Read the full review at Tales Between the PagesThis book surprised me. I came into it having watched the movie, which was very light hearted. The first half of the book was quite a bit deeper than I expected. There were moments of beauty and heartache and despair. Annie's story resonated with me more than any of the other women, which surprised me. Her emotions felt the most real to me. Her husband was the most despicable out of all of them (even the megalomanic/woman beater). Annie's husband only left her but refused to acknowledge their daughter with Down's Syndrome. AND he only really liked his first born son. The middle son was always neglected because he saw how special his sister is. OH. And he gambled away his daughter's trust fund on the stock market. That was the money that was supposed to sustain her lifestyle at a special school. Annie had to sell everything she owned in order to make sure her daughter would have a happy, healthy, and normal life at Sylvan Glades. Despite all that, I think it was Annie's loneliness really resonated with me. I've been that lonely before so I could relate to her on a very deep emotional level. Annie's character is so much deeper than the Diana Keaton portrayal of her in the movie.Right around the 50% mark in the book, Olivia Goldsmith changed her writing style. The chapters shifted from these detailed character moments that were really introspective to these choppy chapters that jumped around. You know what I'm talking about when I say choppy chapters -- the kind of chapters that jump POV's and are separated by a few line spaces and a ***. I might not have had a problem with this if she hadn't just decided to start doing it in the middle of the novel. To be honest, I didn't care what the minor society characters were thinking/talking about. I was invested in and cared about the main characters. To have moments without them showed me that Goldsmith lost her way a little bit toward the end. It seems like she felt compelled to include ALL THE THINGS rather than the most important. My little gripes here are what kept me from giving this a four star review.However, I found The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith to be the precursor to what we think of as chick lit. I read a review on Goodreads that called the book "the grandmother of chick lit." I think that's an apt description. This was published before Carrie Bradshaw and Bridget Jones hit the scene. I can't say that Goldsmith intended on creating a new genre that's marketed to women but I think she and the book are probably as close as we can get to that moment where authors and publishers realized that female readers were their most powerful demographic.All in all, the book was DEFINITELY better than the movie and quite an enjoyable read. If you've ever been scorned and/or lonely, you'll be able to identify with Elise, Brenda, and Annie.
Cosa succede quando un gruppo di amiche si rende conto di essere state usate, scartate e gettate dai loro ex mariti? Nella vita normale, le donne in questione si sfogherebbero parlandosi, mangiando e uscendo insieme. Nel mondo di Olivia Goldsmith le cose sono un po’ diverse.Tutto inizia con il suicidio di Cinzia, che prima di togliersi la vita spedisce una lettera alla sua cara amica Annie, che però non ha visto per lungo tempo. In questa lettera, Cinzia racconta i continui soprusi subiti in silenzio dal marito, che alla fine l’ha lasciata per una donna più giovane e bella. Al suo funerale, il suo ex marito non si degna neppure di pronunciare l'elogio funebre e di accompagnare la bara al cimitero.Annie, a sua volta divorziata e amica di Brenda, divorziata anche lei, ed Elise, ex diva del cinema con un matrimonio in crisi, realizza che questo è il destino che aspetta tutte loro. E’ proprio Elise a un certo punto a capire che la vendetta è un buon surrogato della felicità, e che causare la rovina economica e familiare dei loro ex mariti sarà solo una soddisfazione. Pian piano però l’intento distruttivo viene accompagnato dalla volontà di ricrearsi una vita di tutte queste donne e dei vari personaggi che le circondano. Esse scoprono che nella vita c'è ancora spazio per loro e pian piano iniziano ad allacciare relazioni, ad intensificare la loro amicizia e a circondarsi di persone positive.L'intreccio è rapido ed avvincente, nonostante una lieve "polverosità" nello stile. I personaggi non sono di particolare spessore (rispondono più che altro ad esigenze di trama) ma risultano comunque simpatici od antipatici. E' divertente inoltre la tendenza della scrittrice ad intrecciare continue relazioni tra i vari personaggi che finiscono con il "cozzare" continuamente fra di loro quasi New York fosse un quartierino di provincia.Nonostante le tematiche proposte siano di grande interesse (violenze familiari, la relazione dei genitori con i figli portatori di handicap, le relazioni di donne con uomini più giovani, relazioni interrazziali, relazioni omosessuali, la droga) il trattamento delle stesse e la risoluzione dei problemi è più legata alla volontà di costruire una trama avvincente e divertente che a produrre un'effettiva critica di quel brillante mondo del jet set che, a quanto pare, brilla assai poco. Gli stessi problemi affrontati dai vari personaggi, esposti in maniera un po' superficiale ed ambientati in un contesto in cui tutti sono ricchissimi e amorali, difficilmente riescono ad indurre nel lettore una considerevole dose di empatia.
What do You think about The First Wives Club (1993)?
I was a little nervous to read the book that my favourite movie is based on. I didn't want to automatically dismiss the book just because it might be different to the movie i was used to. I wanted to be able to enjoy the story for what it was and try and push away my preconceptions.I have to admit that it was a little hard to do that because of how many times i have watched the movie (I almost know the script off by heart). To be honest i didn't enjoy the beginning of the book because it was so very different to the movie. I was surprised at how different it was that i became wary that my favourite movie was based on a book that i might (faint) not actually like. However after i got into the story, i was able to push away the movie i knew so well and just enjoy the story for what it is.In my review, i do have to compare the book and the movie. I know that you aren't really meant to do that however because the movie is so ingrained in my brain, i have to do a comparison so i then can in fact, can just review the book for what it is.I found the book a lot less lighthearted than the movie, which surprised me. The book wasn't terribly depressing but it didn't have that lighthearted note to it. My heart didn't sing like it does after I've watched the movie. Also they REALLY changed a lot of things for the movie. I didn't like the differences at first, however once i got over myself, i actually found it very interesting how it all tied together in the end. I'm not sure why they changed so much for the movie, maybe it was a bit too complicated, however i can't say I'm not glad that they did :) I don't think it would be my favourite movie if it was true to the book.The story is about three women who have been left by their husbands for younger women after helping them to their success. It is their story of heartache, a little revenge, justice, true friendship and triumph.The book was well written and interesting - there were some great twists. I think it takes a bit to get into it because you don't fall in love with the characters straight away, it takes time. Once you know them though, you are with them until the end.If you've seen the movie, it's well worth reading - just keep in mind that its quite different. If you haven't seen the movie, then what's wrong with you?! To be honest though i wouldn't know whether to read the book or watch the movie first - you choose!I would probably read it again and i would recommend it to most people. I don't know what category you would put it in, it isn't really a romance, or a drama. Just a pretty good story.www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
—Laura
I loved the film The First Wives Club with Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn, so naturally, like any good bookie I decided to check out the novel as well. Boy, what a shocker! The novel by Olivia Goldsmith is a completely different beast! A way more in-depth view of the powerless feeling that can be accompanied with the heart-rendering loneliness of becoming a divorcee. All having been betrayed, broken, and let down by their respective spouses, three women band together for support and a common goal of letting their spouses feel what they felt upon being deserted.It's more than a revenge novel, though, it's empowering to read about women not being afraid to be labeled as having a strong-personality, wanting things out of life, and wanting someone faithful to travel down the road with. If boys will be boys, this novel brings about the question "Then why can't girls be 'boys', too?"
—Sarah
While I was aware of the movie The First Wives Club, I’ve never seen it (is Bette Midler in it?) and didn’t know it was based on a novel until I heard Sarah Wendell (author of Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels) talk about it on NPR. Wendell recommended it highly, so I sought it out on BookMooch.Wow! This novel is awesome fiction. The characters are complicated. None are totally good or totally evil; all are fleshed out and flawed. The plot has many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about what will happen next. (I never saw the ending in the very last paragraph coming.) The writing is accessible but not boring or trite.True, the story centers around three rich women in New York City in the late 1980’s. I can’t say I usually care much about rich women or their problems, so it is a testament to the wit and writing ability of Olivia Goldsmith that I could barely put this book down after reading the first page.This book is light reading yes, but not drivel or mindless fluff. It examines the role of women once they slide into middle age. It challenges the late 80’s quest for “success” at all cost. It gives us three kickass female characters who demand vengeance when the men in their lives do them wrong, three women who dare to break out of the roles their society mandates for them.Sure, read this book on an airplane or at the beach or while in bed recuperating from a cold, but do read this book!
—HeavyReader
