Heartbreak is sometimes better regarded as mystery than as tragedy. “Why me?” instead of “Poor me” turns heartbreak into a challenge — a puzzle on which to dwell while you await the crushing, inevitable blow that some heartbreaks are inexplicable and unavoidable. Dolly Alderton’s latest novel, Good Material, explains this experience. When Jen dumps Andy, who is smitten with her, he is positively wrecked. He relives every moment of their relationship, searching for answers in a sea of confusion.
On the advice of his therapist, Andy makes a list: “Reasons why it’s good I’m not with Jen.” It’s a long one — clearly written by a spiteful and anguished man trying to persuade himself that the woman who just broke his heart is a stranger, not the love of his life. Andy tries to convince himself that Jen wasn’t as good as he thought; that her quirks were too annoying (“refuses to get to the airport a minute earlier than ninety minutes before a flight takes off,” “talks at the cinema,” “comes from a family who go on long circular walks and play board games”). Toward the end of the novel, after much reflection and booze, Andy’s list has shrunk down to just one item: “She didn’t want to be with me.”
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