Tangent from: The Wife
At the recommendation of Nick Hornby, I recently read The Wife by Meg Wolitzer. I was surprised when I learned that this book shaped Mr. Hornby’s writing. A number of his books deals with predominantly male interests (obsessive record collection/soccer/prolonged bachelorhood). Then I remembered How To Be Good, in which he writes from a woman’s perspective. After reading The Wife, I can certainly see Ms. Wolitzer’s influence.
The story is about Joan, 64-year-old spouse of novelist Joe Castleman. On a plane ride to Helsinki, where Joe will be accepting the much coveted Helsinki Prize, Joan decides to leave her husband. The book retraces Joan and Joe’s relationship and examines their evolution both as individuals and as a couple. The characters are strongly developed and the tone is sharp, clever, and witty. Ms. Wolitzer reviews the role of “the wife” (well, of this wife) and all that it entails — the happiness, the sacrifices, the betrayals, the rewards. She raises issues about gender, including its impact on the characters (who shared literary aspirations) and their life choices. She also provides insight on the connection between two writers and shows how passion and talent can both bond and break people.
I have seen different jackets for this book, but this is my favorite. The M, the W, and the open book between the two letters could represent the author herself. But it could also refer to Man and to Woman — who, like the letters, share similarities, but are not the same — and to the ones in the story who were united and divided by the written word.
I have to remember to pick this book up…