Preview
  • The Wife

  • A Novel
  • By: Meg Wolitzer
  • Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
  • Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (643 ratings)

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The Wife

By: Meg Wolitzer
Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
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Publisher's summary

Meg Wolitzer brings her characteristic wit and intelligence to a provocative story about the evolution of a marriage, the nature of partnership, the question of a male or female sensibility, and the place for an ambitious woman in a man's world.

The moment Joan Castleman decides to leave her husband, they are 35,000 feet above the ocean on a flight to Helsinki. Joan's husband, Joseph, is one of America's preeminent novelists, about to receive a prestigious international award, and Joan, who has spent 40 years subjugating her own literary talents to fan the flames of his career, has finally decided to stop. From this gripping opening, Meg Wolitzer flashes back to Smith College and Greenwich Village in the 1950s and follows the course of the marriage that has brought the couple to this breaking point - one that results in a shocking revelation.

With her skillful storytelling and pitch-perfect observations, Wolitzer has crafted a wise and candid look at the choices all men and women make - in marriage, work, and life.

©2003 Meg Wolitzer (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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What listeners say about The Wife

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Would rather have read this in print

Brilliant story, but the director and reader made a few hammy choices (drunken conversation, accents, general aggrieved tone) that distracted me from a sense of the authors voice.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Don’t watch the movie first!

Beautifully written and full of scenes a film could never capture.
A very enjoyable read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully Read

The woman that read this book to me was awesome at it.

The book is incredibly beautiful. It has been breathtaking to listen to. I know and have known people in real life so much like this book. As I heard a woman once say, wonderful, wonderful..wonderful.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

At first I didn’t like it at all as it was a disgruntled wife droning on and on. The last chapter explained everything to me. I wish it had come sooner.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book.

The audiobook was so well done that I was actually a bit disappointed in the movie. I wonder if others felt the same.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engrossing from the first moments

Beautifully written story. Excellent narration. Dawn Harvey does a wonderful job of slipping in and out of various “voices” to bring the dialogue to life.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Story with a twist

The wife takes the relationship in this marriage a step further adding a twist to what would have been a mundane plot. While I did find it predictable it was enjoyable all the same and left me wondering what is in store for the suddenly free Joan.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

good to discuss

lots of good discussion can come out of this book! read it for my book club

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

great performances by the read er

As a fan of Wolitzer once again she drew me in to the lives of these interesting people. Excellent reader, perfect for this story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written

Beautifully written and beautifully performed and read. Lots of depth, a great story. My favorite audible book so far.

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