Moopy Book Club (August): Tayari Jones - "An American Marriage"

But why do they have to be likeable?
I don't need characters to likeable or relatable but in this novel they were unpleasant without any backstory or morale. I just didn't understand the point. I know they're kids books but the way Rowling makes Snape a key character despite being unlikable is a great example of how to do it right. Or Patrick Bateman, Holden Caufield etc.
 
Characters can be unlikable and unpleasant and you could still warm up to them or even relate to and love them. The difference here is that you get the impression that the author is a bit unaware of the character’s, especially Celestial’s, unlikablity, and therefore they come off as smug.
 
Finally finshed this, here's my review.

Tayara Jones' demonstrates a bleak view of the black community. A community in which the women are good cooks, moody and strong willed, the men are pathetic and weak and at the complete disposal of the women and all the white people are bad.

If only she made Celestial an interesting character one could understand why Roy went to all this trouble. Jones tries to with the weird puppets arc - a 50 dollar puppet that makes the buyer uncomfortable - but Celestial never becomes more than a woman who wants it all but isn't prepared to make sacrifices. Throughout the novel, one one learns anything. A lot is going on but not one of the characters learns anything from it or changes their standpoint.

The main characters make very odd choices and hold questionable views. For example, when Roy gets back with Celestial for a night and he is adamant on having unprotected sex because apparently condoms are out of line if you're married - most odd - but he simply forgets that just a week ago he had unprotected sex with the first woman he ran in to. Or when Celestial tells Roy's mother about Walter, which was completely out of line. She later gives a half arsed explanation about how his mother found peace then but that doesn't change the fact that it was rude and not hers to tell. It's one of the many many instances in the book when a character should have noticed his or her mistake and apologize for it but that never happens.

The writing isn't very good. Jones uses every Cosmopolitan/US Weekly cliche about women and their (sexual) healing powers she knows. Her "wisdom" is pedestrian and as RS mentioned very chic lit. It's no wonder Oprah and her mumsnet brigade lap it up. Jones plays on the readers emotions and doesn't leave much room for interpretation. The using of first names for the parents was also very annoying.

There is some very subtle black vs white racism going on if you read between the lines. Every white character is vilified - from the rape victim to the judge, everyone is bad - which at itself isn't a crime necessarily, but she fails to give a single explanation for that. Some more detail about the court proceedings would have been needed before basically stating that black people cannot get an honest trial. Also there's a complete story line about the rape victim that is lost that could have been fascinating, but no. We get predictable prison letters and an over the top fight with Andre who has just been written in the book to play the victim to Roy's dominance over Celestial instead.

This was not a great novel. I struggled to finish it because there's nothing to take away from it. I would rate it 1.5/5.
I agree with this review 100%.

I've also started The Overstory. I shall post the official thread next week.
 
I wonder whether we should start adding a 'rate' poll to our book club threads? And if so, shall we go with the 5-star review system rather the conventional Moopy 1-10 (or times 11) scale?
 
glad I never got around to this!

waiting to get Overstory again from the library. the opening section was quite good!
 
I didn’t have time or means to join in this one sadly but I will be climbing aboard again for The Overstory.

That’s if I EVER finish The Goldfinch!
 
I didn’t have time or means to join in this one sadly but I will be climbing aboard again for The Overstory.

That’s if I EVER finish The Goldfinch!
That's a re-read though, isn't it? Surely?

If so you can juggle a few books on the ago. I've started doing that.
 
Yes a re-read, it felt like it was taking a very long time this time around but I’ve realised I’ve only been reading it a week and I’m well over halfway :D

So it will all be okay.
 
Finally finished this but was just left a bit MEH. I didn’t hate the characters like some, but Celestial was a bit of a sour old bag from the start. I warmed to Roy and obviously felt for him, whereas André felt underwritten to be honest- I had no empathy there whatsoever. I hated the ending- it didn’t make any sense that it happened so quickly and then the epilogue twisting everything was just dumb.

Anyhoo, 6/10. I didn’t hate it but I couldn’t say I was excited about it. Onto September...!
 
this just dropped at the library for me

I doubt I'll be picking it up :side-eye:
 

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