Why do you think Sally finds it so hard to believe that Noah might actually like her? Did you find it hard to believe?

Why do you think Sally finds it so hard to believe that Noah might actually like her? Did you find it hard to believe?

Given that we don't really have a description of her looks and the fact that so few famous and attractive men will date or marry a less attractive woman, I did find it hard to believe. Of course, Sally finds it hard because Noah could have his pick of more attractive and YOUNGER women.

Sally made it a point to be in the background and behind the scenes. She writes the skits-she doesn’t get involved with the guest talent. This reminds me of “relationships” that spring up during the filming of movies. The top stars fall for each other, not the script writer, the producer, or the boom boy. Writing had always been a very solitary activity for Sally. I think she was confused by Noah’s interest in that and then seeking out her opinions and help. She spends the bulk of her time alone or with a very few close friends. She is safe and protected in her bubble. Noah has what looks like a big, noisy life. I think Sally expects he would look for a big, noisy partner.

One thing I did appreciate was never knowing exactly what Sally looked like. I like that Noah was attracted to her intelligence,talent, and personality. But there had to be something else, or I don’t think he would have still been thinking about her years later.

I was not surprised. I think Noah’s recovery from drugs and alcohol has changed who he is at his core. This change in him frees him of his old behavior and makes him open and appreciative of a wider range of people.

Being someone behind the scenes AND who is around a lot of the so-called beautiful makes her insecurity believable. I also think that Noah's experience and age make him much more open to her. She clearly is somewhat attractive, if not movie star beautiful, and a mature, stable man who has experienced relationships with the so-called beautiful people already knows what that is like. So he is more open to a broader range of attractive people. (It reminds me of that Rita Hayworth quote about men going to bed with Gilda and awakening with her.)

I could totally relate to Sally feeling this way as it brought me back to high school and when a "popular" guy would ask me out, I never felt like I was worthy and almost always felt like I was being punked and there was some ulterior motive to it. It just came from a total lack of confidence at that time in my life. Ultimately, I have over come that feeling, but still slink back to that feeling in certain social situations as an adult. But I do believe it is very plausible for someone to fall for another person that might be what others believe is "beneath" their social structure... indeed, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Because the world holds Noah up as something above and beyond the average Joe. She sees herself as just one more female in his vicinity and doesn't think herself as special as he seems to be--so how would a God deign to notice a earthling?

Sally is in her mid 30s, a brutal time for women when your prospects really start to shrink as men your age start looking for "women who can have children." Her only recent relationship was a desultory hookup. Even the most confident woman would struggle to believe Noah was really interested.

And of course we've all seen beautiful women cheated on, e.g.Halle Barry!

Sallly was a woman whose intellect and talent were not in question, but because she allegedly did not conform to society's ideals about beauty AND had some unfortunate experiences with romance, she was very insecure. She had been disappointed and hurt, and learned to hide her true self and feelings behind a smart-assed, wisecracking facade. In many ways, she became one of the guys and avoided entanglements in order to protect herself. Vulnerability is dangerous and she was not about to let down her guard and risk being emotionally decimated again. Her husband was a total disappointment and she misread the signs with Elliot. So when a gorgeous, successful musician who could be with any woman he wants starts acting like there is a possibility of a relationship, I could understand why Sally would not only disbelieve her own assessment of the situation but take all necessary steps to protect her heart from being broken yet again. The beauty of Sittenfeld's construction of the story was, of course, that readers had no trouble believing Noah's feelings for Sally were genuine and the depiction of Sally's journey to understanding that & learning to trust both Noah and herself.