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Women's Fiction

The Pilot's Wife : A Novel

The Pilot's Wife : A Novel

List Price: $13.95
Your Price: $13.95
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Engrossing, but slow
Review: I am not a fan of any books from Oprah's book club and was reluctant to read this one because of that fact. However, I was intrigued and have to admit that I read the book within three days, not necessarily because of Anita Shreve's writing, but I just plain and simple wanted to find out how it ended. Yes there were parts that were engrossing, however, I did find several paragraphs just hanging there and not totally relavant to the story. I felt that Kathyrn's character could have been developed better; Mattie's characterization of a 15-year-old was excellent. It did leave the nagging question in the back of my mind however: how could one not know? Ms. Shreve, I felt, did a fine job detailing average married life, trust, and bonds, and I suppose that's the answer to the question. An idea: Perhaps a novel on Muire Boland, and how she could live knowing she was married to a married man. Or perhaps from Jack's perspective in living a double life. Just a thought.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Wish there was more to...delve into - The Pilots Wife
Review: Having seen the book praised in the Oprah Book Club I purchased it a while later and have just completed it. Compared to books like richly detailed books like 'Songs in an Ordinary Time', the Pilots Wife is rather sparse and linear. Based on a dramatic discovery one night and subsequent revelations later, the story has its gripping moments which most women can identify with or atleast imagine it, namely a husband who has a secret life. Where I had a problem with the book was its rather pat ending. How can the protagonist trust again, having been betrayed by someone she knew for ten years? Is that a cynical view?
The gradual fading of intensity in a marriage is well brought out, but somehow I kept getting the feeling that Jack, the husband, is a rather unidimensional figure. Why doesnt he leave Kathryn when he loves another woman? The three words that I can probably describe Jack as are ( rather unredeemingly) - unfaithful, weak and insipid. Kathryn on the other hand, is more relatable, with her excuses of a fading sexual life in her marriage, her relationship with her ansty daughter and her acceptance of what she thought was inherently true, as both false and true.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Decent read
Review: The Pilot's Wife was overall pretty much just "okay." I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters even if I felt bad for Kathryn. However, it took me less than two days of light reading to finish it, so it was a nice study break for me.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Readable but sterile and narrowly focused
Review: "The Pilot's Wife" starts shortly after a woman finds out her pilot husband has died in the plane crash and takes place over the next few weeks, as more information unfolds about the circumstances of the crash and her husband's involvement in it. The book is mainly about her state of mind and involves only a few other characters: her daughter, a sympathetic representative of the airline who helps her adjust to the news and gradually provides more information, and her step-mother who mainly helps take care of the daughter during the event. And of course the husband, who is revealed through stories about their past.

I found this book readable and interesting, but I didn't find myself deeply involved in the character, Kathryn, or even the story. As I learned about her relationship with her husband, the later stories seem inconsistent with the earlier ones and I found it hard to believe Kathryn would have had the impressions of her marriage she conveyed at first. The relationships with the other characters (especially her daughter and mother) were sketched only lightly. Despite the mystery aspects of the book, I didn't find it especially compelling. Somehow the book seemed a little sterile and single-focused, lacking the rich detail and interesting characters that I find most satisfying in a novel.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Predictable but somewhat captivating
Review: This novel is the perfect book to bring to the beach or on summer vacation. It is an easy read and holds the reader's attention. The plot twists are predictable, but the descriptions by the author still draw you into the moment.The characters are well developed and the reader will find themselves wanting to find out what will happen next. Luckily, because of the length of the novel and the easiness of the read, the reader will not have to wait long.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Critical Review
Review: Award winning writer, Anita Shreve, does it again with A Pilot's Wife. She got the idea for the book from overhearing a pilot at a cocktail party talking about how the union always gets to the wife first when the plane goes down. It's their job to keep her from talking to the press. From this everyday small talk, Shreve put together another acclaimed novel.

This suspense/drama starts off full throttle with a knock at Kathryn's door. The man at the door (the union man) informs her of her husband's death. What little information is known suggests that Kathryn's husband, Jack, committed suicide, taking 103 others with him. She struggles to deal with his death and starts to investigate herself; for her sake as well as her daughter's. What she discovers causes her to question how well you can really know a person.

Shreve masterfully created a complex storyline that doesn't disappoint. It introduces a new type of suspense; one based more on emotional battles than fear. She explores the emotional struggles of a person who has lost a loved one in a tragic event and she does it in such a way that the reader is drawn into the struggle with them. She allows for the reader to experience firsthand the internal conflicts of such a tragedy, which makes for a more personal drama.

These elements keep the plot moving and the reader guessing, which makes The Pilot's Wife impossible to put down. It's the first novel that I've read in only a few days. I put off homework, television, and sleep all for the sake of reaching the conclusion. The end is well worth the commitment too. Shreve set up a wonderful plotline and finished it off even better. She gave enough foreshadowing to keep you guessing without a hint towards the grand finale. This novel that I had never heard of, by an author I had never heard of, makes me want to read all of Anita Shreve's novels.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Ride on an Emotional Roller Coaster
Review: The Pilot's Wife was overall a good book. As a reader one experiences the ride of Kathryn's emotional roller coaster-the pain, sorrow, grief, anger, and resolution. The book poses questions that are beneficial and intriguing to consider such as-"how do you ever know that you truly know a person?" Although the book was somewhat predictable, it did have its twists and surprises and was an absorbing and quick read.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Oh! Please!
Review: This book was so predictable that I could not stand it!!! Give me a break!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Decent read
Review: The Pilot's Wife was overall pretty much just "okay." I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters even if I felt bad for Kathryn. However, it took me less than two days of light reading to finish it, so it was a nice study break for me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Page Turner!
Review: This book was the greatest. I've never read a book that was so descriptive in an interesting way. Once I picked up the book I couldn't put it down. There were so many twists that it made me just read more. This was by far the best book I've ever read!


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