I Should Have Said

Book excerpt: Daisy de Villeneuve combines modern illustrations with unassuming snippets of dialogue, as she explores the drama of modern day friendship and love. Daisy depicts the scenarios where you wish you had said that thing to an ex, love interest, or any man on the street who has left you reeling after a snarky comment. With a sketchbook, diary-style design, the pared-down but stylish illustrations are captioned with text guaranteed to make you laugh: "Oh, handsome, you always have a young lady on your arm!" She said. "That's what they are there for," he said. I should have left then. "Where do you meet these guys?" He said. "I should have said, where did I meet you?" A gritty and humorous look at modern day relationships, I Should Have Said... is a rich and affecting comedy of manners, an extended discourse on the nature - and more often than not the failure - of communication between male and female friends and lovers.