The Anatomy of Marriage: The 10 Most Dysfunctional Married Couples in Literature
Nicole and Dick Diver
Tender Is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald
“If you’re in love it ought to make you happy. You ought to laugh.”
The opening scene in this novel introduces Nicole and Dick Diver at the height of their glamour and what seems to be the peak of their happiness. They’re emblematic of those couples that we all know who seem to have everything: looks, talent, money, and—most importantly—love. But the rest of the book sets about steadily dismantling any illusions we might have about the possibility of wedded bliss, and Dick descends into alcoholism and despair. Nicole remarries. And so it goes.