The Wife, Meg Wolitzer
The Wife, Meg Wolitzer
2 Rating(s)
List: $16.95 | Sale: $11.87
Club: $8.47

The Wife
A Novel

Author: Meg Wolitzer

Narrator: Dawn Harvey

Unabridged: 8 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/19/2015

Synopsis

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 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 Smith College and Greenwich Village in the 1950s 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.

About Meg Wolitzer

American author, Meg Worlitzer, has been the first author to participate in a coast to coast book club discussion via Skype. That would seem to be a great way to promote her work most advantageously. The work discussed was The Uncoupling. Meg was born in 1959 in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother was also a novelist and her dad, a psychologist. She graduated from Smith College and Brown University in creative writing. Her first writing was accomplished during undergrad, entitled, Sleepwalking, a tale of three college girls who were obsessed with poetry and death, and was published in 1982.

Her novels include: The Interestings, The Uncoupling, The Year Nap, The Position, The Wife, and Sleepwalking. These were all on the New York Times-bestselling list. She also co-authored a cryptic crossword book, and has taught creative writing in several important venues. Three films have evolved from her writings, including This Is Your Life, scripted and directed by Nora Ephron.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Aliki on June 12, 2013

Some reviewers have said they find the wife's motivations unbelievable. They must be younger people, who didn't experience the transformation that feminism brought about for women writers. I'm both glad and concerned that they can take for granted the opportunities that have opened up for women. Thi......more

Goodreads review by Mischelle on July 27, 2009

This was a great book. The only two drawbacks are that she used some strong profanity in parts and that from the beginning you can figure out the ending. However, the following passage makes up for it (I read it to my husband) "Everyone knows how women soldier on, how women dream up blueprints, reci......more

Goodreads review by Constantine on February 21, 2022

Rating: 3.5/5.0 Genre: Contemporary + Literary Fiction Synopsis: Joan Castleman is the wife of a famous novelist Joe Castleman. There is a secret that they have kept for a long time! During their visit to Finland where Joe is about to receive the prestigious international award, The Helsinki Prize, to h......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on May 16, 2019

3+ stars The Wife is an interesting commentary on a forty-year marriage. Joe Castleman is a writer of little talent married to Joan, a gifted writer. It is her talent that makes him famous. He gets the credit, feeding his huge ego; she gets to write without facing the difficulties of competing in the......more

Goodreads review by Patricia on July 12, 2018

This book was good and interesting but to me, not great. I enjoyed the read and had this book on my "want to read list" for a while but when I saw that it was being made into a movie with Glen Close as the star, I moved it up on my list. I think Glen Close will be perfect in this role. This was a st......more

Quotes

“Acerbically funny…Wolitzer keeps us guessing right up until the gut-wrenching twist of a finale.” Entertainment Weekly

“[Wolitzer] has great fun satirizing an all too recognizable stratum of literary life.” New Yorker

“A puzzle and an entertainment…a near heartbreaking document of feminist realpolitik.” New York Times Book Review

“Wolitzer’s…funny yet harshly bitter book features amazingly crafted prose, and the story of what Joan sacrifices to support her husband and his illustrious career is just as astounding. Complete with a staggering twist ending, this is not one to miss.” Library Journal

“Deploys a calm, seamless humor…Rage might be the signature emotion of the powerless, but in Wolitzer’s hands, rage is also very funny.”  New York Times

“To say that The Wife is Wolitzer’s most ambitious novel to date is an understatement.” Washington Post

“An intimate and searing portrait of a long-term marriage in all its secrets and compromises.” Variety

“A rollicking, perfectly pitched triumph…Wolitzer’s talent for comedy of manners reaches a heady high.” Los Angeles Times

“Wolitzer choreographs her ire into kung-fu precision moves to zap our every notion about gender and status, creativity and fame, individuality and marriage.” Booklist (starred review)

“Wolitzer’s crisp pacing and dry wit carry us headlong into a devastating message about the price of love and fame.” Publishers Weekly

Awards

  • Oprah Pick
  • Washington Post Best Book
  • A PBS NewsHour-New York Times Book Club Pick
  • iBooks bestseller
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