The Happy Couple
Ratings11
Average rating3.7
Meet the happy couple. Luke and Celine, are in mutual unrequited love with each other, set to marry in a year's time. The best man, Archie, is meant to want to move up the corporate ladder and on from his love for Luke; yet he stands where he is, admiring the view. The bridesmaid, Phoebe, Celine's sister, has no long-term aspirations beyond smoking her millionth cigarette and getting to the bottom of Luke's frequent unexplained disappearances. Then there's the guest, Vivian, who with the benefit of some emotional distance, methodically observes her friends like ants. As the wedding approaches and these five lives intersect, each character will find themselves looking for a path to their happily ever after - but does it lie at the end of an aisle? Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times, makes the Marriage Plot entirely her own in a sparkling ensemble novel that is both ferociously clever and supremely enjoyable.
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this was fun
i didn't know anything about the author beforehand and was pleasantly surprised to be picking up some queer literature. the tone has that droll irish humour at times which i found enjoyable. it's also a pretty short read which i picked up over a sunday afternoon
the story follows the lives and perspectives of a couple who have a lot of shit going on between them unexpectedly getting married interwoven with the perspectives of their friends / wedding guests. i found all the characters pretty interesting with the exception of the best man archie. i found myself really disliking him and found his characterization both inconsistent and a little unfleshed. we don't learn anything deep about his motivations and he's just a bit of a dickhead who can't get over the groom
i'd recommend this if you enjoy reading stories about the same situation from multiple perspectives. i would've liked this a lot more if it were an exploration about the situation itself (i.e. the couple getting married) as opposed to the personal histories and relationships behind the characters. i would've preferred more action around the engagement party itself like more infidelity or more secrets being spilled but i'm not disappointed by what we got. will definitely be checking out more of Naoise Dolan's works in the future
After an Irish girl living [b:Exciting Times 50175419 Exciting Times Naoise Dolan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572990447l/50175419.SY75.jpg 73236926] in Hong Kong, we now have a British man in Ireland about to marry an Irish girl in London. Everyone's a millennial, queer, and the usual kind of messed up that makes for that laconic Dolan love-drama style. We start with the Happy Couple - Celine and Luke - and might not end up with a wedding. Examining along the way all the reasons why the couple makes or doesn't make sense. By the end, the only happy couple ending I wanted, was Celine and her piano! Sally Rooney and Naoise Dolan character would definitely hang out.
Quickly went through it in about 3 hours give or take. Didn't really chew through her sentences in detail this time, more skimming as I wasn't too familiar with the geographic or cultural settings of Dublin and London.
The style is consistent with Exciting Times in that it explores the emotional frustration that comes with being in your twenties, exploring your sexuality and navigating adulthood. Also the need to stomach the character's flaws in failing to expressing their feelings outward and suffering the consequences of that — except this time we actually get it from their perspectives in first-person inner monologue.
If you like beautiful people where are you (I do), then this is similar but pales in comparison.
