Which of these characters is depicted as an avid and insightful reader of books on various topics?

What married couple is experiencing domestic strife at the beginning of the novel? 

Which of the major characters spends time abroad mainly in order to recovery from a period of depression? 

Which character turns to religion when his or her married life is in turmoil?

Which character nearly dies in labor?

Which marriage is proposed in silence and through partially written notes?

Which character sells off his wife's property in order to pay for his own opulent lifestyle?

Which character suffers no professional loss at all as the result of his private/married life?

Who races horses as a serious hobby?

Which character publishes a book with high expectations only to have the book go largely unnoticed by the public?