I read about Which Brings Me To You in Entertainment Weekly last spring, and was intrigued. The backstory: a couple meets at a wedding, and after an initial attraction, decides not to progress any further until they have confessed their prior “romantic misdeeds,” which they do via U.S. Mail. The book is written by two authors, one male and one female, with each one taking on one character’s voice. According to EW (subscription may be required), “The constant mix of sweet and sour, of heart-swelling romance and smart-ass banter is the official language of Modern Urban Singledom. The best-selling author duo of Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott make fine use of the epistolary form — with a few funny postal mishaps lending a hip meta touch. Their couple’s distinct voices and push-pull dynamic are terrifically engaging. Grade: A-“
From a review in Seattle Weekly:
At the novel’s neurotic heart is the idea that our romantic relationships form us, and ready us for the next one in line. Jane is a wild-child Jersey girl content to hide behind her toughness, but on paper able to expose her tenderness through ruminations on family—a malcontent mother and distant father—and former loves, including an open marriage and a brief engagement to an urbane banker. John stumbles through relationships with, among others, a feisty single mother and an impressionable New York gallerina during a stint as a nouveau-riche downtown photographer.
Here is a blog post about the book from a blog called Chrissy’s Rants. She loved the writing, but was ultimately bored and frustrated with the series of failed relationships described by the main characters. And here, from blog Bookslut, is a very interesting interview with the two authors about the process of writing the book.
Has anyone read this book? Care to comment?