This novel is one of Lively's earlier works and whilst not her best it displays her thoughtful understanding of human nature to the subject of bereavement to remarkable effect. What I like about Lively and why she is a favourite author is this understanding of humans, her interest in how people perceive and think about their pasts and her understated but superb style- in my opinion she is unbeatable as a great author.
Perfect Happiness concentrates on the grief of a widow whose husband was something of a celebrity in academic circles. We really feel for the main character and we see with real clarity each stage of her grief- her visiting sites of their honeymoon, her mini-breakdown, her re-bound fling and her gradual acceptance of what has happended and her rebuilding of life. Lively does not give us a nice tidy happy ending but then again that is life.

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