Customer Reviews

Young Wives: A Novel

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I read this book in one (very LATE) evening. This is what always happens to me when I buy an Olivia Goldsmith book. Why? Well, she is a fluent writer, with a fine sense of pacing. She has a devious mind, with which she plays out every revenge fantasy you ever had.

Now, it is certainly true that Goldsmith chooses the landscape between men and women as the venue for her most outrageous revenge escapades, and thus men in her books fall into three categories:

(1) complete slime balls who deserve far worse than ever happens to them in these books

(2) wonderful gentle perfect men who turn out to be the ideal love interest for the women who were treated badly by men of type #1

(3) supporting characters, who, when they do not fall into categories #1 and #2, always turn out to be gay

This book is no exception. Bad men, loving women who were done wrong, revenge which tosses the men farther down than they tossed their women, and lots of emotional catharsis.

The three main characters had the usual Goldsmith adventures and all ended up significantly better off than they had been at the beginning of the book. (And at the beginning of the book, two of them thought they had great marriages.)

You don't have to believe all men are pigs to enjoy this fiction, but you do have to be willing to believe that smart women frequently choose men who turn out to be pigs. Put aside what you know about real men, and their complex combinations of good and bad qualities, and wallow in the rollicking story provided for your spare-time enjoyment.

What can I say? It was great fun.

From the first witty chapter heading, Olivia Goldsmith dismantles the perfect suburban lives of attorney Angela, bank manager Jada and housewife Michelle. Then, with her characteristic wit, irony and laugh-aloud humor, she weaves their lives together and with not-so-surprising plot twists, gives them the strength to triumph over incredible (read man related) adversity.

While I read, I was sure I'd met Angela, Jada and Michelle before. I loved watching them develop new powers and talents as their friendship deepened. And, now that I've finished Young Wives, I miss them. I'd love to read a sequel.

OK, first I have to comment on Mr. Mallory's review. Yawn? I'd expect a man to yawn through this book. I, for one, can't keep my eyes opened when the plot of a book is based around the workings of a submarine.

The purpose of this book is not to capture the male reader - as a matter of fact, if anything, it is meant to tick them off. And, for what it is - AND IT IS A "GIRL" BOOK - "Young Wives" is very good. It manages to successfully follow the lives of three different women without getting too bogged down in senseless details. The writing is very good, the plot is thought out and executed in a very consistent manner. It's easy reading fiction that walks an almost comical line of outrage that only a woman could understand. So, if you have a problem with this book, it is probably because you basically do not like this type of literary entertainment.

If you're looking for a court drama, read John Grisham. If you're looking for good psycho-drama, read Dean Koontz. If you're looking for god-awful, horrible fiction, read Jackie Collins, Danielle Steel or Barbara Taylor-Bradford. But, if you want half-way decent fiction for women (and I stress the words fiction and women!), read Olivia Goldsmith. She's one of the best of her genre.

And - if you're a guy, go read Tom Clancy. Or, Zane Grey. You'll be much happier because you'll be reading a book that many a woman will put down after a few chapters rather than yawn through it.

This is the first Goldsmith book I've read, though I did see and enjoy "The First Wives Club" movie. It has interesting and believeable female characters, slimeball husbands, and a fabulous revenge plot, all of which make it entirely enjoyable in the hands of a very accomplished writer. While I personally like my hiss! boo! villians a little more nuanced, watching them receive their comeuppance was extremely satisfying. Goldsmith understands real female bonding. Her sub-theme of what happens when women's idealistic dreams are shattered, and how they must become independent to achieve lasting happiness, adds a certian poignancy to the book. Highly recommended!

This is a book for women! Being one myself I am truly astonished how Olivia Goldsmith has her finger right on the pulse of the real world! Loved the First Wives Club (movie was cute but book was a nose burier). Same with this book. I just got out of the hospital having been ordered to strict bed-rest for 2 weeks. Thankfully I has just purchased this book. I'll be finished this book at the end of today and what shall I read next? I'm afraid I'll be disappointed in anything else I pick up if it hasn't been written by this author. And I swear, she and I do not know each other!

At first I thought "Young Wives" was boring and slow. I was wrong! After the first half of the book, Jada and Michelle meet Angela and their lives really take on a new twist! I think Angela was the saving point of this story. Jada and Michelle are suddenly single women with children and Angela has a problem of her own to deal with. I think Jada's decision regarding her children was a good move, however her drastic measures to get them from Clinton was a bit much. I would not recommend doing what she did to the house. As far as Michelle goes, she did some foolish things herself to protect her kids. This book is a riot, so hang in there through the first few chapters, and you'll find yourself in the middle of a great read!

To the reader from Australia- Here are some great books to try !

Handyman by Linda Nichols

Plainsong by Ken Haruf

Bittersweet Rain by Sandra Brown

And, of course, anything from Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel!

I liked the book. It is not quite as good as The Bestseller or The Ex Wives Club, but a lot better than Marrying Mom! It is a revenge novel and the basic idea is pretty much like The Ex Wives Club, but darker and more sinister. More realistic also - the women are normal women, not New York socialites. I liked the scene when the heroines view a video tape of "The Ex Wives Club" film and decide that they, too, can take revenge on their husbands!

Olivia Goldsmith is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of her books and love them because she mixes a little drama, everyday life and lots of hilarious moments that anyone can relate too. If you want to try one of her books, I would recommend you start with Marrying Mom. I literally had tears running down my face from laughing so hard. It was wonderful as are all her books. Try them - I am sure you will like them as much as I have.

Starts off as a slow read (which is the only reason why I gave it 4 stars), laying out three lives that for the most part seem norm. As layer after layer is told, the three women in this book lives start to unravel. The story unfolded to the point of where I found myself not being able to put the book down. The paybacks on their former men go from simply funny, to extreme revenge. In the end, their former men get exactly what they deserve. Sorry for not giving too much away, however I thing this is a fantastic chick read!

This is a very twisted tale of three women who all ended up with wrong men. Although, this is a fictional book... it truely protrays a woman's sense of survival and love. I couldn't stop reading it - I was very disappointed when there was nothing else to read. I am looking forward to Goldsmiths new releases. It's a book worth keeping and reading again and again.