My rating: 3 of 5 stars to Jeffrey Eugenides‘s The Marriage Plot. My book club selected this a few years ago, given they had all previously read Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides before I joined. I’ve since moved and not with that book club anymore, but I keep in touch with many of them. I hadn’t read either book, but I did watch the movie “The Virgin Suicides” and I drove through a town called Middlesex in NJ, whenever I would go back and forth to college in Pennsylvania. I suppose that doesn’t count for much, nor do I know if it’s even about that town… but I dove in and read “The Marriage Plot.”
What a fun title… I had expectations of a funny romance, some secret side-action, a mystery or two over why someone wanted to get married. And some of those things were included in the book, but it’s not exactly what I thought it would be. That said, it wasn’t a disappointment… it just felt rather…
Part of the issue was the characters were just “so so” for me. I didn’t dislike them, but I didn’t attach myself to them as much as I should have. The plot was good. And there are lots of lessons and thoughts you’ll get from reading this one. All stuff I enjoyed reading. But I just walked away from it thinking “Glad I read it… I think I like the author… very different from what I saw in the movie I had watched based on one of his other books… not sure where to go next.”
Some people loved it. Seems a lot were just OK with, like I was. I still want to read Middlesex. Sorry I’m not of much help on this one… but I wouldn’t tell you not to read it. It was clever enough to get into it and have some curiosities over how it would end up. And his language is always great. And his views on topics, or I mean the character’s views on topics… ooops… definitely prompt you to think a lot.
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This one sounds like I’d feel lukewarm about it, so I think I’ll pass. I’ve read Middlesex, and it’s ok, but just ok.
Unless you are a huge fan of his work, I’d agree. Tons of books out there, never settle for a lukewarm one.
Exactly what my husband said when I told him I HAD to finish a book because I’d started it…”There are too many good books out there to spend your reading time on a ‘nothing special’ one.” He is a very smart man.
Yes, he is. But also because he married you. (And that wasn’t meant in a cheesy kinda way!)
Sweet answer!