This is a book that I am glad that I read, endured and finished, as the journey has a redemptive, although not perfect, ending. The subject matter and plot is not for the faint of heart, just as a long-lasting marriage/relationship is not either. I read somewhere that this "novel" is roughly autobiographical, which explains why it is so raw, realistic and messy. Yglesias is an impeccable writer and I can understand why the book has won a number of literary awards. Not a beach read, but a GREAT book club selection and I am really looking forward to our book club discussion on this one! **REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**I had a lot of emotions while listening to this book. At one point I was crying so hard I thought I was going to get into an accident, so I pulled the car over. The beginning starts out well. Alternating between how Enrique meets his future wife Margaret, and the last weeks of her life. Then, in what I think is an abrupt change in events. He writes about how miserable he is in his marriage at about 7 years and starts fucking his wife's FRIEND. Then doesn't divorce his wife because of his son. So now the whole world knows he had an affair and his SON now knows what a miserable thing he did behind his wife's back and his wife doesn't even get the courtesy of knowing beforehand because she's DEAD. Later he even talks about how he's glad she didn't find out because he knows she would have never been able to forgive this ultimate betrayal. It was happy until this guy became a selfish PRICK. And when he admits to being a selfish, cruel man I feel like he was trying to somehow soften the blow and make Enrique look pitiable because he is sorry. Not sorry enough to stop betraying his wife for the next 18 years of their marriage by keeping this lie. He never even explains what the moment was when he finally realized how lucky he was to have Margaret. He flies out to LA to write movies while his wife is in NYC taking care of their child ALONE and he has the audacity to say its HER fault. Then he triumphs when he has sex with both of them ON THE SAME DAY. I'm disgusted. If I owned any of his movies I would burn them. I loved this book until this turn. And every other piece of his recollection of their relationship is positive. I find myself wondering why he chose to title his book A Happy Marriage. Was it because dear, sweet Margaret was happy and blissfully ignorant of his betrayal? Is it because after being a miserable bastard to this woman for three years he finally realizes how lucky he was? I'm guessing its because for most of their 29 years together they were happy. There are bumps in all marriages, no one is going to be happy all the time, I just don't understand why he needed to make this affair such a huge plot point in this story. I also didn't like how the format of the book sort of fell apart about three quarters of the way in. All of the sudden questions were going unanswered for several chapters.I also wish the last memory of he and his wife wasn't when HE finally was able to perform sexually. Clearly this was the most important aspect of a relationship for him. I feel out of 29 years with her he could have found a different memory to end on. I'm giving this four stars. Three for Margaret, one for Enrique.
