So I gave up reading about writers, and started reading about marriages instead. The Amateur Marriage follows a similar theme to Love and Other Infidelities, in that it looks at how a marriage goes wrong. But what I also enjoyed about this is its exploration of what must have been an incredibly common phenomenon - couples marrying in the heat of the moment amidst the chaos of World War II, only to be left with the reality of post-war America, living in the suburbs with someone who may be all wrong for them, wishing they had made different choices, but having to live with the consequences.This book also gives a view of the whole lives of central characters Michael and Pauline by taking jumps forward in time - how they get together, raise their family, fall apart, what they do next, and how their children grow up.
There is something of the detached observer in Anne Tyler's writing, and I feel I don't know enough of the characters. This is particularly frustrating in the subplot of the vanishing of Michael and Pauline's daughter Lindy - I wanted to know more about how they coped with it, why she did it, what happened to her. So it was a little dissatisfying in this respect.
And maybe this slightly dispassionate tone comes from the fact that the characters, for the most part, lived a life devoid of passion - even any enjoyment, it seemed.
Despite this (and I do like a bit more excitement and passion in my books), it was beautifully written and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
And I like Anne Tyler too.
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