Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Posted by Ms K on August 27, 2023 in All | Leave a comment

To be honest, I’ve recently been suffering the book-blues because Ms A has been lightening fast grabbing some big new releases I would have loved to have gotten my mitts on first.

Questions I have been asking myself: Has Ms A done a secret deal with a book shop owner? Is Ms A camping outside said bookstore? Is she moonlighting at the publisher’s distribution centre? How has she landed all this honey? 

I thought I had her with Yellowface but damn it, she out ran, out read and out blogged me again!

Normally I’d move on, find something else and happily call it a day (she too has been in my boat when I’m on a particularly good book buying streak, fear not). But this time – I just couldn’t live without the gems recently written by Barbara Kingsolver, Geraldine Brooks and Maggie O’Farrell so I went rogue. I bought them all. (She was right about each of them so you can trust her reviews friends).

One I did manage to snare first was the new Curtis Sittenfeld and I was beside myself. Gotcha Ms A. Huzzah!

So, imagine the crushing, whole of body despair when I didn’t like it. 

It was clever, incredibly well written (of course, Sittenfeld’s writing is magic) and was set in the world of late night tv. Sally was a writer on the show, Noah was the talent. They meet, they click and ta da – it’s a romantic comedy. The End.

I got through it because the writing was good – the story was just not my cup of matcha – but not wanting to be a negative Nelly, I thought I’d talk about a Curtis Sittenfeld book I adored but haven’t shared.

The American Wife is not hot off the presses, but it should be hot on your list to read if you haven’t.

Sittenfeld is celebrated for crafting extraordinary, complex, wonderful stories about the women we know well – or think we know well. Remember Rodham? Absolutely loved that one too and you can read the review here. It was a take on Hillary’s life if she didn’t marry Bill Clinton. I thought it was fabulous from beginning to end. I understand Hillary however did not. 

This one was written over a decade ago and is inspired by Laura Bush, wife of George W Bush. I never ever thought I’d like to meet that woman, but having read this, I am seriously rethinking it. Apparently, this book gazumped the autobiography written by Laura Bush ‘Stories of the Heart’ – and those in the know say, Alice Blackwell (Sittenfeld’s leading lady in American Wife) isn’t just a little bit like Laura Bush, she is exactly like Laura Bush. 

Politics aside, this is a tale of a marriage and all the compromises, and the forgiveness needed to maintain it. Alice never dreamed of being anything beside a librarian – she’s quietly brilliant and a democrat. Then along comes the loud, sometimes hopeless Charlie Blackwell and his larger-than-life privileged family and after quite the courtship, Alice becomes a Blackwell and eventually she becomes First Lady.

Charlie’s story is a mirror of George W’s life and while I could see the attraction to him, he annoyed me and charmed me all at once, I reckon he got lucky with Alice and therefore, I reckon, George W got very lucky with Laura. 

I’m gutted I didn’t love Romantic Comedy, really, I am, but American Wife is all that and a box of Jatz so my two cents worth Readheads, is that is the one you need to read pronto. There is toilet scene in there you’ll love.

…… and note to Ms A, I am watching you. xo