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chanizzle 's review for:
The Aviator's Wife
by Melanie Benjamin
Another book I'm having trouble reviewing.
I really enjoyed the first part of the book (when Anne and Charles first meet and get married).
I was interested in the next part (when they have their first child and the kidnapping happens), and I felt for them, (what mother wouldn't?), but at this point, I was starting to dislike both Charles and Anne. For example, Charles wanted to teach their one year old (one year old, mind you), to learn that he can only depend on himself, so he put the baby in his play pen in the backyard, and left him there for over an hour. The baby of course cried and cried until finally falling asleep in exhaustion. Only then did Charles let, (key word here, LET) Anne go out and get him. **I should probably mention that I am not a proponent for the cry-it-out method, hence my reaction: First off, that Charles thought this was okay, and did it, was cruel. That Anne stood by and let him do it was ridiculous. She lost my admiration in that moment. Before that part, I was in admiration of her and all that she was able to accomplish in such a short time (learning to fly, to navigate by the stars, to get her radio license...), it was gone that fast. She didn't have the strength of will or courage to confront her husband to protect her child from his cruelty. And she continued to let him be cruel and tyrannical throughout the rest of their marriage and to the rest of their children. Oh wait, that is, until the kids were grown and out of the house. Only then did she decide to grow a backbone and start standing up to him.
Both Charles and Anne continued throughout the rest of the book to do idiotic and ridiculous things. Charles was anti-Semitic and pushed his beliefs onto Anne (not that she put up a huge, or any, fight about it), in doing so, they alienated some close trusted friends, and changed the world view of them. Charles was constantly leaving Anne and the kids, for work he said, and even though Anne resented it, she stayed where he had put her, always waiting for him to return. Affairs, betrayal... (that isn't really a spoiler, it gives hint to it in the first chapter, and then again, and then again, until you finally get the details in the last few chapters, but by then I didn't care).
I kept with the book, because I was truly hoping somehow amends would be made, or some resolution would happen to make up for how awful they both acted. I got tired of them both. I was happy the book ended, not happy with the ending, just happy it was over.
I enjoyed the writing, and how the story flowed. I just really hated the characters. When I was still in the early part of this book, I had recommended it to someone else, but now I have to go to them and take back my recommendation. I'm disappointed with this book and that it did not turn out to be as great as all the other reviews made it out to be.
Some other reviewers have said that this was not an accurate portrayal of the Lindbergh's. I sincerely hope so. But then maybe that's why I don't like this book. Maybe I was hoping to see them as the idolized American heroes they are normally portrayed as and not as real people with faults and weaknesses.
I really enjoyed the first part of the book (when Anne and Charles first meet and get married).
I was interested in the next part (when they have their first child and the kidnapping happens), and I felt for them, (what mother wouldn't?), but at this point, I was starting to dislike both Charles and Anne. For example, Charles wanted to teach their one year old (one year old, mind you), to learn that he can only depend on himself, so he put the baby in his play pen in the backyard, and left him there for over an hour. The baby of course cried and cried until finally falling asleep in exhaustion. Only then did Charles let, (key word here, LET) Anne go out and get him. **I should probably mention that I am not a proponent for the cry-it-out method, hence my reaction: First off, that Charles thought this was okay, and did it, was cruel. That Anne stood by and let him do it was ridiculous. She lost my admiration in that moment. Before that part, I was in admiration of her and all that she was able to accomplish in such a short time (learning to fly, to navigate by the stars, to get her radio license...), it was gone that fast. She didn't have the strength of will or courage to confront her husband to protect her child from his cruelty. And she continued to let him be cruel and tyrannical throughout the rest of their marriage and to the rest of their children. Oh wait, that is, until the kids were grown and out of the house. Only then did she decide to grow a backbone and start standing up to him.
Both Charles and Anne continued throughout the rest of the book to do idiotic and ridiculous things. Charles was anti-Semitic and pushed his beliefs onto Anne (not that she put up a huge, or any, fight about it), in doing so, they alienated some close trusted friends, and changed the world view of them. Charles was constantly leaving Anne and the kids, for work he said, and even though Anne resented it, she stayed where he had put her, always waiting for him to return. Affairs, betrayal... (that isn't really a spoiler, it gives hint to it in the first chapter, and then again, and then again, until you finally get the details in the last few chapters, but by then I didn't care).
I kept with the book, because I was truly hoping somehow amends would be made, or some resolution would happen to make up for how awful they both acted. I got tired of them both. I was happy the book ended, not happy with the ending, just happy it was over.
I enjoyed the writing, and how the story flowed. I just really hated the characters. When I was still in the early part of this book, I had recommended it to someone else, but now I have to go to them and take back my recommendation. I'm disappointed with this book and that it did not turn out to be as great as all the other reviews made it out to be.
Some other reviewers have said that this was not an accurate portrayal of the Lindbergh's. I sincerely hope so. But then maybe that's why I don't like this book. Maybe I was hoping to see them as the idolized American heroes they are normally portrayed as and not as real people with faults and weaknesses.