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La coppia felice
Luke e Celine sono promessi sposi, entrambi sulla soglia dei trent'anni e cinicamente disillusi dal mondo intorno a loro. Eppure, agli occhi di chiunque li conosca, sono la perfetta coppia felice: Celine è una talentuosa pianista divisa tra esibizioni e insegnamento, Luke un giovane e rampante manager. Vivono insieme a Dublino e hanno adottato una gatta che accudiscono con amore. Ma, mentre la data del matrimonio si avvicina, c'è un primo passo fondamentale da compiere: la festa di fidanzamento. E tra una pletora di amici e familiari, a ricevere l'invito sono anche i rispettivi ex fidanzati, Archie, che è anche testimone dello sposo pur essendone ancora segretamente innamorato, e Maria, il primo grande amore di Celine...
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2023
570 people are currently reading
37312 people want to read
About the author
Naoise Dolan
12 books1,304 followersNaoise Dolan is a queer and autistic Irish writer born in Dublin. She obtained an English degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 and later a Master's Degree in Victorian Literature from Oxford University. Her first novel
Exciting Times
had an excerpt published in The Stinging Fly by Sally Rooney and became a Sunday Times bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,902 reviews
April 9, 2023
Pack it up Sally Rooney
January 10, 2024
i honestly couldn't wait to read this book, which is by an author whose other book i hated.
so either i'm the most forgiving and generous person alive or i'm meeting the definition of insanity.
let's go with the first one.
and yet somehow, there was a book i read a couple years ago and found bad in nearly every way: poor writing, uncreative, bigoted, unforgivably stupid. it is likely my least favorite book in recent memory.
then there was a book that i liked quite a bit, that i found clever and well-written and full of unexpected and refreshing little moments.
that second book was this book and the same person wrote both.
this was fun and i enjoyed it and i don't think i'll think about it much but that's a shock alone!
bottom line: one point for the power of forgiveness.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
so either i'm the most forgiving and generous person alive or i'm meeting the definition of insanity.
let's go with the first one.
and yet somehow, there was a book i read a couple years ago and found bad in nearly every way: poor writing, uncreative, bigoted, unforgivably stupid. it is likely my least favorite book in recent memory.
then there was a book that i liked quite a bit, that i found clever and well-written and full of unexpected and refreshing little moments.
that second book was this book and the same person wrote both.
this was fun and i enjoyed it and i don't think i'll think about it much but that's a shock alone!
bottom line: one point for the power of forgiveness.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
October 28, 2025
QUESTO MATRIMONIO NON S’HA DA FARE. O SÌ?
Henri Rousseau detto Il Doganiere, Festa di nozze, c.1905, Museo dell’Orangerie, Parigi.
Applicando la distinzione che Naoise Dolan mette in bocca a Luke - il lui di questa coppia indicata nel titolo - in un componimento musicale la melodia rappresenta il tema principale, e quindi, riportandolo alla quotidianità di un rapporto di coppia, in modo sintetico e probabilmente dozzinale, il tema principale sono le cose migliori – che, nella sua storia con Celine, Luke indica nelle conversazioni e nel sesso – ecco, per me la melodia di questo romanzo è l’umanità giovane messa in scena dalla Dolan: i due millennial della coppia - 28 anni lui, 26 lei – i loro amici altrettanto millennial, le attività che svolgono, la loro fluidità sessuale – sia Celine che Luke sono bisessuali, conosciamo per entrambi storie omo ed etero, e neppure Phoebe, la sorellina di Celine,
dava per scontato che chiunque fosse etero, a meno che qualcuno non mettesse subito le mani avanti.
Il modo come affrontano e riflettono sulla vita questi millennial della Dolan… Sono questi elementi che costituiscono la melodia, cioè la parte migliore del romanzo.
Pieter Bruegel il Vecchio, Matrimonio di contadini, 1568, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
L’armonia invece – nella quale Luke identifica lo sfondo musicale, e quindi, sbrigativamente, le cose noiose – e lui indica un paio di esempi: fare i piatti, ricordarsi i compleanni – secondo me è lo stile adottato dalla Nolan che è un po’ l’esasperazione di quello già mostrato nel precedente Tempi eccitanti: se là i dialoghi erano brillanti e frizzanti, qui sono un po’ troppo costruiti e artificiosi, con un certo qual effetto lezioso.
È come se tutti i personaggi non solo avessero la risposta pronta sulla punta della lingua, e la sparassero in faccia dell’interlocutore senza ritegno, ma anzi con un certo qual entusiasmo; ed è come se queste risposte, i commenti, il dialogo fossero tutti abbondantemente studiati e provati in partenza, di modo da risultare sempre sferzanti, arguti, taglienti.
Viene in mente il bel film di Patrice Leconte Ridicule che racconta come alla corte di Luigi XVI re di Francia l’arte del dialogo, l’abilità oratoria, la prontezza e sapienza di motti di spirito, la battuta giusta al momento giusto, aiutavano molto a farsi strada, potevano costruire fortune sociali ed economiche, come anche spazzarle via, annientarle.
Edward Burne-Jones: Il matrimonio di Psiche, 1895, Museo Reale di Belle Arti, Antwerp, Belgio.
L’effetto che Dolan ottiene è quello di trasformare i suoi personaggi in perenni primo-della-classe, quello che tacciavamo di essere secchione e leccaculo, sempre pronto a sguainare braccio e mano, dal suo primo banco centrale, per sfoggiare la risposta giusta e far bella figura.
Alla lunga – ma anche prima –per me lettore è diventato estenuante, mi ha condotto a frequenti interruzioni, incapace di andare oltre poche pagine alla volta, per la necessità di prendere fiato, per il bisogno di una pausa, di riposo, sfiancato da tanta velocità di risposta e sagacia di linguaggio (come se la Dolan fosse stata allevata a pane-e-volpe).
Edvard Munch: Il matrimonio della coppia bohemien, 1925, Museo Munch, Oslo.
Diviso in sei parti – che stranamente le di solito accurate edizioni Atlantide sbagliano a intitolare, c’è differenza tra quanto scritto nell’indice e quanto riportato nel corpo del romanzo - ognuna dedicata a un personaggio diverso (la sposa, lo sposo, la damigella d’onore, il testimone dello sposo, l’ospite) – tanto da poter dire che a prescindere dalla coppia del titolo, questo è un autentico romanzo corale, Dolan ci racconta di Celine che è una pianista, e di Luke, che è addetto alla strategia delle comunicazioni di una società tech: stanno insieme da tre anni, un rapporto non monogamico per comune scelta - ma forse la decisione non è stata neppure stata pronunciata, è semplicemente successo – e lui ha preso il concetto in modo letterale, “consuma” fuori dalla coppia con frequenza ragguardevole, alla faccia della coppia ‘aperta’, mentre lei sembrerebbe di no, lei preferisce chiudere un occhio, anzi li chiude tutti e due, lei professa che non c’è sempre bisogno della storia completa. Peccato però che Dolan non mi lasci capire se dal suo punto di vista la libertà sessuale di Luke è un bene o meno, se vuol dire qualcosa sull’uomo o sulla coppia.
A un certo punto, presto nel corso del romanzo, decidono di sposarsi, per fare sul serio. Festa di fidanzamento non a Dublino, dove entrambi vivono, ma a Londra, dove lui ha perlopiù vissuto e dove abitano parenti ricchi di lei. Stesso giorno dodici mesi dopo, il matrimonio, sempre a Londra, stessa situazione.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti: Il matrimonio di San Giorgio e della Principessa Sabra, 1857, Tate Britain, Londra.
Tornando alla melodia, e lasciando perdere l’armonia - sulla quale credo d’essermi espresso in abbondanza – Dolan esibisce una particolare sensibilità - già manifestata nel precedente romanzo d’esordio – sulle dinamiche di coppia e d’amicizia, di convivenza e di frequentazione, su lavoro e precariato – e quest’ultimo possiamo riferirlo anche alla sfera dei sentimenti – su donne e femminilità e femminismo, sull’identità sessuale, sempre fluida, data per scontata, mai sbandierata, mai usata come manifesto politico, piuttosto trattata come dettaglio – così come potrebbe descrivere il colore dei capelli, il taglio di un abito, le preferenze culinarie, semplicemente l’identità sessuale non dovrebbe più nemmeno essere un argomento di discussione.
Pieter Bruegel il Vecchio, Festa di nozze in campagna, c.1566, Institute of Arts, Detroit.
E così facendo e scrivendo, Dolan mi sembra centrare la contemporaneità e sfornare un romanzo generazionale come non succede spesso.
Il matrimonio è ancora un obiettivo obbligato per la felicità di coppia? La domanda echeggia per tutte le duecentocinquanta pagine. Meglio leggere fino in fondo per scoprirlo. Anche se non credo che Dolan abbia dato una risposta univoca.
Giotto: Corteo di nozze della Vergine, 1305, Cappella Scrovegni, Padova.
Marc Chagall, Gli sposi e la Torre Eiffel, 1934.
Henri Rousseau detto Il Doganiere, Festa di nozze, c.1905, Museo dell’Orangerie, Parigi.
Applicando la distinzione che Naoise Dolan mette in bocca a Luke - il lui di questa coppia indicata nel titolo - in un componimento musicale la melodia rappresenta il tema principale, e quindi, riportandolo alla quotidianità di un rapporto di coppia, in modo sintetico e probabilmente dozzinale, il tema principale sono le cose migliori – che, nella sua storia con Celine, Luke indica nelle conversazioni e nel sesso – ecco, per me la melodia di questo romanzo è l’umanità giovane messa in scena dalla Dolan: i due millennial della coppia - 28 anni lui, 26 lei – i loro amici altrettanto millennial, le attività che svolgono, la loro fluidità sessuale – sia Celine che Luke sono bisessuali, conosciamo per entrambi storie omo ed etero, e neppure Phoebe, la sorellina di Celine,
dava per scontato che chiunque fosse etero, a meno che qualcuno non mettesse subito le mani avanti.
Il modo come affrontano e riflettono sulla vita questi millennial della Dolan… Sono questi elementi che costituiscono la melodia, cioè la parte migliore del romanzo.
Pieter Bruegel il Vecchio, Matrimonio di contadini, 1568, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
L’armonia invece – nella quale Luke identifica lo sfondo musicale, e quindi, sbrigativamente, le cose noiose – e lui indica un paio di esempi: fare i piatti, ricordarsi i compleanni – secondo me è lo stile adottato dalla Nolan che è un po’ l’esasperazione di quello già mostrato nel precedente Tempi eccitanti: se là i dialoghi erano brillanti e frizzanti, qui sono un po’ troppo costruiti e artificiosi, con un certo qual effetto lezioso.
È come se tutti i personaggi non solo avessero la risposta pronta sulla punta della lingua, e la sparassero in faccia dell’interlocutore senza ritegno, ma anzi con un certo qual entusiasmo; ed è come se queste risposte, i commenti, il dialogo fossero tutti abbondantemente studiati e provati in partenza, di modo da risultare sempre sferzanti, arguti, taglienti.
Viene in mente il bel film di Patrice Leconte Ridicule che racconta come alla corte di Luigi XVI re di Francia l’arte del dialogo, l’abilità oratoria, la prontezza e sapienza di motti di spirito, la battuta giusta al momento giusto, aiutavano molto a farsi strada, potevano costruire fortune sociali ed economiche, come anche spazzarle via, annientarle.
Edward Burne-Jones: Il matrimonio di Psiche, 1895, Museo Reale di Belle Arti, Antwerp, Belgio.
L’effetto che Dolan ottiene è quello di trasformare i suoi personaggi in perenni primo-della-classe, quello che tacciavamo di essere secchione e leccaculo, sempre pronto a sguainare braccio e mano, dal suo primo banco centrale, per sfoggiare la risposta giusta e far bella figura.
Alla lunga – ma anche prima –per me lettore è diventato estenuante, mi ha condotto a frequenti interruzioni, incapace di andare oltre poche pagine alla volta, per la necessità di prendere fiato, per il bisogno di una pausa, di riposo, sfiancato da tanta velocità di risposta e sagacia di linguaggio (come se la Dolan fosse stata allevata a pane-e-volpe).
Edvard Munch: Il matrimonio della coppia bohemien, 1925, Museo Munch, Oslo.
Diviso in sei parti – che stranamente le di solito accurate edizioni Atlantide sbagliano a intitolare, c’è differenza tra quanto scritto nell’indice e quanto riportato nel corpo del romanzo - ognuna dedicata a un personaggio diverso (la sposa, lo sposo, la damigella d’onore, il testimone dello sposo, l’ospite) – tanto da poter dire che a prescindere dalla coppia del titolo, questo è un autentico romanzo corale, Dolan ci racconta di Celine che è una pianista, e di Luke, che è addetto alla strategia delle comunicazioni di una società tech: stanno insieme da tre anni, un rapporto non monogamico per comune scelta - ma forse la decisione non è stata neppure stata pronunciata, è semplicemente successo – e lui ha preso il concetto in modo letterale, “consuma” fuori dalla coppia con frequenza ragguardevole, alla faccia della coppia ‘aperta’, mentre lei sembrerebbe di no, lei preferisce chiudere un occhio, anzi li chiude tutti e due, lei professa che non c’è sempre bisogno della storia completa. Peccato però che Dolan non mi lasci capire se dal suo punto di vista la libertà sessuale di Luke è un bene o meno, se vuol dire qualcosa sull’uomo o sulla coppia.
A un certo punto, presto nel corso del romanzo, decidono di sposarsi, per fare sul serio. Festa di fidanzamento non a Dublino, dove entrambi vivono, ma a Londra, dove lui ha perlopiù vissuto e dove abitano parenti ricchi di lei. Stesso giorno dodici mesi dopo, il matrimonio, sempre a Londra, stessa situazione.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti: Il matrimonio di San Giorgio e della Principessa Sabra, 1857, Tate Britain, Londra.
Tornando alla melodia, e lasciando perdere l’armonia - sulla quale credo d’essermi espresso in abbondanza – Dolan esibisce una particolare sensibilità - già manifestata nel precedente romanzo d’esordio – sulle dinamiche di coppia e d’amicizia, di convivenza e di frequentazione, su lavoro e precariato – e quest’ultimo possiamo riferirlo anche alla sfera dei sentimenti – su donne e femminilità e femminismo, sull’identità sessuale, sempre fluida, data per scontata, mai sbandierata, mai usata come manifesto politico, piuttosto trattata come dettaglio – così come potrebbe descrivere il colore dei capelli, il taglio di un abito, le preferenze culinarie, semplicemente l’identità sessuale non dovrebbe più nemmeno essere un argomento di discussione.
Pieter Bruegel il Vecchio, Festa di nozze in campagna, c.1566, Institute of Arts, Detroit.
E così facendo e scrivendo, Dolan mi sembra centrare la contemporaneità e sfornare un romanzo generazionale come non succede spesso.
Il matrimonio è ancora un obiettivo obbligato per la felicità di coppia? La domanda echeggia per tutte le duecentocinquanta pagine. Meglio leggere fino in fondo per scoprirlo. Anche se non credo che Dolan abbia dato una risposta univoca.
Giotto: Corteo di nozze della Vergine, 1305, Cappella Scrovegni, Padova.
Marc Chagall, Gli sposi e la Torre Eiffel, 1934.
April 26, 2024
Dolan's sophomore effort works with a well-known concept: Celine and Luke get engaged right at the beginning, and the rest of the novel is driven by the question whether they will actually get married - but while the story progresses, the point of view keeps changing between their friends / ex-lovers. But this is not your average marriage plot: The question the text ponders is what people are seeking and trying to find in marriage, what factors influence their decisions, and the point is not to endorse or trash marriage as an institution, but to explore societal and personal motivations. Plus, Dolan's characters are almost all queer, which is not pointed out as unusual or even problematized, but just taken as a given - we need more texts like that.
Just like Exciting Times, the novel discusses the post-colonial relationship between Ireland and England, with settings in both Dublin and London as well as characters with connections to both countries (of course, the wedding is set to take place in the UK, because that's where the family who keeps intervening, but has all the money resides - go figure). And also just like Dolan's debut, the book uses its characters to show different types of people whose expectations, emotional needs, and also shortcomings lead them to desire different types of love, which goes against the one-type-fits-all "happy couple" idea that societal stereotypes about marriage will automatically lead to happiness. What the people we meet here need depends on who they really are - and the trick is to find out about that, so we as readers can try to judge what they should do. It's Jane Austen with a queer twist.
And Dolan does a good job leading readers on by slowly revealing different perspectives on individual characters: Take Luke, who is first seen only as a indecisive cheater, but turns out to suffer under aspects that are formerly overlooked; then there's Celine, who seems to live in a dream world, but is mostly just not interested in anything outside her career as a pianist (how would she be judged or decide if she was a man?); or Archie, the gay lawyer and best man, who tries to fight his enduring feelings for his ex-lover Luke; bridesmaid Phoebe, Celine's gay sister who has no interest in theoretical expectations; Celine's ex Maria as well as Luke's other ex Vivian, who watch the spectacle unfold - we learn about all of their opinions, grounded in their lived experiences.
What I specifically like about Dolan is her laconic voice, which she employs to entertaining and frequently comic effect, but without ridiculing her characters who in all their flaws remain relatable. I was captivated by the first around 75 % of the book, but then, there's an uneccessary denouement and the plot falls apart by adding information that wasn't needed. To go out with a bang would have been much more effective.
Still, Dolan remains an exciting (ha!) Irish writer to watch, and this book proves that she isn't a one trick pony.
Here's my interview with her about her debut Exciting Times.
And here's our podcast discussion about "The Happy Couple" (Das glückliche Paar, in German): https://papierstaupodcast.de/podcast/...
Just like Exciting Times, the novel discusses the post-colonial relationship between Ireland and England, with settings in both Dublin and London as well as characters with connections to both countries (of course, the wedding is set to take place in the UK, because that's where the family who keeps intervening, but has all the money resides - go figure). And also just like Dolan's debut, the book uses its characters to show different types of people whose expectations, emotional needs, and also shortcomings lead them to desire different types of love, which goes against the one-type-fits-all "happy couple" idea that societal stereotypes about marriage will automatically lead to happiness. What the people we meet here need depends on who they really are - and the trick is to find out about that, so we as readers can try to judge what they should do. It's Jane Austen with a queer twist.
And Dolan does a good job leading readers on by slowly revealing different perspectives on individual characters: Take Luke, who is first seen only as a indecisive cheater, but turns out to suffer under aspects that are formerly overlooked; then there's Celine, who seems to live in a dream world, but is mostly just not interested in anything outside her career as a pianist (how would she be judged or decide if she was a man?); or Archie, the gay lawyer and best man, who tries to fight his enduring feelings for his ex-lover Luke; bridesmaid Phoebe, Celine's gay sister who has no interest in theoretical expectations; Celine's ex Maria as well as Luke's other ex Vivian, who watch the spectacle unfold - we learn about all of their opinions, grounded in their lived experiences.
What I specifically like about Dolan is her laconic voice, which she employs to entertaining and frequently comic effect, but without ridiculing her characters who in all their flaws remain relatable. I was captivated by the first around 75 % of the book, but then, there's an uneccessary denouement and the plot falls apart by adding information that wasn't needed. To go out with a bang would have been much more effective.
Still, Dolan remains an exciting (ha!) Irish writer to watch, and this book proves that she isn't a one trick pony.
Here's my interview with her about her debut Exciting Times.
And here's our podcast discussion about "The Happy Couple" (Das glückliche Paar, in German): https://papierstaupodcast.de/podcast/...
June 27, 2023
The book started out okay but took such a nosedive halfway. It certainly had potential, but it didn't live up to it.
From the very beginning, I wasn't a fan of the snarky prose. It had a heavy-handed ironic overtone and the third-person narrator was not a neutral observer, but didn't have the actual wisdom to pull it off. Instead it just felt like some Twitter-person's gossipy opinions. It tried to be clever and funny at times but it just wasn't. From Chapter 2 (the moment I prepared myself for the injections of cheap Internet humor): Although Madame Esmeralda hated other felines, she cherished her humans for their opposable thumbs. They were lousy gymnasts and alarmingly hairless, but they opened her chicken cans, and that was not nothing. I'm not sure who this humor is for (Facebook moms?) but it ain't me. It felt like maybe the author was trying to avoid self-serious prose and went too far in the other direction.
I also had a problem with the depth of the characters, or lack thereof. Depth was maybe hinted at but never fulfilled. In life, even the most apparently shallow, unlikeable people have depth: a recent Anna Nicole Smith documentary does a good job of revealing the depth of a person dismissed by society as a shallow gold-digger. Dissecting "shallow" people can make for the most satisfying and enlightening content. But the literary trend of adding a million little "realistic" details to make a character believable has replaced the need to give them any real depth in contemporary fiction.
Speaking of believability, mid-way, as I said, is when the novel really nosedives: for some reason, the narration switches to first-person for Luke and that was a mistake. His musings and apparent self-awareness were not believable for a posh fuckboy (I'm probably too American to care if his mom was a temp worker: you go to Oxford, you're posh now, my condolences). That's another shallow trope that could've been dissected (if one so felt the need) but instead his insights into his own relationship and society at large felt like the author using him as a mouthpiece, and his narration wasn't different enough from the third-person narration to counter this feeling--the narration really wasn't different at all. This chapter needed some serious red-pen action, basically. It was actually really hard to get through because it was both so boring (especially reiterating much of what already happened but from "Luke's" [really just the same narrator's] perspective) and so entirely unbelievable. It was the only part of the book where the content felt truly, entirely unnecessary. Basically, the Luke chapter felt like some kind of mundane shark jump. There was a point in his chapter where he gives the obligatory criticism of capitalism spiel (this novel is "very online") and it's hard to tell if this is, again, just the author pointing out the obvious, or trying to make him believably Millennial (relevant canned opinions and all), or if she was accurately trying to portray a man's poorly-concealed resentment of his female companion's artistic talent and drive, being himself just an overpaid capitalist cog. I really want it to be the lattermost because that's the most interesting to me, but it certainly doesn't land that way.
One more thing I really disliked about the Luke chapter: apparently we're supposed to believe he's writing this whole diatribe in an untitled Word document or something? Shark jump hoo-ha-ha. Where's the red pen when you need it. Even just keeping it in the third-person would've helped immensely: Luke's magical Freudian-level self-awareness as a fuckboy could've been just more omniscient-narratorial awareness.
This issue of believability was at its worst with Luke, but wasn't totally avoided with any other character. For instance, I didn't really buy Celine either, because "concert pianist" as a profession for a literary character feels a bit like making a male love interest in a rom-com an architect--it's too niche, you don't actually encounter that many IRL. I don't really need characters to be believable if the novel is intentionally flouting believability, like with magical realism or something, but for a novel that's trying to accurately or even satirically portray modern people it doesn't work for me. I also sensed the author maybe venting some of her own frustrations at being a working artist: the whole, "My own family doesn't want to see the process, they just want the magic of the result like everyone else," etc etc. (There is some unambiguously intentional and highly self-indulgent meta-commentary on p. 180: The more unaccustomed we are to seeing faces like theirs in the art world, the more crudely we compare them to the last person who made it, even if the two artists have nothing in common stylistically or philosophically or really vis-a-vis anything that's not an accident of birth. lol get it off your chest girl). Maybe if the author had taken Celine's alienation all the way we would've gotten that depth: again, it's just hinted at, a detail for realism's sake instead of a real literary opportunity.
Celine's sister, Phoebe, also comes across as a caricature of a rebellious little sister. Despite this she was by far the most entertaining and interesting (alongside Maria) and didn't get nearly enough air-time. But Phoebe's obsession with her sister's bad relationship reflects another issue: the novel's weird narcissism (for lack of a better word) surrounding Luke and Celine. It's not just Archie or Phoebe who harbor these obsessions, it's demonstrated by every character, who seem to have nothing better to talk about. For example, in the scene where Maria is talking to Luke at the hotel, the dialogue is truly reminiscent of something from a Hallmark movie, where Maria gives this off-the-cuff, in-depth analysis of someone else's relationship from both psychological and societal perspectives. When does that actually ever happen? IRL the conversation would've gone more, "You nervous?" "I guess." "Don't be, you'll be fine." Then everyone moves on.
Just for the sake of argument, a lot of this could be intentional. The novel could be described as an anti-romance novel, maybe poking fun at the unrealistic dialogue and narcissism of that kind of narrative art (nobody in a Hallmark movie has anything better to do but think about the main character, or the niche jobs of the main characters), but that feels like giving the novel too much credit considering how wobbly it all lands. Also, I've noticed a lot of contemporary litfic is unconsciously imbued with a TV/film-sense: dialogue and mannerisms truly meant to portray realism are actually never seen outside of B-level TV shows and movies, the shit we grew up on. So someone wants to write a scene in a novel and accidentally refers to a scene from a movie instead of a scene from their own life, but most readers don't catch it because lands as "realistic" to them too, having also grown up watching a lot of TV. We are the Screentime Generation, after all.
Bouncing off of that though, I do think the novel's structure was well-crafted and switching POVs, breaking the novel down into easily-digestible bite-sized chunks, etc, is a good idea for contemporary novels at this stage where our collective attention span is atrophying at the speed of climate change. Besides, the author has a good intuition for pacing, apparently, and the zooming in, zooming back out, moving ahead, etc, all generally flowed together really nicely (save for that cystic zit of the Luke chapter). I would definitely read the next novel this author writes because I think her intuition for pacing and her natural talent with language could produce something special, maybe, if she scaled back on the snark and gave the characters more real depth.
From the very beginning, I wasn't a fan of the snarky prose. It had a heavy-handed ironic overtone and the third-person narrator was not a neutral observer, but didn't have the actual wisdom to pull it off. Instead it just felt like some Twitter-person's gossipy opinions. It tried to be clever and funny at times but it just wasn't. From Chapter 2 (the moment I prepared myself for the injections of cheap Internet humor): Although Madame Esmeralda hated other felines, she cherished her humans for their opposable thumbs. They were lousy gymnasts and alarmingly hairless, but they opened her chicken cans, and that was not nothing. I'm not sure who this humor is for (Facebook moms?) but it ain't me. It felt like maybe the author was trying to avoid self-serious prose and went too far in the other direction.
I also had a problem with the depth of the characters, or lack thereof. Depth was maybe hinted at but never fulfilled. In life, even the most apparently shallow, unlikeable people have depth: a recent Anna Nicole Smith documentary does a good job of revealing the depth of a person dismissed by society as a shallow gold-digger. Dissecting "shallow" people can make for the most satisfying and enlightening content. But the literary trend of adding a million little "realistic" details to make a character believable has replaced the need to give them any real depth in contemporary fiction.
Speaking of believability, mid-way, as I said, is when the novel really nosedives: for some reason, the narration switches to first-person for Luke and that was a mistake. His musings and apparent self-awareness were not believable for a posh fuckboy (I'm probably too American to care if his mom was a temp worker: you go to Oxford, you're posh now, my condolences). That's another shallow trope that could've been dissected (if one so felt the need) but instead his insights into his own relationship and society at large felt like the author using him as a mouthpiece, and his narration wasn't different enough from the third-person narration to counter this feeling--the narration really wasn't different at all. This chapter needed some serious red-pen action, basically. It was actually really hard to get through because it was both so boring (especially reiterating much of what already happened but from "Luke's" [really just the same narrator's] perspective) and so entirely unbelievable. It was the only part of the book where the content felt truly, entirely unnecessary. Basically, the Luke chapter felt like some kind of mundane shark jump. There was a point in his chapter where he gives the obligatory criticism of capitalism spiel (this novel is "very online") and it's hard to tell if this is, again, just the author pointing out the obvious, or trying to make him believably Millennial (relevant canned opinions and all), or if she was accurately trying to portray a man's poorly-concealed resentment of his female companion's artistic talent and drive, being himself just an overpaid capitalist cog. I really want it to be the lattermost because that's the most interesting to me, but it certainly doesn't land that way.
One more thing I really disliked about the Luke chapter: apparently we're supposed to believe he's writing this whole diatribe in an untitled Word document or something? Shark jump hoo-ha-ha. Where's the red pen when you need it. Even just keeping it in the third-person would've helped immensely: Luke's magical Freudian-level self-awareness as a fuckboy could've been just more omniscient-narratorial awareness.
This issue of believability was at its worst with Luke, but wasn't totally avoided with any other character. For instance, I didn't really buy Celine either, because "concert pianist" as a profession for a literary character feels a bit like making a male love interest in a rom-com an architect--it's too niche, you don't actually encounter that many IRL. I don't really need characters to be believable if the novel is intentionally flouting believability, like with magical realism or something, but for a novel that's trying to accurately or even satirically portray modern people it doesn't work for me. I also sensed the author maybe venting some of her own frustrations at being a working artist: the whole, "My own family doesn't want to see the process, they just want the magic of the result like everyone else," etc etc. (There is some unambiguously intentional and highly self-indulgent meta-commentary on p. 180: The more unaccustomed we are to seeing faces like theirs in the art world, the more crudely we compare them to the last person who made it, even if the two artists have nothing in common stylistically or philosophically or really vis-a-vis anything that's not an accident of birth. lol get it off your chest girl). Maybe if the author had taken Celine's alienation all the way we would've gotten that depth: again, it's just hinted at, a detail for realism's sake instead of a real literary opportunity.
Celine's sister, Phoebe, also comes across as a caricature of a rebellious little sister. Despite this she was by far the most entertaining and interesting (alongside Maria) and didn't get nearly enough air-time. But Phoebe's obsession with her sister's bad relationship reflects another issue: the novel's weird narcissism (for lack of a better word) surrounding Luke and Celine. It's not just Archie or Phoebe who harbor these obsessions, it's demonstrated by every character, who seem to have nothing better to talk about. For example, in the scene where Maria is talking to Luke at the hotel, the dialogue is truly reminiscent of something from a Hallmark movie, where Maria gives this off-the-cuff, in-depth analysis of someone else's relationship from both psychological and societal perspectives. When does that actually ever happen? IRL the conversation would've gone more, "You nervous?" "I guess." "Don't be, you'll be fine." Then everyone moves on.
Just for the sake of argument, a lot of this could be intentional. The novel could be described as an anti-romance novel, maybe poking fun at the unrealistic dialogue and narcissism of that kind of narrative art (nobody in a Hallmark movie has anything better to do but think about the main character, or the niche jobs of the main characters), but that feels like giving the novel too much credit considering how wobbly it all lands. Also, I've noticed a lot of contemporary litfic is unconsciously imbued with a TV/film-sense: dialogue and mannerisms truly meant to portray realism are actually never seen outside of B-level TV shows and movies, the shit we grew up on. So someone wants to write a scene in a novel and accidentally refers to a scene from a movie instead of a scene from their own life, but most readers don't catch it because lands as "realistic" to them too, having also grown up watching a lot of TV. We are the Screentime Generation, after all.
Bouncing off of that though, I do think the novel's structure was well-crafted and switching POVs, breaking the novel down into easily-digestible bite-sized chunks, etc, is a good idea for contemporary novels at this stage where our collective attention span is atrophying at the speed of climate change. Besides, the author has a good intuition for pacing, apparently, and the zooming in, zooming back out, moving ahead, etc, all generally flowed together really nicely (save for that cystic zit of the Luke chapter). I would definitely read the next novel this author writes because I think her intuition for pacing and her natural talent with language could produce something special, maybe, if she scaled back on the snark and gave the characters more real depth.
June 23, 2023
Kind of worrying how many reviewers think this is an honest portrayal of relationships.
May 31, 2023
naoise dolan offers a fresh take on the marriage plot for her second book the happy couple, penning an ensemble novel following an engaged couple, celine and luke, and three members of their wedding party: the bride’s sister, the best man, and one of the guests. the book kicks off with celine and luke having just gotten engaged, with the rest of the novel following each of the five character’s perspectives on the lead up to the wedding day.
through each perspective, dolan is able to examine the complexity of modern relationships, especially in relation to marriage, monogamy, and queerness. the novel casts an inquisitive eye on marriage and its place in a modern context, posing a number of questions: what are the intentions of marriage, who does it benefit, does marriage as an institution even have a place in our every-changing world where our identities are constantly in flux?
the happy couple is full of dolan’s sharp dialogue, dry wit, and usual astute social and cultural observations, some of which feel reminiscent to those explored in sally rooney's beautiful world, where are you. while i don’t want to constantly compare these two authors as i know they are often mentioned in the same sentence when discussing ‘millennial authors’, i think the similar themes of their books speak to the collective anxieties of the modern world - we’re all confused and messy and not really sure what’s going on, but it’s comforting to read characters that are too.
——————
read this in a couple hours - rtc but i love a fast-paced novel about messy people being messy
through each perspective, dolan is able to examine the complexity of modern relationships, especially in relation to marriage, monogamy, and queerness. the novel casts an inquisitive eye on marriage and its place in a modern context, posing a number of questions: what are the intentions of marriage, who does it benefit, does marriage as an institution even have a place in our every-changing world where our identities are constantly in flux?
the happy couple is full of dolan’s sharp dialogue, dry wit, and usual astute social and cultural observations, some of which feel reminiscent to those explored in sally rooney's beautiful world, where are you. while i don’t want to constantly compare these two authors as i know they are often mentioned in the same sentence when discussing ‘millennial authors’, i think the similar themes of their books speak to the collective anxieties of the modern world - we’re all confused and messy and not really sure what’s going on, but it’s comforting to read characters that are too.
——————
read this in a couple hours - rtc but i love a fast-paced novel about messy people being messy
June 21, 2023
Was the author high while writing this utter nonsense? More high and drugged than all of her characters? And why is everybody trying to experiment with Sally Rooney's writing style? These characters are obnoxious and the story is so lame, boring. A waste of time.
October 3, 2023
this is 100% better than 'exciting times' and read it in less than 10 hours on a weekday and probably one of my fave reads this year so it says so much, right? god i love contemporary fiction!!
September 16, 2023
literally everything i love in a book. may change to 5 stars if i'm still thinking about it in a week. also. gorgeous cover is always always a plus.
full review to come.
thank you ecco for the arc!!! <3
full review to come.
thank you ecco for the arc!!! <3
December 6, 2023
As you can probably guess from my scathing review of Exciting Times, I did not expect to like Dolan's sophomore novel nearly as much as I did. Maybe this author has dramatically improved her writing skills over the past three years, or maybe the themes and style of this book are just much more suited to my personal taste. Either way, I was captivated by the cast of trainwreck characters and the exploration of romantic relationships that form the core of The Happy Couple.
The narrative follows five queer, Irish twenty-somethings who find themselves more or less willingly involved in planning a wedding that appears to be doomed from the start. They all gravitate around Luke, the groom-to-be and resident fuckboy of the group, who isn't a character as much as he is a man-shaped collection of red flags. Honestly, the main reason I flew through this book so quickly was that I desperately wanted to find out if and when he would get his comeuppance. It's not often that an author manages to make me hate a fictional character so intensely, but Luke's callousness, hypocrisy, and self-absolving mentality hit just a little too close to home for me. You can definitely tell that Dolan has dated plenty of toxic men and knows what she's talking about.
Overall, I found the story engaging and entertaining. Although this is marketed as literary fiction, there's definitely a soapy element to the plot: emotions run high, characters hide secret affairs from one another, and big reveals start to drop as we approach the inevitable climax. Because of its fast pace and emotionally compelling story, I think this would be a perfect read for a book club, or for someone trying to break out of a reading slump.
I also really enjoyed the prose. More specifically, I feel like I finally get what people keep praising Dolan's writing for: she really is funny, witty, and sharp. She's great at subtle characterization. Despite the occasional ham-fisted feminist rant, she managed to tackle themes of heteronormativity, emotional codependency, and sexism in a nuanced and layered way.
I'll definitely make sure to check this author's other works in the future.
The narrative follows five queer, Irish twenty-somethings who find themselves more or less willingly involved in planning a wedding that appears to be doomed from the start. They all gravitate around Luke, the groom-to-be and resident fuckboy of the group, who isn't a character as much as he is a man-shaped collection of red flags. Honestly, the main reason I flew through this book so quickly was that I desperately wanted to find out if and when he would get his comeuppance. It's not often that an author manages to make me hate a fictional character so intensely, but Luke's callousness, hypocrisy, and self-absolving mentality hit just a little too close to home for me. You can definitely tell that Dolan has dated plenty of toxic men and knows what she's talking about.
Overall, I found the story engaging and entertaining. Although this is marketed as literary fiction, there's definitely a soapy element to the plot: emotions run high, characters hide secret affairs from one another, and big reveals start to drop as we approach the inevitable climax. Because of its fast pace and emotionally compelling story, I think this would be a perfect read for a book club, or for someone trying to break out of a reading slump.
I also really enjoyed the prose. More specifically, I feel like I finally get what people keep praising Dolan's writing for: she really is funny, witty, and sharp. She's great at subtle characterization. Despite the occasional ham-fisted feminist rant, she managed to tackle themes of heteronormativity, emotional codependency, and sexism in a nuanced and layered way.
I'll definitely make sure to check this author's other works in the future.
January 1, 2025
I wanted to enjoy this book though I found all the characters messy and unlikable for little reason. I generally do love messy characters and also unlikable characters when they’re well-developed, but these characters felt flat. Perhaps Naoise Dolan could have provided more backstory or humanization so we could more thoroughly understand why these characters were behaving the way they did. The dialogue was snippy and petty though again that type of writing doesn’t go far, at least for me, without more heart in the characters or in the story. For those who want sharp realistic fiction a couple of my favorites from last year were Ghosts by Dolly Alderton and
Colored Television
by Danzy Senna.
August 25, 2023
Irish women writing about Irish women in bad relationships is the best subgenre there is
October 22, 2023
I read this audiobook in a single day, sped through it, and was glad to have it as a distraction during a long travel day. I enjoyed it a lot while I was listening. But when it was over I was a little discontented. Dolan is a charming writer, and there is so much that she gets just right about being in your 20's. But the center of the whole story felt, to me, not worthy of a story.
I want it to be worthy of a story! Right off the bat I recognized this couple. Oh no, I thought, I know them. This is that couple who is not really a great couple and don't seem all that happy and yet proceed to get serious and move in together and get married even though you're pretty sure these are all bad decisions. The power of inertia combined with the relationship escalator. I was more than happy to get a breakdown and take down of this too-common dynamic. But then that wasn't really how it ended up.
From the beginning, you want this couple to break up. Whether they will is a pretty strong question that keeps you going through the whole story, either outcome feels possible. I just kept getting annoyed as we switched to different perspectives and points of view. Our couple, Celine and Luke, have a little circle of friends (plus Celine's sister) who get added to the narrative near the end for reasons that are not entirely clear and I was about ready to strangle everyone involved by the end. I have my complaints about Celine and Luke (we'll get to that) but the way all these people can stand by and watch their friend/sister get ready to marry someone that they don't really think they're all that into and just stand there and say not a damn thing about it, it's weird. I expect that from the older folks but not from Gen Z and young Millennials. Especially when basically every character is queer and should be wondering why everyone is so hung up on marriage anyway. But instead they all just seem to shrug and say "Why get involved? Why not just let my friend take this big step that will change their entire life and be incredibly difficult to undo? Why not just act like it is no big deal?"
The other thing that drove me a little up the wall is how Celine and Luke are often presented as being approximately equally at fault for the problems in their relationship. (There is one point where it is finally acknowledged that they are not, but it is the minority.) They are definitely not! I found Celine interesting, and could really understand how she'd ended up in this situation, one that seems to happen to so many women who end up with deeply mediocre men. Luke... well.
There is a point where we get some first person narration from Luke (the rest of the book is 3rd) and this was where it all started to run off course for me. It had been one thing when it was just oh yes girl is unable to admit she is not happy and boy is taking the path of least resistance. But once we get the full story on Luke, well, my whole feelings on the story changed. Now time for a spoiler tag.
At the end everyone seems to learn many things far too quickly and I understand narrative convenience but I would have liked it better if we'd had some more realistic repercussions and consequences instead of something that felt almost like a moral to the story.
All those complaints said, Dolan is just such a fun writer to read. She is so snappy, she is fun, I will keep reading her books and getting mad at her young characters for making stupid mistakes because I am old and it is my right.
I want it to be worthy of a story! Right off the bat I recognized this couple. Oh no, I thought, I know them. This is that couple who is not really a great couple and don't seem all that happy and yet proceed to get serious and move in together and get married even though you're pretty sure these are all bad decisions. The power of inertia combined with the relationship escalator. I was more than happy to get a breakdown and take down of this too-common dynamic. But then that wasn't really how it ended up.
From the beginning, you want this couple to break up. Whether they will is a pretty strong question that keeps you going through the whole story, either outcome feels possible. I just kept getting annoyed as we switched to different perspectives and points of view. Our couple, Celine and Luke, have a little circle of friends (plus Celine's sister) who get added to the narrative near the end for reasons that are not entirely clear and I was about ready to strangle everyone involved by the end. I have my complaints about Celine and Luke (we'll get to that) but the way all these people can stand by and watch their friend/sister get ready to marry someone that they don't really think they're all that into and just stand there and say not a damn thing about it, it's weird. I expect that from the older folks but not from Gen Z and young Millennials. Especially when basically every character is queer and should be wondering why everyone is so hung up on marriage anyway. But instead they all just seem to shrug and say "Why get involved? Why not just let my friend take this big step that will change their entire life and be incredibly difficult to undo? Why not just act like it is no big deal?"
The other thing that drove me a little up the wall is how Celine and Luke are often presented as being approximately equally at fault for the problems in their relationship. (There is one point where it is finally acknowledged that they are not, but it is the minority.) They are definitely not! I found Celine interesting, and could really understand how she'd ended up in this situation, one that seems to happen to so many women who end up with deeply mediocre men. Luke... well.
There is a point where we get some first person narration from Luke (the rest of the book is 3rd) and this was where it all started to run off course for me. It had been one thing when it was just oh yes girl is unable to admit she is not happy and boy is taking the path of least resistance. But once we get the full story on Luke, well, my whole feelings on the story changed. Now time for a spoiler tag.
At the end everyone seems to learn many things far too quickly and I understand narrative convenience but I would have liked it better if we'd had some more realistic repercussions and consequences instead of something that felt almost like a moral to the story.
All those complaints said, Dolan is just such a fun writer to read. She is so snappy, she is fun, I will keep reading her books and getting mad at her young characters for making stupid mistakes because I am old and it is my right.
June 9, 2023
Hmmm, a curious one.
the happy couple was a quick read for me - I read it in a couple of sittings. It read more like a stage play than a novel - not necessarily a bad thing.
I feel as though the book was transmitting on a different frequency though, one that my brain could not tune into.
Celine and Luke are getting married. Celine is a professional pianist and focused primarily on her career and her hands. Luke has slept with his best man and one of the bridesmaids, and is shifty as hell. The queer couple know their relationship is in tatters but neither is willing to acknowledge it. We get various perspectives as the wedding day approaches. Will they/won’t they go through with it?
Neat and tidy writing with no extraneous words, littered with pithy observations on conventional relationships and offbeat whimsical humour, a cast of unlikeable, laughably pretentious characters, *but* ultimately devoid of any real heart - truth be told, I’m a little stumped as to how to review this book.
It was fine. There were enough moments where I was mildly amused to cancel out all the bits where I thought to myself, my god these people are so far up their own arse they’ve unlocked a whole new level of self-absorption. None of them seemed real to me, but rather caricatures of themselves.
I didn’t love this book but I think there’s a cohort of people out there who will love it. I will say it’s different, and it’s a bit of a romp if you don’t mind the fact that most of the characters lack any apparent sincerity. 3/5⭐️
*Many thanks to @hachetteireland for sending me a copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review. the happy couple is out now.*
the happy couple was a quick read for me - I read it in a couple of sittings. It read more like a stage play than a novel - not necessarily a bad thing.
I feel as though the book was transmitting on a different frequency though, one that my brain could not tune into.
Celine and Luke are getting married. Celine is a professional pianist and focused primarily on her career and her hands. Luke has slept with his best man and one of the bridesmaids, and is shifty as hell. The queer couple know their relationship is in tatters but neither is willing to acknowledge it. We get various perspectives as the wedding day approaches. Will they/won’t they go through with it?
Neat and tidy writing with no extraneous words, littered with pithy observations on conventional relationships and offbeat whimsical humour, a cast of unlikeable, laughably pretentious characters, *but* ultimately devoid of any real heart - truth be told, I’m a little stumped as to how to review this book.
It was fine. There were enough moments where I was mildly amused to cancel out all the bits where I thought to myself, my god these people are so far up their own arse they’ve unlocked a whole new level of self-absorption. None of them seemed real to me, but rather caricatures of themselves.
I didn’t love this book but I think there’s a cohort of people out there who will love it. I will say it’s different, and it’s a bit of a romp if you don’t mind the fact that most of the characters lack any apparent sincerity. 3/5⭐️
*Many thanks to @hachetteireland for sending me a copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review. the happy couple is out now.*
June 5, 2023
The beginning of this was giving me everything and then the ending gave me nothing
January 25, 2025
The bride, groom, maid of honor, best man, and a guest give you a rundown of their relationships with each other all the way to the awaited wedding day. You'll figure out though, that they're all a bunch of messy queer people who should probably stay away from each other.
“Love is letting people hurt you. Archie must have learned it from someone, too. We’re all taught it. But some of us get over it – and some of us terrorise the general population well into our twenties and beyond.’”One thing you should know about me is that I love drama (when it doesn't involve me). I love listening to or reading about people getting caught up in the mess their terrible decisions get them into. And this was messyyy, so naturally, I had a great time reading it. The witty writing with both hypocritical and profound observations (depending on the situation) made the reading experience even more entertaining than the one promised by its premise.
“Pick a human – any human – anyone you know: we’ve all felt there’s too much of us for a fellow individual to comprehend. That’s why you need people, plural: so that between them, they’ll understand all of you.”On a more serious note, this book was also raw and human. Our main characters discuss (with each other and as inner reflections) topics like identity, belonging, relationships, self-respect, societal expectations, queerness, and heteronormativity. These characters are all tangled up and while some know how to get out of it but choose not to, others don't know nor try to find a way. That defines them, makes them more similar than they'd like to admit, and turns this whole story into a train wreck I couldn't look away from.
“Life offers few unambiguous red flags. More often, you see specks of crimson dye. They could form a pattern. Or they could just be dots.”
July 3, 2024
The audiobook version of The Happy Couple enhances the immersive experience with its engaging narration - superb, and her ability to produce a convincing speech easily. She masterfully gives personalities to Dolan’s characters with her portrayal of Ava’s and Julian’s wit and conventional gesture and timely delivery. Even further than the writer’s rewarding story, an audience should enjoy this narration of The Happy Couple if they have an interest in complicated character compositions and their interactions.
Dolan’s prose is observant and insightful, with an emphasis on the nuance of human conversation. Readers experience a world from Ava’s eyes and that world is one where one might not always be what gesture could suggest. The writer is brave in her interweaving of of themes of desire, social class, and vitality in The Happy Couple, in a way that invites observation of convention and wanting the best outcome for its characters.
Dolan’s prose is observant and insightful, with an emphasis on the nuance of human conversation. Readers experience a world from Ava’s eyes and that world is one where one might not always be what gesture could suggest. The writer is brave in her interweaving of of themes of desire, social class, and vitality in The Happy Couple, in a way that invites observation of convention and wanting the best outcome for its characters.
July 16, 2023
At one point a character says that he “finds it irksome when book blurbs say right at the end : ‘It’s also very funny,’ as if humour were an afterthought and not the central force that prevents us from killing a) each other and b) ourselves.” So I’ll be sure not to leave Dolan’s humor as an afterthought here. Actually, I’ll do her one better and say that I think it’s her sharp and distinct sense of humor that distinguishes her among the many other incredibly talented female authors of her generation.
Big hugs to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy.
Big hugs to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy.
May 17, 2024
»Das Glückliche Paar« ist mein erstes Buch von Naoise Dolan, definitiv aber nicht mein letztes. Nächste Woche lese ich gleich ihren Debütroman „Aufregende Zeiten“, da ich dieses hier so toll fand.
In dem Buch begleiten wir Celine und Luke, Archie und Viviane und Phoebe. Alle queer, alle jung und alle am Fehler machen.
Spoiler: Das glückliche Paar ist nicht glücklich, aber wer ist das schon. Das ist eine der vielen Kernmessages, die ich aus dem Buch mitnehme.
Ich denke an einige Sätze sehr viel nach, denke auch, dass mich das Buch nachhaltig prägen wird. Wie ich kommuniziere, wie ich auf zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen schaue, wie viel ich mir selbst wert bin und wie man mit Konflikten umgeht.
Ein Jahreshighlight, dem ich trotzdem 0,5 Sterne abziehen muss, weil mir der Teil „der Bräutigam“ nicht gefallen hat (auch wenn‘s wichtig für die Story war).
Ganz große Empfehlung, an alle, die „Conversations with Friends“ und „Cleopatra & Frankenstein“ mochten!🌟
In dem Buch begleiten wir Celine und Luke, Archie und Viviane und Phoebe. Alle queer, alle jung und alle am Fehler machen.
Spoiler: Das glückliche Paar ist nicht glücklich, aber wer ist das schon. Das ist eine der vielen Kernmessages, die ich aus dem Buch mitnehme.
Ich denke an einige Sätze sehr viel nach, denke auch, dass mich das Buch nachhaltig prägen wird. Wie ich kommuniziere, wie ich auf zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen schaue, wie viel ich mir selbst wert bin und wie man mit Konflikten umgeht.
Ein Jahreshighlight, dem ich trotzdem 0,5 Sterne abziehen muss, weil mir der Teil „der Bräutigam“ nicht gefallen hat (auch wenn‘s wichtig für die Story war).
Ganz große Empfehlung, an alle, die „Conversations with Friends“ und „Cleopatra & Frankenstein“ mochten!🌟
December 11, 2023
Plot: non-existent
Characters: unlikeable (every single one of them), I couldn’t connect with any of them or their struggles or backstory, I’m glad I don‘t know people like this irl lmaoo
Writing Style: ??? (It was okay at times but mostly it was incoherent and meaningless)
I was going to give 2 ⭐️ but I don’t know what the second star would be for. The book had a few funny lines though.
Characters: unlikeable (every single one of them), I couldn’t connect with any of them or their struggles or backstory, I’m glad I don‘t know people like this irl lmaoo
Writing Style: ??? (It was okay at times but mostly it was incoherent and meaningless)
I was going to give 2 ⭐️ but I don’t know what the second star would be for. The book had a few funny lines though.
January 6, 2024
4.25/5 bisexuals being messy – what's not to love? contemporary fiction from irish writers has been really working for me lately. this was another genuinely very funny and thought-provoking read that I absolutely flew through. something about the ending felt like a bit of a let-down but I can't put my finger on what it was exactly. I'd definitely read anything naoise dolan publishes next though and I'd highly recommend this one + her first novel, exciting times.
Read
November 22, 2024“Também senti uma diferença muito grande na escrita de Naoise Dolan: em The Happy Couple notei-a menos preocupada com floreados, um pouco mais direta e até seca na forma como relata os acontecimentos e entra nas cabeças das personagens, e gostei bastante de a ler nesse registo. Se antes não tinha grandes expectativas para futuros livros da autora, agora fico deste lado à espera do que tem para dar — e aqui fica uma bonita nota sobre a importância das segundas oportunidades.”
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/the-....
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/the-....
October 31, 2023
It's inevitable, their marriage: Celine and Luke have dated and moved in together, they've gotten engaged (maybe more accidentally than intentionally, but who's counting), and they're counting down to the wedding.
Except...
Celine has some doubts. Celine's sister Phoebe has some doubts. Luke's friend Archie has some doubts. And Luke has some doubts.
I read Dolan's Exciting Times for the Sally Rooney comp, but with The Happy Couple I had a better idea of what I was getting into. The Happy Couple is heavily character-driven, and these are—unsurprisingly—not characters prone to drama...or at least, they're not prone to outward drama. They're prone to understatement and a stiff upper lip.
The more marginalised an artist's identity, muses Luke, the more we assume they're trying to teach their audience a lesson (loc. 1999*). Celine's directness and missing of social clues—things that Celine knows very clearly about herself—made me wonder, initially, how much of Celine was built on Dolan's own experience (Celine is not labeled as such, but Dolan has talked publicly about being autistic, and some of Celine's traits are consistent with my understanding of autism). But then: this is fiction, not memoir, and would I be wondering the same thing had I not read Dolan's Goodreads bio?
Many of the characters here occupy a grey space between likeable and unlikeable. Likeable, until the POV character shifts over to make room for someone else, and we see them through the next person's eyes. Or sometimes likeable, until they turn with steely-eyed clarity to assess themselves. It's hard to be sure who or what to root for at times (Phoebe, certainly). But if you don't mind that grey area, or a close focus on the character, it's really satisfying to read a book in which the characters understand themselves well enough, but the people around them even better.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
Except...
Celine has some doubts. Celine's sister Phoebe has some doubts. Luke's friend Archie has some doubts. And Luke has some doubts.
I read Dolan's Exciting Times for the Sally Rooney comp, but with The Happy Couple I had a better idea of what I was getting into. The Happy Couple is heavily character-driven, and these are—unsurprisingly—not characters prone to drama...or at least, they're not prone to outward drama. They're prone to understatement and a stiff upper lip.
The more marginalised an artist's identity, muses Luke, the more we assume they're trying to teach their audience a lesson (loc. 1999*). Celine's directness and missing of social clues—things that Celine knows very clearly about herself—made me wonder, initially, how much of Celine was built on Dolan's own experience (Celine is not labeled as such, but Dolan has talked publicly about being autistic, and some of Celine's traits are consistent with my understanding of autism). But then: this is fiction, not memoir, and would I be wondering the same thing had I not read Dolan's Goodreads bio?
Many of the characters here occupy a grey space between likeable and unlikeable. Likeable, until the POV character shifts over to make room for someone else, and we see them through the next person's eyes. Or sometimes likeable, until they turn with steely-eyed clarity to assess themselves. It's hard to be sure who or what to root for at times (Phoebe, certainly). But if you don't mind that grey area, or a close focus on the character, it's really satisfying to read a book in which the characters understand themselves well enough, but the people around them even better.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
July 18, 2023
4.5/5
„The cultural ephemera we use to get over our exes is reliant on the labour of those who weren‘t over theirs.“
Myliu Rooney, todėl myliu ir Dolan. Ir jei „Įdomūs laikai“ buvo stiprus debiutas, su „Happy couple“ Dolan įrodo, kad nėra one hit wonder – geba ne tik tobulai užčiuopti šiuolaikinio jauno žmogaus problemų pulsą, bet ir išguldyti žaizdas ir skaudulius ant popieriaus – taip gyvai, kad net skaitytojas rankas krauju susitepa. Kaip dažnai kaltinama Rooney (o jau ir Dolan), problemos tos, kur senesnei kartai – nesuprast. Jos įvairialypės ir ne ką mažiau skausmingos nei tos „tikrosios“, net jei kyla iš nepasikalbėjimo. O kaip kalbėtis, jei niekas nemokė? Yra vietų moralinei dilemai tarp skaitytojo ir veikėjų – tobulų čia nėra, bet aš jų literatūroje ir neieškau. Visų veikėjų balsų skirtingumas – neabejotina romano stiprybė. O tai, kad visų veikiančių problemos – gana panašios, man nesukėlė problemos – gal todėl jie visi ir yra bendroje kompanijoje? Nes ydos, problemos ir nuodėmės – gana vienodos, visai kaip ir būdai pa(si)teisinti ir bandymai išsisukti?
Mažiausiai, deja, pajaučiau pagrindinės veikėjos Celine personažą – visgi, jei Dolan idėja buvo apie ją papasakoti tik per visus kitus – pavyko. Galbūt niekas jos iš tiesų nepažįsta? O gal nelabai yra ką pažinti? Žavi Dolan intelektas, vietomis gana sudėtingi, tačiau ne pseudo intelektualūs sakiniai, žavi pastebėjimai – jos mintis, kad net Austen, tokia žmonių psichologijos meistrė, nesugebėjo sugalvoti geresnės pabaigos ponui Darsiui, nei kad jo tapimas šiek tiek mandagesne nemandagaus žmogaus versija... Paprasta, bet tiesa! Dolan tekstai, manau, tobulai pasiduotų ekranizacijoms. Ir iš jų, visai kaip kad iš „Normal people“, išeitų tiesiog puikūs serialai (nes per daug visko filmams), jei tik patektų į tinkamas rankas. Ir džiaugiuosi ne tik kad Dolan jau turime lietuviškai, bet ir kad randasi tokių šviežių, unikalių, intelektualių balsų šiuolaikinėje literatūroje. Patiko net labiau, nei Įdomūs laikai. Labai man pakeliui su tais airiškais nesusikalbėjimai ir nesusimylėjimais.
„The cultural ephemera we use to get over our exes is reliant on the labour of those who weren‘t over theirs.“
Myliu Rooney, todėl myliu ir Dolan. Ir jei „Įdomūs laikai“ buvo stiprus debiutas, su „Happy couple“ Dolan įrodo, kad nėra one hit wonder – geba ne tik tobulai užčiuopti šiuolaikinio jauno žmogaus problemų pulsą, bet ir išguldyti žaizdas ir skaudulius ant popieriaus – taip gyvai, kad net skaitytojas rankas krauju susitepa. Kaip dažnai kaltinama Rooney (o jau ir Dolan), problemos tos, kur senesnei kartai – nesuprast. Jos įvairialypės ir ne ką mažiau skausmingos nei tos „tikrosios“, net jei kyla iš nepasikalbėjimo. O kaip kalbėtis, jei niekas nemokė? Yra vietų moralinei dilemai tarp skaitytojo ir veikėjų – tobulų čia nėra, bet aš jų literatūroje ir neieškau. Visų veikėjų balsų skirtingumas – neabejotina romano stiprybė. O tai, kad visų veikiančių problemos – gana panašios, man nesukėlė problemos – gal todėl jie visi ir yra bendroje kompanijoje? Nes ydos, problemos ir nuodėmės – gana vienodos, visai kaip ir būdai pa(si)teisinti ir bandymai išsisukti?
Mažiausiai, deja, pajaučiau pagrindinės veikėjos Celine personažą – visgi, jei Dolan idėja buvo apie ją papasakoti tik per visus kitus – pavyko. Galbūt niekas jos iš tiesų nepažįsta? O gal nelabai yra ką pažinti? Žavi Dolan intelektas, vietomis gana sudėtingi, tačiau ne pseudo intelektualūs sakiniai, žavi pastebėjimai – jos mintis, kad net Austen, tokia žmonių psichologijos meistrė, nesugebėjo sugalvoti geresnės pabaigos ponui Darsiui, nei kad jo tapimas šiek tiek mandagesne nemandagaus žmogaus versija... Paprasta, bet tiesa! Dolan tekstai, manau, tobulai pasiduotų ekranizacijoms. Ir iš jų, visai kaip kad iš „Normal people“, išeitų tiesiog puikūs serialai (nes per daug visko filmams), jei tik patektų į tinkamas rankas. Ir džiaugiuosi ne tik kad Dolan jau turime lietuviškai, bet ir kad randasi tokių šviežių, unikalių, intelektualių balsų šiuolaikinėje literatūroje. Patiko net labiau, nei Įdomūs laikai. Labai man pakeliui su tais airiškais nesusikalbėjimai ir nesusimylėjimais.
November 13, 2023
"Celine's friends were all like that - full of screams and laughter and wild gesticulations when it came to theoretical disputes, but with zero ability to talk about anything right in front of them, about each other, about the space between their bodies, the breath they shared."
3.5 stars
Did I enjoy reading The Happy Couple? Yes. Is it a book that's going to stay with me? Not really.
To start, the positives. The Happy Couple is a novel with verve. On a sentence-by-sentence level, it's just a really enjoyable book to read, and it goes by quickly because of that. Dolan's writing is witty, perceptive, and authentic to the many characters--namely, Celine, Phoebe, Archie, Luke, and Vivian--whose POVs she gives us. What Dolan especially excels at, here, is the way that she's able to bring to life each of her characters' POVs, all of which feel animated, lively, and propelled by the force of their distinct personalities. There's also something that's very compelling about the Rashomon-effect nature of the story, where we get one view of a relationship or incident in one character's POV, only to have it entirely recontextualized or reinterpreted in another character's POV.
The Happy Couple is an interesting novel, though not a moving one--and that's really the beginning and end of my issues with it. It's a book that doesn't inspire strong emotions one way or the other (at least for me it didn't). And though the fact that it goes by quickly makes it a compelling read, it also doesn't always work in its favour because it means the narrative speeds by in a way that renders the book forgettable. On a broader level, it's also a novel that's told mostly after the fact--characters recounting their histories with each other, their relationships, their viewpoints and justifications--with little of the story grounded in scenes where we get to dwell on specific moments between characters. That Dolan's writing is already sparse also doesn't help: even in the rare scenes where we do get to linger on a particular moment or interaction, the unembellished nature of the writing makes those moments unsatisfying, not as significant as I would've liked them to feel.
All of this is to say: The Happy Couple was an enjoyable novel, but it was also a forgettable one. I liked reading it in the moment--so much so that I finished it in a day--but as soon as I finished it, it felt like one big blur in my head, no part of it standing out in my mind as especially memorable or affecting. Would I still recommend The Happy Couple? Yeah, I think so. I enjoyed it a lot more than Dolan's debut, Exciting Times, and I do think it bodes well for Dolan's future works.
January 29, 2025
DNF @ 21%
Very unlikeable characters and while I understood the entire dynamic of these toxic people, it didn’t make me want to read any further than I already did.
Very unlikeable characters and while I understood the entire dynamic of these toxic people, it didn’t make me want to read any further than I already did.
November 18, 2023
1.5 stars
so meh.
impossible to root for any characters because they were all unlikable… not even really able to give sympathy
did not have a strong foundation to build a house on, the fact that the first part from the bride’s perspective already gave a rocky picture of the relationship… more pages are spent on the ex than the fiance…. so why would i care if this “silly” couple makes it to the end or not
archie and luke’s relationship is enjoyable to read and to learn how it unfolds…and i guess luke’s later conflict pages were the best part of the book… but since i was introduced to luke from celine’s perspective which is an image i did not like… he still could not win me over… like i just did not care for him
are the vivian chapters necessary? are the phoebe chapters necessary? the wedding chapters was really confusing as to who is narrating? (i was distracted)
easy read but not that interesting at all, nothing to take away
i gave it a 1 star rating when i first finished but now i realize i was way harsh and truth is i did goop and gag with our red green colour blind diva celine
so meh.
impossible to root for any characters because they were all unlikable… not even really able to give sympathy
did not have a strong foundation to build a house on, the fact that the first part from the bride’s perspective already gave a rocky picture of the relationship… more pages are spent on the ex than the fiance…. so why would i care if this “silly” couple makes it to the end or not
archie and luke’s relationship is enjoyable to read and to learn how it unfolds…and i guess luke’s later conflict pages were the best part of the book… but since i was introduced to luke from celine’s perspective which is an image i did not like… he still could not win me over… like i just did not care for him
are the vivian chapters necessary? are the phoebe chapters necessary? the wedding chapters was really confusing as to who is narrating? (i was distracted)
easy read but not that interesting at all, nothing to take away
i gave it a 1 star rating when i first finished but now i realize i was way harsh and truth is i did goop and gag with our red green colour blind diva celine
April 24, 2025
Catching up on reviews I posted on instagram but forgot to share here:
I don’t think I truly knew what ‘razor-sharp wit’ sounded like until I read Naoise Dolan’s writing. Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times, though unexciting to most, was one of my favorite reads of 2022, so I went into The Happy Couple with rather high expectations, and I’m happy to announce that it cleared them all.
The Happy Couple is an ensemble novel that revolves around Celine and Luke, beginning at their engagement and leading up to the day of their wedding. Celine is a concert pianist who is so focused on her career that she knowingly turns a blind eye to Luke’s serial cheating. In addition to each of their narrations, you get to hear from Luke’s best man and lovesick ex Archie, Celine’s bridesmaid and meddling sister Phoebe, and Luke’s friend and more disinterested ex Vivian. And yes, you should be concerned about the fact that two out of three of Luke’s best friends are his exes.
I’ve not found an author whose writing style and humor feels like it was meant for me in the way that Dolan’s does. On a sentence level, she delivers witty line after line, thoughtfully constructed and simply executed. And in The Happy Couple (perhaps unlike in Exciting Times), she weaves together this beautiful arc of a plot that somehow feels incredibly satisfying while also defying expectations. I read this in a handful of sittings and could not put it down.
You’ve probably heard me say that I read as an exercise in empathy; many of my favorite books are the greatest exercises in empathy. This book is filled with what the internet might call “unlikeable characters” and “toxic relationships.” What I admired was Dolan’s ability to take a character I despised in one person’s POV (see: Luke, Archie) and make me feel deeply for them in another POV. She does a brilliant job at constructing fleshed out characters with unique personalities and motivations, building them up through layers of witty thoughts and sharp dialogue. The Happy Couple was one of the most successful and certainly one of the cleverest exercises in empathy I’ve read this year.
Bottom line: I will read anything Naoise Dolan writes. You should too!
I don’t think I truly knew what ‘razor-sharp wit’ sounded like until I read Naoise Dolan’s writing. Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times, though unexciting to most, was one of my favorite reads of 2022, so I went into The Happy Couple with rather high expectations, and I’m happy to announce that it cleared them all.
The Happy Couple is an ensemble novel that revolves around Celine and Luke, beginning at their engagement and leading up to the day of their wedding. Celine is a concert pianist who is so focused on her career that she knowingly turns a blind eye to Luke’s serial cheating. In addition to each of their narrations, you get to hear from Luke’s best man and lovesick ex Archie, Celine’s bridesmaid and meddling sister Phoebe, and Luke’s friend and more disinterested ex Vivian. And yes, you should be concerned about the fact that two out of three of Luke’s best friends are his exes.
I’ve not found an author whose writing style and humor feels like it was meant for me in the way that Dolan’s does. On a sentence level, she delivers witty line after line, thoughtfully constructed and simply executed. And in The Happy Couple (perhaps unlike in Exciting Times), she weaves together this beautiful arc of a plot that somehow feels incredibly satisfying while also defying expectations. I read this in a handful of sittings and could not put it down.
You’ve probably heard me say that I read as an exercise in empathy; many of my favorite books are the greatest exercises in empathy. This book is filled with what the internet might call “unlikeable characters” and “toxic relationships.” What I admired was Dolan’s ability to take a character I despised in one person’s POV (see: Luke, Archie) and make me feel deeply for them in another POV. She does a brilliant job at constructing fleshed out characters with unique personalities and motivations, building them up through layers of witty thoughts and sharp dialogue. The Happy Couple was one of the most successful and certainly one of the cleverest exercises in empathy I’ve read this year.
Bottom line: I will read anything Naoise Dolan writes. You should too!
July 7, 2023
The wedding-preparation setup, , made this feel a little too conventional, in a trying-to-be-a-contemporary-Jane-Austen sort of way, even though bride and groom are both bisexual and basically every supporting character is also queer and/or BIPOC.
There are five long parts from the POV of Celine (the bride, a prickly pianist), Phoebe (her sister and a bridesmaid; lesbian), Archie (the best man and one of Luke's exes; Indian), Luke (the groom, a decision-dodger and serial cheater), and Vivian (the guest and another of Luke's exes; Nigerian), and a final section set on the wedding day itself rotates through their perspectives and many others.
The central question is simple: will Celine marry Luke even though he can't help himself from cheating? Do they have, in her extended metaphor, harmony (everyday compatibility) as well as melody (high points)? "It was everything she wanted. Someone who understood her, and someone she liked to touch. She'd never found all that in one person."
Within each section are short numbered chapters; the pages turn very quickly, and Dolan's prose and dialogue are as sharp as in Exciting Times. But for me they were somewhat wasted on annoying characters and a less than consequential story.
There are five long parts from the POV of Celine (the bride, a prickly pianist), Phoebe (her sister and a bridesmaid; lesbian), Archie (the best man and one of Luke's exes; Indian), Luke (the groom, a decision-dodger and serial cheater), and Vivian (the guest and another of Luke's exes; Nigerian), and a final section set on the wedding day itself rotates through their perspectives and many others.
The central question is simple: will Celine marry Luke even though he can't help himself from cheating? Do they have, in her extended metaphor, harmony (everyday compatibility) as well as melody (high points)? "It was everything she wanted. Someone who understood her, and someone she liked to touch. She'd never found all that in one person."
Within each section are short numbered chapters; the pages turn very quickly, and Dolan's prose and dialogue are as sharp as in Exciting Times. But for me they were somewhat wasted on annoying characters and a less than consequential story.
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