Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (2015)

The best thing about Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies is that it surprises, constantly flouting expectations. For example, it is the conventional wisdom that a good marriage must be based on honesty and openness, yet the long, apparently successful marriage at the center of this novel is based instead on omissions and deception. The omniscient narrator says, "Marriage is made of lies. Kind ones, mostly. Omissions. If you gave voice to the things you think every day about your spouse, you'd crush them to paste." Think about it. Don't we all know this to be true? Isn't it often better, kinder, to keep some things secret within ourselves?

There are certainly plenty of lies and omissions in this story of the marriage of Lancelot (Lotto) and Mathilde, which is given to us in two parts. The first section, the fates part, is told in third person mainly from the viewpoint of Lotto, beginning with his childhood of wealth and privilege. Throughout, he is supported in his narcissism and grandiosity by a series of women, most notably his self-sacrificing wife of more than two decades. The second section, the furies part, is told from Mathilde's viewpoint, also beginning with her childhood, which is filled with deprivation and trauma. The woman who is revealed is a far cry from the one Lotto thought he knew.

The Greek theater motif suggested by the title is explored in various ways, including a kind of Greek chorus. Groff also references many Shakespearian plays which point at the same theme. This is a very clever novel, sometimes verging on being too clever for its own good; occasionally Groff seems to be just showing off rather than advancing her story.

Fates and Furies was a finalist for the National Book Award and is short listed for the National Book Critics Circle Award, winner to be announced in March. It is considered to be a strong contender for this year's Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Although the novel is extremely well done, I don't see it winning the Pulitzer because its characters are generally unsympathetic and often behave in unrealistic ways.