Every bubble in the galaxy has burst. The million shards of sparkle suspended in the air have turned to wet ash. All the colour has leached away and the world is just grey, grey, grey.
The Break
by Marian Keyes
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
About: Amy's youthful first marriage was a disaster. But, after almost two decades with Hugh, she knows she's married to her best friend, someone who would never, ever let her down. Until a mid-life crisis hits him and Hugh decides he needs a break. Not a divorce, just a break from his job, his family, his marriage. A break most definitely from her.
Thoughts
The characters in this book were drawn so vividly. I loved them all and even that there were a lot of people in Amy's life, it was never confusing and the relationships continued to evolve as we moved through the story. Alastair was a standout for me, but I also really liked the depth given to both Josh and Neeve. Plenty of other characters made me laugh or I was just really interested in what they would do next. The dynamics felt real and complex.
Of course this is really Amy's story and she was such a great main character. Funny, relatable, someone who you felt you absolutely understood. Her life is more than just Hugh or another man, more than looking after her kids, more than her work. We're shown everything; complicated friendships, niche interests, family stresses, and all her flaws as well as the reasons why it seems that so many people truly love her. She's not a mysterious femme fatale or a quirky in-need-of-rescuing heroine. She's a real person, going through a shitty time, and has genuinely good introspection.
Now I will say that 123 chapters, spanning over 660 pages, feels a little too long for contemporary fiction. Even that the chapters are very short. So while the pace doesn't exactly feel slow - I enjoyed stepping into Amy's life and I wasn't bored - I do think there were moments that could have been sped up or dropped all together. Hugh takes a very long time to actual leave - we have many conversations of him literally telling her that he's sorry and he loves her over and over again. Or the Matthew work storyline, while fun, took up a lot of space that by the end didn't feel necessary. I don't know. I enjoyed all of it, but it was a long read for its genre I think.
Overall, an entertaining and meaningful look at marriage. It has fantastic characters development and was a real joy to read. And listen to! I highly recommend the audio version of this book as the narrator did a truly amazing job.
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