“Ghosts” by Dolly Alderton Review
When the news reached me that Dolly Alderton’s new book would come out in 2020, I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm. I clicked “To Read” on my Goodreads account way faster than it took Boris Johnson to act when he heard the word “global pandemic”. If only he had followed my example…. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton came out in all its yellowish green when it was most needed, when the world’s morale was so low that anything could have lifted it up. Even the return of Gangnam style. Thankfully, Alderton’s words proved to be more palatable than another ridiculous dance.
My expectations were high after All I Know About Love, which was probably the only book I had managed to start and finish in 2019 - in less than 48 hours even. I was ready for my mind to be blown again. I needed to know that someone else had been through the whirlwind of the early twenties and that they had come out alive, and with a sick job. At the same time, I had no idea what to expect from Ghosts, I was aware it was a novel and that therefore it might have not contained the same words of wisdom, but I was ready to take the chance.
I found in this novel, the same captivating, enthralling style that had drugged me in Alderton’s memoir. I was empathising with Nina’s loneliness which grabs everyone, either you’re single or in a relationship. I was feeling hopeless too watching Nina not being able to slow down the course of her father’s illness. I was crying with her under her childhood tree, trying to grasp that bit of magic that only resides in our oldest memories. Yet, while reading Ghosts, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I would find myself way up in the air, arms stretched, shouting at the top of my lungs, hoping for the book not to end, to then suddenly find myself entangled in some sad cheap clichè at the bottom. Oh yes, the classic Italian neighbour, who listens to loud music until late, who only speaks Italian and slaughters pork legs to make prosciutto in the backyard. So realistic.
Further on, here’s the classic, tormented mother and daughter relationship, full of misunderstandings enhanced by the mum’s menopause rebellion. All the characters fall into precise categories, we have the “unattainable lover”, “the hopeless romantic”, “the good parent”, “the bad parent” and “the good friend gone bad”. The whole plot was far from original. I think my disappointment was due to the high expectations I had after reading All I KnowAbout Love - this novel wasn’t bad, I just believe that Dolly Alderton has much more talent and that Ghosts could have passed for a Sophie Kinsella’s book. Her captivating, poetic style was still there but covered by layers of clichès and therefore, you could only distinguish it at times. I know that Alderton has a lot more to give us and will keep reading her books, should there be more, I’ll just take Ghosts for what it was - an alright first novel.
