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A review by manuphoto
Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Definitely an interesting story, well plotted and written, but with some caveats.
The first one is that parts of it didn’t age well. The sexism and racial slurs are the main culprit here, although they are quite mellow for the time period. They never feel aggressive or vindictive, it’s just the way white male perceived life back in the 1940’s and one has to acknowledge that, even if it’s not pleasant.
That aside, Leiber provides a good story with multiple layers, acted out in an original way, with clever and capable prose to guide us. I enjoyed reading this book, I found it was a decent page turner, with good pacing and twists. The horror elements are pretty tame but effective.
The first one is that parts of it didn’t age well. The sexism and racial slurs are the main culprit here, although they are quite mellow for the time period. They never feel aggressive or vindictive, it’s just the way white male perceived life back in the 1940’s and one has to acknowledge that, even if it’s not pleasant.
That aside, Leiber provides a good story with multiple layers, acted out in an original way, with clever and capable prose to guide us. I enjoyed reading this book, I found it was a decent page turner, with good pacing and twists. The horror elements are pretty tame but effective.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs and Sexism