Dolly Does it Again

By Will Symons

Dolly Alderton is no stranger to success. Whether writing in long form or in her weekly column as the Sunday Times resident agony aunt, the 35-year-old self-described ‘over-sharer’, has a firm grasp on all manner of readers. Why? Well, read any of her various literary contributions and that becomes apparent. The name of Alderton’s game is relatability. In any one of her various books, columns or podcasts, your bog-standard British adolescent is sure to find all manner of passages, anecdotes, and experiences that they too have encountered. 

Her debut book, 2018’s ‘Everything I Know About Love’ is a painfully accurate depiction of youth on the British Isles. Amongst the tall tales of drunken parties, and regrettable kisses, the wit-filled memoir takes an honest look at the trials and tribulations of Alderton’s teenage years and early twenties. Peeling back the curtain, an older, wiser Alderton unveils the messy emotional tapestry of her doomed youth. From battles with weight loss to war with depression, her honest approach strikes a strong chord with readers in the midst, or on the other side of their own conflicts. 

Alongside critical acclaim, the tell-all volume was a hit on the small screen. Adapted by the BBC, ‘Everything I Know About Love’, the series, received much praise as its literary counterpart. 

Specific to Alderton’s relatability, is her thorough comprehension of the female experience. “Nearly everything I know about love, I’ve learnt from my long-term friendships with women”, she muses in "Everything I Know About Love”.

Her column too, is a safe space for female query and conundrum. Tackling a different question each week, Alderton offers a compassionate rebuttal, infused with the various witticisms and anecdotes she’s collected along the way. Although not all questions come from women, the vast majority do - which Dolly’s more than happy to answer in her succinct, chucklesome pros. 

Her latest Novel, 2023’s ‘Good Material’ is an altogether different effort. Parting from convention, Alderton takes a fresh perspective, telling the 352-page tale from through the eyes of Andy, her first male protagonist. 

It’s also something of a departure age-wise. Unlike Everything I Know About Love, or her other Novel ‘Ghosts’, Good Material explores the trappings of love, dating, and life after thirty.

We meet Andy, a fledgling comedian, at his lowest, heartbroken from his seemingly unforeseeable breakup with ‘love of his life’ Jen. Dissecting said heartbreak, the reader follows Andy’s winding road to recovery, as all around him settle into the early nights and mundane baby-chat of those approaching forty. 

Allow me to answer the obvious question immediately. Yes, Alderton can write men. Andy’s inner musings on himself, Jen and the overall state of things point to a writer thoroughly versed on the male brain. 

Dolly’s deep-rooted understanding of the male psyche is just as relatable to me, a man, as I imagine her conclusions on women are to them. 

Rather than chastise Andy for his occasionally obvious missteps, she takes a sympathetic approach, painting his hodgepodge of emotions and ill-drawn conclusions as the human mistakes they are. 

As is the case with everything she touches, Alderton’s work is made all the more relatable by her style of writing. Whether in her columns or longer pros, she’s a famously easy read. Unbothered by overindulgence, Good Material reads like a letter from a close friend - personal, warm, and funny. 

Following Andy through a heartbroken maze of online stalking and short-lived rebounds, Good Material leads the reader to their own assumptions. Through his fumbling mishaps, we see Andy for the loveable, misguided man he really is, and hence, appreciate the doomed reality of his foregone relationship. 

An introspective read, Good Materials takes a comical plunge into the various highs and lows of love in one's thirties. Emerging with an empathetic set of conclusions, the novel cements Alderton’s place amongst the upper echelons of British writers - proving that, regardless of her protagonist's gender, Dolly can, and will, do it again.