THE BEST TOP TEN LOVE BOOKS FOR 2014 1. Bridget Joness Diary by Helen Fielding Bridget Jones suffers no mental or physical illness; there is no war going on around her; she faces no real obstacle besides her own personality. Its obstacle enough. Everyones heard of this book, but I suspect not many men read it. They should: the pitch-perfect voice and genuinely funny comedy put it in a different class to most chick lit, enough to edge out Nick Hornbys High Fidelity for this beginners slot. 2. Daniel Martin by John Fowles The eponymous protagonist is a screenwriter and novelist, but I read Daniel Martin before I had ambitions of being either. If there was a connection, it was with the idea of love being thwarted by circumstances but never entirely extinguished. Daniels love is for his friends wife Jane, who is also the sister of his estranged wife. When his friend dies, Daniel is in a new relationship, but decides to take Jane on a cruise to the Middle East. When I read Daniel Martin 25 years ago, I was well placed to judge his rendering of the moral dilemma and emotional turmoil, though not to the extent of wifes sister, which Id suggest is a no-go zone. 3. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez When it comes to love postponed, Love in the Time of Cholera puts Daniel Martin in the shade. Florentino and Fermina fall in love in their youth, but Ferminas father and then Fermina herself stand in the way of Florentino. Despite Fermina marrying what in a romantic comedy would be called the Bellamy character – the respectable choice – Florentino waits. And waits. Into old age. When does devotion become obsession? 4. Addition by Toni Jordan The nearest thing to a sister novel to The Rosie Project: a first-person story of someone – in this case a woman – who believes their psychological oddness will forever stand in the way of a relationship. Theres a strong comedic thread, laced with wry self-awareness. Graces obsession is with numbers and counting. Seamus comes into her life and is initially accepting – but then wants her to take medication. Addition copped some flak for finding comedy in mental illness and supposedly encouraging sufferers not to take their meds: my wife, a psychiatrist, thinks Jordan describes the dilemma pretty well. 5. The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick Matthew Quick specialises in the marginalised. Bartholomew, mocked at school for being a retard, has lived with his mother for all of his 38 years. When she dies, he has to strike out on his own, with the help of the maverick local priest, a man diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The love interest is a psychologically-damaged library volunteer. Her alien-believing housemate completes the motley crew as they set out on a road trip to meet Bartholomews father. Oh, and its written as a series of letters to Richard Gere. 6. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick Yes, I like Matthew Quick. This is his best-known novel, thanks to the film with Robert De Niro. The book does not have a contract with De Niro, so it can focus on Pats efforts to reunite with his wife after being discharged from a neurological/psychiatric facility. Unlike in the film, Pat is not labelled bipolar, but he definitely has some issues. So does Tiffany – who finds something of value in Pat and goes after it with tenacity and ingenuity. 7. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami Its interesting how many of the books on this list have been made into or optioned as films: the unconventional or difficult love story is more a staple of the screen than the page. In a premise reminiscent of Daniel Martin, Torus friend Kizuki has committed suicide at 19, and Toru has become close to his girlfriend Naoko, a fragile woman who is admitted to a psychiatric institution. The novel is as much a fascinating window into the ennui of Japanese student life as a story of frustrated love. 8. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes The protagonists would never be matched by an internet dating site, but more practical imperatives bring them together. Louisa is retained to care for Will, a quadriplegic at the point of giving up on life. Its a great premise for a string of clichés, but Moyes constructs a realistic, intelligent and moving story with a decent dose of comic relief. 9. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson A man is hideously disfigured as a result of burns sustained in a car accident. A sculptor, Marianne, apparently with psychiatric problems, comes to visit and then care for him. But this is no English Patient. Our protagonists have met in a past life, which only Marianne is aware of. The setting alternates between 14th-century Germany and the present day. The supernatural is not my normal fare, but the story of Mariannes devotion, whatever the motivation, is remarkably moving. 10. Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel Anyone who has spent time interacting with Siri on their iPhone will require only a slight stretch of the imagination to accept the premise here – reconstructing online personalities from social media records after the death of their owners. After Sam programs a Skype version of Merediths late grandmother, the two go into the business of bringing back the deceased. The twist is predictable, but its engrossing light reading that will leave you with something to think about after youve finished with the tissues.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 17:52:35 +0000