Thursday, December 17, 2015

Lauren Groff, Fates and Furies ***

Meh. I liked the idea of Fates and Furies –– the story of a marriage told from the very different perspectives of the husband and wife –– and the reviews were solid, including a recommendation from Barack Obama. However, I found both perspectives to be too obviously literary with dramatic characters instead of realistic ones. (The mythological names and references didn't help.)

The book falls firmly in the John Updike / New Yorker school of fiction. The main characters come from privileged New England schools and pursue careers in the arts. Numerous sex scenes are used to reveal their temperaments. Highbrow cultural references mingle with lurid plotting.

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