The chains of marriage are so heavy that sometimes they can only be carried by three. A triangular story. Two men and a woman. Oliver and Stuart and Gillian. She was with Stuart, and Gillian is married to Oliver, and the story is not over yet. With narrative finesse, Julian Barnes develops a complex scenario of love and so on in his new novel. Stuart and Gillian were married in their first marriage until Oliver stole the woman from his friend shortly after the wedding. Ten years after this humiliating experience, Stuart returns to England as a successful businessman from America. Oliver and Gillian have not fared as well, as their marriage, though blessed with two daughters, suffers from the daily grind. Gillian supports the family, while Oliver hides his failure behind a torrent of empty words. Stuart sees his chance to help.