Paperback, 400 pages
English language
Published Sept. 14, 2015
Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.
At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed.
Fates and Furies (2015) is the third novel by the American author Lauren Groff.
This book tells the story of a marriage, for the first half, from the man's POV and in the second half, from the woman's. The first half is ok, kind of a wild adventure but the second half is straight up nuts and kind of recasts the whole first half in an amazingly compelling way. Like reading a totally different book.
Nope. There is not one single thing at all realistic about this story. I won't finish it. I really thought I would like it but, uh uh. I don't care if it's trying to tell a bigger story than what we see on the surface. I am not invested enough to continue. I hate this.
Look, I get it: The fates and furies of Greek mythology, secretly controlling the lives of mere mortals, are really just us. We, by accident or intention, affect the path of each other's lives. It's an interesting theme. But my problem with the book is how unrealistic the characters are: They carry lifelong grudges and wounds and wait decades to exact revenge. Who does that? In real life, people have a sense of humor about each other's mistakes, get distracted by the day-to-day concerns of upcoming travels, life milestones, work stress. Things that used to outrage is fade into the past and move on. We're not characters in a Greek tragedy.
This book won't be for everyone. Specifically, I'm thinking my mom would have no patience for it, primarily because a portion of it is told via the scripts to different plays authored by the story's protagonist, Lotto Sauterwhite. If that doesn't deter you, then you're in for a treat.
First, it's well-written. The author's style reminds me a bit of Donna Tart in The Goldfinch, but without (?) the frustration of that story's characters/plot.
Second, it's well-constructed. It takes a potentially boring topic (a marriage) and shows it by way of two acts - the first (Fates) focusing on the husband's backstory and perspective, and the second (Furies) focusing on the wife. I'm a sucker for any book that shows how perspective changes everything.
Third, the author clearly has a deep reference drawer when it comes to literature and mythology, so the book feels a bit like an inside joke …
This book won't be for everyone. Specifically, I'm thinking my mom would have no patience for it, primarily because a portion of it is told via the scripts to different plays authored by the story's protagonist, Lotto Sauterwhite. If that doesn't deter you, then you're in for a treat.
First, it's well-written. The author's style reminds me a bit of Donna Tart in The Goldfinch, but without (?) the frustration of that story's characters/plot.
Second, it's well-constructed. It takes a potentially boring topic (a marriage) and shows it by way of two acts - the first (Fates) focusing on the husband's backstory and perspective, and the second (Furies) focusing on the wife. I'm a sucker for any book that shows how perspective changes everything.
Third, the author clearly has a deep reference drawer when it comes to literature and mythology, so the book feels a bit like an inside joke for anyone who shares these interests.
