“Good Material” by Dolly Alderton

REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“I soon realized that inevitability of every relationship: the things which initially draw you to each other become the exact things that irritate you the most.”

As a mid-thirties struggling comedian, Andy’s at the universal impasse – recently dumped and not knowing why. Saying Andy is obsessed with his ex Jen would be to put it mildly. On top of navigating heartbreak, mixed friend groups, and relocation; Andy is intent on understanding why this happened, if and how he can change it, and who he is outside of this couple. Andy dives head first into new, single man behavior, exhausting his still-coupled friends, and alienating any possibility of the self-discovery he desires. His escapades feature a cast of lovable, flawed characters – divorcee Bob, conspiracy theorist Morris, personal trainer Kelly, and hookup turned potential girlfriend Sophie. It’s in this bumbling phase that Andy got me as a reader. We’ve all been on the surprised side of a breakup, longing to salvage what we had to keep a firm grip on normalcy without ever considering whether it’s a good idea to end it, even if the idea wasn’t ours. Being dumped sucks, and Andy personifies that reality in a multitude of hilarious, heartbreaking, and revealing ways. 

  While this novel, on the surface, is about romantic relationships, Alderton interweaves the primacy of friendships. Though we may feel alone, we never really are. Not everyone disappears when our romantic relationships end even if it sometimes feels that way. What Alderton taps into is the differences between male breakups and female breakups. Andy has male friends, but they’re in committed relationships, often with children. Alderon details Andy’s experience of bunking on his parent friends’ couch, ““But when you’re living it, rather than visiting it, you realize it’s really different; that new parents not only aren’t complaining too much, they’re not complaining nearly enough.” Andy realizes that mid-thirties friends are not free to marinate in sadness with him as their lives require constant attention. Alderton shows us that though women often can manage this juggling act of friendships and family, men can struggle without the deep, emotional friendship bonds built over time. 

  If you appreciate a lazy, yet witty, read that provides a chuckle per page, Alderton’s reverse take on the typical breakup novel should be top of the list. The surprise appearance of Jen’s perspective at the end of the book is worth your time alone, as Alderton challenges everything we readers think we understand. Alderton explores sad and valid reasons for dumping the good guy and why sometimes “good” is simply not good enough. Dolly Aldeton is a British writer for the Sunday Times. Her autobiography Everything I Know About Love won the 2018 National Book Award. 

“He would have loved me unquestioningly and stubbornly forever. And I don’t know if I want to be loved like that.”