Matrimony, by Joshua Henkin, for Better or Worse?

Matrimony, Joshua Henkin's novel focuses on 2 couples who meet their freshman year (1986) @ college, and fall in love.  Julian Wainwright, born with a silver spoon in his mouth in NYC befriends, Curtis Heinz, a working class scholarship student from Sausalito with a chip on his shoulder that could bring down the Golden Gate Bridge.  Both Julian & Curtis are aspiring writers that become fast & furious friends.  Soon after their bromance, Julian meets & falls in love with Mia - Curtis falls for Pilar and one communal naked hot tub club is born.  Sr. year, while pondering their futures, Mia's mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Mia reasons she & Julian should marry before her mother dies.  Julian's amenable, they marry & move off to grad-school purgatory.  Curtis & Mia, move together (unmarried) to SF for law school.  Does love run its smooth course?  No, but neither is the novel an intriguing examination of relationships.  Henkin seemed to put his heart into discussing the methodologies & angsts of a writer.  "When writing, keep it close enough to home that your heart is in it but far enough away that the imaginations can take over."  After 20 years Julian finally has his 1st novel published. "At long long, he cold think of himself as a writer."  Henkin does have his characters ponder "the paths not taken."  Henkin did not steer us on matrimonies' tribulations but delved into the mindset of a writer.  Matrimony is better as a writer's story and worse as a tale of marriage.