Romantic Comedy

This book! Ahhh! It was wonderful and funny and entertaining and everything good. First I learned the backstage life of an SNL writer (SNL -TNO -wink wink) then the pandemic hits and the book moves into an epistolary format. I happen to love that form of storytelling. Here it's email. Then, part 3 in our romcom is these two endearing characters together. This is not my usual genre, but after Prep, I'm a big Curtis Sittenfeld fan and loads of people I trust loved this read. I know exactly why. This book hits all the right notes. This was the absolute right palate cleanser for me after my last bloody, violent mystery. Highly recommend this one.

I can’t quite decide if it’s cheesy or exquisite. I laughed hard and often, wept quietly for a moment, read ravenously, and yelled in frustration at the narrator. (One of those did not happen. But I came close.) So I’ll go with exquisite.

The first third is by far the best: fast-paced, great buildup of tension, and gobsmacking descriptions of the orchestration that goes into producing a live weekend comedy show, the process and teamwork. Reading about professionals working smoothly together, ... it just thrills me in a way that I suppose only a nerd could understand. Beautiful writing, snappy dialog, realistic personal dynamics.

Second part was less perfect. It got a little tedious, but I understand why it was necessary buildup for the

Third part, which kind of derailed the book into pure-fantasy territory, but somehow I found myself swept away and not giving a fuck? I’m not normally like that, I swear, but Sittenfeld just hits all my buttons. I let myself enjoy it and am still basking a little in afterglow.

The entire book centers around attractive, smart, witty, talented, kind people—and full focus is given to all of those words. Including people, each one imperfect (some more neurotic than others, but that too is realistic). Each of those attributes is important. Focus also bounces effectively among different interpersonal relationships; Sittenfeld has a genius for seeing and describing personalities. There’s flirting, mindreading, second-guessing, awkwardness, insecurity, tentativeness, emotional complexity. As a card-carrying member of Overthinkers Anonymous, I was in heaven. There’s even a page or two on attachment theory, which I only reached after finishing my last book, the one I (re)read because it seemed like attachment theory was everywhere around me. Another sign from the gods, obviously.

A little too pat. A little too crisp. A little too perfect. And I don’t care; I loved it.

Part 1 was so good!!! You can tell the author did her research on SNL to make TNO. I loved reading what goes on behind the scenes of a show like SNL. Parts 2 and 3 were not as good, and really felt like they were part of a different book. It was interesting to read how COVID shook up the story, but was really unnecessary. I didn't care for the love story between Sally and Noah and really just wanted to read more about writing for TNO. 

I actually like the detailed look at the daily operations of a late-night live television sketch comedy and show parodying SNL. The authentic atmosphere, corniness and all, was more interesting to me than the romance. The setting provided a fascinating backdrop that felt realistic, almost like a behind-the-scenes tour of a beloved TV show. It had a lot of potential. The romance itself develops in a natural pace, which I appreciated, but the second part of the book was when it lost me. I didn't care for the email exchange and it was unnecessarily too long for me. I would have appreciated it maybe if I understood the references more or if it was funny. Overall, it's not a story for everyone but it did read more as a realistic detail of someone's very real life. That someone happens to be a comedy writer for a hit show like SNL who is dealing with her own insecurities and misery. Read if you like more realistic mundane details, (agonizingly) slow burn, and appreciate situations that kind of give you second hand embarrassment.

I was a big fan of Sittenfeld's debut ([b:Prep 9844 Prep Curtis Sittenfeld https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925666l/9844.SY75.jpg 2317177]), apparently didn't think much of her first romance novel as I rated it one star ([b:The Man of My Dreams 72622 The Man of My Dreams Curtis Sittenfeld https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924531l/72622.SY75.jpg 978325]), and then thought her other one was fun but rather silly ([b:Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice 25852870 Eligible A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice Curtis Sittenfeld https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1460477855l/25852870.SY75.jpg 26428236]). But now she totally won me back with this book. I absorbed it within 24hours, and thought it funny, warm and really excellently written. There seem to be so many romance novels out there were character's insecurities are the unrealistic roadblocks thrown into the narrative to elongate the angst. Yet they are constructed so feebly all you do is roll your eyes. Sally and Noah - the protagonists of this novel - also come with insecurities that pose obstacles, but they at all times feel genuine and realistic. So, is it all just in the quality of the writing? The protagonist at one point proclaims she wants to write “non-condescending, ragingly feminist screenplays for romantic comedies”, which she would achieve mainly by the quality of the writing, and the character development. No cutesy female characters with flour on their nose from baking cookies, no messy disaster characters. She wants to write about people who aren't flawless but aren't ridiculous or incompetent at life. Well, mission achieved. And some. I also really enjoyed learning about the day-to-day mechanics of the SNL-like sketch show, even without being a fan of SNL. And I might have cried some tears about Jerry.

This is my first [a:Curtis Sittenfeld 6429 Curtis Sittenfeld https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1675721083p2/6429.jpg] book, but it won't be my last. It starts in the backstage chaos of a Saturday Night Live-like show in NYC and ends in Kansas City, MO of all places. What happens in between is the kind of magic we all wonder about.It's all reflected in a comedy sketch that never happened called “The Danny Horst Rule.” It was named after one of the male writers on the comedy show who was average-looking but dating a knockout of a female celebrity. The rule presents the idea that lots of good-looking female celebrities date average (or below-average) looking guys, but rarely does the reverse (good-looking male celebrity with an average-looking woman) happen.Unlike a real romantic comedy—if there is such a thing—Sally, the main character, is a comedy sketch writer who is only average-looking. So, of course, she's attracted to the absolute HUNK of musical host (Noah) for one week's Saturday night show. At times, she even believes he might be interested in her, but she constantly brushes the idea aside because, well, the Danny Horst Rule. Years pass. Just when this reader began to wonder what the almost connection between Sally and Noah was or wasn't, the COVID pandemic intervenes and everyone's life is interrupted in odd ways (as it was in real life.)What happens next occurs through a quick flurry of emails. Without giving away the ending, let's just say Sally and Noah test the Danny Horst rule. Overall, it's a delightful story that presents both the reality of late night, live TV and fame. The realism in the story is quite a departure from most romantic comedies.

As a lover of literary fiction, upmarket fiction and smart romcoms, I was very excited to dig into this book. I enjoyed how Sittenfeld took us deep into Sally's career and world view as a comedy writer. Sally's character had a strong voice, but I didn't feel like I really got to know her until the second act of the book. I found the socio-economic circumstances keeping Sally and Noah apart legitimate, as well as their past romantic wounds. They were a well-matched couple and I was rooting for them. The last third of the book progressed at heart-pumping speed and came to a satisfying ending.
Did I love this book? Perhaps my expectations were high. It didn't deliver the emotion and dramatic moments I've come to expect in a romcom, ie., heart never fluttered, as the blurb promised. I didn't connect with Sittenfelds wry sarcasm and toilet humour and I found Sally's character wooden, especially in the first third of the book. I would agree, Sittenfeld dissected the social rituals of romance and gender relations, but in a way that wasn't quite as earth-shattering as the blurb inferred? I found the themes not all that different at all from other upmarket romcoms I've read.
So suffice to say I didn't love this book, but I did enjoy it. It was an easy but smart read that delivered came to a satisfying close.