Review: Naoise Dolan, The Happy Couple

Having earned considerable acclaim for her 2020 debut Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan successfully builds on that impressive start with The Happy Couple. The titular pair are Dublin twenty-somethings Celine and Luke, the former a concert pianist and the latter a multinational tech drone.

Complicating Celine and Luke’s quest for conjugal bliss are their tangled feelings for their respective exes, Maria and Archie. The intrigue further deepens courtesy of the antics of Celine’s sister and bridesmaid, Phoebe, and another of Luke’s exes, Vivian.

Maintaining the ironic and humorous style of her debut, Dolan skilfully teases out the psycho-drama between the characters, whilst remaining sympathetic to their tribulations. Equally impressive is her flair for dialogue, with the protagonists’ playful jabs at each other often concealing deeper and more complex feelings.

Overall, another hugely accomplished effort from one of Ireland’s best young authors.

The new issue of Hot Press is out now.