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A review by edshara
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
2.0
*May include what some would consider minor spoilers.*
So let me start off this review by saying, I don’t think this is a terrible book, it just wasn’t for me. With that said the rating reflects my personal reading experience.
I thought this was going to be a story about a strong love filled marriage, with ups and downs mostly stemming from the wrongful conviction and incarceration of Roy. But y’all this was a dysfunctional mess. Celestial and Roy had issues long before Roy’s prison term. Even without prison, this couple wasn’t built to last. Their relationship seemed to consist of arguments and make-up sex. Both Roy and Celestial seemed to be playing at marriage, neither really seemed to be 100% in it, however Roy more than Celestial.
While I could appreciate Roy’s entrepreneurial spirit and confidence, he seemed to make everything about making money and trying to get ahead. He put to much focus on attempting to fulfill outdated masculine norms. Then it seemed that Celestial constantly had to remind him what he had or what he lacked wasn’t an issue. I could appreciate Celestial’s independence but at the same time she seemed to take more than she gave in the marriage. She used Roy’s incarceration for her own gain and I found her selfish and trifling.
Then I thought their would be some focus on people falsely accused and wrongfully incarcerated, instead it’s usage seemed careless. It was just a means to bring about the end of the marriage. Roy got out of prison and that was that. What happened to the shady prosecutor and the woman that accused him? Roy paid consequences he didn’t owe and we are to believe their was no restitution?
Their were a few funny moments and some of the parental characters had some good things to say, even if they were biased or harsh. However the bad outweighs the good and I just don’t get the hype.
So let me start off this review by saying, I don’t think this is a terrible book, it just wasn’t for me. With that said the rating reflects my personal reading experience.
I thought this was going to be a story about a strong love filled marriage, with ups and downs mostly stemming from the wrongful conviction and incarceration of Roy. But y’all this was a dysfunctional mess. Celestial and Roy had issues long before Roy’s prison term. Even without prison, this couple wasn’t built to last. Their relationship seemed to consist of arguments and make-up sex. Both Roy and Celestial seemed to be playing at marriage, neither really seemed to be 100% in it, however Roy more than Celestial.
While I could appreciate Roy’s entrepreneurial spirit and confidence, he seemed to make everything about making money and trying to get ahead. He put to much focus on attempting to fulfill outdated masculine norms. Then it seemed that Celestial constantly had to remind him what he had or what he lacked wasn’t an issue. I could appreciate Celestial’s independence but at the same time she seemed to take more than she gave in the marriage. She used Roy’s incarceration for her own gain and I found her selfish and trifling.
Then I thought their would be some focus on people falsely accused and wrongfully incarcerated, instead it’s usage seemed careless. It was just a means to bring about the end of the marriage. Roy got out of prison and that was that. What happened to the shady prosecutor and the woman that accused him? Roy paid consequences he didn’t owe and we are to believe their was no restitution?
Their were a few funny moments and some of the parental characters had some good things to say, even if they were biased or harsh. However the bad outweighs the good and I just don’t get the hype.