I know I’m coming to Good Material very late. Dolly Alderton’s second novel was a huge release last year and as I absorbed the mixed reviews that followed, I found myself hesitant to pick it up out of fear of disappointment. And so a year later, I finally decided to try the audiobook and (spoiler) I absolutely loved it. The novel has a simple premise: we follow mid-30’s struggling comedian Andy, as he tries to navigate the end of his relationship with his girlfriend of three years, Jen. Feeling blind sided by the breakup, we follow Andy through waves of emotions and questionable decisions as he tries to make sense of the relationship breakup.
I am so drawn to books that focus on the intricacies of a relationship, that put it under a microscope and draw out the reasons why the relationship works or doesn’t work, so it shouldn’t be surprising that Good Material utterly compelled me. I’ve seen many criticisms of Andy’s character, it’s a very common thread through the reviews I’ve read and I understand; he’s very self-absorbed, insecure and entitled. He clearly doesn’t know how to cope with heartbreak, so often turns to alcohol or doomscrolling Jen’s social media. This struggle is what I think Alderton conveys so well. There’s not a clear narrative drawn out for Andy on how to navigate a break-up as there is for women, with countless books, movies and magazine columns devoted to coming to terms with heartbreak. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easier for Jen, but there’s the comfort of relatability and a dialogue that already exists with her friends. Whereas we really feel that absence in Andy’s life, particularly the lack of vulnerability in his friendship groups, and this made Andy a sympathetic character to me.
Putting the wallowing aside, I found Good Material to be hilarious in parts and loved the lightness that some of the side characters brought. This is particularly the case with Andy’s 78 year old housemate, Morris, who’s filled with conspiracy theories and has a distrusting relationship with authorities; the conversations that come out between Andy and Morris had me laughing out loud.
I’m being purposely silent on quite a revelatory moment that comes towards the end of the book – while I have a lot to say on this, I think it’s best going into the novel blind and to observe Alderton’s magic of bringing the story together. What I will say is that the last 70 or so pages of Good Material is really profound, I think many women will feel seen by the reflections in these final parts. I’m so glad I finally gave Good Material a chance, it exceeded all of my expectations and it has me hanging out for more of Alderton’s fiction.
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