The Faithful Couple by A.D. Miller | Review *6/10 Stars*
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The Faithful Couple
by A.D. Miller
Page Count: 320
Published: February 4th 2016 (first published March 5th 2014)
Publisher: Abacus
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: I received a paperback from the publisher for an honest review (Thanks!)
Summary
California, 1993: Neil Collins and Adam Tayler, two young British men on the cusp of adulthood, meet at a hostel in San Diego.
They strike up a friendship that, while platonic, feels as intoxicating as a romance; they travel up the coast together, harmlessly competitive, innocently collusive, wrapped up in each other. On a camping trip to Yosemite they lead each other to behave in ways that, years later, they will desperately regret.
The story of a friendship built on a shared guilt and a secret betrayal, THE FAITHFUL COUPLE follows Neil and Adam across two decades, through girlfriends and wives, success and failure, children and bereavements, as power and remorse ebb between them. Their bifurcating fates offer an oblique portrait of London in the boom-to-bust era of the nineties and noughties, with its instant fortunes and thwarted idealism. California binds them together, until - when the full truth of what happened emerges, bringing recriminations and revenge - it threatens to drive them apart.
The verdict
Let me first talk about the writing. It was good enough to keep me reading and finish the book, while the story itself couldn't hold my interest all that much. Intrigued by the blurb, I was very much looking forward to get into The Faithful Couple. Unfortunately, other than the writing style and the intense friendship between Adam and Neil, the book turned out to be somewhat a let down for me.
I wasn't left impressed by the plot and how the story unfolds, but the character development and the relationship between Adam and Neil did impress me quite a bit. I liked the unusual, more emotional take on the male characters here, which I've rarely seen in other books in general.
To sum it up, I would say I have mixed views about this one. Maybe if the plot and pacing were to be improved, I would give it a higher rating. Would I recommend it? Sure, if you are a suspense and mystery fan, go for it (for the writing and characters alone).
Have you read The Faithful Couple? What did you think about it? Tell me your thoughts in the comments down below!
About the author
A. D. Miller studied literature at Cambridge and Princeton. His first novel, Snowdrops - a study in moral degradation set in modern Russia - was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the James Tait Black Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Awards, the CWA Gold Dagger and the Galaxy National Book Awards; it has been translated into 25 languages. He is also the author of The Earl of Petticoat Lane, an acclaimed memoir of immigration, class, the Blitz and the underwear industry.A. D. Miller is Writer at Large for The Economist; he was formerly the magazine's Moscow Correspondent and Political Editor. He lives in London with his wife and children.
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