Having read Eugenides' Pulitzer Prize winning novel Middlesex, I knew The Marriage Plot would be good. Eugenides is a gifted writer who draws readers in with unforgettable characters. That said, I had picked up The Marriage Plot a few times, but never got around to reading it since the plot about a love triangle amongst college students did not appeal to me.
No matter how compelling the description and quotes about the novel (including the assertion that Eugenides has created "a new kind of contemporary love story"), I kept passing on the novel to read other things.
I finally started the book and was hooked after a few pages. The characters are earnest, make mistakes and can't escape their own weaknesses and the reality they create for themselves. In other words, they're human.
There were moments throughout the novel where I wanted to yell at two of the protagonists to have them "wake up" to see the poor decisions they were making, but as twenty-something adults who just graduated college, they had no ability to do so. The ability to reflect and weigh decisions only come with maturity.
The novel has the typical pretty and wealthy heroine in Madeleine, whose affections are coveted by an alpha male and artsy misfit.
The story is told from these three characters' points of view, and the voices and experiences are captured so well. One of the characters is manic depressive, and it really paints a picture of how devastating a mental illness is - not just for the person suffering from one, but also for loved ones.
The way Eugenides is able capture such different voices, especially that of female characters, has always impressed me.
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