Le Mariage

Written by Diane Johnson

Narrated by Suzanne Toren

Critics hail Diane Johnson as a cross between Jane Austen and Henry James. In this best-selling comedy of Americans abroad and Parisians at home, she celebrates the mores and manners of contemporary marriage. Struggling American writer Tim Nolinger pursues his journalism career in Paris while proper Frenchwoman Anne Sophie plans their wedding. When Tim covers the theft of a valuable manuscript, the story leads the couple to the local home of a reclusive American film director and his actress wife. Once there, Tim and Anne Sophie find themselves in the midst of a murder investigation, a French-American feud, and a reckless love affair that threatens to destroy their marriage even before it begins. Diane Johnson weaves acerbic humor and refreshing observations into this thoroughly modern tale of love and marriage. With her dramatic performance, Suzanne Toren brings out the moral complexities that shimmer just beneath the surface.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 6, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440797064

Reviews for Le Mariage

[m.belljackson · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

American actress Clara is married to movie director Cray, who collects manuscripts and books.Crime follows involving the Morgan Library and the FBI. Unfortunately, not much of interest happens.

[curious_squid · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not at all what I expected. Not very satisfying either.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Diane Johnson knows the prejudices and affections of the French as well as she knows those of her American countrymen. So when she writes about the proposed marriage of a young French woman to an American and mixes up the story with a theft of rare manuscripts and a neighborhood spat over the rights to hunt on private property, and you have the recipe for a delightful comedy of manners. Just read, laugh and enjoy.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After Le Divorce and L'Affaire, this book was a let down. What I liked most about the other books was how Ms. Johnson was able to turn a rather average story line into something much more with her keen insights into the interplay between two cultures. That was missing from this third novel, leaving the reader with a lot of characters, several implausible sub-plots and an ordinary story.

[bookmarque · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Well this wasn’t as funny or as interesting as I thought it would be. There was almost no tension about anything – the murder, the feud or anything else. There should have been. The only emotion this book evoked was anger at the French for being the assholes they are portrayed to be. It may not be true but it certainly doesn’t make me want to go to France any time soon. Unfortunately I got the other book, Le Divorce and it’s not very good either.

[chloeethan · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Surprising for such a thoughtful writer, a letdown. There are too many characters and they never escape their stock roots in romantic fiction, especially the men. Too many crazy subplots (notably, the main character's entanglements with the French legal system) that peter out toward the end. Last-minute effort to draw parallels with one of the great movies of all time, Renoir's Rules of the Game, is strained.