FATES AND FURIES (2015) by Lauren Groff is touted as the best book of 2015. I cannot say I agree. I wanted to agree. President Obama said it was his favorite book of the year. I love him; I wanted to love it. I got it in hardcover for Christmas and immediately jumped in. The book got compelling on page 206 of 390. That is too long to wait for compelling. I completely GET what Groff is doing by crafting the book this way. Everything you think is true in the first half of the book is countered by another perspective in the second. I like that technique, but I did not want to wade through 200 + pages about an egotistical husband; his wife was far more interesting. Yet – and here I am wavering, admittedly – her narration made me reflect back on his (first half of book) and re-think my judgment. This book has gotten a lot of hype, perhaps more than it deserves, and it makes me take on even bigger questions like why do some books get RAVE reviews, untold ATTENTION, when some of my favorites remain, well, somewhat obscure? No answers yet. On the whole, I liked the book because the wife’s narration and back story was just the thing to perk you up after being really sick of her husband. Is it too late to say this is a book about young marrieds Lotto and Mathilde and their odd and vexing life together, their dysfunctional families, their messed up friends? I am not recommending against this book and not only because most of the reading world loves it. But – I am cautioning readers to settle in for a long one, wait it out, practice patience, see what comes. So, I suppose, it really is like marriage in that – so hold onto your hats and take the ride.