A Whirlwind Marriage

I believe it is the kind of small book to read on the go, on a train or something. Something small and unmemorable, the type of story whose sole purpose is to stop boredom.  So during this review, I will treat it as such ! (What I mean is I don’t have high expectations and I won’t hold it to high standards)

For starters, this book was extremely frustrating, since the beginning, but I believe that it was its purpose. I feel conflicted, as when you start this book, even with just the title, you know what to expect. So in one hand I purposefully took this book knowing it would be somewhat frustrating, but on the other, it is still damn annoying !!!

I do have to say though, that it does get better as time goes, although I’m not sure if it is because it is better written, or if it is because the beginning has lobotomised me.

However you wish to see it, this book, although has nothing groundbreaking for itself, is still a boorish reading. It barely offers what it promises but, if you are in the mood for a simple, fast read angst story, I believe that you will find it enjoyable.

I don’t have much to say about this book, however, it does easily lead to a conversation about coercive relationships.

Since the beginning, red flags popped all over the novel. First of all, Marianne being extremely young (22) yet portrayed as this full grown woman, then her GIGANTIC age gap with Zeke (35 or 37), it already starts to feel uneasy.

The author never addressed it and acted as if it was acceptable WHICH IS NOT ! Everything within their relationship is wrong ! Weather it’s acknowledge or not in the story, Zeke’s behaviour is predatory, possessive and toxic !

To start, I’m offering a non-exhaustive list of all the red flags I’ve observed I that man

• Courting a 20 year old when you are 30+,
• Proposing to her almost immediately
• Organising a wedding six weeks after MEETING your partner
• Moving in an apartment where you lived with your ex that decorated it even though you could afford another one AND you promised your wife that you would move.
• Partnering up with your ex for a work project even though your wife begged you not to
• Refusing to let your wife work and making her life 10 times harder each time she tries to do anything for Herself and that JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE INSECURE !
• Being a stubborn ass bitch for WEEKS and STILL refusing to let your wife work while claiming to be miserable.
• Only expressing yourself through rage CONSTANTLY even when your wife is simply asking reasonable questions
• Being excessively jealous of your wife simply speaking with strangers when you WORK WITH YOUR EX !

I still have a whole lot to say about this book but my main point is that even though I understand that this type of book will include sensitive themes and situations, as well as characters that may be flawed,  it is not an excuse to accept vile behaviours EVEN if they are just characters in a book.  It is a big deal, especially because it is supposed to be a romantic story, something dreamy, desirable. I believe it is morally wrong to normalise this type of behaviour, never mind making it desirable.

Anyway, now going into the character of Marianne, I don’t believe that there is much criticism to have if not the fact that she is held as responsible as her 15 years OLDER husband by the author. To my eyes, she is, from beginning to end, a victim. First, she was 20 and secluded when she met her husband who was, an older, attractive, richer and powerful man. Within a week of knowing her, he had already proposed and was making arrangements to get married 5 weeks later. He immediately dismissed and criticised all people opposing this idea. The way their relationship is portrayed at the beginning is literally the definition of love bombing. 

I genuinely believe that this book would have been perfectly acceptable if it had acknowledge toxic behaviours as such. But because it never addressed any of it, he never went to therapy, eve after admitting to have SERIOUS issues, it gives the impression that it is okay.

This is the reason why I cannot even fathom the idea to give it more than 2 stars, and even that, is only because I really liked the writing style that makes it really easy to read even though the way the story was handled was horrendous.