View source for How to Talk to Girls at Parties

{{For|the film based on the story|How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox short story
| name              = How to Talk to Girls at Parties
| author            = [[Neil Gaiman]]
| country           = United States
| language          = English
| series            =
| genre             = [[Science fiction]], [[humor]]
| published_in      = ''[[Fragile Things]]''
| publication_type  = [[Book]]
| publisher         =
| media_type        =
| pub_date          = 2006
}}

"'''How to Talk to Girls at Parties'''" is a [[science fiction]] [[short story]] written in 2006 by [[Neil Gaiman]].

It is about a couple of British 1970s teenaged boys, Enn and Vic, who go to a party to meet girls, only to find that the girls are very different from the boys' expectations.

"How to Talk to Girls at Parties" was nominated for the 2007 [[Hugo Award for Best Short Story]] and won the [[Locus Award for Best Short Story]] in 2007. In 2009, it was the inspiration for a limited-edition poster with art by [[Camilla d'Errico]], which was sold through Gaiman's merchandising site Neverwear.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=SOLD OUT!! HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES Full Color Print |url=https://neverwear.myshopify.com/products/how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties-full-color-print-signed |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=Neverwear |language=en}}</ref> The poster had a limited run of 1200 copies, hand-numbered,<ref name=":0" /> and 10% of the proceeds were donated to the [[Comic Book Legal Defense Fund]], a favourite charity of Gaiman's.{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}} Gaiman published a graphic novelization of the story in 2016, with art by [[Fábio Moon]] and [[Gabriel Bá]], and a [[How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film)|film adaptation]] would ultimately premiere the following year at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] and widely release in May 2018 to split response from critics.

==Synopsis==
The story is about a shy boy named Enn who attends a party with his wild friend Vic. Enn narrates from thirty years later.

Enn and Vic get to a party where they are greeted by a girl named Stella who Vic immediately begins flirting with. Vic pushes Enn to just talk to any girl at the party. The first girl, who identifies herself as Wain's Wain, claims to be "a second" due to a minor deformity on her pinkie. Wain's Wain shows no interest in doing much due to not being "permitted" and tells a very unusual story about being in Rio at Carnival. Enn leaves to get some water for her, but when he comes back Wain's Wain is gone.

Enn meets a second girl with black spiky hair and a gap between her teeth who claims to be a "tourist" and elaborates on traveling to other places, most notably the Sun. Enn actually tries to get close with the gap-toothed girl, but is interrupted by Vic who reveals that they are at the wrong party. He nevertheless takes Stella upstairs presumably to have sex. Enn goes into the kitchen where he meets the third girl named Triolet. Triolet claims that her name is a form of poem and kisses Enn. She then whispers a "poem" into Enn's ear in a language that Enn is unable to identify, but it puts him in a trance.

A very angry and hectic Vic suddenly pulls Enn away. Enn reveals that he saw Stella staring down from the balcony with an expression that Enn can only describe as being that of an "angry universe". What Vic saw is never revealed, but it was enough to make him throw up and cry. The story ends with Enn admitting that try as he might he could not properly remember the poem whispered to him and would never be able to repeat it.

==Graphic novel==
A comic book adaptation by [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Fábio Moon]] and [[Gabriel Bá]] was published as a graphic novel in 2016 by [[Dark Horse Comics]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Neil Gaiman's How to Talk to Girls at Parties :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics|url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/26-372/Neil-Gaimans-How-to-Talk-to-Girls-at-Parties|website=www.darkhorse.com|access-date=2020-05-12}}</ref>

==Film==
{{main|How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film)}}
A feature film adaptation by [[See-Saw Films]] was produced by [[Howard Gertler]] alongside [[Iain Canning]] and [[Emile Sherman]].<ref name=SD /> [[John Cameron Mitchell]] was chosen as director, from a script he cowrote with [[Philippa Goslett]]. [[Elle Fanning]] and [[Alex Sharp]] took the lead roles, [[Nicole Kidman]], [[Ruth Wilson]] and [[Matt Lucas (comedian)|Matt Lucas]] also starring in the project.<ref name=SD>{{cite web |url=http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/cannes-news/nicole-kidman-set-to-join-see-saws-parties/5087832.article# |title=Nicole Kidman set to join See-Saw's 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties' |last1=Wiseman |first1=Andreas |date=2015-05-13 |website=ScreenDaily |access-date=2015-08-21 |quote=Nicole Kidman is in advanced talks to join John Cameron Mitchell's anticipated comedy-romance ''How to Talk to Girls at Parties'', which is readying for an autumn shoot in the UK.}}</ref><ref name= "adaptation">{{cite news |last=Kit |first=Borys |url= http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/elle-fanning-star-neil-gaiman-717549 |title=Elle Fanning to Star in Neil Gaiman Adaptation 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties' (Exclusive) |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=2014-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Odds & Ends: Alex Sharp Set to Star Opposite Nicole Kidman in John Cameron Mitchell Movie & More|url = http://www.broadway.com/buzz/182065/odds-ends-alex-sharp-set-to-star-opposite-nicole-kidman-in-john-cameron-mitchell-movie-more/|website = Broadway.com|access-date = 2015-10-11}}</ref> The film premiered at the [[2017 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES - Festival de Cannes 2022 |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=www.festival-cannes.com |date=21 May 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kenigsberg |first=Ben |title=Cannes 2017: "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" and "Napalm" {{!}} Festivals & Awards {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/cannes-2017-how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties-and-napalm |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=Roger Ebert |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hudson |first=David |title=Cannes 2017: John Cameron Mitchell's How to Talk to Girls at Parties |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4577-cannes-2017-john-cameron-mitchell-s-how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref> and was more widely released in May 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=How to Talk to Girls At Parties |url=http://www.launchingfilms.com/release-schedule |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223095941/http://www.launchingfilms.com/release-schedule |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |access-date=October 30, 2017 |website=Launching Films}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to Talk to Girls at Parties |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=howtotalktogirlsatparties.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418064254/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=howtotalktogirlsatparties.htm |archive-date=April 18, 2018 |access-date=April 20, 2018 |website=[[BoxOfficeMojo]]}}</ref> Critic consensus indicated "mixed or average reviews"<ref>{{cite web |title=How to Talk to Girls at Parties Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621113756/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties |archive-date=June 21, 2020 |access-date=23 May 2018 |work=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> with Rotten Tomato's summary reading that it "has energy and ambition, but is ultimately too unfocused to do much with either".<ref>{{cite web |title=How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_to_talk_to_girls_at_parties/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180116070759/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_to_talk_to_girls_at_parties/ |archive-date=January 16, 2018 |access-date=May 21, 2020 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature}}
* [https://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/Short_Stories/How_To_Talk_To_Girls_At_Parties Story in text and audio form at Gaiman's website]

{{Neil Gaiman}}
{{Locus Award for Best Short Story}}

[[Category:Science fiction short stories]]
[[Category:2006 short stories]]
[[Category:Short stories by Neil Gaiman]]
[[Category:Short stories adapted into films]]