The Marriage Plot

Title: The Marriage Plot

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Picador Edition: May 2012

513 pages

Having been amazed by Jeffrey Eugenides Middlesex (2002) which also won the Pulitzer Prize, I am so excited to read his latest work, The Marriage Plot. Although the title said about marriage but the content of the book is far beyond it, there are lots of interesting stuff here, i.e. literature, religion, psychology and philosophy. But don't worry, it's not some kind of serious book that will make you headache, in fact the author comes out with an engaging yet beautiful constructed story.

The story concerns about three college friends from Brown University --Madeleine Hanna, Leonard Bankhead and Mitchell Grammaticus--beginning in their senior year 1982 and following them during their first year of post graduation.

Madeleine is an English major student who is interested in Victorian literature. She is preparing a thesis about the way marriage plots are used in literature, mostly classic. Mitchell is a religious studies major student while Leonard  is a brilliant student pursuing dual major in philosophy and biology. His intellect, wit and good look make him popular among campus people, no one realizes that he has a mental illness--manic depression caused by his unhappy childhood.

Mitchell loves Madeleine with a firm conviction that they are destined to be together. Madeleine adores Leonard. Leonard is devoted to Madeleine because he has some serious issues dealt with his medication and appointment with psychiatrists.

This interesting love triangle will color the book with their unrequited love,  long-term relationship and finally the day when they graduate. What will happen to them on the first year out? Is there a happy ending waiting for them? 

A book about college days will always amaze me. There are so many things to laugh about without thinking hard. Going to campus, hanging out with mates, eating out, movie time, just relax. You don't have to think about job. Just enjoy the day. The Marriage Plot also succeeds in bringing those days to me. Worth to read.