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Match Dot Comedy
With self-effacing charm, wit, and brutal honesty, essayist and scholar Susannah B. Mintz shares the ups and downs of middle-aged dating in Match Dot Comedy, a poignant and often hilarious memoir that takes a long, hard look at why the wrong relationships so often lead to the right one.
Mintz, whose journey begins ironically on Valentine's Day, chronicles the slapstick parade of men that come in and out of her life on her quest for love, and speaks candidly about the one obstacle that most often stood in her way: herself. Full of razor-sharp truths about life and relationships, Match Dot Comedy will appeal to anyone who has put their heart on the line in the name of love, and anyone waiting for a good reason to do so.
Susannah B. Mintz earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and a PhD in Literature from Rice University in Houston. She is the author of three books and numerous personal essays. She is currently Professor of English at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Cover design by Evan Twohy.
Mintz, whose journey begins ironically on Valentine's Day, chronicles the slapstick parade of men that come in and out of her life on her quest for love, and speaks candidly about the one obstacle that most often stood in her way: herself. Full of razor-sharp truths about life and relationships, Match Dot Comedy will appeal to anyone who has put their heart on the line in the name of love, and anyone waiting for a good reason to do so.
Susannah B. Mintz earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and a PhD in Literature from Rice University in Houston. She is the author of three books and numerous personal essays. She is currently Professor of English at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Cover design by Evan Twohy.
- GenresHumor
57 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2013
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26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 7, 2014
Annoying and wordy - got the gist of the plot / story from the beginning. The main character was too picky and was constantly looking for the same kind of man. Could have done the job describing her meeting 3 of them, but the book went on with so many names and details. Hard to follow, quick to read because I skipped many parts.
February 11, 2014
Overly Self indulgent. A more educated Carrie Bradshaw that takes herself even more seriously, if that is possible. It was entertaining enough for a plane ride, and a very quick read.
May 14, 2018
After breaking up with 'The Contractor', Susannah Mintz reactivates her Match.com profile and embarks with a sigh on the challenging path of online dating. This mini-memoir follows her through the ethical and emotional bear-pit that follows. There are men she finds interesting but unattractive; men to whom she feels an electric physical attraction, but who lack purpose; and of course, because this is a 'comedy' (in the sense of a happy ending), there's inevitably 'the one'. Mintz's journey is one of inner growth as well as outer progress, although her attitude to dating (as a middle-aged American college professor) wasn't always one I found immediately relatable: imagine auditioning dates by sending them your essays to read! This didn't give me any deep original insights, but Mintz is a clear-eyed and unsentimental companion, peppering her story with pep talks and reassurance, and it makes for a quick and ultimately heartwarming read.
February 4, 2014
This is a very quick read--only 57 pages with no chapters, just section breaks--but it's made much quicker by the prose style of the essay (and essay it is, not a story). The author details her hunt on match dot com for the perfect man. And she finds that like anything, the journey often leads you where you least expect and at the end, you may not be the same person who embarked on the quest.
What was lacking, what earned this four instead of five stars, was that I had a hard time figuring why the eventual "prince" would wait for this woman. I--I'm gonna be blunt here--didn't like her. She annoyed me. I've played the personals and online dating. I know that world. But I never felt quite so....driven as this woman seemed to be. Or so confounded by what her actual needs were. I liked her better by the end and smiled for her, but I still wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near her when this was going on.
Also, the prose, while beautiful--and certainly very readable as it zipped me right along--was at times a little self aware. The "look at me: I have an MFA" came through a bit, and kicked me out of the essay a few times.
But on balance a very fun and fast read, and I'm sure a lot of women (and probably some men) can relate to this.
Oh and I never laughed once. So it's not really a comedy, in that sense. It got some smiles. And some "been there" type amused groans. But this was not Mary Roach or Dave Barry.
What was lacking, what earned this four instead of five stars, was that I had a hard time figuring why the eventual "prince" would wait for this woman. I--I'm gonna be blunt here--didn't like her. She annoyed me. I've played the personals and online dating. I know that world. But I never felt quite so....driven as this woman seemed to be. Or so confounded by what her actual needs were. I liked her better by the end and smiled for her, but I still wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near her when this was going on.
Also, the prose, while beautiful--and certainly very readable as it zipped me right along--was at times a little self aware. The "look at me: I have an MFA" came through a bit, and kicked me out of the essay a few times.
But on balance a very fun and fast read, and I'm sure a lot of women (and probably some men) can relate to this.
Oh and I never laughed once. So it's not really a comedy, in that sense. It got some smiles. And some "been there" type amused groans. But this was not Mary Roach or Dave Barry.
January 14, 2014
This kindle single isn't what the title suggests. It is, by no means, a laugh out loud kind of comedy. I was hoping for something to delight me, to make me feel like I wasn't alone in my post thirties online dating exploits that would allow me to laugh at my situation, but instead, Mintz treated me to a truth, her truth that mirrored my own, that I didn't even fully realize until now.
Mintz writes with a flowing ease, like you're just sitting and having a lengthy conversation with her in some coffee house, and you feel at once the intimacy and her aloofness come off in her writing, and it mirrors her exploits into the online dating world.
This is still a comedy, but a thinking woman's comedy. One that shone a light on the deeper parts of ones psyche, that made you believe not necessarily in a happily ever after, but in finding yourself entrenched in the moment you're in, and finding someone to compliment the person you are supposed to be.
Too many nuggets of my own story came through in her writing, so much so that I will probably have a book-hangover for some time, thinking of this text, and how I can move forward myself. This book was a really great non-fiction read.
Mintz writes with a flowing ease, like you're just sitting and having a lengthy conversation with her in some coffee house, and you feel at once the intimacy and her aloofness come off in her writing, and it mirrors her exploits into the online dating world.
This is still a comedy, but a thinking woman's comedy. One that shone a light on the deeper parts of ones psyche, that made you believe not necessarily in a happily ever after, but in finding yourself entrenched in the moment you're in, and finding someone to compliment the person you are supposed to be.
Too many nuggets of my own story came through in her writing, so much so that I will probably have a book-hangover for some time, thinking of this text, and how I can move forward myself. This book was a really great non-fiction read.
March 23, 2014
I finally gave up on this short story/essay. I thought it was going to be funny and I never laughed. It was just sad. Also, the author is a bit wordy and kept repeating the same interaction over and over. I am glad I got this for free from Amazon. If I had paid, I think I would have asked for a refund! Not recommended!
September 7, 2014
When I started this book, I expected it to be a laugh-out-loud sort of relaxing read, and it is occasionally humorous, but actually I ended up liking it far more than just as comic relief. Well-written and very insightful, with a bunch of really wise quotes.
January 30, 2014
Fantastic!
This author is incredibly clever, with an amazing ability to perfectly phrase the most seemingly difficult or elusive concepts. Loved this and will look for more of her work.
This author is incredibly clever, with an amazing ability to perfectly phrase the most seemingly difficult or elusive concepts. Loved this and will look for more of her work.
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February 2, 2014Thoughtful and funny
The book was thoughtful and funny, cynical yet hopeful. A similar sense of humor as the Sex and the City tv series.
A great quick read for a flight or commute.
The book was thoughtful and funny, cynical yet hopeful. A similar sense of humor as the Sex and the City tv series.
A great quick read for a flight or commute.
January 21, 2014
muy bien escrito pero la historia no da mucho.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews