So you think you can write?
1980s film darling Molly Ringwald certainly thought so, and after reading her debut novel When It Happens To You, many readers will be convinced too.
When It Happens to You follows an imploding celebrity marriage as it is told in eight short stories. Each story is narrated from a different perspectives, always returning to the central idea and steadily revealing the how and why of this crumbling relationship.
It’s a structurally complex undertaking but Ringwald rises to the occasion. She paces the narrative carefully so that each story drives the plot forward but contains its own arc. The question of how much Ringwald’s celebrity characters have been inspired by her own life is up to the reader:
“When it happens to you, you will ask him why he would choose to forsake this good, sweet life that you carefully built together for a girl who couldn’t begin to understand him. And then you will realize that that is at least partially the point. He doesn’t want to be understood.”
This is a novel which thoughtfully explores the pain of family relationships, from betrayal and loss to the craving for acceptance. It all sounds very morose but When It Happens To You is written with real sensitivity and by the end you feel more hopeful than sad.
It’s not the perfect novel but it’s a promising debut. There are plenty of famous people who try their hand at writing fiction, with disappointing results. Ringwald has proved the exception and introduced herself as an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction… and we’ll always have Pretty in Pink.
About the author: Molly Ringwald lives and works in New York City and Los Angeles. This is her first work of fiction.
Praise: “a cleverly executed rendition of love on the rocks in LA” Corrine Jones
For more info: When It Happens To You at The Nile
When It Happens to You follows an imploding celebrity marriage as it is told in eight short stories. Each story is narrated from a different perspectives, always returning to the central idea and steadily revealing the how and why of this crumbling relationship.
It’s a structurally complex undertaking but Ringwald rises to the occasion. She paces the narrative carefully so that each story drives the plot forward but contains its own arc. The question of how much Ringwald’s celebrity characters have been inspired by her own life is up to the reader:
“When it happens to you, you will ask him why he would choose to forsake this good, sweet life that you carefully built together for a girl who couldn’t begin to understand him. And then you will realize that that is at least partially the point. He doesn’t want to be understood.”
This is a novel which thoughtfully explores the pain of family relationships, from betrayal and loss to the craving for acceptance. It all sounds very morose but When It Happens To You is written with real sensitivity and by the end you feel more hopeful than sad.
It’s not the perfect novel but it’s a promising debut. There are plenty of famous people who try their hand at writing fiction, with disappointing results. Ringwald has proved the exception and introduced herself as an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction… and we’ll always have Pretty in Pink.
About the author: Molly Ringwald lives and works in New York City and Los Angeles. This is her first work of fiction.
Praise: “a cleverly executed rendition of love on the rocks in LA” Corrine Jones
For more info: When It Happens To You at The Nile
