GOOD MATERIAL is a novel that will help pass the time on a long airplane ride. It's an innocuous diversion of a breakup and heartache.The breakup is between a successful career woman; the type who'd usually have an aversion to a narcissistic, mid 30s, struggling comedian. Voiced by Andy's for the most part, his whininess wears thin along with his hairline. Perhaps, author Dolly Alderton considers her hero somewhat likable and appealing. He's not an awful person, but his lack of ambition and self-centeredness made me question why Jen spent four years in a relationship before his inertia got her to get out. Andy was an affable guy in college, fun to hang out with. He still clings to his old school chums. But his chums have moved on to careers and families. Getting together takes more planning, is less appealing and less likely to last into the wee hours cause of wee ones at home. Andy has kept his best pal from school but he is now happily married with 2 kids and one on the way. Which by the way, is how Andy met Jen. Jen is best friends with Andy's best friend's wife. It felt comfortable for both Jen and Andy to slip into their relationship and convenient for all four. However, this is not reason enough for Jen to stay with Andy. So, Jen said adios amigo and Andy said hello heartbreak. Sticking with this lugubrious and laborious read was made easier with some relatable observations. The resolve to see if there would be a makeup to the breakup was also a driving force. Andy drags us through his drinking, drudgery, career fiasco, poor decisions, odd jobs and obsessions. As someone who'd like a do over on time wasted on a loser, too much time was lost on this sad saga of a 35 year old male who considers himself an artist and hard working adults as sellouts. Andy went to extremes to glean why Jen would end things. He set up an alias to meet with Jen's psychiatrist hoping to gain insight. Andy would use a kick in the rear, get himself in gear and grow-up. His self-realization towards the end fails to ignite him to make any changes. "I know that I have power in the world just being a man, I know that, but I also don't really have any-I'm a balding failed comedian with no savings who lodges with a seventy-eight year old." GOOD MATERIAL lacks humor or wisdom and is never more than slightly amusing. "It's all so random and unfair-the people we want to be with don't want to be with us and the people who want to be with us are not the people we want to be with." You can do better than spending your time with Dolly Alderton's droll novel about a Peter Pan Man hashing over his heartache.
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