Contemporary Romance Early Review: Dating-ish by Penny Reid
Monday, May 15, 2017 | Posted by
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
Dating-ish by Penny Reid (Knitting in the City #6)
ecopy thanks to the author
Synopsis from Goodreads
There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris:
1) She’s fed up with online dating,
2) She’s so fed up, she’s willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and
3) She knows how to knit.
After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of human kind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men. With the help of her friends, she quickly identifies a few possibilities:
Need a cuddle? Use a professional cuddler. Need affirmation? Get yourself a life coach. Need an orgasm? Try orgasm meditation! Why does she need the hassle of a romantic partner when she can meet all her needs with paid services?
But then her irritating date resurfaces. And he’s not at all the person she thought he was. And he suggests a different—and crazier—solution to her dilemma . . .
As everyone knows (or will soon come to realize), traditional relations between humans are a thing of the past. Robots are our future. And if robots are our future, then why do we need other people at all?
Release Date: May 16, 2017.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
9.5/10
* * *
I want to start my review with this amazing bit of wisdom from Dan:"You like this guy, you tell him flat out. You just lay what you want and everything that needs to be said. He'll always be in your mind, wrecking the possibility of things with other people, because your heart can't move on until it knows for sure a door is closed."
"But then, if the door opens, make sure it's the right door, not a different door. Because then you'll be in the room, but it's not the right room. And then you're stuck in the room, you've committed to the room, and you'd be an asshole for trying a new door in the same house when you're already in a room. And then your fucking heart won't stop looking for a window."
"I'm serious. Hearts are bastards that way, always looking for a goddamn window."
How about that, peeps? Here's your life, universe, and everything, the essentials of human interactions in one analogy of doors and windows.
I loved it, and I absolutely LOVED this book.
It's different from Penny's usual modus operandi of geeky romantic comedy. It's still supremely geeky and at times funny, but its undercurrent is about sadness, disconnect and loneliness.
It's fascinating because of the questions asked about the role of artificial intelligence, which is constantly evolving. It also challenges the way we look at relationships and how modern city living starts finding substitutes to having one.
It underlines how people's perceptions of what they want and the reality of what they can get do not commute happiness, our inability to communicate and million other ways we can screw our relationship.
Honestly, I was feeling for both Marie and Matt, who were adorable on their own, but not gelling well together. I think we've all been there with skewed perceptions, assumptions and miscommunication, dying of embarrassment and hurt.
It's not a simple read, it's not formulaic, but it's definitely on the cutting edge of modern romance. Awkward, off-balance, adorable and achingly familiar is what you'd get from Dating-ish.
I salute you, Penny! This was spot on.
* * *
Я хочу начать эту рецензию, делясь частичкой мудрости от Дэна:"Тебе нравится этот парень, ты так ему прям и скажи. Выложи на стол всё, что хочешь. Не трать время, не говоря то, что должно быть сказаным. Он всегда будет у тебя в мыслях, ломая возможности отношений с другими людьми, потому что твоё сердце не может двинуться дальше до тех пор, пока не будет знать наверняка, что эта дверь закрыта."
Но только, если дверь откроется, проверь, что это правильная дверь, не другая дверь. Потому что тогда ты окажешься в комнате, но это не правильная комната. И затем ты застрял в комнате, ты вложил усилия в эту комнату, и ты был бы подлецом, если бы попробовал новую дверь в том же доме, когда ты уже в комнате. И затем твоё ебанутое сердце не перестанет искать окно."
"Я серьёзен. Сердца - они вот такие подлюки, вечно ищут проклятые окна."
Как вам эта аналогия, ребята? Жизнь, вселенная и всё остальное, а также неотъемленные части человеческих отношений в аналогии дверей и окон...
Я просто обожаю эту книгу, и у меня не находятся слова, чтобы показать как сильно. Она отличается от обычного стиля Мисс Рид романтической комедии с элементами гиковства.
Гиковство здесь конечно есть - эта книга на сто процентов гик-парад. И вот комедийных моментов полно. Но вот всё это поверхностное, и не отвлекает от скрытых нот грусти, одиночества и оторванности от общества.
Современный холостяк, который уже давно сложился как личность и который пытается найти себе партнёра, сталкивается с невозможным диссонансом того, что хочется и того, что доступно.
Вот этот диссонанс, и как с ним борятся в современном обществе и есть движущая сила этого необычного романа. Различные сервисы, заменяющие отношения и продвижения в разработке искусственного интеллекта включены в повествование и безумно интересны.
Я и понимала и очень переживала за Мари и Мэтта. Я думаю, что мы все в какой-то степени прошли через те же ошибки в оценках, недопонимания, недосказывания и молчание, что не принесло нам ничего, кроме чувства ужасной неловкости и душевной боли.
Это не простая книга, не шаблонная. Однако, я с уверенностью могу сказать, что она - очень актуальная, даже где-то на передовой границе жанра, рассказывающая о неловкой, неуверенной в себе, но очень нам знакомой любви в 21 веке.
Пенни - зачёт. Книга - в точку.
Contemporary Romance Early Review: Dating-ish by Penny Reid
2017-05-15T23:45:00+01:00
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
9.5/10|comedy|contemporary|penny reid|romance|комедия|пенни рид|современный роман|
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If you'd like to sponsor a fellow book addict who sometimes can't sleep at night worrying that she won't have enough books to read if internet goes down in the event of zombie apocalypse (I'm convinced it's one of the top five ways to go for human race) you can donate through Paypal to olivesandacorns at gmail dot com or buy a book through any of the links provided with my reviews which will send me a small percentage from the sale. All proceeds will go towards my enormous TBR. I will also shelter you on the remote farm in Portugal when zombie apocalypse starts provided you survive getting there. There will be books, yay?
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