GHOSTS by DOLLY ALDERTON

 GHOSTS

by

DOLLY ALDERTON

THE BLURB:

Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. When she meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he's going to marry her, it feels like it's all going to plan.

A new relationship couldn't have come at a better time- her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was expecting. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs. There's no solace to be found in her family, with a mum caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow motion into dementia.

Dolly Alderton's debut novel is funny and tender, filled with whip-smart observations about relationships, family, memory and how we live now.

THE REALITY:

Bah! I picked up this charity shop find as I was shopping quickly (I hate shopping) and had recently read two ghost stories, so I thought I'd give a third a go. But no, this appeared to be about the modern phenomenon (probably not that modern, just done differently) of ghosting someone- i.e., reeling them in then deserting them and not responding to their messages.

Meh. I'm generally no fan of chick lit, not being a “gaggles of girls” kind of person. But then neither is our heroine, and the hen night she has to attend was funny and cringe-worthy to read. I'm probably not a “gaggles of people” kind of person either- my lifetime close friendship circle is not enough to fill a room, and I like it that way (I prefer to travel without emotional baggage). But it turns out that Nina, our heroine, reduces the hangers on (and gives some she retains an ultimatum) in the space of a year, too. I found that I quite liked her!

The one thing I struggle with with chick lit is the fact that so many of these early thirty-somethings have fantastic careers. That wasn't my experience at that age, as I was going through the classic quarter life crisis, which was something that was just beginning to become acknowledged at the time. My boyfriend at the time accused me of “wasting the best years of my life” not having regular employment (I was freelancing), but for me they were not good years- that came later, in my mid to late thirties when I owned my own place. And it's here that I can relate to Nina, with her joy at her independence.

I've been a victim of the phenomenon of having a man “ghost” me (he was a rebound relationship in my thirties). But after leaving a couple of messages, including some abusives (which I'm inordinately proud of) I quickly moved on to someone else, and duly ignored his messages when they appeared a few months later. Yes, like Nina, I agree that this kind of behaviour is pathetic, and I'm glad she chose to pull Jethro up about it.

Some interesting and very real subjects were explored here, such as a lack of connection with a mother; a father descending into dementia; the way modern men of forty tend to go for much younger women, therefore keeping certain options open, and I'm familiar with Archway, Nina's place of residence, so could kind of relate to certain facets.

This book is certainly worth a go.