Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
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A quick update today - I just finished speed reading Romantic Comedy by the imitable Curtis Sittenfeld. This absolute GEM of a romcom is such a contrast to last week’s heavy read (Demon Copperhead), so I’d highly recommend it for anyone searching for a breezy, light book that’ll warm your heart and still give you plenty to think about. I’ve been borderline obsessed with Curtis Sittenfeld since reading Rodham a few years back and I feel like my obsession has just gone up a notch!
Here’s what you can expect from this book:
Super smart and successful TV script-writer meets dreamy heartthrob celebrity musician and immediately thinks he’s out of her league.
BUT, this is a romcom! So of course, sparks fly, and I learn a new word: sapiosexual. Being in love with someone’s brain. (Swoon).
Just when you think this is going to be a fluffy read, Sittenfeld expertly weaves in poignant musings about gender, feminism, and modern-day love, all set in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Everything somehow unfolds exactly as you’d expect it to, and yet nothing like you’d expect it to. It’s predictable and surprising at the same time.
And here are the quotes I earmarked:
“‘When I’m with you',’ he continued, ‘the best, most interesting part of my life is behind the scenes. I felt this emailing you, and I even felt it in your TNO office when you were helping with my sketch. Like, no one in the world knows what we’re up to except us and it’s awesome.’”
“‘If something upsets you,’ he said, ‘it’s fine if you need to pause the conversation or go in the other room, but I don’t want you to blow everything up, because it’s too stressful to live like that.’”
“Watching Noah as he sang them, as he watched me—his eyes were open again—I wondered if I’d always understood the song a little wrong, or possibly if I’d always understood life a little wrong. Wondering this was not a bad thing; it was a beautiful, unexpected relief.”
Until next time, happy reading!