I felt there was way too much exposition on what it's like to be a writer on a show like SNL, and also soooOooo many names. What do I care how this background character is called?, I thought.
But then, I got hooked. I think it's the first time I read a book where the Covid pandemic plays such a part, and my opinion of the first part of the book changed: maybe all the minutiae of Sally's work and all the names were a way to convey how different life would be for her once the pandemic hit.
I was also very much disconcerted by the fact that, although titled "Romantic Comedy" and being both romantic and funny, this novel does not follow the rules. I've read so many romcoms these past years and months, that I know the recipe by heart. And this book looked at the recipe and decided to go its own way. The process took me by surprise, but the result was SO GOOD.
I am overall very happy with this book, in a way I haven't felt since [b:Funny Story|194802722|Funny Story|Emily Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1691777485l/194802722._SY75_.jpg|196167481], and also in a different way. It's sweet, it's honest, it rings true without being a downer. The way Sally and Noah communicate is sometimes painfully realistic and sometimes so touchingly cute. I think I indentified a lot with Sally, both with her relationship with her image/body, and her writer status. Noah was very cute in a very vulnerable way.
What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that Curtis Sittenfeld has managed to pull off some very difficult things in romcoms in my opinion: miscommunication in a way that does not feel contrived but also not depressing, vulnerabilities that don't magically disappear but also really matter, and every obstacle in the characters' union felt very plausible. I never thought "well, it could really be much easier if they only tried", and that is a huge compliment.
Last but certainly not least, it's beautifully written, way more literary than many romcoms I've read lately. So I heartily recommend it, even for non-fans of the genre.
But then, I got hooked. I think it's the first time I read a book where the Covid pandemic plays such a part, and my opinion of the first part of the book changed: maybe all the minutiae of Sally's work and all the names were a way to convey how different life would be for her once the pandemic hit.
I was also very much disconcerted by the fact that, although titled "Romantic Comedy" and being both romantic and funny, this novel does not follow the rules. I've read so many romcoms these past years and months, that I know the recipe by heart. And this book looked at the recipe and decided to go its own way. The process took me by surprise, but the result was SO GOOD.
I am overall very happy with this book, in a way I haven't felt since [b:Funny Story|194802722|Funny Story|Emily Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1691777485l/194802722._SY75_.jpg|196167481], and also in a different way. It's sweet, it's honest, it rings true without being a downer. The way Sally and Noah communicate is sometimes painfully realistic and sometimes so touchingly cute. I think I indentified a lot with Sally, both with her relationship with her image/body, and her writer status. Noah was very cute in a very vulnerable way.
What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that Curtis Sittenfeld has managed to pull off some very difficult things in romcoms in my opinion: miscommunication in a way that does not feel contrived but also not depressing, vulnerabilities that don't magically disappear but also really matter, and every obstacle in the characters' union felt very plausible. I never thought "well, it could really be much easier if they only tried", and that is a huge compliment.
Last but certainly not least, it's beautifully written, way more literary than many romcoms I've read lately. So I heartily recommend it, even for non-fans of the genre.