The Marriage Plot, the latest novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is a coming of age story of the early 1980's that follows three young people through college at Brown University and the year afterwards. Each has his/her own interest: Madeleine's focus is on nineteenth century literature, while Leonard is studying biology and Mitchell is concentrating on philosophy and religious studies.

Eugenides stays close to each of these three characters, in all their pain and confusion. Madeleine embarks on a very difficult romance with Leonard, who is charming, outgoing, and fun during the best of times, but wild, unpredictable, and unreasonable at others. He is manic-depressive, or bipolar, and is struggling to forge a career while struggling with a serious disease. Madeleine is trying to plan for graduate school, knowing that Leonard's condition will make their lives and relationship challenging. Meanwhile, Mitchell is volunteering in a hospital in India, and having a hard time making decisions about his faith and the direction of his postgraduate studies.

Mitchell has also been in love with Madeleine all through college, so this story is also a love triangle. Eugenides provides the reader with a rich depiction of the passions influencing his characters.

Madeleine, Mitchell, and Leonard are all smart and incredibly well-read, but in the end, none of the literature they have prized and favored for years can instruct them on how to live their lives. The Marriage Plot is a fascinating, mulitlayered story that can be enjoyed for many different reasons.