Anne Tyler just keeps getting better and better. The Amateur Marriage is a sometimes painful, sometimes sad, sometimes funny look into the marriage of Pauline and Michael Anton, a mismatched couple who endure a 30-year union. What I most like about Anne Tyler is that she makes us realize through her characters that we are all flawed human beings, but that is what makes us lovable. This book has a darker feel to it than her other novels, but that is inherent in exploring the subject matter of a bad marriage. Oddly though, I didn't find the book depressing. What this book has in common with Tyler's other work is that is shows how we endure life's tragedies and find a way to carry on, and I find that uplifing.