Book Eight: The Story of a Marriage

The Story of a Marriage, Andrew Sean Greer



I am so glad I loved this book, because my friend Jenn has given me a couple of books to read and I didn't like either of them so very much. So when she put this one on my doorstep I thought, "Oh no! How will I be able to tell her that I disliked this one, too?!" But not this time. Oh my goodness, what a book!

I suspect people either love or hate this (judging by the Amazon reviews, which, by the way, I advise you not to read, unless you want the worst kind of hateful spoilers). Some people found the narrator, Pearlie, unbelievable, and I suppose if you feel that way you won't be able to buy a word of what she says. But I found her story lovely and quite believable because people are strange creatures, and that is, ultimately, what this book is about. "We think we know the ones we love," the book opens, and is repeated throughout. It reads a bit like a poem, at times, with the feel of a short story, but I mean both of those things in the best of ways. It is beautifully written and the story is perfectly told and I found myself to able to imagine everything clearly and precisely.

So thank you, Jenn, for the great little book.