State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts by Nick Hornby Review

One of the things I used to love about Nick Hornby’s writing was the dialogue, which often made me laugh - there’s some great stuff in High Fidelity and About a Boy. So, even though I’m fairly convinced at this point (thanks to last year’s Just Like You) that Hornby’s no longer for me, I thought I’d give State of the Union a shot as it seemed light and possibly even fun. It’s not very fun, or funny, unfortunately - but it is light!

Tom and Louise are in marriage counselling after Louise cheated on Tom. Over ten chapters (a chapter a week) set in the pub across the street from their counsellor’s office right before their session, we see how they slowly overcome this and begin to address the problems of their relationship.

The characters’ voices sound convincing - which is just as well given that this is almost all dialogue; it’s like a play in that regard - and occasional parts of it are sorta interesting. Like when Tom delves into what’s wrong with his life or when they encounter a couple they know and try not to let on that they’re in counselling.

Mostly though the conversations aren’t funny or really about anything substantial or compelling so the book is easy to put down. Also Tom doesn’t seem all that bothered by the affair and Louise isn’t pursuing it either and seems mildly ashamed - it’s not much ado about almost nothing, particularly given the resolution. If they don’t care, why should we? And I didn’t.

Ultimately, despite it seeming like a realistic marriage and the skilful way Hornby crafts character through dialogue alone, it’s an unimpressive story given that nowt much happens - State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts is a very forgettable novella/play.