A TV script writer thinks she's over romance, until an unlikely love interest upends all her assumptions: a humorous, subversive and tender-hearted novel from the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of Rodham, American Wife and Prep.
Life is (not)* a Romantic Comedy...With a series of heartbreaks under her belt, Sally Milz - successful script writer for a legendary late-night TV comedy show - has long abandoned the search for love.
But when her friend and fellow writer begins to date a glamorous actress, he joins the growing club of interesting but average-looking men who get romantically involved with accomplished, beautiful women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch, poking fun at this 'social rule'. The reverse never happens for a woman.
Then Sally meets Noah, a pop idol with a reputation for dating models. But this isn't a romantic comedy - it's real life. Would someone like him ever date someone like her?
Curtis Sittenfeld is a terrific authors who, in my experience, never disappoints. Romantic Comedy is as unique and refreshing as all her other works, written in her unmistakable writing style. The novel is heartfelt, funny, and bitingly sharp.
Romantic Comedy is essentially a love letter to SNL. In her acknowledgements, Sittenfeld discusses her intensive research into understanding the culture and format of the beloved late night show. Of course, for copyright reasons, Sittenfeld couldn't use the name SNL. Instead, she names her version of the comedy show TNO (The Night Owls).
TNO is a fantastic setting for the first half of the novel. Sally Milz, our protagonist, shows off her work ethic, wit, and genius in her unconventional work environment. I always enjoy reading about women working in comedy. Not only is comedy often a man's world, it's also a tricky skill to perfect. Sally Milz is easy to like and root for, and even easier to respect.
Unsurprisingly, Romantic Comedy is at its heart a love story. The connection between Sally and Noah feels genuine and they have terrific chemistry. Furthermore, I appreciated the very real issues they have to traverse. Sittenfeld could have easily wrote a sensationalised, dramatic version of dating a celebrity. Instead, Sittenfeld writes a relatively calm, quiet story that feels much more grounded in reality. She astutely examines the pressures and pitfalls that come with celebrity without descending into melodrama.
A section of the novel is written solely in email format. I was hesitant when I came across this style change, but I ended up adoring this part of Romantic Comedy. The emails between Sally and Noah are sincere and warm, while also feeling intimate and honest. Moreover, they write like real people and I found myself forgetting they were fictional characters.
Ultimately, Romantic Comedy is a story about complicated characters who fall in love. It's equal parts funny and romantic (you only need to read the title to surmise this) and I savoured every second of the reading experience. Sittenfeld has done it again.
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