Love Marriage is a brilliant novel written by Monica Ali. It is a treasure trove of beautifully realised characters and their interactions within their families, romantic relationships and friendships. Yasmin’s parents came from Bangladesh; her father is a GP and Yasmin and her fiancé, Joe, are doctors in the same hospital.
The story that ensues from this beginning is wonderful in its complexity and it is was hard for me to put the book down or to stop thinking of it at those boringly necessary times when I had to put it aside. Joe is having psychotherapy and the process through which his problems are dealt is fascinating. Yasmin’s parents and younger brother, and Joe’s mother are all playing out their own stories; but Yasmin’s life enters another dimension when she discovers her, shall we say, previously hidden side. It’s at this point that the book goes from merely fascinating to positively riveting reading. WARNING: Readers, you might need to have a glass if ice-cold water handy here, to pour over your head if you become a little over-heated.
This story is like a mixing bowl into which new ingredients keep being added until a big, beautiful cake emerges, quite delicious and thoroughly satisfying!
Monica Ali’s debut novel, Brick Lane, was short listed for the Man Booker prize. Love Marriage is the first book of hers which I have read and I now want to read everything she has written. Absolutely 5 out of 5!
Published by Virago
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