Matrimony by Joshua Henkin Also by this author: The World Without You
Published by Plume on October 2, 2007
Genres/Lists: Fiction
Pages: 304
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links)
Oh, Joshua Henkin! You write such wonderful books! This was my second book by him (the first being The World Without You) and I loved them both! This one, Matrimony, follows a couple for the 20+ years of their lives after they first met in college. When I read The World Without You, the one word that kept coming to mind was familiar, and the same applies t to this book. Henkin has a way of writing that is 100% relatable (even if you haven’t been in the situation he is writing about). His characters are all so realistic that I can’t get enough of them.
The book starts out with the unlikely friendship between Julian (who I envisioned as Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother), an affluent New Englander, and Carter, a scholarship kid from California, who are enrolled in the same creative writing course. As Carter tries to break into the WASPy culture his friend hails from, Julian is trying to escape it. They both meet some great ladies, and from there the book mostly follows the lives of Julian and his wife, Mia. The story is propelled by the troubles and secrets that they face, and I wish I could give you more information without giving anything away!
One of my favorite parts was his description of the Make Way for Duckling’s in the Boston Public Gardens because I have fond memories of taking a picture while sitting on the smallest duck at various points throughout my life spanning 30 years. Another was a comment in passing about someone walking a bunny on a leash because I did that when I was a kid, too. Add in the fact that I can fold my tongue like a “cauliflower” and the way he describes the magic of owning a dog, and the book is, I repeat, familiar.
I read some of the other reviews about this book and one of the main complaints is that the story takes place over such a long period of time that it lacks character development. I completely disagree with this sentiment. Because Henkin‘s characters are so real, it is not necessary to focus on the mundane, day-to-day intricacies of life and marriage. There are too many books out there that spend time on what the characters ate and their fight over household chores. I love that Henkin doesn’t waste his talent writing these types of details and focuses on the parts that matter.
I love that Henkin‘s books remind me of real people and are not filled with any shocking twists and turns that would never happen in real life. If you do too, then this is a book for you!
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