This book was haunting, and the depiction of the final days of his wife's life felt raw and real. However, like some other reviewers I had little patience for the author/narrator, who was incredibly self-involved. I don't think he ever dealt with how thoroughly selfish and despicable it was to have a year-long affair with one of his wife's closest friends, and then let this "friend" spend time with his wife again when her days were numbered without her knowing how thoroughly the "friend" had betrayed her. The narrator seemed to be proud of himself for staying in his marriage even though his lover "in some fundamental way, was much easier to love than Margaret." He may have taken good care of his wife at the end, but keeping his affair secret was extremely self-serving and did not show true love or respect for his wife. It was more important to him to be viewed as a "good husband" by his wife than to be truly known by her, which is sad. And telling the story after her death insures that his version of the story prevails. He described his wife as "withholding" and "controlling," but it seems to me like the pot calling the kettle black! This novel jumps back in time from when the narrator, a young novelist named Enrique, meets a woman he is enfatuated with named Margaret, to some 30 years of their marriage later, in the last weeks and days of Margaret's life as she dies from cancer, with a few stops in between to various stages of their life. It was rough to read at times, but definitely provided a very interesting portrait of the characters' marriage. Apparently it is semi-autobiographical, which left me wondering how much of it was based on actual happenings.
What do You think about Un Matrimonio Feliz (2012)?
This was an OK book about a self serving guy. It did lead to good discussions in the book club
—Theresa
The is a great book! Deeply moving. Very sad. Don't miss it.
—nemrac
Nice writing but the plot was predictable and not worth it.
—ame1021
