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Aug 28, 2019
I just finished my second read-through of An American Marriage; my first was quite a quick dash while on vacation in the spring, but this time around, I really savored Tayari Jones' writing and immersed myself in the narrative in preparation for our Book Club discussion. Okay, so I know I liked this novel more on the second go, but I can't exactly articulate why. I still don't particularly like any of the characters; for the most part, their views of gender roles and marriage are gratingly opposite to mine. I think the first two sections are much more compelling than the last, and I can see how the last third could leave a bad taste in your mouth (as it did in mine). But there's magic in those first two sections, and I wish we got more of it! I'll have to chalk my enjoyment up to the writing - I often found my self reading and re-reading particular lines, and I made notes galore. There's not much plot, but Tayari Jones handles the character development masterfully, creating subtle yet powerful portraits of Celestial, Roy, and Andre.