Happiness Sold Separately

Thank you, Lolly Winston, for writing a book with an authentic take on a real issue with a realistic ending. Happiness Sold Separately should be read by anyone who has ever been in a relationship where they find themselves not quite as enamored with their significant other as they once did.

Elinor and Ted have only been married for five years but have spent two of those years fighting infertility. As El struggles with the hormonal changes of invitro, failed conception, and lost pregnancies, she retreats within to spare her husband because he doesn't see or feel the events the way she does. Ted, on the other hand, feeling helpless and left out, begins to feel alone and takes to the gym. With the help of exercise and nutrition guru Gina, show more Ted loses that 15 pounds his contented married life has packed on and falls for the trainer.

The twists and turns are subtle and slight in Happiness Sold Separately, but they are poignant. Through a separation when El learns about Ted and Gina, a trial reconciliation, and an unexpected pregnancy, the couple learns that happy ever after does not always mean with the person they thought.

The beauty of this book is that there is no overt fighting, no mean-spirited hate spewed when faults are discovered. While emotions run high and unkind thoughts do prevail at times, the maturity of the plot and the writing leave the reader with positive introspection and positive lessons - people do fall in and out of love, and just because it doesn't work out doesn't mean someone is awful, and it is okay to move on when a relationship is done.

In a world where everything feels so contentious and yet authors write about fairytale relationships that leave readers resenting their actual real-life relationships (because of their inherent fissures and fractures and wondering why their life doesn't look like the movies), Happiness Sold Separately is a refreshing, honest look at what real relationships can go through.

This book should be required reading for married couples who are struggling. It won't save your marriage, but you may find a better way to disagree and let go if that time comes. So well done. show less

i am honestly not entirely sure why i liked this as much as i did. maybe just how true and real it felt and how she captured life and the everyday tragedies so well. there are some turns of phrase and some lines and their placements that are just gorgeous and perfect. i thought this was great. until the knifing scene at the end? like what was that? as well as she'd done the rest of this book, i'm sure she could have figured a way to get them to the soft ending they deserved without this weird nonsensical turn.

Excellent in its portrayal of the complexities of marriage and relationships surrounding it. Humor in great unexpected places. Frustrated with how fluffy and loose the ending was, but it was a good read up until that point.

I really liked Good Grief, so gave this one a shot. What happens when you and your husband can't conceive and then, to cap it all, you find out he's cheating on you with a buff, cheerful, single-mother, fitness-instructor? Elinor Mackey tackles her situation with humor, a bit of weirdness (like becoming really attached to an ancient tree in her front yard and naming him Warren), and an affair of her own... with the tree surgeon. Starts out good... This did not live up to Good Grief, although I do like Winston's style of humor and wackiness. Some language.

This is the first book I have read by Lolly Winston, and I was not disappointed. She is a wonderful weaver of words, and the emotions her characters exude are felt by the reader at the exact moment she intends. She doesn't wrap up each scenario neatly with a ribbon and bow; instead, she leaves us questioning the characters' motives, intentions, desires and regrets. She leaves us with questions to which we must find the answers ourselves. The story is raw and real which is exactly how I prefer the novels I read to be.

Lolly Winston has a wonderfully descriptive writing style. There is a great deal of detail given to her characters' thoughts and inner voices, which fleshes them out well. The readers notes in my edition states that she went through struggles with infertility herself, and I think she understands the subject as only one who has been through it can. The constant anticipation and disappointment can overwhelm the closest of couples, as it does in this case. I think she elicits sympathy for all her characters, which is very hard to do. There is a very cruel twist in the story which really caught me by surprise, but is true to life in that not all happy events turn out well. I felt very sad for Elinor and Ted. They really seemed to have show more something special, but couldn't handle the curves that life threw their way. Recommended. show less

Winston has the ability to write about sad subjects (in this case infertility, miscarriage, and potential divorce) with humor. Her style feels a little bit like Elinor Lipman combined with Anne Tyler, two authors that are both favorites of mine. For me, this was just good escapist fiction, but for younger readers who have struggled, or still struggling, with the issues mentioned above, I think it will be a more meaningful, poignant story--just told with a lot of great one-liners and biting humor which is sometimes just what you need.