THE WIFE is the story of the long and stormy marriage between a world-famous novelist, Joe Castleman, and his wife Joan and the secret they've kept for decades. The novel opens just as Joe is about to receive a prestigious international award, The Helsinki Prize, to honour his career as one of America's preeminent novelists of the Mailer-Bellow-Updike school. But this isn't a book for writers; it's a book for readers, for people who are interested in questions such as: Is there a 'male' voice and a 'female' voice? Do men and women see the world differently, and how? THE WIFE takes on these issues, which are relevant not only in a writer's marriage, but in any marriage, where issues of gender and power are sure to arise.
The Wife is one of those reads that I can’t say I fully enjoyed while I was reading it, but I absolutely cannot brush it aside because I’ve been mulling over it ever since I finished. It touches on deep issues concerning how (and for whom) we live our lives, how we find fulfillment, and how we balance our choices with our responsibilities. All packaged in Wolitzer’s ravishing narrative style. More of my thoughts on this title can be found on my blog at A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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13 March, 2015:
Finished reading
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13 March, 2015:
Reviewed