The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler

 I can't remember why I ordered this book. I believe I read somewhere that they loved this author and when I looked her up, I was happy to see she's written a lot. If I liked her, I thought, I'd have more to read, which I like. And her reviews were glowing. So, I thought she was worth a try. 

I was disappointed. This book was mildly interesting and the dialogue was good. The characters did not come alive for me, and they weren't people I could relate to very well anyway. However, the setting in the 1940s when this couple met, pre-World War 2, was colorfully drawn. And the dialogue was good; it felt real and moved the plot along. So, the writing of the dialogue was good. And the dynamics of resentful, spoiled, and immature people were described very well and I could relate to much of that. 

What I kept hoping for, though, was that these people would wake up to their myopia and their self-centeredness, etc., I was hoping that Pauline and Michael, the two main characters, would eventually find their way to love each other again. There wasn't any visible growth toward each other. They just got further and further apart. It was too bad. 

I'm not sure what the author's point was. A description of a family's struggles with no hope or inspiration for being or getting better? Their lives were pretty dull and predictable, except for one rebellious daughter. I don't know--it was just mundane and disappointing. Some critics call Tyler "literary" but I can't see it. Sometimes, when I'm in a bad mood, I will dislike a book. This book almost PUT me in a bad mood!