Funny Story | By Emily Henry

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

Funny Story is my third Emily Henry book, and it is exactly what I expected.    

Emily Henry books are not for everyone. Her stories aren’t generally the light-hearted rom-coms that their covers make it seem to be. The characters feel closer to real life adults, albeit a few eccentricities like Miles and Daphne, with what they have in common.

Funny Story is yet another romance that is made up of two vastly different yet vibrant and flawed central characters. The story is told from Daphne’s perspective. The pacing meanders a bit towards the second half if you take out the beautiful writing and character development. Other than that, this is almost a perfect read. Also, I listened to the audiobook. An Emily Henry romance with Julia Whelan as narrator is soon becoming a new Udit Narayanan-Shahrukh Khan combo for me. That is the right way to experience this book.

Characters and Conflicts

Daphne and Miles are easily loveable characters. Their situation makes it easier to root for them. It is clear that they have undeniable chemistry. It is not some kind of an overwhelming elephant in the room but a slow zing that develops as these two characters get to know each other.

The friendship between them develops naturally, along with the flow of the story. And slowly the chemistry builds up.

Since Daphne is the protagonist, it is her character arc that we get to see up close. As a person who grew up in different parts of my country, both as a kid and an adult and who still has a transferable job, I could empathize with Daphne and her need to find a home. I am culturally and socially so different from this character and yet the building blocks of our humanity remain the same. Perhaps that’s why I could connect with the character on such a level, even if I have never wanted to be “part of a group.” Whenever I come across people who have lived in the same place for decades, I wonder what must that be like?

For me, each timeline is associated with the core memories I made with my family or friends at the time, or it could be as simple as a summer breeze and a song. To see this character grow, to build something for herself and find a tribe was a rewarding experience. As cliche as it sounds, it was simply beautiful.

As for Miles, he had the leading man energy from page one and never disappointed till the end. And for once I enjoyed reading about the male lead who is not super rich than the one who got away but is simply a good soul. That is so much rare than the former one.

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed Funny Story and could see myself re-reading it a few years later when I am moving to a new place. I don’t know if I would recommend it to someone, but if you have ever moved through cities or countries, I’m sure there is something in there for you.

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