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So, goodbye cheery ol' chicklit. In The Last Year of Being Married, award-winning travel journalist Sarah Tucker breaks new ground with a sometimes uncomfortably misanthropic take on the genre. The story begins as boorish banker Paul announces to wife Sarah that their marriage is over. In an effort to safeguard his assets, Paul also insists she leaves the marital home with their young son. Standing her ground, Sarah embarks on a battle of the wills with her soon-to-be ex, as they attempt to live side-by side whilst the inevitable end game of a love long lost plays itself out. It is a credit to Tucker's stark, spare prose that the reader is soon gripped; even as the characters become harder and harder to like. Paul toys with a new girlfriend, avoids his only child's birthday party and sweats and snores as he dreams of a divorce settlement that allows him to keep the French chateau and his six-figure bonus. Meanwhile, Sarah regrets her affairs, abortions and failure to hold onto her high-status male – though she can never quite be bothered to think through why things went wrong. Nevertheless, it's hard not to feel for her as she experiences real grief and hurt, and by the time it looks like she might get the chateau after all, we're rooting for her. The thing is, maybe we're all just as selfish, lazy and powerless as Sarah and Paul, so their experiences strike a chord. I, for one, really hope not….. |
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The Last Year of Being Married