nomadreader

The backstory: The Privileges was a finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. The basics: The novel opens with the wedding of Adam and Cynthia Morley. The novel, split into four sections, examines the life and marriage of this couple over more than twenty years. My thoughts: I'm drawn to both stories of marriage and novels that span many years in the lives of characters, and The Privileges  had both. When I began reading, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Despite being a Pulitzer Prize finalist this year, there hasn't been much conversation about it, which is a shame because it's a smart, funny, and insightful novel. Adam and Cynthia are riveting characters. As the novel opens with their wedding, they're not sure why they're getting married right out of college (they're so young), but they don't doubt each other or their relationship: "She's not disappointed. Sex is no novelty; being exhausted together, being each other's...