Customer Reviews

Other Woman

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Jane Green has written much better books than "The Other Woman," but I would still recommend it for a fun, fast, mindless read; maybe while you are holed up for a weekend with a head cold.

It has a strangely stilted tone that doesn't appear in Green's other books, almost as if she were telling the story from far, far away, through a telephone. I can't explain it more than that, but it has a curious lack of affect to it, maybe because the plot was not close to the author's heart?

At any rate, this book tells the story of Dan and Ellie, a couple who meet, fall in love, get pregnant and marry (in that order), falling into an idyllic life that is marred by only one thing: "the other woman"--in this case, Dan's overbearing, in-your-face, no-boundaries-whatsoever mother, Linda. This woman is so over-the-top awful that she reads as a caricature; you really can't believe her antics or the rather lame reasons that Ellie, a high-powered career woman, folds into helpless girlhood in Linda's presence.

The book meanders on, pleasantly enough, until a denoument is reached. I didn't believe any of it, but I cannot say I didn't like the book. It has Green's usual fun cast of characters (although not half as endearing as in most of her books) and moves along quickly. Just don't expect a "Babyville"--or you will be very disappointed.

I thought I would like this book because I have a difficult relationship with my mother-in-law but it just bothered me. It started off good enough but just kind of fell apart. Unlike other reviewers I could understand how some of the things Linda did got under Ellie's skin, it was the inconsistancies that got to me. Ellie doesn't drink because her mother was an alcoholic (this point is made several times in the beginning of the book) and then all of a sudden she's a casual drinker like she'd always been, huh? She complains constantly that she doesn't have any friends yet she shares her deepest feelings and misses terribly her Sunday lunches with Fran. Her father reaches out to her at her wedding and then basically disappears from the book. And this is petty but she says at one point that she guesses she has "step" siblings or something. Who doesn't know that if your father has children with someone other than your mother that they are "half" siblings? I could go on and on but basically there were so many things that made me think "what?" it was hard to enjoy.

I truly appreciate all types and forms of literature and very seldom do I come across a book that I will only finish reading out of sheer wonderment that it is truly as bad as it seems. And yes, "The Other Woman" is such a book.
I love chick-lit as much as the next "twenty-something receptionist with a lot of free time at work to actually complete an entire novel in a day..." but Green's mind numbing imposter almost made me feel guilty for getting paid to read. Not only is the "villian" just a slightly overbearing MOTHER with her intentions generally pointed in the right direction (our whiney and ungrateful main character becomes enraged that momma in law purchases new grandbaby a boat load of new fun goodies...any normal working class female citizan understands how strapped the dollars become once a new person is born into the family and would not only jump at a pile of lovely hand me downs but the idea of fantastic brand new baby things??? Thats enough to make one nearly wet herself! Why is Ellie so ungrateful? Her MIL beat her to the punch of baby shopping joy.) I was expecting truly unforgivable crimes of inlaw on inlaw but was left dissapointed and scratching my head asking the rehtorical question, "um...so what was your problem with her? She bought you nice things, took you on vacation, begged to babysit your child, and truely cared about your own wellbeing? How dare she?!?!"

This system really should be set up to accept half stars. I don't like giving this book two stars, but IMO it didn't warrant three.

One reviewer remarked about some of the silly descriptive writing (cappucino machine greeting Ellie a 'shiny hello' was an excellent example); another reader said that this book was "character driven." I must respectfully disagree. Oh, there may have been lots of characters, but this was a PLOT driven book if I've ever read one. It reads like one reviewer described - as if someone was retelling a story to you - and you, the listener, has to just sit and nod your head.

None of the characters are sympathetic, except for Linda. And not the Linda at the end of the book - the Linda from the almost the very beginning. I should say that I am not a mother-in-law - my children are nowhere near the marrying age - and I even have a crappy MIL of my own, in fact (for different reasons). What I saw in this book was not an evil MIL. I saw a misunderstood MIL, maybe a bit of an overbearing MIL who wasn't a good listener. But the problem was not with Linda, it was with Ellie - bitter, jealous, resentful, nitpicky, whiny-baby Ellie - who, we're supposed to believe, is a top-level executive at work, and has been for years an independent woman -but melts into a malleable puddle around her MIL. Please. I find it hard to believe that at age 33, she did not know how to translate her people skills over to her personal life.

All these characters were two-dimensional. I did not know hardly anything, really, about any of them by the last page. Oh, sure, they all had lots of experiences, lots of things "happen" to them throughout the course of this 100-page-too-long book, but they did not come off the page for me.

Supposedly Linda made Ellie's life a living hell. Ellie had lots and lots of reasons that she listed, lots and lots of offenses to her credit. But she did not once handle Linda like an adult. She carried on like a immature brat through the entire course of the book, thinking only of herself. Even using her own child against the so-called "evil" MIL. She even had her friends dropping her hints about how to remedy the situation and all she would do was bristle and get defensive. If ever there was a character in need of some intensive one-on-one therapy, it was Ellie Black Cooper, the daughter-in-law from hell.

Another thing: Ellie was supposedly lacking a mother figure in her life due to the untimely death of her alcoholic biological mother. She didn't try to ferret out the good points in Linda and make them work for her, she found the bad and 1) didn't deal with them and 2) exacerbated them. Further, Ellie's bio mother was an alcoholic but aside from saying it, that component is never explored. In fact, I kept thinking it might be because in several spots Ellie is drinking to the point of slight inebriation. I would think, as a reader, that there would have been a connection explored there for the reader to warm up to the character. But no. I mean, why was Ellie such a martyr b----?

After what Ellie discovered her "friend" Lisa up to toward the end of the book, I was dismayed that she insisted that she not "judge" Lisa. As if judging that type (no spoiler here) of behavior is incorrect. That type of behavior, which ruins families and relationships. What kind of person finds out what Ellie found out about a friend and decides to keep them on as a friend? Totally unrealistic and bizarre.

And talk about a tidy ending! I won't mention details here, but could there be a book out there that is tied any tighter with a neat, shiny bow at the end?

I understand that Jane Green has a big following. Another reviewer mentioned that Green's "singleton" books are better. I may go back to her at a later date and give this author one more shot. Or maybe not.

I generally like Jane Green, but this was probably the worst book I ever read. I only finished it because I kept thinking it would get better, or there would be an awesome turn at the end. There wasn't. It was impossible to feel any empathy or even like for the main character because she was so passive and wishy washy. Ick. And her love-story with her husband was pathetic. You were supposed to feel like they were in love, but there was just nothing there. All of the characters lacked depth.

Overall, the book just made me feel tense. Skip it.

I have read several of Jane Green's books, and although some of them have unrealistic parts in them, they are usually at least enjoyable. This book was horrible to read. The "evil" mother-in-law was nowhere close to how she was described on the back of the book. This is what is written:

"Ellie's problems have just began. When she discovers she is pregnant, she realizes that Linda has only been rehearsing for the real takeover".

What takeover? All Linda did was buy the baby a bunch of toys and clothes, show up at the hospital when her FIRST GRANDCHILD was about to be born, offer to babysit and give them a free vacation to the south of France. She may have dropped the baby, which was totally unrealistic, but it was an ACCIDENT.

I could go on and on, but I will just say that I do not recommend this book.

Long gone are the single girl adventures of trying to find Mr. Right or at the very least Mr. Right-now. Green's characters of late have traded in girl's nights out for early nights in front of the television. No longer are they worried about first dates, changing diapers has taken their place. And while I can relate to all of that and may even enjoy reading about a life similar to my own by another author I have to admit that I miss the Jane Green of old. When I pick up a book by Green I want to laugh out loud at the antics of the single girl, as no one writes about single life in London better and while `THE OTHER WOMAN' was enjoyable I did not laugh out loud once.

When Ellie Black turns to Ellie Cooper she thinks that she has gotten everything she's ever dreamed of. The wonderful and doting husband and the family she always wanted but never had. Ever since Ellie's mother died when she was thirteen she has always yearned for a mother figure in her life and when she meets Dan's mother Linda she is sure that Linda will be it. However, slowly but surely Linda begins to immerse herself in all aspects of Ellie's life which only serves to push Ellie away. Soon after the birth on Ellie and Dan's first child Linda becomes more than Ellie can bear and rather than either of these women being mature enough to take a step back from the situation and maybe even try to talk it out Linda just becomes more overbearing and Ellie becomes a horror to both Linda and her husband Dan. From here the book takes various turns, a tragic accident, a separation, an affair and the loss of some friendships and a rekindling of others.

Green's last two books have not quite hit the mark for me. However, I do still enjoy her writing style, which is always fun and easy to read. And while I found `THE OTHER WOMAN' to be a bit predictable and boring at parts I did enjoy how acurately Green portrayed Ellie's transition from the single career driven woman to the wife and mother. Overall I give `THE OTHER WOMAN' 3 ½ stars.

Let me start by saying that for me a book does not have to be written by a Nobel prize winner and I may go so far as to say it doesn't even have to be totally convincing...

THIS book, I found to be enjoyable. I totally sympathised with Ellie regarding Linda and Dan. I found Dan to be a total wimp where his mother was concerned and totally agreed that Linda would have much easier for Ellie to stomach had her husband supported her.
I also found it very easy to believe that Ellie would stoop to such childish measures where Linda was concerned as I found myself cheering her on when she said she would pick up the baby before Linda got to him. Pretty sad, but I did totally believe that aspect of the book and thought it was well represented.

HOWEVER....I had a problem with the 'tense' in which the story was told. I thought the jumps from past to present were a little cloudy and could have been smoother and more clear.

I was also very disappointed with the ending. Rather like the honeymoon that was completely skipped over, so was the reconciliation.

Like I said.....my favourite stories do not have to be mind-blowing.....

Of all the book genres, chicklit books are probably the one where bad writing counts the least. You don't need descriptions, metaphors, wordplay or any literary techniques. Just a likable character and a workable plot will do.

That's why, I find it hard to believe that I am giving this book a bad review because it is poorly written. But I am, because it was.

Imagine meeting someone on a plane or something, and having her tell you her life story. "First I did this, then I did that, then she said this. . ." That is exactly what the book reads like. There is no emotion, wit or even much dialogue in the book. Nothing is shown, everything is told. The narrator says her mother in law is a witch, so OK, the readers are expected to believe it. In fact, the mother in law seems nicer than the daughter in law, who whines incessantly about stupid, trivial things. Imagine, having your in-laws buy you baby things! Or pay for your wedding! Or come with you on the dream vacation they are paying for! Can you imagine the horrors.

Even when grandma drops the baby on his head, Ellie is more upset by the older woman's ignoring of her tough-love parenting routine (no picking up the baby when he cries in his crib) than by her son's ridiculously unrealistic injury, which she recounts in the same bored tone as she describes her outfits.

The book does have a plot that's interesting, which is why I gave it 2 stars. Still, if you want to see a better-written, more realistic fictional mother/daughter-in law conflict, well they re-run "Everybody loves Raymnond" several times a night!

I've read all of Jane Green's books and have liked most. Sadly, this isn't one of them. Her books about the single life were terrific, the best being "Bookends" but her novels about married life are just a chore to wade through. This one is no different.

Ellie is simply too unbelievable a character for me to sympathise with and her mother-in-law is equally horrible. Neither character is worth remembering. The traditional framework of Jane Green's novels is here with the friend having relationship problems, although in this case her friend is sleeping with her father-in-law. I thought that Ellie was too quick to forgive her mother-in-law for her mistakes. Ellie believes she is simply the best mother in the world, and naturally Linda (the mother-in-law) think's SHE's the best mother in the world. Hence the fights. Dan is spineless and certainly not a guy I'd consider dating.

I did give it two stars, for two reasons: one a book has to truly awful for me to give it one and this one wasn't, and two I managed to actually finish it without gagging, which means a lot.

Sorry, Jane. I didn't like it.