70 pages • 2 hours read
Beth O'LearyThe Flatshare
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Cultural Context: The Challenges of Modern Urban Living
The entire premise of The Flatshare, wherein Leon and Tiffy share the same bed at different times of day, was borne out of two young adults needing a cost-effective living arrangement in London. Leon’s flat is in Stockwell, which is in southwest London. Though it is not exactly in the center of the city, it is a desirable location and, as Tiffy notes, close to the tube station. Many young adults in their twenties and early thirties, such as the characters in The Flatshare, would struggle to live on their own in London, even while working full-time jobs. In fact, most of the characters in the book are living with flatmates: Gerty and Mo; Martin and his girlfriend, Hana; and Tiffy and Justin, before he breaks up with her. When Justin tells Tiffy that she needs to leave, she has very few options for places she can afford on her small salary. These circumstances are not necessarily inherent to London, but rather in any crowded, expensive city. Places like New York and San Francisco are also known for their high costs of living; young adults living in cities such as these and working their first jobs sometimes need to get creative to make ends meet.
The fact that Leon is able to live by himself in his flat as a hospice nurse, and not with Kay out of necessity, indicates that his salary is likely higher than Tiffy’s; further, given his introverted personality, having his own flat might be worth the extra expense. The flat itself is not at all luxurious or spacious, and it is extra cramped after Tiffy moves in. This shows that, in the 2019 London economy, a full-time nurse would have to stretch his salary to afford a one-bedroom apartment. As soon as Leon has an extra expense, such as paying Richie’s lawyer, he needs to find a way to earn more money. The flat-sharing arrangement is mutually beneficial; because Leon works nights, he and Tiffy can both still have the flat to themselves when it’s their turn. Given Leon’s introversion and Tiffy’s recent breakup, that arrangement is probably preferable to having a traditional flatmate.
Literary Context: The Romantic Comedy Genre
Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare exemplifies the romantic comedy genre. Books in this genre have characteristics and tropes that readers can expect to find in a book of this category.
As the name implies, romantic comedies have more lighthearted banter and humor than other contemporary romances. They may also include satire and social commentary on contemporary life. In The Flatshare, the conversations between Tiffy and other characters often have a playful tone and are full of inside jokes. The romantic leads, Tiffy and Leon, share moments of humor, but their friends and family provide even more comic relief. Some examples are Katherin, Tiffy’s eccentric client who writes the book of crochet patterns, and Mr. Prior, the knitting and crocheting hospice patient who saves the day when Katherin doesn’t have enough time to make all her patterns.
Much of the book’s comedy comes from the use of foils, or characters who sharply contrast with each other. Gerty is a stern and no-nonsense lawyer, which sets the stage for humorous interactions between Tiffy, who is depicted as whimsical and creative, and Mo, who is sensitive and gentle. There is even humor in the contrast between Leon and Tiffy, which readers can see in their note-writing styles. They are so different from each other that they probably would not have met and fallen in love if not for the circumstances of the flat-share arrangement.
Romantic comedies are also known for their use of tropes, or classic storytelling devices. The differences between Leon and Tiffy portray an example of one of the tropes involved in the story: opposites attract. Another trope is the “meet cute,” where the two romantic leads meet each other in an unusual or humorous way. Tiffy and Leon’s first in-person meeting in the bathroom, nearly naked, qualifies as a “meet cute” scenario. Other romantic comedy tropes are enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, second-chance romances, fake relationships, and forced proximity. Forced proximity is another trope at play in The Flatshare, as Tiffy and Leon get to know each other by sharing a bed, a flat, and Post-it notes.
Other popular authors currently writing in the romantic comedy genre include Ali Hazelwood, Talia Hibbert, Christina Lauren, and Tessa Bailey. Novels such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen are early examples of romantic comedy novels. Beth O’Leary’s second novel, The Switch, also exemplifies the genre.
