NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2020!
NPR BEST BOOK OF 2020
PEOPLE MAGAZINE TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR
BOOKPAGE BEST BOOK OF 2020
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOK OF 2020
“A sensual and perceptive novel. . . . With humor and humanity, Miller resists the simple scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief.” —O, the … scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief.” —O, the Oprah Magazine
A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.
Graham and Annie have been married for nearly thirty years. Their seemingly effortless devotion has long been the envy of their circle of friends and acquaintances. By all appearances, they are a golden couple.
Graham is a bookseller, a big, gregarious man with large appetites—curious, eager to please, a lover of life, and the convivial host of frequent, lively parties at his and Annie’s comfortable house in Cambridge. Annie, more reserved and introspective, is a photographer. She is about to have her first gallery show after a six-year lull and is worried that the best years of her career may be behind her. They have two adult children; Lucas, Graham’s son with his first wife, Frieda, works in New York. Annie and Graham’s daughter, Sarah, lives in San Francisco. Though Frieda is an integral part of this far-flung, loving family, Annie feels confident in the knowledge that she is Graham’s last and greatest love.
When Graham suddenly dies—this man whose enormous presence has seemed to dominate their lives together—Annie is lost. What is the point of going on, she wonders, without him?
Then, while she is still mourning Graham intensely, she discovers a ruinous secret, one that will spiral her into darkness and force her to question whether she ever truly knew the man who loved her.
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Sue Miller has been called our American Chekhov, because of her attention to detail, the complexity of her characters, and her compassion. This new novel contains all these elements, and it’s rich and thoughtful and wise. I loved it.
While grieving the loss of her husband, Annie discovers he had been unfaithful just before his death. She is left wondering if she truly knew the man she loved and the value of their relationship.
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…the minutiae within most scenes. It kept me from fully investing in the story.
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…the realistic portrayal of the complexities surrounding infidelity.
Thanks to Harper Books for the early copy.
very well written
This book was typical Sue Miller, always a twist and very upper crust! I enjoy her as a writer as her stories are one of a kind!
So blessed to find this book! Perfection from imperfect humans – aren’t we all?
An intimate portrait of a couple’s life, sudden loss, and the grief that follows. It is well written and engaging. If you find the inner workings of your fellow humans interesting, this will be a fascinating and beautiful read.
Lots to think about when you read this book. Monogamy as it applies to two women who love the same man is explored and the women are left questioning the love he had for them.
I like her descriptions and the writing. There are some places where the novel drags on and in part that’s because of the characters. They aren’t necessarily likable but neither are they awful. I can understand why they did what they did even while disagreeing with them. You could say this about darn near every book, but this one really hits home “perspective.” The characters get a good dose of it toward the end of the novel.
2.8
I’m having a hard time rating this, it’s very well written, grabbed my attention right away, and the author is a great narrator. The biggest complaint from me is that it just really dragged on. The synopsis explains that the main character, Annie, finds out her husband has been unfaithful to her after he passes away – Annie did not come to this realization herself until six hours and 30 minutes into the audiobook and at that point, there were over four hours left. It reminded me a lot of Little Women, no real plotline just following the life of Annie and getting a quick glimpse into a few other characters throughout the book.
Boring beyond belief!
I enjoy Sue Miller’s writing. This book was a little boring. Sorry.
This was an amazing study of the relationships between a couple, his former wife, and the two children among the three adults. It is a close and complex loving relationship, but nothing can be taken for granted. Do we see what is there, or what we’d like to be there?
I was into untangled a life I have never experienced. I felt the pain,the embarrassment. Still do not understand what makes these people share their lives with these people
Monogamy tells the story of a woman’s marriages throughout her years. Annie deals with the end of the first marriage then moves onto her second. The book goes back and forth throughout her years.
I found myself wondering when her second husband will pass. Then when she discovers his infidelity. I missed seeing one character who is introduced but not seen again even though his words are remembered more than once.
One of the best books I’ve read in awhile. I’ve always loved her writing, but this one is excellent! The characters are well written and the plot is one I related to immediately.
Reading this book, I felt so spoiled by the elegance of the author’s writing skills, the pace of her story that was just right, the attention to detail and the many interesting characters who were just stubborn enough to make them totally believable.
Monogamy by Sue Miller is well-written but, not engaging. When I read, I like to be transported into the fictional world where I would enjoy living on the same street as the characters, having them as friends. I love stories that take place in the Cambridge/Boston area and one character owns a bookstore . . . what could go wrong? I can’t pinpoint the problem exactly, but this story never took off for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. The story seems to skim along the surface, not going deep early enough in the storyline.
A thoughtful, well-written novel about a loving marriage, its intricacies that includes the couple’s relationship with an ex-spouse.