Good Material: A Novel

"I like Dolly. I think she can be a little Marmite—some people love her writing, others find it annoying—but I think she’s brilliant. Of all of her books, I think this stands out as a classic romantic comedy . Two people fall in love, fall out of love, fall in love, fall out of love. They have a shitty time, they have a good time. If you’re going to have a book like this, you want the best writer and she really is one of the best out there. I think that’s a great comparison. If you like Nick Hornby, if you like bittersweet, funny romantic comedies, then this is your book. If you have a long plane journey, or you’re going through an emotional crisis in your life, then you’ll want to read this book. Have a laugh, have a cry, put some good music on the radio—you’ll have a wonderful time. That’s what great writing is about. Each of these books does a different thing for you, emotionally. Dolly is the best at what she does. Yes, and I think it’s more difficult to find a great romantic comedy book than it is to find a great romantic comedy film . Almost impossible these days. And I love the genre. You have to be in the right mood for this one, but as a group of judges we felt she’s done very well."