The Marriage Plot

It's been nine years since Jeffrey Eugenides' last book, Middlesex, but his new novel more than makes up for the wait. The Marriage Plot—referring to the plot point around which much classic 19th century literature revolves—follows the lives of three students, newly graduated from Brown University, as they try to figure out what they want to do with their lives. Madeleine Hanna, a lit major with great potential but no solid plans, is in a relationship with Leonard Bankhead, a brilliant and charming science major who is slowly falling apart. Pining for Madeleine from a frustratingly chaste distance is Mitchell Grammaticus, the nice guy/religious studies major that Madeleine should probably be with, but isn't. Whether careening through the mind and moods of a manic depressive, capturing in gruesome detail the daily misery in a Calcutta hospital for the terminally ill, or simply recording the highs and lows of love both unrequited and fulfilled, Eugenides' prose is consistently engaging; nimble, lively, and light, yet capable of carrying heavy loads—emotional and philosophical—with impressive ease. Though there are no surprises as Madeleine's, Leonard's, and Mitchell's stories wind down, neither are there any disappointments, and Eugenides comes to rest on a final bittersweet note that is both fitting and wise. The Marriage Plot is easily one of the best books of the year.