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geisttull's review
4.0
very intriguing book - i picked it up because of the gorgeous cover! and i did enjoy it. sometimes you can judge a book . . .
ashleysilver7's review
3.0
It's clear Jill Alexander Essbaum is a talented writer....I would have given her more stars, but the subject matter of the book was a little confusing at times, and outright depressing. It's kind of like Gillian Flynn, in that there's a lot of talent there, but the subject matter can be disturnbing. The protagonist of the book, Anna, is an American expatriot living in Switzerland, married to a Swiss man, and has three children. She is, admittedly, "a good wife, mostly." However, she is extremely unhappy, and much of the book revolves around discussions with her psychiatrist, her German class teacher, and conversations with a lover from her past. It's very hard for me to relate to the lead character, and I can only think that's a good thing. Nevertheless, I want Anna to succeed and have a breakthrough, so that's what made me give the book 3/5 starts instead of 2/5. Saying anything more would give the book away, and I don't want to do that....
At the end of the book, Jill A. E. wrote her thanks, explained her sources, etc. And then, she mentioned that the conversations with the psychiatrist were fictional, and that "if anyone is as unhappy as Anna, I hope you seek help." That sums up this novel perfectly - it's about an extremely unhappy housewife. If you are interested in a more uplifting book, I do not recommend this.
At the end of the book, Jill A. E. wrote her thanks, explained her sources, etc. And then, she mentioned that the conversations with the psychiatrist were fictional, and that "if anyone is as unhappy as Anna, I hope you seek help." That sums up this novel perfectly - it's about an extremely unhappy housewife. If you are interested in a more uplifting book, I do not recommend this.
myfavoritesarah's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
modern_analog's review
5.0
This is the best book I've read in a long time. I won't summarize it here, except to say that it's quiet and thoughtful and meticulously written. I underlined so many beautiful passages. It read like an introspective indie film playing just in my mind. The kind where you empathize with the characters despite the shortcomings and flaws that make them so real. You can read the synopsis to decide if the plot might interest you. I loved it.
mmseitz822's review
4.0
How to rate this book? Hmm ... well the ending was NOT satisfying. We leave the main character in the midst of a crisis and we have no idea what is going to happen. Overall though, I liked the book even though it was pretty much a real downer. I was perplexed by Anna - I liked her but I was also irritated by her too. She obviously was consumed by sadness but much of it seemed of her own making. She is a very convoluted character and hard to figure out.
phillipsfreed's review
2.0
I was considering not continuing with this book when she kept saying "cock" every other page. But the thing that really did me in was when she said "it was nearly as long as a dinner knife and as big around as the face of a man's pocket watch"
lriopel's review
4.0
This novel is some seriously fantastic writing. I say that, because it is a terrible, not at all enjoyable story, and yet I feel compelled to give it four stars! I read somewhere that it is a modern version of Madame Bovary, and that makes sense to me because I HATED that book when I read it, and I also detested the plot of this one for many of the same reasons. However, my conclusions about each of them are completely different. I think what redeems this book is that the writing is so stupidly well executed that I just gobbled it up, and I forgot to notice that I was hating the plot. I think there may be something to the idea that this was written by a woman, and therefore, the female perspective feels so much more honest, accurate and understandable than Madame Bovary's did. Thinking about it, I am actually more reminded of Kate Chopin's The Awakening, which has a very similar plot as well, and that I also much preferred over Madame Bovary. Even though I didn't like any of those three protagonist, I could empathize with the other two in a way I never could while reading Madame Bovary.
With regard to this book, specifically - the protagonist made me crazy. She was the most extremely passive (oxymoron?) person I can imagine. From her POV, her life just kept happening to her, and even when she was committing deliberate actions she acted as though everything she did was something that she was just enduring, something that was being done to her. Such frustrating helplessness - I hated it, but I totally bought it, because it was so vividly described. I understood exactly what she was thinking and feeling and why, and from that character's perspective everything she did made perfect sense.
This may be one of the only times I can think of when both the opening sentence and the closing sentence of the same novel just knocked me flat, they were both so fantastic. I actually gasped when I got to the end, it was so well done. She tells you precisely what happened, without telling you ANYTHING about what happened. Seriously, some of the best writing I have read for a long time. If you don't mind unlikeable protagonists and you love great writing, I highly recommend. If you are looking for a good story, I would look for it elsewhere.
With regard to this book, specifically - the protagonist made me crazy. She was the most extremely passive (oxymoron?) person I can imagine. From her POV, her life just kept happening to her, and even when she was committing deliberate actions she acted as though everything she did was something that she was just enduring, something that was being done to her. Such frustrating helplessness - I hated it, but I totally bought it, because it was so vividly described. I understood exactly what she was thinking and feeling and why, and from that character's perspective everything she did made perfect sense.
This may be one of the only times I can think of when both the opening sentence and the closing sentence of the same novel just knocked me flat, they were both so fantastic. I actually gasped when I got to the end, it was so well done. She tells you precisely what happened, without telling you ANYTHING about what happened. Seriously, some of the best writing I have read for a long time. If you don't mind unlikeable protagonists and you love great writing, I highly recommend. If you are looking for a good story, I would look for it elsewhere.
toniclark's review
4.0
Reading Hausfrau is like watching a disaster — one that ought to be avoidable — unfold in slow motion. I didn’t want to keep watching, but I couldn’t stop. Not a perfect book, and I’ve seen many legitimate criticisms — but I really liked it. I picked it up first thing in the morning a couple of days and stayed up late to finish. The writing is probably somewhat uneven, or is it me? There were times I thought it heavy-handed; other times, accomplished. I happen to like unlikeable characters, so I didn’t have a problem reading about Anna, even though she’s difficult and boring and (most would say unjustifiably) depressed. And selfish, yes. And self-absorbed. Constantly. I’d have to take issue with some of the “plot” elements (I’m sure many would say there is no plot.) But it’s a novel, and I found myself perfectly willing to suspend disbelief. Anna is who she is, and this is what she does and does not do. There are consequences of both action and inaction. One can’t help knowing how it’s all going to end (painfully obvious foreshadowing). Yet the last third or so of the book is still riveting.
Rachel Cooke, writing in The Guardian, after listing several problems with this book, says: “But in spite of all this, it succeeds. It is that impossible thing: a page-turner about depression.” I agree. Did not want to put it down.
Rachel Cooke, writing in The Guardian, after listing several problems with this book, says: “But in spite of all this, it succeeds. It is that impossible thing: a page-turner about depression.” I agree. Did not want to put it down.
jacki_f's review
5.0
This is the kind of book that would benefit from a Reader's Advisory Label on the front. If it had one, it would say something like this - Warning: Frequent, explicit sex scenes. Depressed and unlikeable heroine. Bit of a downer all round.
And while this is all true, I loved this book. Loved it, loved it, loved it. (Being the old lady that I am, I would have preferred it to have less graphic sex in it - but whilst it was graphic, it was neither titillating nor gratuitous). I got completely immersed in it and I also am full of respect for how cleverly it has been constructed and how satisfying it is on several levels.
The book is about Anna, aged 37, an American who has lived in Zurich with her Swiss husband for the last 8 years. During that time she has had three children but she has never succeeded in feeling "at home" in Switzerland. She hasn't come to grips with the language, she hasn't made many connections with others and she has kind of floundered in a drifting apathy that has evolved into depression and self-loathing. She feels detached from both her husband and her children.
Two years ago, she had an affair that lasted a few months and that gave her a feeling of purpose and life. Over the course of this book she will take further lovers, although the relationships are impersonal - physical but not emotionally satisfying. Sex for Anna is a way to shut out her depression on a temporary basis, whilst at the same time compounding it through guilt.
I didn't particularly like Anna and I don't think many readers will. But I empathised with her. I have been a lonely partner living in Switzerland myself and it is a hard society to break into, particularly if you are not fluent in the local language. Even now, while I read this, I am adapting to a new country that we moved to a few months ago and so I really get that feeling of isolation, how easy it is to avoid taking proactive steps to lift yourself out of it and how apathy just perpetuates the feeling of isolation. I don't know if I would necessarily recommend this book for a book club because I think that lots of people will probably have quite strong negative reactions to it, but I would love to have a discussion about it. Having finished it, I almost immediately feel like reading it again and that's a very unusual reaction for me.
And while this is all true, I loved this book. Loved it, loved it, loved it. (Being the old lady that I am, I would have preferred it to have less graphic sex in it - but whilst it was graphic, it was neither titillating nor gratuitous). I got completely immersed in it and I also am full of respect for how cleverly it has been constructed and how satisfying it is on several levels.
The book is about Anna, aged 37, an American who has lived in Zurich with her Swiss husband for the last 8 years. During that time she has had three children but she has never succeeded in feeling "at home" in Switzerland. She hasn't come to grips with the language, she hasn't made many connections with others and she has kind of floundered in a drifting apathy that has evolved into depression and self-loathing. She feels detached from both her husband and her children.
Two years ago, she had an affair that lasted a few months and that gave her a feeling of purpose and life. Over the course of this book she will take further lovers, although the relationships are impersonal - physical but not emotionally satisfying. Sex for Anna is a way to shut out her depression on a temporary basis, whilst at the same time compounding it through guilt.
I didn't particularly like Anna and I don't think many readers will. But I empathised with her. I have been a lonely partner living in Switzerland myself and it is a hard society to break into, particularly if you are not fluent in the local language. Even now, while I read this, I am adapting to a new country that we moved to a few months ago and so I really get that feeling of isolation, how easy it is to avoid taking proactive steps to lift yourself out of it and how apathy just perpetuates the feeling of isolation. I don't know if I would necessarily recommend this book for a book club because I think that lots of people will probably have quite strong negative reactions to it, but I would love to have a discussion about it. Having finished it, I almost immediately feel like reading it again and that's a very unusual reaction for me.