The Wife: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Clever with a "K".
Review: This is a very fine novel. It is certainly not a happy one, but one, that I think is honest. I'm sure many of the readers were touched by the character of the narrator, Joan Castleman. I was not touched, but certainly felt sympathy toward her and her anger. Perhaps because I am a man. Perhaps because I am not yet married. Perhaps because I am not in my golden yers, this book did not resonate fully with me. However, I was involved in the story and fascinated by Wolitzer's fully drawn characters. Her sly jabs at the publishing world were a bonus. Reviewers have discussed the "shocking" ending, but honestly I figured out the twist fairly early on. I didn't want to believe it perhaps, but when it was revealed I was not that surprised. What happens after the reveal was a bit surprising, but it all works. This is a good and honest novel and I'm glad I exposed myself to a different voice. An important one at that.

Rating:
Summary: Wise and weary: must-read for writers
Review: This is an excellent novel, well-paced, sharply observed, witty, bitter, sad-- and also forgiving.

It's true as other readers have noted that the subject is not 100% original. But in my view it's the best execution of a story about a literary wife-- and isn't it the execution that matters? This book is a joy to read; the prose is elegant and economic. Yes it is a portrait of the changing times, but there is a central "story question"-- what is the final thing prompting Joan to divorce her famous husband, Joe Castleman, after a lifetime of marriage? Is it just bitterness that she never pursued her own talent, anger over his cheating and taking her for granted, self-actualization?

There is a twist in the book-- I didn't see it coming at all, but when it did, like the movie Sixth Sense, everything else fell into place. This is a must-read for anyone with literary aspirations or for anyone in a long-term relationship. I only knew Wolitzer as a comic writer before, and there are some comic scenes, but in this book she equals Gail Godwin and Philip Roth (who had to have been part of the inspiration for charismatic, crude Joe). This is as palatable as any beach novel but is so much more substantial!

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: Usually I enjoy Wolitzer's books but this one annoyed me, particularly since the "twist" at the end wasn't surprising. I'm not giving anything away by noting that Joan Castleman, the narrator of this story, decides to leave her husband - this detail is revealed in the first chapter of the book, very early on. From there, she goes back and forth between describing the past (how she met her husband, his literary career, etc) and the present. It is the ending that seems so unbelievable to me and a throwback to earlier types of fiction, where women sacrifice themselves for love. A tale of two deeply dysfunctional people, in a marriage that lasted far too long, not particularly enlightening or engaging to read about.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: What a refreshing & beautiful work this is. I haven't come by this type of novel in awhile. It is well written, it is intelligent, it is an excellent story, and a whoa! to the ending. I am so happy to have found and read such a great work from Meg Wolitzer.