I don’t know what took me so long, but I recently formed an addiction to Matthew Yglesias’s blog. Is genius. A few weeks ago, he was promoting his dad’s novel, A Happy Marriage. After reading a one-pargraph summary and making note that it got good reviews, I decided to buy two copies: one for me, and one for sheSaid. It just sounded like something she should read and would enjoy. So when Rafael Yglesias came to Politics & Prose, I decided it would be a great opportunity to finally go to Politics & Prose–I’ve lived in DC for two and a half years, and I still hadn’t been there–to pick up the books and get them signed.
sheSaid and I discussed what transpired.
sheSaid: lol
00Pisces: yes it is
00Pisces: siiiiiiiiiigh
Of course, I have no right to whine about my accidental assholery, because if I just used my damned head every once in awhile, this would be entirely avoidable. In a work of literary fiction about relationships, what chance is there that there wouldn’t be an episode of adultery? That’s right, ZERO. And in a relationship spanning thirty years, what chance is there that one partner won’t stray, ever? Also pretty small. I know this, because I read literary fiction. Circular logic, perhaps, but I do actually think it’s possible to value and strive for monogamy while also being, you know, human, with the capacity for lust and love of other, non-spouse, human beings. Anyway, I should use my head more, and not ask blatantly stupid questions.
Yglesias was, however, terribly nice about it, which reminds me of Moonrat’s post about how authors need to be nice to their readers. He’s a pro, that one.
Notes on the book:
We both liked Enrique and Margaret’s second honeymoon to Venice. We especially liked how Enrique talks about the changes in his wife’s body reflecting their life together. All women hope that their husbands will view their aging bodies in this way; part of how I knew my long-time infatuation with a wildly exciting and innappropriate man needed to end was because he displayed an utter lack of the ability to respect the changes a woman’s body goes through as a result of birthing children. Who wants to have kids with a man who will think you are gross afterwards? So it was sweet to eavesdrop into the internal thoughts of Enrique while he was thinking, not just saying, the things we all hope are true.
Then sheSaid and I talked about self-loathing, despair, and worthiness of love; there’s not much to say other than: “Yeaaaaaah . . . is there EVER any rational balance, here?”
Then we talked about hats and yarn; book club over and out.