Words Jackie LaPlante
Finding a book that actually makes you laugh out loud is not easy. Humour is subjective and a reader’s perception of comedy is influenced by political leaning, national values (European humour is not British wit), and mood. Comedic styles range from the subtly dry to the ridiculous. To me, the most adept comedic writing touches on the foibles of human nature in such a way that we recognize ourselves in the teasing and are prepared to laugh at the silliness of the human race.
Toronto-based author Monica Heisey’s novel, Really Good, Actually, manages to amuse with punchy dialogue and a hapless and lovable main character. The author has written for the Baroness von Sketch show and Schitt’s Creek, and has a gift for finding humour in the daily interactions of her generation.
Maggie and Jon’s nine-year relationship fails, embarrassingly for her, less than two years after their decision to finally marry. At 29, Maggie is alone, blind-sided by her husband’s departure and suddenly cast into singledom when most of her friends are settling down. While divorce is not a natural treasure trove of comedy, Heisey highlights the absurdities that result when emotions are fragile. Maggie is chaotic in a Bridget Jones sort of way – she swings between late night Uber Eats orders (confirmed to her ex-husband’s phone) and swiping right on dating apps with abandon, regaling her millennial friends with post-date stories that are reminiscent of David and Alexis’ Schitt’s Creek conversations. Her increasingly random late-night internet searches feel familiar and make an amusing list, ranging from “feminist dating apps” to “Taylor Swift divorce” and “spaghetti squash why.”
Maggie often masks her hurt with funny quips, but the real heartbreak is always evident, and this is what keeps the constant humour from becoming wearing. Even as she jokes about her emotional pain, she knows that her witticisms are only Band-Aids that must be removed in order to complete healing.
Heisey’s own experience of marriage breakdown adds depth to Maggie’s eventual post-divorce growth. While she frequently references millennial sensibilities, the humour is universal, and she creates a character who is entertaining and empathetically sweet.
Here are three other books that tickled me. From a man’s take on breaking up, to an attempt to follow, literally, the guidance of the Old Testament, to obsession with creating the perfect Instagram post, these books poke fun at the way we muddle through certain moments of our lives:
1. Good Material by Dolly Alderton
2. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
3. A Meditation on Murder by Susan Juby
