One Perfect Couple
Ruth Ware
I have a confession to make. I really don’t like “reality” TV shows, and I would rather dance a jig on a floor covered in LEGO bricks and upturned three-pin plugs than sit through an episode of “Love Island”. A bunch of narcissists pretending their every move hasn’t been previously discussed with the production crew is my idea of hell.
But …
If these shows were anything like Ruth Ware’s One Perfect Couple, I’d have the show on series record.
The premise for the book is a straightforward as the premise for the TV show. A group of couples are taken to a luxurious tropical island. As is common with these types of programmes, the contestants are to be given a series of tasks. Each episode, one person will fail and be sent home. This of course will start to break up the original couples, and so the remaining contestants will be given an opportunity to hook up. Needless to say, friendships and relationships will be made and broken. Your basic, tabloid-baiting, car-crash TV.
But of course, everything starts to go horribly wrong …
That’s all I am going to say about the plot, as I don’t want to spoil it.
The skill is in the execution. First the cast of characters. There are several couples, plus some production crew, and Ware has taken great care in crafting memorable and layered individuals. These people would make compelling viewing for the type of TV the production crew are trying to make, but Ware delves deeper and slowly peels back additional layers as the book progresses. Hidden desires and motivations are revealed, making some of the characters’ later choices more fathomable.
The next decision is the choice of central character. Apart from a few brief switches, our perspective is essentially that of Lyla, a research scientist, who agrees to go with her wannabee actor boyfriend, Nico, to support his career. Choosing to showcase everything through the eyes of someone who is reluctant to be there and manages to be both cynical and naïve is a very clever decision, because it not only makes the whole thing more relatable, it also allows the author to explain the inner workings of the TV production to the reader without excessive exposition, whilst hiding information more plausibly.
On a personal note, Lyla is a virologist, working in a lab, but facing a career crossroads. Whenever I see a ‘scientist’ character, my heart sinks and I brace myself for clumsily-used language, dubious stereotypes and a lack of understanding of both the science and the world of academia. But from the moment Lydia mentions her fingers being stained purple from a protein gel, I knew that Ware had done her research. No matter how careful you are when putting on or removing gloves, that stuff gets everywhere … Furthermore, Lyla’s career woes are all-too painfully familiar to scientists at that stage of her career.
All in all, I heartily recommend this. A perfect summer read for both fans of reality TV and cynics like me.
But …
If these shows were anything like Ruth Ware’s One Perfect Couple, I’d have the show on series record.
The premise for the book is a straightforward as the premise for the TV show. A group of couples are taken to a luxurious tropical island. As is common with these types of programmes, the contestants are to be given a series of tasks. Each episode, one person will fail and be sent home. This of course will start to break up the original couples, and so the remaining contestants will be given an opportunity to hook up. Needless to say, friendships and relationships will be made and broken. Your basic, tabloid-baiting, car-crash TV.
But of course, everything starts to go horribly wrong …
That’s all I am going to say about the plot, as I don’t want to spoil it.
The skill is in the execution. First the cast of characters. There are several couples, plus some production crew, and Ware has taken great care in crafting memorable and layered individuals. These people would make compelling viewing for the type of TV the production crew are trying to make, but Ware delves deeper and slowly peels back additional layers as the book progresses. Hidden desires and motivations are revealed, making some of the characters’ later choices more fathomable.
The next decision is the choice of central character. Apart from a few brief switches, our perspective is essentially that of Lyla, a research scientist, who agrees to go with her wannabee actor boyfriend, Nico, to support his career. Choosing to showcase everything through the eyes of someone who is reluctant to be there and manages to be both cynical and naïve is a very clever decision, because it not only makes the whole thing more relatable, it also allows the author to explain the inner workings of the TV production to the reader without excessive exposition, whilst hiding information more plausibly.
On a personal note, Lyla is a virologist, working in a lab, but facing a career crossroads. Whenever I see a ‘scientist’ character, my heart sinks and I brace myself for clumsily-used language, dubious stereotypes and a lack of understanding of both the science and the world of academia. But from the moment Lydia mentions her fingers being stained purple from a protein gel, I knew that Ware had done her research. No matter how careful you are when putting on or removing gloves, that stuff gets everywhere … Furthermore, Lyla’s career woes are all-too painfully familiar to scientists at that stage of her career.
All in all, I heartily recommend this. A perfect summer read for both fans of reality TV and cynics like me.
