Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff: The Novel Cure for the tendency to see the worst in people

Groff's portrait of a marriage told from both points of view, encourages us to believe that assuming the best in others may, in fact, be a self-fulfilling prophecy

Ailment: Tendency to see the worst in people

Cure: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Some of us are always on the look-out for faults in others – searching for a reason to be disappointed from the moment we meet. But what if we were to retune our senses to pick up only the loveable characteristics of others?

An immersion into the edgy symphony of Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff's portrait of a marriage told from both points of view, encourages us to believe that assuming the best in others may, in fact, be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From the minute he's born, Lotto – or Lancelot Satterwhite, to give him his full, meaning-filled name (think "satyr"; think "pure") – is seen by his parents as someone on whom the gods smile. Blessed with the confidence that comes from good looks and a fortune he's set to inherit, he is loved by all.

The sudden death of his father comes shockingly early, but though he carries the ache of this loss all his life, it doesn't dim his light. At college he takes full advantage of the "wonderland" of women until, after playing the lead in Hamlet, he sets eyes on his future wife. He knows next to nothing about her. But within two weeks, they're married.

His friends give the marriage a year, tops. Who is this icy, mysterious Mathilde who has captivated their trusting friend? And though Lotto pieces together snippets about her childhood – abusive, lonely, sad – he remains unaware of the darkness at her core, and what she's capable of. As, until the second half of the book, do we.

But does it matter? Their marriage goes through some difficult patches. Lotto fails to make it as an actor; they are childless. But they are mostly very happy. Lotto never stops seeing Mathilde as the epitome of goodness and devotion.

Having decided to see the best in her, he gets it. Entertain only generous thoughts about others. You'll find you are generously rewarded.

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