Rating: 
Summary: One of suspense fiction's best authors--an incredible book!
Review: "The Stepford Wives" is a fast read. It's short, it's written lightly, and could easily be read in a day's time, if you had the opportunity to sit down. For that reason, it is easy to dismiss this book as just another light-hearted fiction novel. That would be a grand mistake.
"The Stepford Wives" is not just any other suspense novel. In point of fact, it's not even suspenseful anymore, what with the popular remake of the film. What makes this novel stand out--actually, what makes MOST of Ira Levin's novels stand out--is the subtle satirical horror of it all:
Joanna Eberhart and her husband Walter move into a new town. Stepford. It has a great reputation, with great schools, a wonderful library, and happy husbands. VERY happby husbands. Because after 4 months, the wives of Stepford change. They go from normal, sometimes even feminist, women, into obediant and submissive housewives. And Joanna's time is rapidly coming...
See? It's a suspense novel. It's a science fiction novel. Quite possibly, it's a HORROR novel (ROSEMARY'S BABY, anyone?). Ira Levin is a talented, brilliant author. He combines the fears of ordinary life into a satirical masterpiece that will leave you as disturbed as you are entertained. Brilliant writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Clever and entertaining
Review: Anyone coming to "The Stepford Wives" from the recent film will be surprised to find the book is so much creepier, intelligent and shorter than the Hollywood version suggests. Glenn Close and Nicole Kidman play it for laughs but Ira Levin's intention in his novel seems much darker as his fable critiques consumerist US society.
Sadly it is too short (and perhaps its sheer readability makes it seem briefer still) to be truly satisfying. Indeed it feels much more like modern fairy-tale than a fully-fledged novel. However its depiction of 1960s smalltown middle-class America hits the nail on the head and you are left wishing that the well-drawn characterisations of a lot of the minor characters were given wider rein.
Rating:
Summary: Welcome To Stepford!
Review: I absolutely loved this book! It's such a great story and so interesting, it's also very easy to read, so for those of you who aren't a big fan of reading, this is the book for you! It continually held my interest and I did not want to put it down for a second! Buy the book! You'll want to read it again and again! I can't wait to read Rosemary's Baby now!!!
Rating:
Summary: This is great
Review: I loved both the book and the movie! A joy to read or watch. Josie
Rating:
Summary: The Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Gloria Steinem
Review: I loved this book! I ran across it while browsing through a bookstore last week. I was interested in seeing the recently released remake of the 1975 movie (which I had always wanted to see, but never have had the chance) and was surprised to find out the movie was based on a book by Ira Levine (I assumed the original movie was based on an original screenplay). The book started off a little slowly for me, but soon I was absorbed and the pace really picked up. I ended up reading the entire book on the inbound leg of my daily train commute (I had assumed that it would take up both legs, so I had nothing to read on the return). I won't go into the plot (other reviewers have given you their versions), but I was very happy to read a very well written, taut piece of thought provoking fiction after a lot of the pulp fiction (Grisham, Crichton, etc) that I have been reading lately. This is an intelligent thriller whose power rests in its subtlety. Much is left to the readers imagination, which is a relief compared to so many modern thrillers. However, more than a simple thriller, it is a brutally wicked satire, which is why I really enjoyed this book. The book is a little dated. Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember 1972, but I fear some of the references to 1972 events and icons (for example, Betty Friedman's The Feminine Mystique) may go over many younger readers' heads. I am very curious now to see the movie (and even to rent the DVD of the original). I am particularly curious to how they maintain the subtlety of the book (or if they even try) in the movie version.
Rating:
Summary: good plot; too simplistic?
Review: I saw the review for the movie in theaters but I thought there would be more if I read the book. I was wrong! Good plot; I just wish that there was more to it. It's less than 200 pages and I read it in two days to find out more but I just didn't find that edge. I wanted to know more about what the men were thinking ; twist it up make her sound more crazier or more sane.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Good!
Review: I'm giving this 3 stars because of the lenght of the book. The Edition I have from Bloomsbury is only 116 pgs long.
Other than that it's actually a very entertaining book. You'd have it read in a couple of hours, so it's kind of like watching a film. Everythin happens in a constant rythym.
Joanna, her husband and 2 kids have moved to Stepford. It's a nice, serene place, only not too social. And the women are all TOO good to be true...
I'll leave the synopsis at that, everyone knows what The Stepford Wives is about anyway.
To sum up, it's funny, suspense filled, but leaves you kind of empty. an extra hundred or two pages, a few extra sub-plots and a little more horror would make it ideal. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: Still relevant
Review: Ira Levin's "The Stepford Wives" is still relevant in 2004. This is a light, quick read you could easily finish on an airplane to pass the trip. You'll be glad you have the undisturbed time to read this, because this is a fun novel that is even better than the movie. It's filled with satire that still resonates today. Be afraid...Joanna and the other wives can be found in suburbs today!
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Levin you're the bomb!
Review: Ira Levin's stories are a pleasure to read. Stepford Wives has a fantastic premise (already coverd in other reviews), and delivers a brilliant story with thought-provoking ideas at its heart.
To conform or not to conform will ALWAYS be something Americans wrestle with (can't speak for other cultures). But in America, where we value liberty and individuality, there is also an insidious pressure to conform in some manner to some group--and those who don't will have to suffer consequences to be sure. That's why the premise of Stepford Wives will always be relevant.
As for the writing, Mr. Levin's prose are as clear and clean and knife-sharp as Scott Fitzgerald. Check it out for heaven's sake!
Rating:
Summary: AWSOME
Review: it was REALLY amazing. The end takes a twist and makes you do a double take!
|
