Two of the most self-absorbed characters in a long time...had a lot of potential, but Jock and Chas were too annoying for me to care.

The story of a marriage, told completely through letters the couple exchange, during a year of separation. A really great idea, but it was missing something. The letters seemed too planned (by the authors, not the characters). I felt the plot needed to fall out of the letters by accident (if that makes any sense) and instead it was pushed at the reader. Also, without giving too much away, something happens at the end that I felt was both cliche and unfair to the characters. I was annoyed by it -- I felt the authors didn't give their own characters any credit. I was surprised by my reaction to the book since I know both authors are award-winners. Maybe there were just too many cooks involved?

This books' entire narration takes the form of correspondence between geographically separated spouses, a perspective both unusual and infrequently utilized . The format's success is evidenced by the fact that we come to care about these characters and the fate of their marriage. The Bridget Jones books showed us how reading a series of diary entries could endear us to their author. 84 Charring Cross Road, by Helene Hanff, an earlier book written in letter format kept the reader at a distance, failing to achieve the depth of characterization and emotional involvement this book does achieve so successfully and so naturally.

The novel explores the effects of a prolonged separation on a long term marriage . We watch the strain imposed by distance as we see the two main characters gradually grow apart and lead separate individual lives. We regret the mistakes we watch them make . They both long for their infrequent rendezvous which when they do finally occur, only tend to split them further apart. Not enough is done to bridge the gaps when they do meet. Each tryst is anticipated with a big build up. Each meeting resolves with a very embittered and disappointed let down, subsequently generating intense anger. Intimacy suffers as each spouse fails to remain emotionally involved and supportive of the geographically distant partner's evolving and progressively unfamiliar life. One spouse is exploring new territory as a career woman; the other as house husband and eventually small business owner. They seem uncaring and disinterested in each other's new ventures and personal growth, somehow expecting their spouses to remain constant while they themselves undergo changes. When Chas faxes his wife a note which hardly contains his excitement over the publication of his poem , his new creative and expressive outlet, Jock (the wife) chooses to withhold comment in her next letter, completely ignoring his accomplishment . In fact not only does she fail to show the poem to her colleague, who coincidentally happens to be a renowned and published poet, but far worse, her indifference extends to an insensitive admission of having lost it. Chas is reduced to begging her for acknowledgment of his success. Compliments, as he will soon discover, come naturally from the other women in his daily life. Both partners learn to turn to others in closer proximity for emotional comfort and approval as they drift further and further apart. When Chas builds a solarium in their house it seems that he receives praise from every one-everyone except Joc. Her disapproval seems to largely stem from his deliberate failure to involve her in any way in the major decision of renovating their house,. He erroneously chooses instead to surprise her. The result will be to further effect Joc's feelings of alienation.. When she visits, she comes to feel like a stranger in her own home. Their initial correspondence is full of longing for reunion. Later they realistically wonder about making correct choices and the readjustments required - asking the partner in advance for space when they anticipate living together .

We watch a twenty year marriage disintegrate despite the partners' best intentions of making the separation work. In the forward Blanche Howard describes the authors' choice of this unusual book title as originating in the Apostle Paul's Corinthians book. She states Paul says a celibate season is good for a marriage. It would seem these two authors have set out to prove that in modern times this is not so- that the season must be a short one -if the marriage is to survive.