A review by hodgeonlucy
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whilst I admire Jones' formidable writing ability, this book was just not for me. It was a little slow, focusing on (purposefully) flawed characters. I understand the pace was meant to match Roy's incarceration and his release, but it felt sluggish and then suddenly very fast in the last couple of chapters. I also didn't really enjoy the section with the letters; again, Jones' ability to write in the characters' voice and make the letters believable was impressive, but they just came across as convenient plot-pushers. I did really like the epilogue, both the culmination of the plot felt right and the return to letter-based prose tied it into the rest of the book. Overall, I do think this book is beautiful and moving but it has a certain melancholy and slowness that you have to be in the mood for. Unfortunately, I was not.
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