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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Wellness made me think, made me cry (which never happens), made me laugh, and honestly, made me feel bored at times.
I wasn't sure what to think when I saw how thick of a book Wellness was. I thought to myself, "how can a book be so dense and need so many words?" Now, this is where things get interesting, and I just need to number my random thoughts throughout my experience reading this book:
1. The backstory of Elizabeth's ancestry made me feel like I was reading an assigned reading for my Sociology class. It was like a history textbook about something totally fictional. I ate it up.
2. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the algorithm chapters between Lawrence and Jack (around page 460-ish) were dreadful until the very end. I understand background and relationship context was necessary, but I sighed with disappoint as I saw the strange icon show up at the beginning of the chapter series. It could have been chopped in half, I'll say it.
3. I understand that Elizabeth and Jack's childhoods and parents were the reason for their marriage and general life issues (and yes, that is what made me cry), but I feel like Nathan Hill made it the ONLY reason why they were who they were in their relationship. It took away from the complexities of being a living person - as much as therapists would try to deny this, not everything can be blamed on your parents, which I think the author missed the mark on.
4. I am so proud of Elizabeth and Jack and what they went through as children. Their backstories were sad, brave, and predictable but shocking when I learned each powerful detail about their upbringing.
5. Elizabeth's notion to Brandi about how life is never satisfying, because you will always want the next thing, really messed with me. So obvious, but WOW. Nathan Hill described the reason for my quarter-life crisis in half of a page.
The book is obviously well-written. I felt more in this book than I have felt in a book in so long. The characters will stay with me for a long time, and even though I didn't enjoy reading the book for the entire time I was reading it, I am still giving it 5 stars. Similar to Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, Jack, Elizabeth and Toby are now real to me, and I will think about them. I will think about memorable parts of the book to me - the bats, the fire, the tennis court, the mall parking lot, the club, the funeral, the turnovers, the computer room in the art studio.
I will think about this book and what it means to be in a marriage according to Jack and Elizabeth forever. Will I think about this book 20 years from now, when I have a kid and am dealing with inevitable marriage crises? Probably, I hope so. What a fantastically realistic yet fictional depiction of monotonous life, discontent, parenthood struggles, marriage, family dynamics, depression, grief, and much more.
I guess boring has its moments, huh?
I wasn't sure what to think when I saw how thick of a book Wellness was. I thought to myself, "how can a book be so dense and need so many words?" Now, this is where things get interesting, and I just need to number my random thoughts throughout my experience reading this book:
1. The backstory of Elizabeth's ancestry made me feel like I was reading an assigned reading for my Sociology class. It was like a history textbook about something totally fictional. I ate it up.
2. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the algorithm chapters between Lawrence and Jack (around page 460-ish) were dreadful until the very end. I understand background and relationship context was necessary, but I sighed with disappoint as I saw the strange icon show up at the beginning of the chapter series. It could have been chopped in half, I'll say it.
3. I understand that Elizabeth and Jack's childhoods and parents were the reason for their marriage and general life issues (and yes, that is what made me cry), but I feel like Nathan Hill made it the ONLY reason why they were who they were in their relationship. It took away from the complexities of being a living person - as much as therapists would try to deny this, not everything can be blamed on your parents, which I think the author missed the mark on.
4. I am so proud of Elizabeth and Jack and what they went through as children. Their backstories were sad, brave, and predictable but shocking when I learned each powerful detail about their upbringing.
5. Elizabeth's notion to Brandi about how life is never satisfying, because you will always want the next thing, really messed with me. So obvious, but WOW. Nathan Hill described the reason for my quarter-life crisis in half of a page.
The book is obviously well-written. I felt more in this book than I have felt in a book in so long. The characters will stay with me for a long time, and even though I didn't enjoy reading the book for the entire time I was reading it, I am still giving it 5 stars. Similar to Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, Jack, Elizabeth and Toby are now real to me, and I will think about them. I will think about memorable parts of the book to me - the bats, the fire, the tennis court, the mall parking lot, the club, the funeral, the turnovers, the computer room in the art studio.
I will think about this book and what it means to be in a marriage according to Jack and Elizabeth forever. Will I think about this book 20 years from now, when I have a kid and am dealing with inevitable marriage crises? Probably, I hope so. What a fantastically realistic yet fictional depiction of monotonous life, discontent, parenthood struggles, marriage, family dynamics, depression, grief, and much more.
I guess boring has its moments, huh?
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars. I have tried to figure out how to describe this book to others when I wish to recommend it. I guess I would say it’s a “slice of life” fiction. It follows the story of a married couple that feel they have fallen out of love and question if they ever did love each other, all while giving glimpses into the trauma of their childhoods and what brings the insecurities they feel in their marriage.
When I scroll through the reviews for this one it seems like people either really liked it or really hated it. I fall on the side of really liked it. Yes, its messaging around health/tech is not subtle, but it's also not wrong. My critique would be, that after a strong start that grabbed my attention, the pacing was a little slow. It maybe could have been edited down a bit, but the beautiful writing makes up for it.
"Who will I become? Or maybe more accurately: Which of my many selves is the true one?"
"It’s an altogether manic and ceaseless conversation, a conversation that feels sometimes like falling down stairs, barely keeping upright, taken by gravity, skipping, grasping, and then somehow landing, magically, on one’s feet, intact and triumphant."
“Believe what you believe, my dear, but believe gently. Believe compassionately. Believe with curiosity. Believe with humility. And don’t trust the arrogance of certainty"
"She wished she could go back and find that fourteen-year-old version of herself and give that poor girl a hug."
“At night,” he says. “When we’re sleeping, our souls climb out of our bodies and explore.” “Oh, please.” “It’s true! They take the form of animals—a mouse, a bird—and they go out wandering in the night. And sometimes they meet each other. So when you encounter your true love in real life, you know it immediately, because you’ve met them before. That’s why it feels that way.” “You are hopeless.” “And you cannot prove me wrong.” “You are a profound cheeseball.”
“It’s like you’re in my head,” she says. “How could that be?” “I told you,” he says. “Our souls, they’ve met.”
"It’s an altogether manic and ceaseless conversation, a conversation that feels sometimes like falling down stairs, barely keeping upright, taken by gravity, skipping, grasping, and then somehow landing, magically, on one’s feet, intact and triumphant."
“Believe what you believe, my dear, but believe gently. Believe compassionately. Believe with curiosity. Believe with humility. And don’t trust the arrogance of certainty"
"She wished she could go back and find that fourteen-year-old version of herself and give that poor girl a hug."
“At night,” he says. “When we’re sleeping, our souls climb out of our bodies and explore.” “Oh, please.” “It’s true! They take the form of animals—a mouse, a bird—and they go out wandering in the night. And sometimes they meet each other. So when you encounter your true love in real life, you know it immediately, because you’ve met them before. That’s why it feels that way.” “You are hopeless.” “And you cannot prove me wrong.” “You are a profound cheeseball.”
“It’s like you’re in my head,” she says. “How could that be?” “I told you,” he says. “Our souls, they’ve met.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2025 📖 Read #24/Book #84
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At the beginning, I found the jumping around in time quite frustrating at points but SO rewarding and worth it as everything unfolds. The story is told so well and language is wonderful. Loved delving into the ideas of placebo and conspiracy theories. Left me with a lot to think about.