306. How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman
Rating: (2.5/5)
Oct 15, 2013, St. Martin's Press, 288 pgs
Age: 18+
"Marta and Hector have been married for a long time. Through the good and bad; through raising a son and sending him off to life after university. So long, in fact, that Marta finds it difficult to remember her life before Hector. He has always taken care of her, and she has always done everything she can to be a good wife—as advised by a dog-eared manual given to her by Hector’s aloof mother on their wedding day.
But now, something is changing. Small things seem off. A flash of movement in the corner of her eye, elapsed moments that she can’t recall. Visions of a blonde girl in the darkness that only Marta can see. Perhaps she is starting to remember—or perhaps her mind is playing tricks on her. As Marta’s visions persist and her reality grows more disjointed, it’s unclear if the danger lies in the world around her, or in Marta herself. The girl is growing more real every day, and she wants something.".
But now, something is changing. Small things seem off. A flash of movement in the corner of her eye, elapsed moments that she can’t recall. Visions of a blonde girl in the darkness that only Marta can see. Perhaps she is starting to remember—or perhaps her mind is playing tricks on her. As Marta’s visions persist and her reality grows more disjointed, it’s unclear if the danger lies in the world around her, or in Marta herself. The girl is growing more real every day, and she wants something.".
Received an egalley from the publisher through NetGalley.
Well, honestly, I wasn't overly fond of this and I guess I'm going to be in the minority here but so be it. Typically this is just the sort of book that I usually like; the unreliable narrator, the not knowing who is telling the truth. I found the story interesting and didn't have any problem finishing it but I kept waiting for something to happen. The first half of the book, I just kept thinking "would something happen now? please!" and then when it did it was what I had expected but the book didn't get anywhere with it; nothing was resolved and we are left no wiser than we started. I believe the book will get some rave reviews, in part due to Marta's sanity issues. I think the book may also be accepted from a mental health or feminist angle. I personally identify myself as a member of the mental health community but that gave me no sympathy for the narrator. I didn't like either of the characters and honestly didn't care who was telling the truth. Why don't we just say they both are then we can put him in jail, lock her up in the loony bin and the world will be a better place, imho. Blah!
Well, honestly, I wasn't overly fond of this and I guess I'm going to be in the minority here but so be it. Typically this is just the sort of book that I usually like; the unreliable narrator, the not knowing who is telling the truth. I found the story interesting and didn't have any problem finishing it but I kept waiting for something to happen. The first half of the book, I just kept thinking "would something happen now? please!" and then when it did it was what I had expected but the book didn't get anywhere with it; nothing was resolved and we are left no wiser than we started. I believe the book will get some rave reviews, in part due to Marta's sanity issues. I think the book may also be accepted from a mental health or feminist angle. I personally identify myself as a member of the mental health community but that gave me no sympathy for the narrator. I didn't like either of the characters and honestly didn't care who was telling the truth. Why don't we just say they both are then we can put him in jail, lock her up in the loony bin and the world will be a better place, imho. Blah!
Comments
Post a Comment