To be freaked out that ex has written a book?

[ApplesTheHare]

My ex has written a novel about relationships I keep telling myself it would be stupidly self-obsessed to worry that any of it will be about me but I can't stop feeling odd.

Would you read it?

Omg I would really really want to read it...but wouldn’t just in case it was not good for me to.

I’d definitely read!

I would be more concerned if I didn’t feature. What was it Oscar Wilde said?

Is it a self-help book or an actual fictional novel? I think the problem is, like someone pointed out, you'll be imagining things are about or based on you when they really might not.

Hell yes, and comment in the margins. Might find a few paragraphs to submit to the Bad Sex Awards if you're lucky

Was he a writer when you were together, or is this out of the blue?

Has it actually been published??

My oldest friend wrote a semi autobiographical novel which was published. She cheerfully told me she had changed everyone’s name except mine!

I think I’d have to read it too although it’s probably not a good idea!

I'd read it to make sure I wasn't immediately personally identifiable in the first instance and in the second instance that nothing untrue or damaging to my professional or personal reputation was included.

Once I'd satisfied myself that I was anonymous or not written about at all I'd forever forget the book existed and consign it to the charity shop or digital bin.

Did you come across as well in it thegreylady?

What's that for Tippz?

What's with the biscuit post?

I'd have to read it OP.

Yes!!

Would you pm me the title? I have morbid curiosity in abundance! (Go on, you know you want to!)

Is he some sort of ‘expert’? Got a BA is psychology or something?

I knew someone doing this, but he hadn't finished it last I spoke to him.
He hadn't even changed the names of the women.
Apparently my chapter was 'quite sweet'. Dickhead.

Read it and leave a review on Amazon with comments that let him that you know.

Getting a publishing deal is bloody tough so fair play to him, tbh.

Unless he was a terrible boyfriend in which case shakes fist

I think if it's commercial and/or fiction then all the characters are likely to be 'types', who basically exist to drive the plot along. It might be that one or two details of your personality have been used, but that'll be about it..

But real life is too baggy and saggy to translate easily into a popular novel.

On the other hand if your ex is into literary fiction, then I'd be far more worried. (On the other hand very few people read literary fiction, so unless he gets shortlisted for the Booker you are relatively safe.)

Chriky, what a load of judgemental crap on this thread.

The man has written a novel so hardly a self help book about how to get over a relationship with the OP is it? added to which nobody knows anything about the OP and her relationship, perhaps if she's afraid she features in it she was the protagonist and the relationship ended because of her?

Afaik relationships do tend to feature in rather a lot of novels.

I would read it but I wouldn't be assuming that it was about me, how incredibly self centred that would be.

Daffodils I agree. My ex used to write fiction based exactly on people he knew / situations he'd been in (written in the painfully transparent hopes they'd read it) and it was completely unreadable

(Needless to say it was self-published...)

Yes damn right I'd read it

I'd have to read it and I'd probably make notes in green ink

I guess whether I would read a book like this would depend on my relationship with the ex and the circumstances in which it ended. If he was an utter bastard I think I would keep well away for fear of what it would do to my blood pressure. If we had a reasonable relationship and had simply drifted apart, maybe I would read it.

Dickens wrote a book that was meant to be almost autobiographical. In it, the main character married young & foolishly. Then he fell in love with his true soul mate. His wife conveniently got sick & on her death bed wished him well and gave her blessing to him marrying the other woman.

Imagine being his wife (who he left to be with his true soul mate) and having that story published!! Imagine being one of his kids reading that.

OP - if you had kids together, you maybe should read it in case your kids ever do.

Is your ex a celeb?