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How to Be Somebody Else
Exquisitely written, sublimely fraught and erotically charged, How to Be Somebody Else is an uncoming of age in New York City
Spring 2015, New York.
On the surface Dylan has achieved the impossible - a life in New York, eight years of making this stick. And yet it is not the thing she'd imagined (what had she imagined?). When she walks out of her career, then apartment, and into a housesit for an artist she's never met, she does not tell her friends, her parents back in England, or Matt, her boyfriend, living on the West Coast.
Job-free, rent-free, she'll make good on her book, herself, other things too, she's thinking, when her neighbour Kate shows up and invites her to a party. There she meets Gabe, who happens to be married to Kate but insists, 'it's not a thing'. The affair that follows consumes her and she begins to consider what is fixed and what is variable. Can a person be both? Is Gabe the thing he seems? Is she?
As spring turns to summer, her experiments in living test loyalties and boundaries until an unexpected encounter between the two couples forces her to confront her future.
Spring 2015, New York.
On the surface Dylan has achieved the impossible - a life in New York, eight years of making this stick. And yet it is not the thing she'd imagined (what had she imagined?). When she walks out of her career, then apartment, and into a housesit for an artist she's never met, she does not tell her friends, her parents back in England, or Matt, her boyfriend, living on the West Coast.
Job-free, rent-free, she'll make good on her book, herself, other things too, she's thinking, when her neighbour Kate shows up and invites her to a party. There she meets Gabe, who happens to be married to Kate but insists, 'it's not a thing'. The affair that follows consumes her and she begins to consider what is fixed and what is variable. Can a person be both? Is Gabe the thing he seems? Is she?
As spring turns to summer, her experiments in living test loyalties and boundaries until an unexpected encounter between the two couples forces her to confront her future.
224 pages, Paperback
Published November 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 20, 2024
‘how to be somebody else’ is a character-driven, ‘woman in a city’ type of book following 30-something dylan in new york, who one day walks out of her career in advertising and her apartment, ending up housesitting for an artist she’s never met. she doesn’t tell her friends, her family back in england, or her long-distance boyfriend living on the west-coast. despite promising herself she’ll use this time to work on writing, she instead begins a consuming affair with her downstairs neighbour gabe, who is married but insists it’s ‘not a thing’, and soon finds herself and her life unravelling.
this novel features many components i love in a novel: new york setting, complicated relationship dynamics, a woman trying to figure out her life and slowly spiralling. no character in this book is likeable and you don’t really root for any of them, although thankfully i don’t need characters in books to be likeable (in fact i usually prefer when they aren’t).
i found pountney’s writing style to be very intelligent, although it did feel a little scattered at times, especially at the beginning. although perhaps this is intentional, a narrative style as a reflection of the chaos of the narrator’s inner monologue.
the novel has similar echoes to ‘conversations with friends’, and while obviously sally rooney didn’t create the affair plot by any means, the dynamics between the couples and motives felt quite similar to those in rooney’s novel (if you read both of these books, you’ll probably understand what i mean).
nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable read about a woman who seemingly has everything, has achieved her dreams only to discover it’s not really what she imagined. it’s about self-reflection, looking inwards to decide what you really want from life; who, what, and where you want to be. it’s also this author’s debut novel, so i’m interested to see what she writes in the future.
thank you @vintagebooks for the arc copy! ‘how to be somebody else’ is out in the uk on 15th february.
rating: 3.75 (rounded up)
this novel features many components i love in a novel: new york setting, complicated relationship dynamics, a woman trying to figure out her life and slowly spiralling. no character in this book is likeable and you don’t really root for any of them, although thankfully i don’t need characters in books to be likeable (in fact i usually prefer when they aren’t).
i found pountney’s writing style to be very intelligent, although it did feel a little scattered at times, especially at the beginning. although perhaps this is intentional, a narrative style as a reflection of the chaos of the narrator’s inner monologue.
the novel has similar echoes to ‘conversations with friends’, and while obviously sally rooney didn’t create the affair plot by any means, the dynamics between the couples and motives felt quite similar to those in rooney’s novel (if you read both of these books, you’ll probably understand what i mean).
nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable read about a woman who seemingly has everything, has achieved her dreams only to discover it’s not really what she imagined. it’s about self-reflection, looking inwards to decide what you really want from life; who, what, and where you want to be. it’s also this author’s debut novel, so i’m interested to see what she writes in the future.
thank you @vintagebooks for the arc copy! ‘how to be somebody else’ is out in the uk on 15th february.
rating: 3.75 (rounded up)
January 22, 2024
Hmmm. I think I may have missed the point of this book since I didn't really think it unsettling at all.
The story follows Dylan, an English woman, who decides to give up her job in advertising and sub-let her flat as an AirBnB while she goes to flat/cat sit for another woman but still in New York. She doesn't tell her friends or her boyfriend (who lives on the west coast) what she's done. Her plan is to write the novel she's been contemplating for a while. However once she's moved in she meets Gabe and Kate, her downstairs neighbours and begins an affair with Gabe.
So the writing is good and it's a mainly easy read but, for me, it wasn't particularly original. It's just a finding oneself sort of thing with an inadvisable affair thrown in. Dylan doesn't appear to do any writing and the main action appears to be the weather and her affair with a man who is clearly no stranger to playing away from home. Of course Dylan misreads Gabe's actions a lot but then don't we all want something to mean as much to the other person as it does to us?
At one point Dylan returns to England for a funeral but even there she doesn't really seem to do a lot. She does find some things out about herself during this "sabbatical" from ordinary life but otherwise its a messy sort of novel that goes in circles more than forwards.
If you like a messy girl novel then you'll probably enjoy it. As I said, the writing is good and this wouldn't put me off reading more by Miranda Pountney.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy.
The story follows Dylan, an English woman, who decides to give up her job in advertising and sub-let her flat as an AirBnB while she goes to flat/cat sit for another woman but still in New York. She doesn't tell her friends or her boyfriend (who lives on the west coast) what she's done. Her plan is to write the novel she's been contemplating for a while. However once she's moved in she meets Gabe and Kate, her downstairs neighbours and begins an affair with Gabe.
So the writing is good and it's a mainly easy read but, for me, it wasn't particularly original. It's just a finding oneself sort of thing with an inadvisable affair thrown in. Dylan doesn't appear to do any writing and the main action appears to be the weather and her affair with a man who is clearly no stranger to playing away from home. Of course Dylan misreads Gabe's actions a lot but then don't we all want something to mean as much to the other person as it does to us?
At one point Dylan returns to England for a funeral but even there she doesn't really seem to do a lot. She does find some things out about herself during this "sabbatical" from ordinary life but otherwise its a messy sort of novel that goes in circles more than forwards.
If you like a messy girl novel then you'll probably enjoy it. As I said, the writing is good and this wouldn't put me off reading more by Miranda Pountney.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy.
October 6, 2025
This is the addictively readable story of Dylan, a late-thirties English woman who gives up her New York City advertising job and ponders authorship and motherhood while house-sitting an acquaintance’s apartment—and carrying on an affair with the married downstairs neighbour. As we see her interact with family and friends, we come to appreciate her not as some stereotypical ‘sad girl’ or ‘disaster woman’, but as an Everywoman seeking the time and space to become herself. It’s a sharp and witty novel for fans of Sally Rooney.
(One of my favourites from my McKitterick Prize judging this past year. It made it to the longlist and narrowly missed out on the shortlist.)
(One of my favourites from my McKitterick Prize judging this past year. It made it to the longlist and narrowly missed out on the shortlist.)
March 11, 2025
2.5 ★
”failure at what, does she mean — at intimacy? her body? new york? or more fundamentally, at the proposition of herself, so painstakingly assembled in her twenties, now beginning to glitch” 😳
dark, soul crushing and completely self incflicted. the literary children of ottessa moshfegh are being born!
… however, there’s no way i can rate this any higher than 3 stars when it was so annoying to read with it’s lack of quotation marks and subject pronouns.
”failure at what, does she mean — at intimacy? her body? new york? or more fundamentally, at the proposition of herself, so painstakingly assembled in her twenties, now beginning to glitch” 😳
dark, soul crushing and completely self incflicted. the literary children of ottessa moshfegh are being born!
… however, there’s no way i can rate this any higher than 3 stars when it was so annoying to read with it’s lack of quotation marks and subject pronouns.
May 10, 2024
This is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. What’s it about? Couldn’t tell you, apart from a woman having an affair. The writing is awful (how many commas does one person need!!) and more than half the time I had no idea what was going on. The promise of this book was not met, and I would not recommend.
Read
May 31, 2025Bookclub read.
Sadly I could not finish this.
I was very confused throughout 2/3 I have read. It felt like a character dump throughout and I did not care for any of them.
I hoped the main character would really take on a new personality and live like someone else. However she just looked after someone’s apartment, kept her own personality I did not relate to in the slightest, cheated on her boyfriend with someone else’s husband and kept hanging out with her very unlikable friends.
Perhaps I feel more motivated after bookclub to pick this back up however for no I really do not care for it.
Sadly I could not finish this.
I was very confused throughout 2/3 I have read. It felt like a character dump throughout and I did not care for any of them.
I hoped the main character would really take on a new personality and live like someone else. However she just looked after someone’s apartment, kept her own personality I did not relate to in the slightest, cheated on her boyfriend with someone else’s husband and kept hanging out with her very unlikable friends.
Perhaps I feel more motivated after bookclub to pick this back up however for no I really do not care for it.
June 22, 2025
el verano de una chiquita un poco loquita en una gran ciudad (podría ser yo)
April 1, 2024
From the blurb, I really thought this would be my kind of book only to spend much of it waiting for it to click on an emotional level. It never came.
I enjoyed the writing well enough. That kind of wistful, drifting writing that reflects a character lacking direction and purpose. It came down to the fact that the characterisation itself didn't capture my imagination. With Dylan having thrown herself into the "having it all" Big Apple lifestyle with the job, the friends and the boyfriend, she was suddenly confronted with the fact that it didn't really hold at that much meaning for her and quit her job. The groundwork was flaky, the execution of her trying on a new life felt generic and lacking in substance.
From the blurb, I'd imagined a clean break from her life but it wasn't really a break at all? Her friends were still a part of her life, her boyfriend was already a long-distance arrangement and the housesitting felt like a convenient setup to allow her the freedom of having quit her job and to throw her into the orbit of an ill-advised, risky affair. She fixated on the guy she was having an affair with - Gabe - despite the fact he offered nothing more than posturing statements and sporadic sex, while managing to keep her old life to dip into when she felt like it. The journey of her rediscovering her purpose and identity just wasn't there. In its place was the generic tale of a dissatisfied woman embarking on an affair where the man (and his partner) hold more cards than she was even allowed to be aware of and a clichéd moment of forced awakening about just how detached she had become from herself.
I enjoyed the writing well enough. That kind of wistful, drifting writing that reflects a character lacking direction and purpose. It came down to the fact that the characterisation itself didn't capture my imagination. With Dylan having thrown herself into the "having it all" Big Apple lifestyle with the job, the friends and the boyfriend, she was suddenly confronted with the fact that it didn't really hold at that much meaning for her and quit her job. The groundwork was flaky, the execution of her trying on a new life felt generic and lacking in substance.
From the blurb, I'd imagined a clean break from her life but it wasn't really a break at all? Her friends were still a part of her life, her boyfriend was already a long-distance arrangement and the housesitting felt like a convenient setup to allow her the freedom of having quit her job and to throw her into the orbit of an ill-advised, risky affair. She fixated on the guy she was having an affair with - Gabe - despite the fact he offered nothing more than posturing statements and sporadic sex, while managing to keep her old life to dip into when she felt like it. The journey of her rediscovering her purpose and identity just wasn't there. In its place was the generic tale of a dissatisfied woman embarking on an affair where the man (and his partner) hold more cards than she was even allowed to be aware of and a clichéd moment of forced awakening about just how detached she had become from herself.
March 25, 2025
This whole entire book had me confused. It feels like there are parts missing but theres not.. Its just not my kind of genre. :)
November 16, 2024
2.5⭐️
Well this was definitely a bit underwhelming. For what i hoped would be a cinematic untethering of the chaotic new york experience felt more like a somewhat disconnected following of Dylan’s life. Though it did have some good moments of messiness and authenticity in the sense of flawed living, I found that there were many points that were forgettable. Following the dynamics of Dylan moving to the big city and weaving herself into an affair whilst also trying to make a living, I think what i needed more from this was a deeper emotional connection to the characters- which remained surface level until the last few chapters. The writing style is that of Sally Rooney’s, absence of quotation marks and raw observations of contemporary life. It felt like more of a mindless read, until you reach the ending few chapters where the tonality and focus of the novel shifts to focus on Dylan’s repercussions from the affair and themes on motherhood and the woman’s body. Overall, it fell a bit flat however I do see where Pountney was getting at (at times). I’m curious to read what other people thought…
Well this was definitely a bit underwhelming. For what i hoped would be a cinematic untethering of the chaotic new york experience felt more like a somewhat disconnected following of Dylan’s life. Though it did have some good moments of messiness and authenticity in the sense of flawed living, I found that there were many points that were forgettable. Following the dynamics of Dylan moving to the big city and weaving herself into an affair whilst also trying to make a living, I think what i needed more from this was a deeper emotional connection to the characters- which remained surface level until the last few chapters. The writing style is that of Sally Rooney’s, absence of quotation marks and raw observations of contemporary life. It felt like more of a mindless read, until you reach the ending few chapters where the tonality and focus of the novel shifts to focus on Dylan’s repercussions from the affair and themes on motherhood and the woman’s body. Overall, it fell a bit flat however I do see where Pountney was getting at (at times). I’m curious to read what other people thought…
July 16, 2025
4,5/5
My favourite kind of book is the one where a woman quits her job and goes a bit rogue, and this was exactly that. So, naturally, I loved this! It didn’t have a lot going on, but the vibes were just enough for me to absolutely not want to put it down.
It does also touches on some heavier subjects in a really beautiful way. Overall a balanced and well written book.
Also sold by: Oxford mention, Brit in New York, and New York in general.
“She feels mad with space, and the trick, she is learning, is to leave it alone. Not to force portals or openings. Not to aggrandise or mythologise. Only to let it fill her up; leave stretchmarks.”
My favourite kind of book is the one where a woman quits her job and goes a bit rogue, and this was exactly that. So, naturally, I loved this! It didn’t have a lot going on, but the vibes were just enough for me to absolutely not want to put it down.
It does also touches on some heavier subjects in a really beautiful way. Overall a balanced and well written book.
Also sold by: Oxford mention, Brit in New York, and New York in general.
“She feels mad with space, and the trick, she is learning, is to leave it alone. Not to force portals or openings. Not to aggrandise or mythologise. Only to let it fill her up; leave stretchmarks.”
September 19, 2025
,,Lately there's been crying. Only at night, but most nights, usually, at some point before sleep. She might be halfway through brushing her teeth when the tears show up, as part of the swoosh and spit of things, or she'll discover them later, wetting a collar, corner of pillow, page of a book. The experience usually lasts a few minutes, which seems long, when you try to imagine crying from a place of non crying, but it's well below average, Wikipedia says - for a woman."
świetne zakończenie, ale całościowo trochę nudne
świetne zakończenie, ale całościowo trochę nudne
February 15, 2024
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I couldn't care for the characters that I found a bit outlandish and loved the plot.
Chaotic, multilayered, fascinating. I loved the descriptions of living in NYT and would have like to be still at the moment when you wonder what will remain and what is just passing.
Having lived 20 years as working nomad I know about that question and there's no answer
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Chaotic, multilayered, fascinating. I loved the descriptions of living in NYT and would have like to be still at the moment when you wonder what will remain and what is just passing.
Having lived 20 years as working nomad I know about that question and there's no answer
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 20, 2024
I was drawn in by the title, the cover and the back page blurb of this book- the journey of a successful NYC female ad executive in a bid to find her own happiness. The ad land hype has turned hollow and Dylan takes a bold step quitting her job, abandoning the hypocrisy of it all, in search of her own truth. Where does it lie? Is it in her own writing, a different living space, a new love affair…
The writing is clever, at times a little too much so, a tad remote. I am also not a fan of the no “quotation marks” format as it meant at times, as in this novel, it was unclear as to whether it was dialogue or inner dialogue. Who said what was also a distraction. The novel also includes some gross anecdotes that add an unnecessary yuk factor and left me wondering what the author was hoping to achieve by this.
I’d hoped that something illuminating would befall Dylan on her journey … but in fact it all leads to nowhere. And therein is the story.
Dylan in her late thirties, suffering an intense ennui, throws in her job and moves to a NYC house sit - she cedes control of her life and even her own body. She starts a sexually charged affair with the guy from the apartment downstairs. Gabe, her paramour, is married to Kate. In fact it is his wife that invites Dylan to the gathering at their place in the first instance. He very early on tells her his marriage, ‘is not a thing’. Really, and what does that mean? There’s posturing statements and enigmatic sexual encounters, but Dylan doesn’t manage to question any of this, not out loud at any rate. So what isn't ‘a thing’ … his marriage, his love for his wife, his infidelity, or is his time with her, this side affair with her, not ‘a thing’?
As charismatic as he seems it is immediately obvious that Gabe is the classic narcissistic cad, albeit with an allure and charm all his own. Whilst there is an intense erotic energy that drives Dylan and Gabe’s connection, I began to find her little-girl-lost demeanour and her inability to voice her words, declare herself and the questions in her head, annoying. She readily accepts the role of sexual plaything for this man. Was this really about finding herself - or was she simply hitching herself to yet another man that wasn’t right for her? Perhaps it was just the attention that she craved.
In fact, I found Dylan and the key characters in this mostly unlikeable and couldn’t connect. The only likeable person is Matt her long distance boyfriend. Dylan is a manipulator in her own right - she keeps her relationship with Matt on hold as if she can dip into it at any moment and resume it, as and when it suits her. She knows he wants her to move to San Francisco to be with him and maybe that is at the root of all her dissonance, but she leaves Matt hanging, deceived, unaware of her ditching her job and moving house, left on the sidelines, in the dark. She has the self awareness to think, p74 “Matt is not getting a fair shake. This is clear, though feels seperate from her somehow.” It turns out to be a rather callous act when it is Matt’s care and attentiveness that saves her life when her health hits a crisis. And so, also then the affair is exposed for what it is.
I found Dylan to be so very self absorbed that rather than identifying with her plight, her dissonance and confusion, I didn’t like her or care too much what happened. Dylan abdicated responsibility for Matt, and likewise did not give much real thought to Kate, Gabe’s wife. This it seems was her classic mistake - to succumb to him, the married man, so readily. It also just seemed cliche this escape into a delusion that allowed her to completely disregard that Gabe even had a wife, the ego fantasy trip - ‘he wants me more’. Until it becomes evident that it is in fact the other way around.
Dylan seemed so lacking in self awareness that she didn't grasp her complicity in this fantasy, avidly accepting the role of erotic plaything. Given her worldlyness it was a surprise that the classic fantasy plays out in her head - the one where the married man will just exit his cosy life for her. He’ll choose me. And of course, that is Gabe’s trump card - she had been played by him and his wife who knew all along.
The only part I found infuriatingly real and moving was the complete abandonment Gabe gets away with when he whispers in her ear, as she is miscarrying his child, ‘I have a life’. Of course, he has a life that is not only more important than, but also excludes her - it is his life that matters not hers. And he’d had two women in his thrall playing his tune.
In the end Dylan is alone, finding herself, her own life, realising Gabe had been incidental.
Sadly, for all the clever writing, the novel left me cold.
The writing is clever, at times a little too much so, a tad remote. I am also not a fan of the no “quotation marks” format as it meant at times, as in this novel, it was unclear as to whether it was dialogue or inner dialogue. Who said what was also a distraction. The novel also includes some gross anecdotes that add an unnecessary yuk factor and left me wondering what the author was hoping to achieve by this.
I’d hoped that something illuminating would befall Dylan on her journey … but in fact it all leads to nowhere. And therein is the story.
Dylan in her late thirties, suffering an intense ennui, throws in her job and moves to a NYC house sit - she cedes control of her life and even her own body. She starts a sexually charged affair with the guy from the apartment downstairs. Gabe, her paramour, is married to Kate. In fact it is his wife that invites Dylan to the gathering at their place in the first instance. He very early on tells her his marriage, ‘is not a thing’. Really, and what does that mean? There’s posturing statements and enigmatic sexual encounters, but Dylan doesn’t manage to question any of this, not out loud at any rate. So what isn't ‘a thing’ … his marriage, his love for his wife, his infidelity, or is his time with her, this side affair with her, not ‘a thing’?
As charismatic as he seems it is immediately obvious that Gabe is the classic narcissistic cad, albeit with an allure and charm all his own. Whilst there is an intense erotic energy that drives Dylan and Gabe’s connection, I began to find her little-girl-lost demeanour and her inability to voice her words, declare herself and the questions in her head, annoying. She readily accepts the role of sexual plaything for this man. Was this really about finding herself - or was she simply hitching herself to yet another man that wasn’t right for her? Perhaps it was just the attention that she craved.
In fact, I found Dylan and the key characters in this mostly unlikeable and couldn’t connect. The only likeable person is Matt her long distance boyfriend. Dylan is a manipulator in her own right - she keeps her relationship with Matt on hold as if she can dip into it at any moment and resume it, as and when it suits her. She knows he wants her to move to San Francisco to be with him and maybe that is at the root of all her dissonance, but she leaves Matt hanging, deceived, unaware of her ditching her job and moving house, left on the sidelines, in the dark. She has the self awareness to think, p74 “Matt is not getting a fair shake. This is clear, though feels seperate from her somehow.” It turns out to be a rather callous act when it is Matt’s care and attentiveness that saves her life when her health hits a crisis. And so, also then the affair is exposed for what it is.
I found Dylan to be so very self absorbed that rather than identifying with her plight, her dissonance and confusion, I didn’t like her or care too much what happened. Dylan abdicated responsibility for Matt, and likewise did not give much real thought to Kate, Gabe’s wife. This it seems was her classic mistake - to succumb to him, the married man, so readily. It also just seemed cliche this escape into a delusion that allowed her to completely disregard that Gabe even had a wife, the ego fantasy trip - ‘he wants me more’. Until it becomes evident that it is in fact the other way around.
Dylan seemed so lacking in self awareness that she didn't grasp her complicity in this fantasy, avidly accepting the role of erotic plaything. Given her worldlyness it was a surprise that the classic fantasy plays out in her head - the one where the married man will just exit his cosy life for her. He’ll choose me. And of course, that is Gabe’s trump card - she had been played by him and his wife who knew all along.
The only part I found infuriatingly real and moving was the complete abandonment Gabe gets away with when he whispers in her ear, as she is miscarrying his child, ‘I have a life’. Of course, he has a life that is not only more important than, but also excludes her - it is his life that matters not hers. And he’d had two women in his thrall playing his tune.
In the end Dylan is alone, finding herself, her own life, realising Gabe had been incidental.
Sadly, for all the clever writing, the novel left me cold.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2025
"Dylan would put her pain at around a seven, at this point, were she to be asked, which is unlikely, as this procedure is routine, for a woman. Also, this kind of pain, which is to say women's pain, more commonly known as discomfort."
I enjoyed this, but it was all a bit cool and detached. Very stylish, but I found it hard to engage with Dylan.
I enjoyed this, but it was all a bit cool and detached. Very stylish, but I found it hard to engage with Dylan.
September 26, 2024
Well written, interesting, and clever. I’m not sure if it’s short or I just read it quickly, it is easy to race through but stays with you.
May 18, 2025
spent about 6 hours on a train today so finished this quite speedily. It was ok like had a lot of potential and I really enjoyed some parts but wasn’t crazy impressed by it. Nice read all the same.
December 11, 2024
Whinging millennial, just needs to get therapy.
Read
November 4, 2025Hmmmm. I struggled with this. Wanted to love it but just found it to be somewhat disappointing.
February 8, 2024
Apparently, I’m not of the literary moment.
Okay.
Sally has either lost interest or is trying to get her to reveal herself in some way.
That was my last feedback.
On what?
Just a piece of flash fiction.
What needs to happen, Sally asks, in a piece of flash fiction, to make it flash fiction?
Every time she says flash fiction it sounds more like the punchline to a joke, something Dylan’s invented to hide the fact she’s unable to manage something more substantial on the page. The last thing she had published was back in London, two short stories just before she left, but she’s failed to build on this momentum in New York. For some reason only able to deal in fragments.
Decent flash fiction, Sally clarifies—the kind that makes it into the tiny cannon.
She makes herself laugh with this question.
Dylan shrugs, closes her eyes.
Anyway, you’re good at little moves, says Sally. You know, flipping something or coming at it weirdly. Trickster, Sally means. Word clown. Impressive how casually she’s managing to nail her shortcomings.
It’s a novel I’m working on, says Dylan.
So, you identify as novel. Did the feedback say what moment you are of ?
Not so much.
She thought about this when she got the rejection; not what moment she might belong to, but what the Literary Moment might be, if there is one, and she is not inside it. Some moment writers share together, that’s not a part of the other moment—the clock one—split in their being, as they are anyway, in one place writing, but also in the elsewhere they’re creating. Regardless, it’s no surprise to hear she’s out of step, with the moment, herself, whatever.
This is the debut novel of a London based writer (with a BA in English Literature from Oxford University and an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University).
The close third party narrator is Dylan, Oxford educated and from a happy family background; “the guilty secret [she and her father] share, this love for her mother, which is total. Unfashionable, Sally insists, to feel this way about a mother, especially for a writer, but there’s nothing to be done.”
At the age of thirty she took a decision to move to New York where at the book’s opening, some 8 years later in 2015 (with both a Brexit vote and a Trump run for Presidency imminent), she is working at a job she increasingly despises at an advertising agency (working on an updated pitch for New York itself).
In the opening chapter she spontaneously walks out on her job (notionally to start writing fiction although very little writing seems to occur), rents our her apartment and house and cat sits (for free) in the large apartment of an artist she contacts only online. None of this does she share with her longtime boyfriend Matt (who lives on the West Coast working in “FemTech” – seemingly a fertility app).
Shortly after at a party hosted by Kate, the owner of the flat below, she meets Gabe (a bar piano player) and the two start an affair even though Gabe is married to Kate (although he implies the marriage is now little more than a convenience).
At one point Dylan remembers a relationship she had at Oxford with a man who broke up as he said they were not suited as long term partners but who later came out and reflects when thinking of if she could use this autobiographical material for her fiction: “there would need to be changes—where they met, family background—as it was too privileged a pain to be sympathetic. …. And gay guy, straight girl has been done before, it’s not new pain.”
And while I think this is a deliberately knowing reference I found it hard not to feel the same about this novel:
Privileged characters it is very hard to feel any sympathy for – I struggled to engage with Dylan and her group of American friends in New York, only to struggle even more when she returns to her well-off family for a funeral in England
And single (but in a relationship) girl, married guy has been done so many times. To the extent it had a different twist it seemed partly borrowed from “Conversations with Friends”, and the other development was of the relatively predictable fictional fecundity trope.
And the writing felt a little uneven – borrowing from different tropes: at times really quite self-referentially literary (Clarice Lispector quotes) or arty (Noguchi and others); at times more of the include Google-searches in the test school; and then consciously but for me jarringly with occasional forays into Moshfegh gross-out/scatological detail.
Overall really not a novel for me.
January 7, 2024
How to be Somebody Else by Miranda Pountney
A great messy girl novel set in New York City in Spring 2015, New York, follows Dylan who has that surface level life of dreams; great job, sweet boyfriend and nice apartment (New York nice). As with all messy girl novels Dylan slowly unravels and her actions reveal to her the fragility of life. Dylan begins an affair with her neighbour Gabe, who is married but describes it as, "it's not a thing". Dylan uses the affair as an escape from her spiraling thoughts and begins to question everything in her life.
This book is a little messy and wild but I think that's the point. The writing is a little incoherent and warning to those who hate this, there are no quotation marks, which doesn't bother me and seems a good choice for the novel as it highlights Dylan's selfishness, everything almost appears through her and her thoughts only.
The novel is a more original, "messy girl novel" than the standard format because of the characters reflections on texts, lispector is frequently mentioned which broke up the text and tied in well to the character's thoughts. Our character is entirely unlikeable and there is no real redemption for her, wish I prefer because let her be selfish not everyone needs to be redeemed.
I generally enjoyed this book a lot, but felt sometimes the text meandered and was a little dull in some parts which brought you out of the characters thoughts and feelings. Despite this I would be excited to read more Miranda Pountney and would recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the messy girl trope.
Thank you to Vintage for gifting me a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Out February 15th.
A great messy girl novel set in New York City in Spring 2015, New York, follows Dylan who has that surface level life of dreams; great job, sweet boyfriend and nice apartment (New York nice). As with all messy girl novels Dylan slowly unravels and her actions reveal to her the fragility of life. Dylan begins an affair with her neighbour Gabe, who is married but describes it as, "it's not a thing". Dylan uses the affair as an escape from her spiraling thoughts and begins to question everything in her life.
This book is a little messy and wild but I think that's the point. The writing is a little incoherent and warning to those who hate this, there are no quotation marks, which doesn't bother me and seems a good choice for the novel as it highlights Dylan's selfishness, everything almost appears through her and her thoughts only.
The novel is a more original, "messy girl novel" than the standard format because of the characters reflections on texts, lispector is frequently mentioned which broke up the text and tied in well to the character's thoughts. Our character is entirely unlikeable and there is no real redemption for her, wish I prefer because let her be selfish not everyone needs to be redeemed.
I generally enjoyed this book a lot, but felt sometimes the text meandered and was a little dull in some parts which brought you out of the characters thoughts and feelings. Despite this I would be excited to read more Miranda Pountney and would recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the messy girl trope.
Thank you to Vintage for gifting me a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Out February 15th.
April 24, 2024
For me, the mark of a good literary novel is that you're still thinking about its ideas or vibes a couple of weeks on. That's the case for Miranda Pountney's excellent debut novel, which got me thinking about bodies, and all their horrors and joys. There's one section in particular, where Pountney talks about how desire is the force that brings together two individuals despite all their respective bodily grotesqueries, that I've chewed over for some time now.
Pountney's literary voice is terrific, capturing the essence of a narrator who is simultaneously self-reflexive and in denial. Her protagonist's introspective musings and observations are conveyed with a raw honesty, and as the story unfolds, a growing sense of unease emerges, especially in light of the narrator's blind spots.
One of the novel's greatest strengths is its ability to subvert expectations. While it may have been marketed as a straightforward romance, "How to Be Someone Else" is anything but. Instead, it delves into the darker aspects of human nature, exploring themes of identity, obsession, and the lengths we go to in pursuit of connection. The devastating conclusion serves as a powerful reminder that the path to self-discovery is often fraught with pain and uncertainty.
Pountney's writing is both provocative and insightful, challenging readers to confront their preconceptions about love, relationships, and the human condition. This is not a book for those seeking a light, escapist read; rather, it demands engagement and introspection from its audience.
It's a testament to Pountney's skill as a writer that she has crafted a novel that is at once deeply unsettling and utterly compelling. It's a book that will linger in your mind long after you've put it down.
Pountney's literary voice is terrific, capturing the essence of a narrator who is simultaneously self-reflexive and in denial. Her protagonist's introspective musings and observations are conveyed with a raw honesty, and as the story unfolds, a growing sense of unease emerges, especially in light of the narrator's blind spots.
One of the novel's greatest strengths is its ability to subvert expectations. While it may have been marketed as a straightforward romance, "How to Be Someone Else" is anything but. Instead, it delves into the darker aspects of human nature, exploring themes of identity, obsession, and the lengths we go to in pursuit of connection. The devastating conclusion serves as a powerful reminder that the path to self-discovery is often fraught with pain and uncertainty.
Pountney's writing is both provocative and insightful, challenging readers to confront their preconceptions about love, relationships, and the human condition. This is not a book for those seeking a light, escapist read; rather, it demands engagement and introspection from its audience.
It's a testament to Pountney's skill as a writer that she has crafted a novel that is at once deeply unsettling and utterly compelling. It's a book that will linger in your mind long after you've put it down.
February 5, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. more so as I spent fifteen years in advertising. Pountney is on point in her description of marketing etc. The plot moved along at just the right speed providing many opportunities to laugh out loud.
Dylan is a successful ad exec who disillusioned quits her job in the middle of yet another boring egotistical agency meeting. Her aim is to find herself. and write Given that she is on a green card with no more money coming in she sublets her apartment and apartment sits for a woman we never meet.
On the day of moving in Kate, her neighbour, invites her to a house warming gathering. Here she quickly hooks up with her husband, Gabe. Their relationship allows her to ignore the problems she has with her long distance boyfriend Matt but proves dangerous in the end..Written from the perspective of Dylan we are often presented with disjointed thoughts as she attempts to hold herself together and question what it is she actually wants to do.The observations of New York are razor sharp as is her quick trip to UK. and the NHS system.
By the end there is a sense of realisation that planning ones next move is often the barrier to real happiness. Why not just be.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this early
Dylan is a successful ad exec who disillusioned quits her job in the middle of yet another boring egotistical agency meeting. Her aim is to find herself. and write Given that she is on a green card with no more money coming in she sublets her apartment and apartment sits for a woman we never meet.
On the day of moving in Kate, her neighbour, invites her to a house warming gathering. Here she quickly hooks up with her husband, Gabe. Their relationship allows her to ignore the problems she has with her long distance boyfriend Matt but proves dangerous in the end..Written from the perspective of Dylan we are often presented with disjointed thoughts as she attempts to hold herself together and question what it is she actually wants to do.The observations of New York are razor sharp as is her quick trip to UK. and the NHS system.
By the end there is a sense of realisation that planning ones next move is often the barrier to real happiness. Why not just be.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this early
November 16, 2024
Well, I got halfway through and gave up.
It’s good writing but happens here. There’s a lot of wistful navel-gazing and Big, Deep Thoughts but nothing actually happens.
Dylan gives up her good job in advertising because of (as far as I can work out) the constant bullshit…then proceeds to spout bullshit in her dialogue, both inner and outer. There are some anecdotes which I think are designed to be graphic or shocking or pivotal or signifiers of the characters’ detachment but they do not have the impact the author thinks they do.
Everyone here is ever so witty and reflective and insightful…but ultimately dislikes me. There’s absolutely no way any of these people would be having these bouts of deep self-analysis if we encountered them out in the world. In real life, Dylan would not be sitting in a park contemplating the different versions of herself; she’d be contemplating lunch.
It’s a book of artful nothing.
It’s good writing but happens here. There’s a lot of wistful navel-gazing and Big, Deep Thoughts but nothing actually happens.
Dylan gives up her good job in advertising because of (as far as I can work out) the constant bullshit…then proceeds to spout bullshit in her dialogue, both inner and outer. There are some anecdotes which I think are designed to be graphic or shocking or pivotal or signifiers of the characters’ detachment but they do not have the impact the author thinks they do.
Everyone here is ever so witty and reflective and insightful…but ultimately dislikes me. There’s absolutely no way any of these people would be having these bouts of deep self-analysis if we encountered them out in the world. In real life, Dylan would not be sitting in a park contemplating the different versions of herself; she’d be contemplating lunch.
It’s a book of artful nothing.
January 5, 2025
Is it mandatory to have a personal crisis to feel like a true New Yorker? Normally I really love a flawed character and unreliable narrator but it feel like Dylan was just dour faced and selfish. Yes she is treated poorly but it was so hard to feel any kind of sympathy for her. Between that and the stylised formatting of the writing, this book didn’t really work for me. Although it headed this way a little towards the end, I really wish it had been a lot darker.
If you enjoy the whole ‘young woman on a destructive path to self discovery’ trope then it’s worth giving this one a whirl. I am just too old and cynical.
If you enjoy the whole ‘young woman on a destructive path to self discovery’ trope then it’s worth giving this one a whirl. I am just too old and cynical.
March 11, 2024
Dylan is supposed to be having an amazing life living in New York, but she feels at a dead end and so quits her job and apartment and takes a job house-sitting and caring for an artist’s cat while planning to work on writing her book. Invited to a party by a neighbour, Kate, she meets and begins an affair with Kate’s husband, despite having her own boyfriend who is currently working in San Francisco. Further complications are inevitable. This book very much follows the current fashion for clever, emotionally restrained analyses of difficult relationships, and will be enjoyed by fans of Sally Rooney and Megan Nolan. Well-written in a coolly detached, sardonic style, I found it uninvolving and disliked the characters, but I think I am somewhat older than the target audience and it just wasn’t my kind of book.
January 7, 2025
I didn’t finish the book. I read just over half so therefore counting it as read because otherwise I’ve wasted my time.
The writing style is awful. No speech marks when people speak so it just flows weirdly and you don’t realise you’ve been reading speech.
The characters are dry, not likeable.
The only good bits is where someone is having s*x and that’s not often.
Some chapters are just so pointless like such detailed explanations of a beach, which wasn’t even important.
Maybe the style just isn’t for me, but it’s terrible.
The writing style is awful. No speech marks when people speak so it just flows weirdly and you don’t realise you’ve been reading speech.
The characters are dry, not likeable.
The only good bits is where someone is having s*x and that’s not often.
Some chapters are just so pointless like such detailed explanations of a beach, which wasn’t even important.
Maybe the style just isn’t for me, but it’s terrible.
May 4, 2025
I LOVED this book. Dylan's emotional numbness at the beginning made it quite difficult to connect with her. Nonetheless, as you start seeing her relationships unfold (with her friends, Gabe, Matt, her mum) you start seeing how intrincate it is to create a deep bond when you are shedding the old version of you and start questioning your real self. Her thoughts on being a woman and motherhood made me feel a sense of sorority and community as well. An unexpected hopeful ending.
September 1, 2025
The last 35 pages of this book are the only thing that allowed me to give it more than one star. Maybe this is just not my genre, but there is no plot and the main character is kind of unbearable. Of course she is supposed to be mysterious and confused, but with the title of the book, you would think she would change a bit more as the novel unfolds. The writing was interesting, but also very confusing...im disappointed:/
February 25, 2024
I absolutely loved this book - such elegant writing. It’s funny and moving with complex characters that reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh and Beryl Bainbridge. The chapter of Dylan’s return to the UK, and the poignant descriptions of her mother and childhood memories were especially moving and beautifully written. Can’t wait for the next!
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