3.5 out of 5: Patty, who is pregnant with her first child, is woken up one night by a phone call: her husband Tommy is in jail for murder. The story continues as Tommy fights the charges against him. Typical for O’Nan, the story unwinds carefully and patiently, focusing on the small details of Patty’s experience throughout the ordeal. O’Nan clearly did his research. The best part of this book is the tender and hyper-realistic depiction of Patty and Tommy’s relationship over many years. On the downside, the plot bogs down at times and can seem monotonous. This may be intentional by O’Nan, but the reading experience suffers as a result. The Good Wife is not O’Nan’s best but a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan (a review)
3.5 out of 5: Patty, who is pregnant with her first child, is woken up one night by a phone call: her husband Tommy is in jail for murder. The story continues as Tommy fights the charges against him. Typical for O’Nan, the story unwinds carefully and patiently, focusing on the small details of Patty’s experience throughout the ordeal. O’Nan clearly did his research. The best part of this book is the tender and hyper-realistic depiction of Patty and Tommy’s relationship over many years. On the downside, the plot bogs down at times and can seem monotonous. This may be intentional by O’Nan, but the reading experience suffers as a result. The Good Wife is not O’Nan’s best but a worthwhile read nonetheless.
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4 comments:
Hi Gwen...I followed a link over from Library thing.com. I have enjoyed reading your reviews. I read "The Good Wife" a couple years ago and liked it but like you thought it did drag some in places.
I will keep checking back to read more of your reviews. =)
I've not read anything by O'Nan yet, although I did receive "Songs for the Missing" through B&N's FirstLook program. What do you consider his best?
kbookreviews,
I've only read Last Night at the Lobster and The Good Wife so far, so I'm not really qualified to say which is O'Nan's best. I will say I liked Last Night at the Lobster better than The Good Wife. I'm also looking forward to reading Songs for the Missing soon.
Thanks, I'll check it out.
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