Today is another review for the Literary Wives blogging club, in which we discuss the depiction of wives in fiction. If you have read the book, please participate by leaving comments on any of our blogs.
Be sure to read the reviews and comments of the other wives!
- Lynn of Smoke and Mirrors
- Naomi of Consumed By Ink
- Rebecca of Bookish Beck
My Review
Lucy writes copy from home and is raising her two small sons, having given up greater career ambitions upon motherhood. Although bored, she is reasonably content until she finds out her husband, Jake, has been having an affair with an older coworker.
Lucy, whom we eventually learn grew up with a physically abusive father and a psychologically abusive mother, has always been fascinated by harpies. She is immediately filled with rage, yet she is also embarrassed by the concern of her friends once she realizes they all know, and in some ways she seems to find fault with herself. She thinks she is a poor housekeeper and a poor mother, although it seems clear that Jake doesn’t do much work around the house and that she is a loving mother.
The couple make a deal that she can hurt Jake three times in return for him hurting her. But the hurting seems to have two effects—it seems to bring out more savagery in Lucy and it seems to make Jake behave as if everything is all right.
I didn’t exactly enjoy this novel, although it provides insight into modern suburban life as well as abusive relationships. Frankly, it made me feel a little squeamish at times.
What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife?
Although this novel makes observations about marriage in crisis and dissolution, it also makes precise observations about the tedium, aggravations, and isolation of modern marriage and motherhood. Jake seems to think that after Lucy has had her three cracks at him, everything should go back to normal. For her part, Lucy realizes that when she forgave her father years ago for abusing her mother, her feelings became diluted. So, this novel is about Lucy recognizing and affirming her rage. Although that doesn’t seem to be a good thing for their marriage, no one seems to figure this out.
whatmeread 
I’m glad you mention the fact that Jake seems to think everything will be fine after she’s hurt him three times. This, obviously, is not a good solution, but neither of them seem to recognize that. Maybe they’re just hoping too much, and Lucy seems especially desperate to get back what they had before. Maybe as much for the kids as for herself.
Yeah, I don’t know how you could. But people stay in relationships for reasons that don’t make sense to others sometimes.
True.
I would say Hunter presents rage as a good thing, but will it have any positive effects here? I couldn’t make up my mind as to what would happen next. It seems like you both think they’ll stay together.
I’m not sure they would stay together in the long run, but I wasn’t even thinking that far ahead. The heroine certainly seems to think rage is a good thing, and maybe after years of repression it is. But nothing about this relationship seems healthy to me.
So, question for anyone who wants to answer. Is rage a good thing?