Our voracious reader Jen Mann dives into, “The Story of a Marriage” by Andrew Sean Greer this week and surfaces to observe insightfully, “While exploring the idea of ‘marriage’, Greer is exploring the idea of self as well.” As always, she has piqued our curiousity and to the library we must go.
Andrew Sean Greer wrote The Confessions of Max Tivoli. I was interested to see if he could pull another whopper out of his hat. He does. The Story of A Marriage is a very good book.
Set in San Francisco in the early 50s, there are so many levels of interest I don’t know where to begin (echoes of last week – so maybe it’s just Spring Fever.) A young woman, Pearlie and her husband Holland have a marriage and a young child.
But what is a marriage? Is it love, safety, self-sacrifice?
Pearlie is confronted by a man from Holland’s past and the unfolding story puts these queries front and center. Pearlie isn’t sure she knows her husband but she is sure that she loves him and will go to great lengths to make her son and husband happy.
She has a beautiful vine covered house, a quiet dog, a stocked icebox – what pains will she take to keep this dream alive? Maybe dreams are less than the reality. Maybe they are more.
What I found especially intriguing is how Greer presents this story. I take great satisfaction in figuring out stories early on. I often think I know better (eye-roll please) and actually am thrilled when I am wrong. I like being out-maneuvered. Greer is good. We see some things coming but others are just out of reach. Instead of feeling frustrated, we are entranced. Pearlie, Holland and the others are more enigmatic than we initially assume.
There are many kinds of love. Each of the characters loves in varying degrees and often more than we see. The story, through Pearlie’s eyes is a wonder as we open our eyes in tandem.
While exploring the idea of ‘marriage’, Greer is exploring the idea of self as well. As in Max Tivoli, Greer shows us great beauty through pain. This is not schadenfreude or speculation. He truly sees the joy inherent in trial, but pure.
The end is unexpected and toothsome because we all struggled to get there.