Review of 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir

[Izzy Kruger]

[Following is a volunteer review of "28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir" by Poppy Mortimer.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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My boyfriend is thrilled that I finished reading 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir by Poppy Mortimer today. Because now he can finally have a working day without me spontaneously bursting into raucous laughter in the room next to his home office. This book about failed date attempts, mainly after meeting men on online dating sites, is truly not only a hoot and a half but about three hoots. And I have also to express my sympathy to the author for all the horrible experiences she had to endure as the price for our entertainment. You get to go along with her on 28 terrible romantic adventures (some only horrific) and learn some valuable lessons, hopefully without having to experience any of the real-life disasters yourself.

The book is an easy read, as it is divided into a chapter for each date experience. And the stories are all told succinctly, with an explanation of how they met, details of the date, and ending with a “Lessons I learned from this date:” section. The author doesn’t use foul language, and the moments when the scenes become slightly sexual are handled (from her side, at least) in a classy way. She also tells you about her other personal and professional pursuits throughout the book, creating a natural bond between the author and the reader. I felt sad when the book ended, and I didn’t get to follow her life anymore.

I found about nine editorial mistakes throughout the book and a few that I wasn’t sure whether the author had intentionally written it that way (that is the problem with the comedy genre in literature). For instance, the name of the 12th chapter is “Mr Sharmen”, but throughout the chapter, she refers to her date as “The Sharman”. There are no other negative points that I can highlight about this book, and I thanked my lucky stars quite a few times for never having to date.

I can easily give this book 4 out of 4 stars, which I would recommend as an excellent read to people. In fact, I might add it to some Christmas stockings this year.

This book is a must for your summer holiday beach read. Women of all ages who have struggled with dating will enjoy this book and be able to relate, and a few men I know could learn a few lessons on how not to act by perusing it.

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28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
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