Nom de Plume

Joan Castleman decides to leave her novelist husband Joe as they are flying to Finland. where he is to receive a literary prize. The novel flashes back over the course of their marriage and his career. There were parts I found a little tiresome, especially in the beginning as Joan narrates her tale a little too glibly–but it all leads to a shocking end that we are teased with at the beginning, but decide, no that can’t be.

Well, if that’s not cryptic and garbled enough.

Suffice it to say that this was a sly, subversive book. Joan appears glib at times, but this is part of Wolizter’s deft characterization. Joan and Joe come alive. The Wife also has a lot to say about women vs. that whole slightly misogynistic era of male writers who have deeper love affairs with their egos than with their women. You know, the Roths and Updikes that formed such a large part of the American literary scene for too long. For that alone, I enjoyed this immensely. All in all, a recommend.