The Hatchards Podcast

Dolly Alderton on Good Material: Heartbreak, Millennial Hatred, and Male Pattern Baldness


Listen Later


On this episode, we were joined by acclaimed journalist and writer Dolly Alderton, who's latest novel, Good Material, follows a standup comedian in his mid-30s navigating “The Madness” that follows an unexpected breakup with his longtime girlfriend, Jen.

As Andy attempts to discover the flaw in himself that points to where it all went wrong, Dolly puts through him a series of alternatively hilarious and heartbreaking set pieces — a brief sojourn living on a houseboat; an album in his phone called ‘bald’ where he takes a picture of his receding hairline each day; and a disastrous karaoke date with a holier-than-thou Gen-Z hipster.

In our conversation, Dolly spoke to us about charting the course of Andy’s breakup from a male point-of-view; her interest in the world of comedians; how she’s been both Andy and Jen in relationships; as well as her fascination with generations, and why she feels that millennials have never been given their due.

Spoiler warning - the final minutes of this episode include a discussion about the book's last chapter. Proceed with caution if you don't wish to know how it ends!
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Hatchards PodcastBy Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

19 ratings


More shows like The Hatchards Podcast

View all
The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,933 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

315 Listeners

Woman's Hour by BBC Radio 4

Woman's Hour

393 Listeners

The Reith Lectures by BBC Radio 4

The Reith Lectures

163 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,001 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

588 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

131 Listeners

Full Disclosure with James O'Brien by Global

Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

307 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

114 Listeners

Kermode & Mayo’s Take by Sony Music Entertainment

Kermode & Mayo’s Take

331 Listeners

The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Entertainment

917 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

541 Listeners

Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud by Bella Freud

Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud

298 Listeners

Strong Message Here by BBC Radio 4

Strong Message Here

70 Listeners

ill-advised by Bill Nighy by EYEPOD Studios

ill-advised by Bill Nighy

426 Listeners