Introduction
Published in October 2024, The Happy Couple is the second novel by Naoise Dolan 一 an Irish author living in Berlin. This novel has captured the complications of modern day relationships and family, leaving readers astonished.
A Summary
The Happy Couple tells the story of a couple that loves each other as they plan their wedding. However, despite their love, the lack of communication and self-growth causes endless problems. Celine is more focussed on her ex and her piano. Luke is more focussed on hiding his cheating and then convincing himself he won’t do it again. This book tells the story of Celine and Luke, but also the people closest to them as they approach their big day.
Writing Style
This novel is written in third person, with different perspectives in each of the six parts. It keeps true to the style Dolan has set out in the past - often sounding like the characters are rambling inside their heads, which can make this more fast paced than other literary fiction novels.
My Thoughts
Naoise Dolan has done it again. Her debut novel - Exciting Times - has stuck with me since the day I read it, and no doubt this one will too. This book is less plot driven than most others that I read, but I didn’t feel even slightly bored the entire time. She has a way of putting you inside of the room with the characters, and that immersion doesn’t falter. I also just loved the overarching plot of the book and I am surprised I don’t see more that are similar to this within the literary fiction sphere. I will always love books that highlight the complexities of modern day romance, but The Happy Couple opens the discussion in a new light.
I do also adore the way she inserts Irish terminology into her works; I will never get bored of it and I think it creates an added layer of immersion.
I will also say, this novel is incredibly character focused, with each part from a different perspective of someone related to the plot. The characters are heavily flawed, frustrating and sometimes downright awful. But they are supposed to be. They’re human and they’re made in a way that every person that reads it will have different feelings on all of them.
And something I need to include for my own state of mind - I adore how she handles inclusivity. Bisexual erasure is real within literature and she challenges that notion. I go into all of her books with the assumption every character is part of the LGBTQ+ community and it’s a great feeling.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Adultery
Recommendation
This book isn’t for everyone (which hurts to say because of how much **I **love it) but if you want a character driven story that discusses love in a realistic and painful way, this is the book for you. Don’t read it if you need something heavily focussed on the movement of the plot.
