“I don't know who told all these grown men that what women really love are giant pizza-guzzling babies who need sleep all the time.” MenDating Book:Ghosts Source: Ghosts
“He told me he wanted to marry me on our first date. Can you imagine what would have happened if a woman had said that on a first date? He would have alerted the authorities. Why does he get to say that? Why does he get to be the one in charge of saying "I love you" first, then ghost me?” DatingGhosting Book:Ghosts Source: Ghosts
“He explained to the table why he thought there were so many eligible thirty-something women who were single. 'It's the Blaire Bulge'...'Women with degrees will only rarely marry men without them, but men are less fussy...Because Tony Blair made more people go to university, there are loads of university educated women who struggle to find suitable long-term partners. This cohort is the Blair Bulge.' 'So basically, we've become too smart for marriage.' 'Precisely' he said.” FeminismDating Book:Ghosts Source: Ghosts
“I knew he would date again. Probably within weeks, just like Max had done. I imagined all the women Jethro and Max would date, while they were “confused” and “not ready,” standing next to each other in a long factory line. Each of them would give these men something—a story, a weekend away, their attention, their advice, their time, a sexual adventure, an actual adventure—then they’d be forced to pass him along to the next relationship. These men would emerge at some point, full of all the love and care and confidence that had been bestowed upon them over the years, and they might commit to someone. Then, most certainly, another one. Then another one when that one got boring. Their greed would not be satisfied by one woman, by one life. They’d get to lead a great many lives. Life after life after life after life. Because these men wanted to want something rather than have something. Max wanted to be tortured, he wanted to yearn and chase and dream. He wanted to exist in a liminal state, like everything was just about to begin. He liked contemplating what our relationship might be like, without investing any time or commitment in our relationship. Jethro liked talking about the home he would buy with Lola, but he didn't want to turn up to the viewing. They were like teenage boys in their rooms, coming up with lyrics to write in their notebooks. They weren't ready to be adults, to make any choices, let alone promises. They preferred a relationship to be virtual and speculative, it could be perfect. Their girlfriend didn't have to be human. They didn't have to think about plans or practicalities, they weren't burdened with the concern of another person's happiness. And they could be heroes. They could be gods. It was pathetic.” Dating Book:Ghosts Source: Ghosts
“We sat on the top deck and spent the journey sharing stories from the places we passed. Pubs where I'd died at open mic nights, bars where she'd gone on bad dates. Every road offered another destination of a bad past date.” Dating Book:Good Material Source: Good Material
“We made too much comedy of our differences and placed too much meaning on our similarities. It was flirting to a Premiership standard.” Dating Book:Good Material Source: Good Material
“How could I have let myself believe, even for a second, that single thirty-something life would be an endless buffet of opportunities when I know it is, at best, small plates.” Dating Book:Good Material Source: Good Material
“You were the one who made it intense. You were the one telling me you wanted to marry me. Or that you couldn't stop thinking about me. You rang me twice a day. You insisted we spent every other night together. I just wanted to hang out and get to know each other. You decided the entire pace of this relationship then you slammed on the brakes when it suited you. It was like I was just a lucky passenger along for the ride.” RelationshipsDating Book:Ghosts Source: Ghosts