This book seemed to garner quite a bit of attention on social media. And I'm never sure whether such books are worthy of the attention or whether they are the beneficiaries of a well oiled publicity machine. I know it was a Reese Witherspoon book club pick which can sometimes propel a book into a wider consciousness. I was awarded a copy of this book for an activity on an online forum that I participated in. and I realise that I am a) late to the party and b) I haven't read any of the author's previous works.
At the beginning I was wondering what the fuss was about. That's not to say I wasn't enjoying it, far from it, I was, but it didn't strike me as being exceptional in any way. That was until I got to a third of the way through and the epistolary section started with the emails between Noah and Sally. And then I kind of "got it". And I could begin to see why the book was garnering a lot of praise. Structurally it's very clever.
I enjoyed the way the writer dealt with notions of celebrity particularly with the email exchange during lockdown, a situation that put people on a level playing field in some respects. Also it's a story about love and work.
I liked the character of Sally who seemed real in a world that could encourage delusion and falseness. I don't know much about the world of TV scripts and skits but I think I am better informed having read this story. I also think the perception of celebrity is a fascinating one. I always remember being, envious, no, downright jealous, when I found out that Gary Numan had married a fan! It seemed a paradox that a famous person could even entertain then idea of consorting with a 'commoner' let alone pursue nuptials! So that aspect of the book was compelling. And for those of us who aren't celebrities we are pushed to imagine how it is for the paparazzi pursued superstars.
I also liked Noah, although at times he came across as too damn nice! But we only ever get to see the real him through the emails because the story is told from Sally's perspective. But it is told with humour and compassion and the narrative style is easy and almost deceptive because there are some deep truths being discussed here concerning romance and fame.
Ultimately I enjoyed the book and I'm pleased I read it but I am not motivated to seek out the writer's previous works with any urgency. Perhaps I was expecting more because of the social media buzz?
I think Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling would be great in a movie of this book!
My thanks to Bookmarks for my copy.
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