‘If he was real, but he was gone, had I dreamt our relationship? Had I invented what we were to each other?'
Dolly Alderton, the award winning author, columnist and co-host of The High Low has written a sharp-witted triumph. Her novel Ghosts (2020) is funny and tender like her widely acclaimed memoir Everything I Know About Love (2018).
Nina Dean is a self-assured 32 year old, a successful food writer surrounded by loving friends and family. Everything appears to have fallen into place when she meets Max.
It quickly becomes clear though that things aren't as promising as they seem. Her father has dementia, friendships are fading and she is troubled by the feeling of dwindling opportunities as her closest friends settle into their married lives.
Key to the story is the idea of ghosting, of disappearing suddenly out of someone’s life. Alderton explores the culture of online dating and how it breeds a kind of irresponsibility towards the feelings of others.
‘They preferred a relationship to be virtual and speculative, because when it was virtual and speculative, it could be perfect. Their girlfriend didn't have to be human. They didn't have to think about plans or practicalities, they weren’t burdened with the concern of another person’s happiness. And they could be heroes. They could be gods.’
I really enjoyed Ghosts. It's a depressing read at times, but Nina’s dry and witty humour lightens up the story with her remarks on dating profiles and passive aggressive maid of honours.
It is well worth reading Alderton's clever commentary on ageing and dating.