American Wife: Curtis Sittenfeld: I would not normally have picked up this book because I wasn't particularly interested in a novel based on the life of Laura Bush, but Samantha liked it, and we have similar taste in books. This book is not fast paced, so if you're looking for a quick read, American Wife is not for you. But if the life of a quiet woman who finds herself profoundly affected by a tragic accident in her teens and then is caught up in the swirling life of a big political family in her 30s, is of interest to you, then this is your book. Sometimes I found myself very frustrated by Alice -- it's as if, after the accident, she was a passive participant in her own life. She had excuses for everything, including the mistakes of her husband the president, rather than deal with any incident upfront. But, nevertheless, I liked her. I especially liked her the few times she showed some backbone and stood up to Charlie. American Wife is well-written and enjoyable; my only quibble is with the end, after Charlie is in the White House. The book seems to lose Alice's story here and just ends -- it's as if Sittenfeld didn't know how to end the novel. Despite the lackluster ending, American Wife is a good read and I would consider reading it again at some point.
Showing posts with label Curtis Sittenfeld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Curtis Sittenfeld. Show all posts
Saturday, October 24, 2009
American Wife
American Wife: Curtis Sittenfeld: I would not normally have picked up this book because I wasn't particularly interested in a novel based on the life of Laura Bush, but Samantha liked it, and we have similar taste in books. This book is not fast paced, so if you're looking for a quick read, American Wife is not for you. But if the life of a quiet woman who finds herself profoundly affected by a tragic accident in her teens and then is caught up in the swirling life of a big political family in her 30s, is of interest to you, then this is your book. Sometimes I found myself very frustrated by Alice -- it's as if, after the accident, she was a passive participant in her own life. She had excuses for everything, including the mistakes of her husband the president, rather than deal with any incident upfront. But, nevertheless, I liked her. I especially liked her the few times she showed some backbone and stood up to Charlie. American Wife is well-written and enjoyable; my only quibble is with the end, after Charlie is in the White House. The book seems to lose Alice's story here and just ends -- it's as if Sittenfeld didn't know how to end the novel. Despite the lackluster ending, American Wife is a good read and I would consider reading it again at some point.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)