Jane is Trying

I LOVED Jane Is Trying. It has all the warmth, cleverness, wit and turn of phrase I fell in love with watching Isy performing – Aisling BeaJane Is Trying is Isy Suttie’s first novel but her voice has the easy, warm confidence of someone whose been at the lark for yonks; slyly funny, gently incisive, compassionate yes but with just enough wicked accuracy about the process of growing up and getting things wrong to make it painfully true. – Stuart MaconieBig-hearted, stacked with empathy, and properly splutter-coffee funny. A book so full of love that there ought to be a huggable version of it. Isy goes from warm-hearted to outrageous so deftly that I think she might have special powers. WHAT a book. How many times can I say ‘brilliant’? – Jason HazeleyA hilarious and touching story about going backwards in order to move forwards, imbued with Isy Suttie’s unique voice and outlook on our stressful, ridiculous world – James AcasterSharp, tender, darkly funny and so well observed – Daisy BuchananGripping, laugh out loud and heart-warming. Suttie has created a charming world of oddballs (and their even odder parents) I miss them all already! – Sara PascoeA rich comedy about the joy and horror of romance, sex, family life and small towns, Jane Is Trying is one of the most delightful and rewarding first novels I’ve ever read. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading, laughing or doing both at the same time. – Sam Bain, co-creator of PEEP SHOWJane is Trying is laugh out loud funny, beautiful and brave. It manages to be true to life and yet so full of funny and outrageous drama, too. This is the kind of book that you wish would never end. I loved it! – Josie LongOffbeat, hilarious, tender and vulnerable. I loved it. – Michelle Thomas, author of My Sh*t TherapistI was already a huge fan of Isy Suttie and can confirm I’m now at the raging, crying, teenager-obsessed-with-Harry-Styles level. Jane Is Trying is absolute genius; so clever and funny. I laughed and cried constantly and couldn’t put it down. Everyone should read it. – Lucy VineVery funny and utterly charming. Jane is Trying is tremendous – Adam KayA chilling scenario: the move back to your childhood home. Isy explores its perils in her usual manner: 0% pretension, 100% warmth and love. You root for Jane to pull through this pickle, and you root for Isy to write more and more of these – Tim KeyGripping. Brilliant. Hilarious. Poetic. Profound. An absolute triumph. Every single line is a thing of beauty – Bridget ChristieThis is a very entertaining book but it’s a lot more than a comic novel. It has real heart and humanity and goes deep into the anxieties of pregnancy, relationships, home, and (in Jane’s case) pretty much every other aspect of life – Mark WatsonA phenomenally funny, thoughtful and, at times, pulverising novel – Mike WozniakIsy Suttie writes with a warmth and wit that makes me want to move to the Peak District and open a bookshop – Josh WiddicombeSuttie brightens the page with her eccentric characters and wonderful observations of small-town life…will have you scoffing with laughter * STYLIST *Some of Jane’s musings are so relatable you’ll catch yourself laughing out loud, slightly alarmed by the accuracy … Suttie portrays the more honest aspects of what are usually regarded as the best parts of life - family, relationships, friends, career - with the perfect concoction of warmth and grit * INDEPENDENT *Suttie has a keen eye for supplementary detail, which makes her story seem all the more real, and an ear for a nice turn of phrase, which makes it delightful to read * CHORTLE *This debut novel exudes all the offbeat humour and acute observation you might expect from the actress and comedian who first stole our hearts as Dobby in Peep Show. This beguiling tale captures how modern pressures fuel anxiety, and how it feels when your life falls into the gap between expectation and reality * CULTURE WHISPER *A story of courage, and the need to progress on your own terms, this novel will move you from tears to laughter * HAPPIFUL *Funny and so relatable, this is a winning debut * HEAT *Suttie portrays the more honest aspects of what are usually regarded as the best parts of life - family, relationships, friends, careers - with warmth and grit * I NEWSPAPER *

Isy Suttie is a comedian, actress and writer. She has written for the Guardian, the Observer, the New Statesman, Red and Glamour. She appears regularly on BBC Radio 4, where her show Pearl and Dave won a Gold Sony Award in 2013. Her TV credits include Dobby in Peep Show and Esther in Shameless, plus appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie To You? and Q.I. A three-time British Comedy Award nominee, her short stories have appeared in A Love Letter To Europe and Dead Funny: Encore. Her memoir, The Actual One, was published by Orion in 2015.

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