Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actor who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the "Danny Horst Rule," poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.
Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder whether there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy; it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her...right?
With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.
Review: Sally Milz is a writer for the weekly late-night comedy show The Night Owls. In her late thirties, she has had a few bad experiences with relationships and has settled instead for a career she loves, the occasional hook-ups, and a close relationship with her stepfather.
One week, Sally writes a sketch poking fun at fellow coworkers that date glamorous actresses far out of their league that underscores how unlikely the reverse would be true for a woman. Coincidentally, the host and musical guest on the show that week is Noah Brewster, pop music star. Sally and Noah hit it off right away and seem to have undeniable chemistry. But in real life, no one like him would date someone like her, right?
I loved this novel. As a Saturday Night Live fan, it was so fun to read about a character who works behind the scenes at an obvious SNL spin off. It was very clear that Sittenfeld had done her homework and was very familiar with behind-the-scenes SNL inner workings in order to be able to effectively write this. The dynamics of the writers and stars of the show were so fun to read about, and it was such a unique premise that really shaped Sally's character and her actions. The tension between Noah and Sally was also great and felt really realistic and palpable.
I also really appreciated the way Sittenfeld wrote in the pandemic in this. It felt very plausible that social isolation would bring the characters together again the way that it did. This is only the third novel I've seen that has touched on that period and I think she did a great job of incorporating it in a way that felt true to life without being unduly heavy.
There were elements of Sally that were unlikable. She has a knee jerk reaction and says sometimes unkind things when she gets scared. And she isn't always particularly nice to Noah. But I did appreciate that she is a real, flawed person. Sittenfeld does such a good job at writing dialogue and scenes where uncomfortable moments feel realistic. Sally has multiple moments where she doesn't say quite the right thing and later reflects on her opportunity in her job to shape her skit dialogues over time to be the right thing, all while Sally somewhat laments her inability to edit and ponder her responses in real life. This is the fourth book by Curtis Sittenfeld I have read, and I enjoy how very different the premise each of her novels is but love the character development and writing style she uses in each.
Stars: 4
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