Breakups are a gold mine for comedy content. But only after you have fully processed them, and can speak about them objectively. Otherwise, you run the risk of sounding like a loser on stage, and nobody wants to pay attention to the drunk who can’t get over his ex.
Andy, the MC1 is having trouble getting over his ex, Jen after she suddenly breaks up with him. Andy is a struggling stand-up comic and hasn’t been able to take off his career even after he was awarded Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe. Jen on the other hand, has a steady job at an insurance company, and enjoys all the perks that come with it.
This is just one of the things that make them incompatible. Or at least that’s what Andy thinks.
But what does that entail—getting over one’s ex? By now, we’ve read about it, watched it, and even lived through it. Andy does a poor job of getting over Jen. He reaches out to his previous exes, and his gang of boys can only show up at pubs and share a bunch of platitudes they think will console him.
Some of my favorite excerpts are —
1.” I walk past the pub and see its doors are open. WHY NOT COME IN FOR BREAKFAST? asks the sign on the door. Why not, I think. Why bloody not? This is exactly where I want to be— in the warm, cozy cocoon of nostalgia.”
“the gentlest of impatience I could sense from both of them—"‘you seem fine”,”nothing you can do but move on.” I don’t like that he knows all this stuff about how I’m feeling—its humiliating. I am beginning to feel a strange resentment towards him that I know is not his fault, but it makes me not want to hang out with him anymore. I don’t like that my break-up has arranged us into roles where I’m falling apart and he’s always together. The more I talk about how sad I am, the more my dignity is compromised, the more of an imbalance appears that I’m sure, on some secret level, he must enjoy.”
3.“I’m stuck in this limbo—everywhere I turn, there’s a reminder of her. The little things: the coffee mug she used to use, her favorite playlist on my phone. It’s like every corner of my life is still waiting for her to come back, but she’s not.”
4.“Nights are the hardest. I lie in bed, replaying our conversations over and over, wondering where it went wrong. Some moments I’m furious, and others I’m just sad. Mostly, though, I just miss her—her presence, her laugh, her everything.”
Good Material is an honest, messy, and relatable look at heartbreak and healing. Andy’s journey shows just how complicated it can be to let go, especially when your coping strategies aren’t exactly perfect. Dolly Alderton does a great job capturing all the awkward, painful, and sometimes funny moments of moving on.
In the end, this book isn’t just about getting over someone—it’s about facing yourself and figuring out what’s next. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the middle of a breakup or just needed a story that feels real, Good Material will definitely hit home.
Enjoying the newsletter?
If you like what you’re reading and want to support my writing, consider buying me a coffee! Your support helps me keep creating, and it means the world.
Like what you’re reading?
to be read as Main Character, and not a Delhi-friendly slang.