Soon to be a major motion picture starring Glenn Close Meg Wolitzer brings her characteristic wit and intelligence to a provocative story about the evolution of a marriage, the nature of partnership, the question of a male or female sensibility, and the place for an ambitious woman in a man’s world. The moment Joan Castleman decides to leave her husband, they are thirty-five thousand feet above … thirty-five thousand feet above the ocean on a flight to Helsinki. Joan’s husband, Joseph, is one of America’s preeminent novelists, about to receive a prestigious international award, and Joan, who has spent forty years subjugating her own literary talents to fan the flames of his career, has finally decided to stop. From this gripping opening, Meg Wolitzer flashes back to 1950s Smith College and Greenwich Village and follows the course of the marriage that has brought the couple to this breaking point–one that results in a shocking revelation.
With her skillful storytelling and pitch-perfect observations, Wolitzer has crafted a wise and candid look at the choices all men and women make–in marriage, work, and life.more
Wow. This was one amazing book. Subtle, but amazing. I was looking for a short read and this was one of the most thin books on my shelf. It packed a punch, though. With truths portrayed so achingly, I thought it was a slice of many marriages. And then as I reached the end, I realized there was something even more. I plan to watch the movie next.
Side note: I find it interesting that this book incorporated everything we’re told *not* to do as authors – it had way more “telling” than “showing”, lots of backstory, and sparse dialogue. But it WORKED. Just goes to show you that the rules don’t always matter.
Set in the mid 20th Century, The Wife is an intimate and nuanced portrait of a marriage set against NYC’s publishing world. As a long-time editor and publisher and a NYT bestselling author, I can vouch for the authenticity of the setting. As someone who’s been married for a long time, I can also vouch for the fact that marriage is très complicated. 😉
The Wife is an exercise in restraint. You’re waiting for the explosion to come and instead, what comes is a slow burn. A look at a 1950’s marriage that is quietly devastating – for the wife. Super engaging, mostly due to the narrator’s voice which is deep and honest. So well written, I wanted to linger on every page. Much better than the movie–and the movie was good! (less)
I love everything Meg Wolitzer writes and this is no exception.
Excellent writing Realistic characters The emotions “the wife” exhibits are so real they are palpable You feel as though you know them and yet you cannot be certain of the ending. Impactful
Really worth reading if you seek stories with older women as the main character or narrator.
Readers can count on Rita Herron for a great story.
My first Meg Wolitzer read, and I confess I was surprised by its intensity. The big revelation at the end is telegraphed early on, but read for the remarkable, thoughtful, bitter voice of Joan, the wife, and her clever and thorough insights into society and the people around her. While sometimes her bitterness began to irritate me, I always found myself picking up the story again, and had to get to the final page.
Unusual style of writing, but a very good read, indeed! Thought-provoking in many ways.
This book was an easy and entertaining read.
Every time I read a Meg Wolitzer book I promptly buy another for my TBR pile.
Although you figure out what will happen in this Meg Wolitzer novel, you still care about the characters. You hope that the female will step up, and take her rightful place.
I enjoyed this book. It is well-written. I has to do with a famous husband and the wife who supported him in everything, damaging him, herself, and others in the family. It is about the insidious power of secrets and fame and lies to untether the bonds of marriage.
Meg Wolitzer writes about a marriage and follows it to the end. At first, the union is romantic, loving and wonderful. But then… as the years pass, compromises occur, compromises that change everything, even the respect and love that brought about the union. Eyes are opened, demands are made that become intolerable.
Read this book and avoid the pitfalls, the Wife fell into. Things have changed, and can change even more…if one is aware.