Kitty S. (kittynewengland) reviewed on 9/7/2015 + 116 more book reviews

I'm in the minority of critical and reader reviews on this one. I did not like A Happy Marriage. There are nice passages, such as when Enrique first meets Margaret and is totally smitten; the couple's trip to Venice and when Enrique wrangles with his in-laws over Margaret's final wishes. But, I grew to really dislike Enrique Sabas/Rafael Yglesias. I include the author here since it is a highly autobiographical novel. Enrique's obsession of his manhood (its lack of functionality during courtship and the neglect of it by his young wife) grew tiresome. Then it is revealed that Enrique/Rafael betrayed his wife in a most profound way. He never told his wife, but shares this with his readers, including their children. He also betrayed his wife by graphically describing her final night. While I applaud the authentic portrayal of the ravages of cancer, I felt this was another attack on her dignity. It seem more important to the author to give us a self-serving account of his caregiving.

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