Emily Henry ’s summer was anything but normal. In addition to releasing her fifth novel, “Funny Story,” which became an instant best seller , Henry announced that the book would also be adapted into a feature film . Oh, and that Netflix optioned her novel “Happy Place” for an upcoming series.
It’s safe to say that the New York Times best-selling author is about to have a busy next few years. And it’s success that’s thoroughly deserved. The Midwesterner, who spends a majority of her time in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, might be single-handedly reviving the world of romance.
Sure, the standard tropes and formula of falling in love are basically the same, but Henry takes the time to imbue subtle humor and thoughtful societal critiques into a novel that might otherwise be cut-and-paste in the genre. “Funny Story” is no different. This time, she turns the idea of happily ever after on its head, thrusting together two unlikely people in a story filled with fake dating, endless banter and plenty of revenge on shitty exes.
“It really just started with how much my friends and I love sharing our bad relationship and dating stories,” Henry says of the inspiration behind the novel. “The worst first dates make the best stories later. In general, I think that’s true.
A lot of times the things that go wrong for us, the moments that are unexpectedly horrible, have a glimmer of humor in them, and once enough time has passed, and you’ve made it through the wo.