Good Wife Strikes Back, The

Rating:
Summary: On Target but Not Her Best Work
Review: Elizabeth Buchan, whose previous work Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, seeped into my consciousness as I read it, was a better choice than this tepid attempt. Tepid isn't all bad, though, unless your expectations are for something either hot or cold. In this case, the lead character, Fanny, has a real marriage. She is married to a self-absorbed elected official, has a great daughter, and carries the burdens of her husband's sister, her parent's failed relationship, and her own discontent. Fanny does it so well, that we hardly realize what a struggle it must be for such a vibrant, intelligent woman to make herself into these variations.

Then it becomes clear that this is the genius, and the failing, of this good novel. We never see the struggle. Even when Fanny confronts her husband about an affair, or her interfering, alcoholic sister-in-law, we don't get the feeling that she really sweats any of it. What we get is the gentle picture of a woman skimming the surface of life, at least at first.

Finally, with the death of her father, and the death of the sister-in-law, we began to see what Fanny is made of. At that point, we empathize, sympathize, and understand that Fanny's seeming disconnection from the turmoil is in fact protection for a deep and sensitive spirit.

I enjoyed this book. I found the writing lucid, poetic in places, and very readable. Men and women could read this book and get something out of it, particularly in examining the smooth, placid surface of Fanny's life and its eventual toll. Why such a low rating? Because the feeling was missing for me through most of the book. And I expect feeling when I read Buchan.

Rating:
Summary: Savor This Book
Review: This book was an engrossing but soothing read with considerable depth. With humor and tenderness the author peels back the layers in the life of the "good wife" married to a somewhat self-absorbed a Member of Parliament. Buchanan has a true understanding of the compromises (and sometimes less than appropriate sacrifices) that are involved in a genuine partnership. I recommend this book highly and enjoyed it even more than Buchanan's previous works, including "Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman."

Rating:
Summary: I Too Say so-so
Review: Though a few chapters to read, I found the story to be nothing but the ordinary story of a middle age woman and her political lifestyle via hubby. The conversations and plot rendered nothing different than going next door in Middletown Suburbia or down to the local church and talking to the members or neighbors.

I felt the body of the story was overwhelmed with too many descriptive terms making the story flow with edge. I can't say that I have completely enjoyed it. It was one I skimmed more than spent turning the page with a hunger to find the next reference, action or deed. Books I have enjoyed are: "Secret life of bees" and "Hemorrhage in my Head" by NMR