Monica Ali's
rich, sensitive and gloriously entertaining novel...brim[s] with
extremely funny moments of excruciating social comedy ... For all its precise comic timing and consummate plotting, the novel's real strength lies in its depiction of complex social encounters, leaving the reader to decide which side, if any, to take ...
[A] love letter to the richness of London life -- Tash Aw * Times Literary Supplement *
Big-hearted, wry and tender ... a state-of-the-nation novel in the very best sense ... a
terrific story delivered with a light touch: with dialogue that can turn a situation on a sixpence and
exquisite descriptions ... There are some
extremely moving moments, and splendid cinematic scenes of high comedy * Harper's Bazaar *
Compulsive, tightly plotted ...
Love Marriage reveals
a master storyteller playing to her strengths:
a satirical eye that deftly navigates the fine line between humour and pathos; a wicked ear for dialogue; and a flair for conjuring illicit passion * Prospect *
Ali provides an acute examination of race, class and identity in British society ...
A glorious tapestry of modern British family life * Metro *
The work of a mature feminist writer ... Is love enough? Yasmin and her family work together to answer this question, becoming dear friends to the reader along the way' * The Times *
I absolutely loved it. It had me gripped and I was so invested in her brilliant characters with their fallibilities and secrets! I empathised with every one of them and really felt I knew them all as individuals. I loved how she so cleverly interwove their experiences to create such a fabulous story. She writes human frailty so well, and her astute observations on family dynamics are superb. Exquisitely written with big heartedness, intelligence and passion. This will be a hit I have no doubt
* Ruth Jones, author of NEVER GREENER *
Funny, warm, powerful ... LOVE MARRIAGE has a warm intelligence and a sharp observational power, making the characters and the world of the story feel very alive * Diana Evans *
A novel with the richness, and the throng and press and hum of life itself, LOVE MARRIAGE is
bold, compassionate, big-hearted, pitch-perfectly written, and utterly unputdownable. Every single character lives and breathes on the page. Make time for all of them for they are going to take up residence in your mind and soul for a long, long time * Neel Mukherjee, Booker Prize shortlisted author of THE LIVES OF OTHERS *
Monica Ali's latest novel explores a wide range of themes from smashing cultural taboos to the faltering steps you take when you're young and in love and the experience of being the child of immigrants.
Ali's wit and insight illuminate the complications of modern love in Britain today. A joy * Harper's Bazaar *
A
truly astonishing piece of writing -
exquisite storytelling, featuring the most human portrayal of doctors I've ever read.
I defy you to put this book down * Adam Kay (2021) *
I have loved every one of Monica Ali's books and LOVE MARRIAGE is her best.
A huge, bounteous story, it is lit from end to end with human variety and storytelling brilliance. Ali writes like an angel who is not afraid of the devil. It will be a novel of the year and
confirms Monica Ali as a national treasure * Andrew O'Hagan (2021) *
No one captures the modern family like Monica Ali - Love Marriage is a masterful cacophony of characters, all drawn with deep empathy and sharp insight. The novel is full of surprises and unexpected twists, with an ending that will take your breath away
* Tahmima Anam *
This is such
a gloriously vibrant and tender novel packed with wit, intelligence and wisdom. It has everything - clashing cultures, family rifts, suppressed addictions, desire, passion. Her two junior doctor protagonists are superbly drawn - flawed, courageous, flailing, human.
Just brilliant * Rachel Clarke (2021) *
Worth the decade it took to arrive... This is a proper family saga, both deliciously old-fashioned and full of surprising reversals * Alex Preston, The Observer *
I absolutely loved LOVE MARRIAGE. It's a story about love and family, about despair and forgiveness, about trauma and recovery, about expectation and responsibility, about friendship and community. Mostly, it's about having the courage to lose yourself, in order to find yourself again. It's big-hearted and tender and it's a novel that cares about its characters so deeply that you will too
* Hannah Beckerman *
I loved Love Marriage, and looked forward to reading it every night. Funny, compassionate, sexy, romantic, beautifully plotted and richly peopled, it is both highly original and working within a literary tradition of novels about love and marriage. Above all it is about the way that individuals are a mystery to each other, and themselves, wounding and misunderstanding each other, yet also about how, with patience and kindness, we can change for the better
* Amanda Craig *
Through the construct of a marriage, Monica Ali imagines complex modern lives tip-toeing around and defying each other's sensitivities in a warm, affectionate and hilarious novel. Love Marriage is every bit as compelling, as charming as Brick Lane. A joyous novelist at the peak of her formidable powers writing fresh lives into our literary tradition
* Daljit Nagra, author of LOOK WE HAVE COMING TO DOVER! *
I tore through Love Marriage. An engrossing read... Such a brilliant portrayal of how we can't help but be mortified by the ones we love, no matter how much we hate ourselves for it. Even in the characters' darkest and most desperate moments there is warmth - they're not perfect but you root for them all the same. I enjoyed my time peeking into their lives - and was happy to see everybody exactly where they should be (for better or worse) when it came time to leave them
* Justin Myers *
