Fiction Subjects

My Legendary Girlfriend

Name: My Legendary Girlfriend
Author: Mike Gayle
ISBN: 9780767906555

by Mike Gayle

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Overview

A debut that took Great Britain by storm, My Legendary Girlfriend introduced the world to the loveable, lovestruck Will Kelly. It’s been three years since his heartthrob, Agnes, wrecked his life with a chat that started, “It’s like that song. ‘If you love somebody, set him free.’” But no matter how much time goes by, Will doesn’t feel very free. He still makes lists of each birthday present Aggi ever gave him, has gymnastic fantasies about a perfect reunion night with her, dwells on the first words she uttered to him.

How long can a person stay down in the dumps after being dumped? And how much longer before Will dumps Martina, the sweet but clingy girl he’s seeing? Will anyone ever measure up to his Legendary Girlfriend?

Fresh, endearing, and full of humor, My Legendary Girlfriend tells a story that will ring true for everyone who’s ever tried to mend a broken heart.

Synopsis

A debut that took Great Britain by storm, My Legendary Girlfriend introduced the world to the loveable, lovestruck Will Kelly. It's been three years since his heartthrob, Agnes, wrecked his life with a chat that started, "It's like that song. `If you love somebody, set him free.

Publishers Weekly

The young protagonist of Mr. Commitment struggles with an over-the-top case of romantic despair in Gayle's muddled second U.S. publication (actually his first novel). It recounts four days in the life of London schoolteacher Will Kelly, who is emerging from an extended stay in heartbreak hotel since his girlfriend, Aggi, dumped him three years earlier. The self-absorbed, self-deprecating English instructor doesn't lack for romantic prospects he landed on his feet with comely young Martina but Will's obsessive tendency to compare her to Aggi renders him indifferent to Martina's charms. The unlikely object of his affection turns out to be Kate, the former occupant of his flat, who finds herself in an intimate phone relationship with the rather unstable teacher when she calls looking for her mail. The thin plot consists of scenes in which Will alternately displays his tongue-in-cheek humor to his paramours and launches into a series of whiny rants and bouts of longing for Aggi. The beginning of the climax adds some vigor, when Will proposes to Kate over the phone, then discusses his romantic approach with a radio talk-show host, but the resolution involving both Kate and Will's musician friend Simon is a clunker. Gayle occasionally demonstrates some of the charm and humor that made Mr. Commitment a British bestseller, but the underplotting here shows through in a hurry, and Will's constant whining will try the patience of even the most avid Anglophiles. National advertising; 3-city author tour. (July) Forecast: Nick Hornby fans will make good hand-sell candidates, as will die-hard Bridget Jones loyalists. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

About the Author, Mike Gayle

Mike Gayle is the author of Dinner for Two and the British bestseller Mr. Commitment. He’s also a freelance journalist and a former advice columnist. He lives in England.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

"A delicate blend of realism and whimsy...funny and clever."
-The Guardian

"Funny, sharply observed, and right in tune with aging adolescents desperately clinging to the wreckage of their youth."
-Marie Claire

"Isn't it nice to be reminded that men face the breakup blues, too? This book delivers all the testosterone laden details with enough humor to keep you turning the pages."
-iVillage

"Mike Gayle has carved a whole new literary niche out of the male confessional novel. He's a publishing phenomenon."
-Evening Standard

"Romance and humor mix brilliantly in this winning novel from the author of Mr. Commitment."
-Booklist

"If you have ever faced the agony of a breakup, My Legendary Girlfriend is for you...[It] will strike a chord with hopeless romantics everywhere."
-Heart and Soul

"A book for anyone who has ever been dumped, dumped on, or just needs a good laugh."
-Chicago Tribune

"Gayle writes the kind of sparkling conversations everybody wishes they were witty enough to have in real life...hugely enjoyable, touching, and funny."
-Publishing News

Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

Does the world need a male Bridget Jones? It's possible, but William Kelly is a poor contender for the role. Although this first novel did well in England in 1998, its success here is less certain. The whine-to-wit ratio of the hapless Kelly falls too far in whine's favor, as he ponders the sad state of his life in the four days around his 26th birthday. His brightest years were when he was unemployed, sponging off his parents, and madly in love with the "legendary" Aggi. Three years later, Kelly is unhappily employed as a teacher, living in a grubby apartment, harassed by a girlfriend he does not want, and still missing Aggi. The best parts of the book are his lengthy phone conversations with his few friends and with the complete stranger he suddenly asks to marry him. The tangle of relationships provides some humor but is sorted out in an implausible rush. Recommended only for libraries with diehard Bridget Jones read-alike fans. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/02; this was Gayle's first novel, published for the first time here after his second novel, Mr. Commitment. - Ed.] - Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll. Lib., NC Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Having gotten dumped by his girlfriend on his 23rd birthday, Will Kelly has a severe case of post-breakup blues. He dwells in a land of what-ifs and tortures himself by reliving the fantastic moments of their relationship; but three years later, it seems as though Will is slowly starting to put his life back together. After much intermittent employment, he has moved to London and has a job. His paycheck doesn't relieve him from having to write to his student-banking adviser pleading for yet another overdraft extension, but at least he has a steady income. And he is seeing someone whose self-esteem is possibly lower than his. Still, in the course of four days, he reveals just how far he is from being over his "legendary girlfriend." It isn't often that one gets to read about a man's heartache over the end of a romance. The author of this charming tale brings readers to a sympathetic understanding of the protagonist, even when his behavior is at its most pathetic. Even rarer is the occasion to read a book that can make misery seem so funny. Readers feel Will's anguish but can't help laughing at it, perhaps seeing something of themselves in his behavior. After all, love can make one act in the craziest of ways. Teens will enjoy this novel and relate to Will's story.-Julie Dasso, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Londoner loser obsesses over the loss of the love of his life, in a slight but not unlikable marriage of Nick Hornby and romantic-comedy cliches. Will Kelly is miserable and hasn't a clue what he's going to do with his life. His girlfriend of three years, Agnes (Aggi), dumped him on his 23rd birthday. Now his 26th is coming up and he's just as fixated on her as ever. We meet Will as he's finishing up another week at a job he hates-teaching English to unruly 14-year-olds-and heading back to his sordid flat for a weekend of depression. Although he seems to have enough to be upset about already-miserable job, horrible living situation, dead broke-he's managed to make things worse. In a sad attempt to rid himself of Aggi, he had a one-night stand with the needy and tear-prone Martina, who's now calling him nonstop. And he's made an ass out of himself bumming smokes from children at his school. There's an illusory ray of sunshine in the form of Kate, a girl who used to live in his flat and once called to see if any mail had come for her. A few marathon phone sessions later, Will is convinced he's falling in love with Kate. But the memory of Aggi won't die. It's difficult to feel much sympathy for a character so desperate and clinging, not to mention one saddled with an attitude full of, as he puts it, "sheer blatant crapness." But Gayle is smart enough a writer not to make too big a deal out of these failings, and he packs all the love and despair into one long, revelation-heavy weekend. While readers may sometimes have to resist the urge to throttle Will, Gayle pokes enough fun at his character's self-induced and hilariously pathetic predicament to make this a genial time-killer.