Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - My Husband

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

My Husband by Maud Ventura

7 reviews

reminiscences's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was exhausting because the main character is quite literally so obsessed with her husband that it has the tendency to make the reader feel sick. She puts him over everything, even their children. I thought it was so interesting reading her perspective and I simultaneously felt empathy for her and blind rage, which I think is a mark of good characterization. There's also a little surprise that took me OUT. But I can't really talk about that.

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ruthypoo2's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I think it's fair to say I mostly enjoyed the first half of the book, listening to the stream of consciousness of what seems to be a self-tortured woman who is devoted to her husband in a way that I would describe as pathological. Despite this woman constantly twisting herself into knots and beating up on herself, I was intrigued to find out where the story was going because listening to her constant critical evaluation of her life and her husband's behavior was entertaining... until it started to become tedious and unattractive.

The main character of the story has what many would characterize as an enviable life, being married to a wealthy and successful man and living a posh lifestyle. But I can only take so much of a manic personality that's laced with heavy doses of what seems to be absurdly unhealthy self-recrimination. I stuck with this book and followed the main character down an ugly rabbit hole hoping there would be a destination, or satisfying landing point, that rewarded me with some kind of emotional payoff. I did not feel rewarded when I got to the end of the main character's story arc.

I will admit the twist at the end caught me off guard and it was a nice little sleight of hand by the author. Unfortunately, for me, by the time I turned the last page, metaphorically speaking, I was not a happy camper and could only shake my head. I will concede that many readers have been delighted with the story and resolution contained in this book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Granted, the writing/translation is well done, but the story just did not do it for me.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator, Kiiri Sandy. The main character does not have an easy or pleasant personality to present to the reader and despite that, Ms. Sandy made the story infinitely more digestible than if I'd read it on the page and had to come up with a voice for this character in my head.

Content Warnings