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judygold's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book, original premise and plot line and wanted to see how it all panned out.
My main criticism was the character of Leo, felt a bit too simplistic to portray him as the "bad" guy
My main criticism was the character of Leo, felt a bit too simplistic to portray him as the "bad" guy
mazza's review against another edition
4.0
A raw and gritty look into the workings of a modern-day marriage, The Codes of Love is a gripping debut that combines soft, hazy images of the isolated countryside with the overwhelming intensity of love and lust. Hannah Persaud makes us question everything we think we understand about relationships and gets underneath the skin of just what it means to rely on someone. The novel is all-consuming and at times claustrophobic, bringing forth the complicated aspects of this seemingly ‘ideal’ open-marriage arrangement.
On the surface, The Codes of Love is a largely simple story about the breakdown of the open marriage between Ryan and Emily, and the events leading up to the eventual demise. Yet, this isn’t just another tale of heartbreak; Persaud plunges straight into the arrangement between the characters, and at first glance, it seems that this is the perfect set-up for the two. Ryan, while the most reluctant of the pair, is still seemingly embracing his slight ‘freedom’, yet it soon becomes clears his choice of partner (the erratic whirlwind that is Adeline) is far too intense for their delicate marital situation.
Emily too gets sucked into Adeline’s charms, initiating her own muddled affair with the character. Yet while this aspect of the plot could fall into the dangers of being far-fetched, it works wonderfully. The build-up to Emily’s relationship with Adeline is done so slowly, and is so charged with passion, that Persaud makes sure that there is no room for any other option than for the two to supposedly fall in love. As readers, we are made to question the fine line between love and sex; Emily, a seemingly confident and independent individual, turns into a meek and troubled character with the presence of Adeline. Her body trembles, and she’s taken back to those feelings she had with a past female lover, Charlotte, the details of which are expertly teased throughout the story.
In fact, it is this added element of exploring sexuality which makes the novel even more interesting, elevating it above a typical ‘love story’. Persaud’s characters are unsettled, yet incredibly comfortable in their heteronormative, typical lives. Emily especially has seemingly done all she can to suppress and her feelings towards women, and the intensity of her desire towards Ada, until the very end of the book.
This theme builds intentionally slowly, yet our attention is kept throughout. With every page another layer is peeled away (the sub-plot of Leo adds another dimension to Emily, and eventually Ada’s, muddled past), and as the characters reveal cracks in their personalities, their resentments towards one another, and continue to mould their rules to fit their individual situations.
One of the ways in which Persaud captivates the readers’ attention is the clever use of time- and place -jumping within the narrative. We don’t ever fully know when the ‘present’ is, as we flit between times when their open marriage is seemingly working, to moments when Adeline’s influence has overwhelmed the pair. As the novel progresses, the gap between the timelines becomes less and less, and it becomes harder to see a clearer way out of their muddled situation. The characters make bold and erratic decisions, and we question just how much of this is Adeline’s doing, or simply Ryan and Emily exercising their wish of escapism.
This idea of escapism is explored beautifully throughout the novel, with Persaud taking us from urban south London, fraught with traffic in every sense of the word, to the peaceful surroundings of the Welsh and Devon countryside. Both characters run away from their lives, the people they are responsible for, and – for a brief period at least – immerse themselves in an alternate reality. For them, the purchase of their homes represents so much more than a place to holiday. It gives them a taste of the life they could have lived with Adeline, and the reader sees that their worries are much more similar than they initially think.
Adeline swoops in on the couple’s lives with heavy impact, yet Persaud purposely doesn’t give her much character background. This means that she is easily mouldable in the two narratives, and adaptable to fit whatever story they want to tell themselves and each other. While she is chaotic in both instances, it is a different kind of chaos. The fact that so little regard is given to understanding Adeline also highlights the inherently selfish nature of Emily and Ryan. For them, Adeline functions merely as a pawn in their troubled marriage. However, the scenes when she shows some emotion and becomes seemingly more stressed/unhinged, are therefore more powerful, if unsettling. In these moments, the reader sees her now as an all-encompassing character rather than just a symbol.
It’s not just Adeline who has this faceless role in the novel – even the kids, Sam and Tom, seem largely unimportant in the couple’s existence. Sure, we get the odd snippet of family holidays, dramas, exams at school, but this mainly takes a backseat to the affairs that are taking place within the marriage, and their individual explorations with Adeline.
How the couple met themselves is also only briefly mentioned, leaving little for us to dissect and read into. But that’s not important in this novel – Persaud instead aims to highlight what is happening in the ‘moment’, and how the pair are navigating this new marriage. By the end of The Codes of Love, when the fragmented timelines finally meet in a climactic and charged conclusion – yet one that is also oddly calm and collected – the reader is left pondering how and why Ryan and Emily ended up like this.
The Codes of Love is published by Muswell Press and is available here.
On the surface, The Codes of Love is a largely simple story about the breakdown of the open marriage between Ryan and Emily, and the events leading up to the eventual demise. Yet, this isn’t just another tale of heartbreak; Persaud plunges straight into the arrangement between the characters, and at first glance, it seems that this is the perfect set-up for the two. Ryan, while the most reluctant of the pair, is still seemingly embracing his slight ‘freedom’, yet it soon becomes clears his choice of partner (the erratic whirlwind that is Adeline) is far too intense for their delicate marital situation.
Emily too gets sucked into Adeline’s charms, initiating her own muddled affair with the character. Yet while this aspect of the plot could fall into the dangers of being far-fetched, it works wonderfully. The build-up to Emily’s relationship with Adeline is done so slowly, and is so charged with passion, that Persaud makes sure that there is no room for any other option than for the two to supposedly fall in love. As readers, we are made to question the fine line between love and sex; Emily, a seemingly confident and independent individual, turns into a meek and troubled character with the presence of Adeline. Her body trembles, and she’s taken back to those feelings she had with a past female lover, Charlotte, the details of which are expertly teased throughout the story.
In fact, it is this added element of exploring sexuality which makes the novel even more interesting, elevating it above a typical ‘love story’. Persaud’s characters are unsettled, yet incredibly comfortable in their heteronormative, typical lives. Emily especially has seemingly done all she can to suppress and her feelings towards women, and the intensity of her desire towards Ada, until the very end of the book.
This theme builds intentionally slowly, yet our attention is kept throughout. With every page another layer is peeled away (the sub-plot of Leo adds another dimension to Emily, and eventually Ada’s, muddled past), and as the characters reveal cracks in their personalities, their resentments towards one another, and continue to mould their rules to fit their individual situations.
One of the ways in which Persaud captivates the readers’ attention is the clever use of time- and place -jumping within the narrative. We don’t ever fully know when the ‘present’ is, as we flit between times when their open marriage is seemingly working, to moments when Adeline’s influence has overwhelmed the pair. As the novel progresses, the gap between the timelines becomes less and less, and it becomes harder to see a clearer way out of their muddled situation. The characters make bold and erratic decisions, and we question just how much of this is Adeline’s doing, or simply Ryan and Emily exercising their wish of escapism.
This idea of escapism is explored beautifully throughout the novel, with Persaud taking us from urban south London, fraught with traffic in every sense of the word, to the peaceful surroundings of the Welsh and Devon countryside. Both characters run away from their lives, the people they are responsible for, and – for a brief period at least – immerse themselves in an alternate reality. For them, the purchase of their homes represents so much more than a place to holiday. It gives them a taste of the life they could have lived with Adeline, and the reader sees that their worries are much more similar than they initially think.
Adeline swoops in on the couple’s lives with heavy impact, yet Persaud purposely doesn’t give her much character background. This means that she is easily mouldable in the two narratives, and adaptable to fit whatever story they want to tell themselves and each other. While she is chaotic in both instances, it is a different kind of chaos. The fact that so little regard is given to understanding Adeline also highlights the inherently selfish nature of Emily and Ryan. For them, Adeline functions merely as a pawn in their troubled marriage. However, the scenes when she shows some emotion and becomes seemingly more stressed/unhinged, are therefore more powerful, if unsettling. In these moments, the reader sees her now as an all-encompassing character rather than just a symbol.
It’s not just Adeline who has this faceless role in the novel – even the kids, Sam and Tom, seem largely unimportant in the couple’s existence. Sure, we get the odd snippet of family holidays, dramas, exams at school, but this mainly takes a backseat to the affairs that are taking place within the marriage, and their individual explorations with Adeline.
How the couple met themselves is also only briefly mentioned, leaving little for us to dissect and read into. But that’s not important in this novel – Persaud instead aims to highlight what is happening in the ‘moment’, and how the pair are navigating this new marriage. By the end of The Codes of Love, when the fragmented timelines finally meet in a climactic and charged conclusion – yet one that is also oddly calm and collected – the reader is left pondering how and why Ryan and Emily ended up like this.
The Codes of Love is published by Muswell Press and is available here.
travelsinfiction's review
4.0
3.5 rounded up
Was very captivated and wanted to keep reading. It’s always a bit of a strange one when all of the characters are a bit unlikable, but it does make it interesting!
I was expecting there to be great communication in this book seeing as they had an open marriage and very quickly realised that wasn’t the case so was disappointed about that. I did love reading the drama though
Was very captivated and wanted to keep reading. It’s always a bit of a strange one when all of the characters are a bit unlikable, but it does make it interesting!
I was expecting there to be great communication in this book seeing as they had an open marriage and very quickly realised that wasn’t the case so was disappointed about that. I did love reading the drama though
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
The Codes of Love was definitely a different kind of read for me. I was hooked on the story and the characters, but never really liked any of the main characters. In the case of this book it didn't really matter and it helped the story.
Emily and Ryan do not have the traditional kind of marriage. Emily thinks this is why they have survived as long as they have. Ryan never really wanted an open marriage but he loved Emily so he agreed. Their open marriage has rules and Ryan is about to break one of them. He falls for Ada, a young and high spirited woman and they have an affair - breaking the rule of no long term partners. Emily is also intrigued by Ada and she becomes a big part of both their lives.
As much as some parts of this book were uncomfortable to read I ended up really getting lost in it. I was disappointed with the ending. An emotional story of love and jealousy. And that cover is just gorgeous with all the colours
Thanks to Bloomsbury Books for my advanced copy of this book to read.
Emily and Ryan do not have the traditional kind of marriage. Emily thinks this is why they have survived as long as they have. Ryan never really wanted an open marriage but he loved Emily so he agreed. Their open marriage has rules and Ryan is about to break one of them. He falls for Ada, a young and high spirited woman and they have an affair - breaking the rule of no long term partners. Emily is also intrigued by Ada and she becomes a big part of both their lives.
As much as some parts of this book were uncomfortable to read I ended up really getting lost in it. I was disappointed with the ending. An emotional story of love and jealousy. And that cover is just gorgeous with all the colours
Thanks to Bloomsbury Books for my advanced copy of this book to read.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
3.0
The cover is what first attracted me to this novel. The colours are eye catching and it wasn’t until I finished the novel and really looked at it and noticed how apt it fits to the story itself.
The story flicks mainly between Ryan and his wife Emily. Each chapter is numbered with rules of an open marriage with a different subject matter. Some chapters are short and snappy, whilst others were a lot longer, allowing you to connect to the characters and get a feel of them.
I’ve never really understood the point of an open marriage and for me it made Emily comes across as being in control but as we get to know her, it’s as if she is covering up who she really is. The more I got to know Ryan, I felt sorry for him as its his love for his wife that has kept him there, trying to ignore all of his wife’s indiscretions. Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t perfect either but what he does is more in response to the attention he doesn’t get from his wife.
It is an interesting look into the dynamics of different relationships and what the feelings these characters have and how they act on them. All of who, seem to have ulterior motives. Ada and Leo help widen the cast and add more intrigue and tension to an already fraught story line.
The Codes Of Love is a very different type of read for me. It took me a little while to settle into the story but once I did, I was hooked into the characters lives and wondered if there could ever possibly be a happy ending for any of them. It was a bit like watching your favourite soap, waiting for revelations and the anticipation to how the characters would react. Overall I found this an enjoyable read. Personally I would have liked a bit more from the ending as it was a little abrupt but then I’m a sucker for everything being tied up nicely.
My thanks to Muswell Press for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The story flicks mainly between Ryan and his wife Emily. Each chapter is numbered with rules of an open marriage with a different subject matter. Some chapters are short and snappy, whilst others were a lot longer, allowing you to connect to the characters and get a feel of them.
I’ve never really understood the point of an open marriage and for me it made Emily comes across as being in control but as we get to know her, it’s as if she is covering up who she really is. The more I got to know Ryan, I felt sorry for him as its his love for his wife that has kept him there, trying to ignore all of his wife’s indiscretions. Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t perfect either but what he does is more in response to the attention he doesn’t get from his wife.
It is an interesting look into the dynamics of different relationships and what the feelings these characters have and how they act on them. All of who, seem to have ulterior motives. Ada and Leo help widen the cast and add more intrigue and tension to an already fraught story line.
The Codes Of Love is a very different type of read for me. It took me a little while to settle into the story but once I did, I was hooked into the characters lives and wondered if there could ever possibly be a happy ending for any of them. It was a bit like watching your favourite soap, waiting for revelations and the anticipation to how the characters would react. Overall I found this an enjoyable read. Personally I would have liked a bit more from the ending as it was a little abrupt but then I’m a sucker for everything being tied up nicely.
My thanks to Muswell Press for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
penuardo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
keepingupwiththepenguins's review against another edition
4.0
The Codes Of Love lands somewhere between Sally Rooney’s perennially popular Normal People and Simone de Beauvoir’s oft-overlooked She Came To Stay. When Ada sweeps into Ryan and Emily’s lives, she leaves a wake of deception and duplicity in her path. The timeline does jump back and forth a bit as events unfold, but the story takes place over such a short period (and the events are so closely interwoven) that it never feels disorienting. Steering clear of melodramatics and cliches, but always passionate, Pernaud delivers what she promises: “a page turning portrait of a contemporary marriage”.
An extended review is available at Keeping Up With The Penguins.
An extended review is available at Keeping Up With The Penguins.
lochanreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Codes of Love is about the power play between a wealthy middle-aged married couple, Ryan and Emily. They have an open marriage arrangement which Emily believes is the secret to a long-lasting marriage without the strain disillusionment and Ryan decides to go along with. But the tightly woven fabric of their arrangement begins to fray once Ada comes into their lives. Her carefree and slightly mysterious nature exerts a pull on Ryan and Emily that neither of them can resist.
In a similar vein, I found it hard to resist this novel! I thought it was a darkly delicious debut (excuse the alliteration). I was anxious to find out what would happen next and learn more about these characters, even the ones I didn't like, *clears throat* Ryan and Tom. I love that this novel inspires thoughtful commentary on such things as classism and traditional values. It makes the reader wonder; Does the pursuit of wealth ensure future happiness and stability? Does having an open marriage mean that your relationship is immune to the fatigue and sacrifice or more traditional marriages?
Unfortunately, I haven't read any of Persaud's short stories but having read The Codes of Love, which I believe to be a striking debut novel, I'm looking forward to seeing more from her.
(4.5 stars)!! ⭐ / tw: male rape, harrassment
In a similar vein, I found it hard to resist this novel! I thought it was a darkly delicious debut (excuse the alliteration). I was anxious to find out what would happen next and learn more about these characters, even the ones I didn't like, *clears throat* Ryan and Tom. I love that this novel inspires thoughtful commentary on such things as classism and traditional values. It makes the reader wonder; Does the pursuit of wealth ensure future happiness and stability? Does having an open marriage mean that your relationship is immune to the fatigue and sacrifice or more traditional marriages?
Unfortunately, I haven't read any of Persaud's short stories but having read The Codes of Love, which I believe to be a striking debut novel, I'm looking forward to seeing more from her.
(4.5 stars)!! ⭐ / tw: male rape, harrassment
hazel92's review against another edition
3.0
A novel which takes the reader through the breakdown of an open marriage. Each chapter begins by highlighting a rule within the marriage - which ultimately both characters break.
The characters were hard to empathise with. There feels from the very beginning that there can be no positive outcome or any sense of conclusion within the novel.
A very different but easy read, page turning in parts - 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for my copy.
The characters were hard to empathise with. There feels from the very beginning that there can be no positive outcome or any sense of conclusion within the novel.
A very different but easy read, page turning in parts - 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for my copy.
swalls95's review against another edition
3.0
Compelling and intriguing character study of an open marriage. Feel all parties had their own reasons to be involved with each other. I didn’t like Leo, found him a little strange.
It reads like a Sally Rooney novel.
3* for me.
It reads like a Sally Rooney novel.
3* for me.