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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The blurb advertises the story of a woman dealing with her husband's death and the discovery that he was cheating on her. Interesting, isn't it? The main problem with this book is that the person who wrote the synopsis had probably read another novel.
Given the premise, I expected the man to die in the first chapter, the cheating to be revealed soon after, and the rest of the book to be dedicated to the exploration of the consequent feelings. Instead, the death doesn't happen until 30% in, and the affair isn't discovered until 60%. Are the remaining pages fully devoted to the mix of grief, questioning, and resentment one would expect? Only partially, because we also get to read the inconclusive storylines of Lucas and Sarah.
The book itself is far from being perfect, with many details feeling out of place—why is everything narrated in the past tense, except in the chapters where Graham is the protagonist?—but I think it can still be read as a nice tale of love and loss. The core of my disappointment is that I expected a more structured reflection on some aspects of the story, which were only sketched instead.
(August 2025)
Given the premise, I expected the man to die in the first chapter, the cheating to be revealed soon after, and the rest of the book to be dedicated to the exploration of the consequent feelings. Instead, the death doesn't happen until 30% in, and the affair isn't discovered until 60%. Are the remaining pages fully devoted to the mix of grief, questioning, and resentment one would expect? Only partially, because we also get to read the inconclusive storylines of Lucas and Sarah.
The book itself is far from being perfect, with many details feeling out of place—why is everything narrated in the past tense, except in the chapters where Graham is the protagonist?—but I think it can still be read as a nice tale of love and loss. The core of my disappointment is that I expected a more structured reflection on some aspects of the story, which were only sketched instead.
(August 2025)
libro molto scorrevole, a tratti un po' pesante, ma sicuramente interessante: è la storia romance dopo il lieto fine, che dimostra che non sempre tutte le coppie sono perfette
Book was kinda lame and events started too feel way too relevant to real life. Couldn't force myself to finish.
I think i might be the wrong generation for this because i kept wanting more.... maybe it's because i'm not that morally/emotionally attached to monogamy as a concept, but i still want to explore the angst and grief and emotional turmoil that comes from non-monogamy. How do you deal with the wanting even if you love the person you're with and life you've built? What do you do when you're on different pages? How can keeping secrets be both selfish and selfless and what happens when those secrets eventually come out?
My second bookclub read of 2021!
This is the story of Annie, a photographer (relatable) and Graham, a bookseller, who fall in love and grow old together, embodying the ideal relationship to all who surround them. But how much of this picturesque image of love is rooted in reality? With Graham’s unexpected death, we begin to unravel the intricate histories of these two lives and the many others surrounding them.
Miller examines the long haul of relationships, complex family dynamics, parenthood, sex and Monogamy. I think this is an example of a wonderfully examined portrait of a relationship from both sides, but also from the additional perspectives and projections of their children and friends. I love an adult family drama.
I was utterly absorbed for the first two-thirds, and then gradually felt less enthused towards the end. It kept my interest the whole way through, but I think some of it felt a bit superfluous to me personally. Miller’s writing IS truly engaging and insightful, I think this was a matter of the story overall needing some culling. Apparently this took her 6 years to write?! So that may be why I felt the flow becoming a bit stagnant in the latter half.
Overall I’m sitting between 3-3.5
This is the story of Annie, a photographer (relatable) and Graham, a bookseller, who fall in love and grow old together, embodying the ideal relationship to all who surround them. But how much of this picturesque image of love is rooted in reality? With Graham’s unexpected death, we begin to unravel the intricate histories of these two lives and the many others surrounding them.
Miller examines the long haul of relationships, complex family dynamics, parenthood, sex and Monogamy. I think this is an example of a wonderfully examined portrait of a relationship from both sides, but also from the additional perspectives and projections of their children and friends. I love an adult family drama.
I was utterly absorbed for the first two-thirds, and then gradually felt less enthused towards the end. It kept my interest the whole way through, but I think some of it felt a bit superfluous to me personally. Miller’s writing IS truly engaging and insightful, I think this was a matter of the story overall needing some culling. Apparently this took her 6 years to write?! So that may be why I felt the flow becoming a bit stagnant in the latter half.
Overall I’m sitting between 3-3.5
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not for me. Character driven book that lost my interest. Veered in many different directions. I see what it was trying to be but it didn't come together for me. Dull.
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A fine read. Nothing remarkable one way or the other. The most “attractive” character (Graham) dies mid-book. The rest is a bit sad, just life and loss kind of stuff.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes