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American Wife" by Curtis Sittenfeld - is it good?

36 replies

iwasyoungonce · 24/06/2010 11:30

Would you recommend this book?

And is it long?

Cheers.

OP posts:
tvaerialmagpiebin · 24/06/2010 19:50

Yes, and yes. About 550 pages. But it is the story of her life from a child to middle-aged, in some detail. I picked it at fairly at random in a closing-down sale but I got more out of it than I thought. It is a good story well-told.

OffOffandAway · 24/06/2010 19:52

Yes, a good read although slower at the end.

FolornHope · 24/06/2010 19:53

YES YES
tis reall great

moulesfrites · 24/06/2010 19:56

fabulous, I loved it

squeaver · 24/06/2010 19:59

Yes it's fab.

bluejeans · 24/06/2010 19:59

I liked it, but prefered CS's two previous books which were less well-known. I would recommend them, but depends what sort of books you like. I'm not really that interested in anything to do with politics.

MayorNaze · 24/06/2010 20:00

yyy - am also waiting for prep which is also by her but amazon seem to have lost it

duckyfuzz · 24/06/2010 20:00

yes I enjoyed it

jamaisjedors · 24/06/2010 20:01

Brilliant.

I haven't read anything as good since (though the end was a little slow and meandering buy you are hooked by then).

jamaisjedors · 24/06/2010 20:03

But my mum thought it was so-so .

She thought the main protaganist was too apathetic and ambiguous.

I thought that was the point.

Generation thing?

MrsJohnDeere · 24/06/2010 20:16

Yes, long.
Yes, very good.

FolornHope · 24/06/2010 20:17

prep is even better
i loved them both

MarshaBrady · 24/06/2010 20:21

Prep is excellent. I'm going to get this next.

littlerach · 24/06/2010 20:21

Oooh, Mayor, I have Prep.

Is good.
Very different. "Was described as Sweet Valley High written By Geoerge Elliot" in blurb

American wife was much better than I htought it would be.

InThisSequinBraYesYouOlaJordan · 24/06/2010 20:24

Absolutely excellent. And Prep. And The Man of My Dreams.

Wish she had written about nineteen more

MayorNaze · 24/06/2010 20:25

i will fire off s hitty email to amazon

fortnight ago i ordered it

AND i DIDN'T buy it in oxfam bookshop as i thought "ah this will plop through my letterbox any day now "

MayorNaze · 24/06/2010 20:26

i do not have a large collection of sweet valley books in my loft.

no no that would be someone else entirly

MarshaBrady · 24/06/2010 20:27

They were great, back then. The twins.

MayorNaze · 24/06/2010 20:31

i thought they were the height of glam and sophistication when i was 13

and brunette

and not a twin

or american

purpleduck · 24/06/2010 20:32

I really enjoyed it

MarshaBrady · 24/06/2010 20:32

me too. Those covers with photos on the front.

I was blonde, but too skinny to compare.

MayorNaze · 24/06/2010 20:35

i always identified with amy sutton, personally...

MarshaBrady · 24/06/2010 20:36

Ha my memory isn't that good. Who was she?

MayorNaze · 24/06/2010 20:38

elizabeth's nerdy friend in sweet valley twins. though actually i think she got all popular and cheerleady in the SVH books...

i'm not drinking...honestly...

MarshaBrady · 24/06/2010 20:41

I am actually. Although it's the first in 18months (pg + abstaining for bf'ding). woohoo