Fleishman is in Trouble

by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Random House     2019
384 pages     Literary

Fleishman is in Trouble is a novel about a marriage that has failed. What were the reasons? What was the cause? Why? The book is an exploration of the concept, "And the two shall become one." This debut novel is a tough look at all marriage, particularly marriages in the 21st century. It is also a meditation about the value of marriage, as well as its fragility.

Toby Fleishman is a doctor in Manhattan; his ex-wife, Rachel, the owner of a successful talent agency. Apparently in the social milleau in which they travel, being a doctor is not enough and Rachel is the chief breadwinner. When the couple are divorced, Rachel must pay the alimony and Toby is totally lost. To add to the dilemma, Rachel has disappeared, leaving Toby totally in charge of his two confused children. Most of the narrative is about Toby, his anger and his angst. We also explore his search for a new sexual partner.

The story is told by Libby, a college friend of Toby's. Libby has been a journalist, but she is now a stay-at-mom of small children. After we know more about the author, we realize that Libby is a stand- in for the author. Although she seldom inserts herself in the narrative, she is astute in her portrayal of what has happened to Toby's marriage. Although Toby is sure that the fault is all Rachel's, Libby helps us understand that there is fault on all sides. We understand from her narrative that her own marriage is on pretty firm ground. She also tells the story of their old friend Seth, who after years of philandering, has set himself on a different marriage course. We watch that marriage unfold as well.

The reviewer in the Guardian says, "But Fleishman Is in Trouble is so much smarter than a Great American Novel wannabe written by another clever man." Like that reviewer, I found it incredibly profound and nuanced on the subject of marriage. To add to my enlightenment, I was with a lot of family and extended family members, all of whom had marriages to watch and evaluate. One of the concepts that Brodesser-Akner floats is that marriage has moved beyond equal partners to two individuals who have chosen to be together. There is little of the "he completes me" or "she really compliments him" that we saw in the past. At one point, Toby, in the thick of dating and having sex with women he has met on the Internet, has the thought: "Only briefly did he think to wonder if he was doing a bad job of thinking of the women he dated as people."

I have thought about the book daily since I finished reading it two weeks ago. I looked back over all the underlining I did, all the wonderful phrasing, and the great insights, and I still marvel at its profundity. This week I am watching a grandson and his girlfriend in their blossoming relationship, and I bask in the wonder of relationships--the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a celebrity interviewer for the New York Times Magazine. I am guessing that her years of viewing relationships from the outside have weighed heavily on her insights on marriage. I highly recommend Fleishman is in Trouble--one of my favorites of the year.