{"product_id":"the-happy-couple-a-novel-isbn-9780063330474","title":"The Happy Couple: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Daring . . . a brilliant contemporary novel.”—Colm Tóibín \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn intimate, sharply funny novel about a couple heading toward their wedding, and the three friends who may draw them apart\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeet Celine and Luke. For all intents and purposes, the happy couple.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLuke (a serial cheater) and Celine (more inter­ested in piano than domestic life) plan to marry in a year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArchie (the best man) should be moving on from his love for Luke and up the corporate ladder, but he finds himself utterly stuck.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhoebe (the bridesmaid and Celine’s sister) just wants to get to the bottom of Luke’s frequent unexplained disappearances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd Vivian (a wedding guest) is the only one with any emotional distance and observes her friends like ants in a colony.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the wedding approaches and their five lives intersect, these characters will each look for a path to the happily ever after—but does it lie at the end of an aisle?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn her wry, sprightly, and unmistakable voice, Naoise Dolan makes the marriage plot entirely her own in a sparkling ensemble novel that is both ferociously clever and supremely enjoyable.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"A fun, addictive read laced with astute observations about modern romance.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVogue (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sensational.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Mail (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In Dolan's clever second novel, the will-they-or-won't-they, modern marriage plot and hard deadline make for a very enjoyable rush of a read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In Naoise Dolan’s addictive, rubbernecking disaster story about love, engaged 20-something Dubliners wrestle with intimacy and commitment as their wedding day approaches. . . . Its wry voice and cleverly executed \u003cem\u003eRashomon\u003c\/em\u003e-like structure . . . make it a standout. Bit by bit, in lean, ironic prose that packs powerful insight, Dolan reveals the humanity and vulnerability of all parties involved . . . . Dolan’s challenging and well-crafted rewriting of the marriage plot has much to reveal about love and perspective.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Dolan tackles modern love as she did in her wonderful 2020 story collection, \u003cem\u003eExciting Times\u003c\/em\u003e, gathering five characters as a wedding day approaches. From the hilarious opening scene between Luke, a communications strategist, and Celine, a professional pianist, that leads to an engagement, through the year to the actual wedding, Dolan gets the conundrum of commitment just right. . . . There are no guarantees in love, but following this group of friends is as entertaining as watching a '90s Hugh Grant movie.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCenter for Fiction, Bookstore Recommendations\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Dolan, whose debut novel\u003cem\u003e Exciting Times\u003c\/em\u003e was a storming success, is sure to bring her sparkling wit and insightful understanding of human relationships to this second outing.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This book confirms her as an artful comic novelist with a distinctive signature style.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A warm and sympathetic novel...funny and direct.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A thrilling acerbic take on relationships.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Times, The Gloss\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I loved \u003cem\u003eThe Happy Couple\u003c\/em\u003e. So well observed, absolutely fizzes with wit and intelligence, gallops along, amazing dialogue - read it!\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKate Davies, author of In at the Deep End\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Happy Couple \u003c\/em\u003ehooked me the way that heternormativity hooks its ambivalent protagonists. Dolan's prose absolutely crackles with wit, humor, and empathy, and her plotting carefully reveals a complex web of desire that turns the 'will they\/won't they question' into something fresh and unfamiliar.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eClare Fisher, author of All the Good Things\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I loved \u003cem\u003eThe Happy Couple\u003c\/em\u003e, which reminded me of Muriel Spark in its precision of language and emotion.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmma Forrest, author of Busy Being Free\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Naoise Dolan's droll exploration of the lead-up to a London wedding peers into the entwining life of a young couple, from her beautiful ex to his initial reluctance to wed.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Reading Dolan is like watching your favorite dramedy: the gossip is juicy, the stakes are ordinary yet elevated, and you’re in a little bit in love with everyone.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLitHub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Quietly introspective and dryly funny. . . . Dolan writes beautifully about yearning.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"We predict a hit.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A sophisticated character study of a young couple coming to terms with their relationship, in this biting, whip-smart look at modern love and the tangled messes we leave behind us. I am fully in awe of Dolan's talent. And so glad my twenties are over.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDouglas Stuart, author of Young Mungo and Shuggie Bain\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I pure LOVED \u003cem\u003eThe Happy Couple\u003c\/em\u003e. So witty, observant, wise and funny. Nihilistic about heteronormative relationships but so charmingly done I barely noticed. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMarian Keyes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"The Happy Couple\u003c\/em\u003e is a dazzling follow-up to \u003cem\u003eExciting Times\u003c\/em\u003e. Dolan spins her magic again with humor and insight and the sharpest of prose. Not a word out of place.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKatherine Heiny, author of Standard Deviation and Early Morning Riser\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Dolan’s precisely observed writing about human interactions is matched by her acute takes on everything from Irish emigration to Goldman Sachs...This novel is a joy to read.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Using daring, exciting sentences and close, sharp observation, \u003cem\u003eThe Happy Couple\u003c\/em\u003e is a brilliant contemporary novel.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eColm Tóibín\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890702512357,"sku":"NP9780063330474","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063330474.jpg?v=1730233888","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-happy-couple-a-novel-isbn-9780063330474","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}