ralentina reviewed An American marriage by Tayari Jones
A distinctively American book about an American marriage
4 stars
An American Marriage feels very much like a book of its time, that is, a book of our times. To be specific, a book from and for the US of 2018. Roy, an African American man on his way to success, or at least to middle-class comfort, is wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman. His wife Celeste finds herself bound to him, having to choose between loyalty and not only happiness, but really freedom: to have her own life, to define herself as something else than the wife of an imprisoned black man. It is not the most subtle of books: what is wants to say is, I think, very much all there on the page. But in return is compelling and not banal. I especially liked that the main characters are neither saints nor passive victims, but they have faults and desires and conflicts. Nor are there really …
An American Marriage feels very much like a book of its time, that is, a book of our times. To be specific, a book from and for the US of 2018. Roy, an African American man on his way to success, or at least to middle-class comfort, is wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman. His wife Celeste finds herself bound to him, having to choose between loyalty and not only happiness, but really freedom: to have her own life, to define herself as something else than the wife of an imprisoned black man. It is not the most subtle of books: what is wants to say is, I think, very much all there on the page. But in return is compelling and not banal. I especially liked that the main characters are neither saints nor passive victims, but they have faults and desires and conflicts. Nor are there really evil enemies, as much as a faceless system that, in the best case scenario, doesn't care. I also thought it was an interesting, well-accomplished choice to omit any white character: no racist bastards, no hypocrite neighbours, not principled white-flies heroes, leaving centre stage to the protagonists.