Scan barcode
sbousfield's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Too long for the story
jaclyncrupi's review
4.0
Gen-X readers we got a real one! Nathan Hill’s The Nix was a remarkable novel I still regularly think about (same his conversation @wheelercentre with @louiseswinn). Now he turns his attention to marriage/family and the stories we tell about ourselves. He’s interrogating our mythologies and our pathologies. It’s pretty great reading in a long American tradition.
hmrobinson_'s review
medium-paced
3.25
I enjoyed Jack’s POV more than Elizabeth’s. Some sections felt very dense and others flew by. Overall, I think it was a good story about people and how they change (or not) over the course of a life.
alyssakate's review
1.0
Could not finish this book it was so slow and boring with way too much unnecessary detail. I gave it six hours of my life that I wish I could get back.
ilman002's review
5.0
This book is a perfect example of why I love fiction. In the hands of a right writer the story and the characters truly come to life. Nathan Hill is that dude. Wellness is one of the best books I've read this year and one of the best books of all time. What makes this book so amazing is the amount of research that went into writing it. While writing this book, Nathan Hill consulted many works of psychology, sociology, neurology, evolutionary biology, economy, sexology, therapy and philosophy. What we get is an incredible story about modern marriage backed by a ton of research. That is not to say that this book is dull or boring. Oh no. Nathan Hill masterfully adds bits of research to his narrative and what we get is an unforgettable tale of modern life, parenthood and love.
There are two main characters in this book and I honestly cannot think of a better example of character development. Elizabeth escaped her family and moved to Chicago to study psychology and a bunch of other subjects that interested her. Jack is a struggling artist who moved to Chicago from Kansas and chose to attend an art school. They meet and almost instantly fall in love with each other. 20 years later, they are married and have a son Toby, but it appears that something is missing. Their marriage feels stale and the spark is no longer there. What follows is a tremendous character study and commentary on modern marriage that will make you ponder about the text you're reading. Both Jack and Elizabeth have deep and heartbreaking traumas that are gradually revealed to the reader and we begin to understand them on an intimate level.
Wellness is not just a book about modern marriage. There are so many other topics presented here that it can occasionally become overwhelming. Topics like parental expectations, art, academia, science, ethics, psychology, health fads, online addictions, algorithms, motherhood, fatherhood and much much more are on full display here. Nathan Hill commands the prose in such a way that all of these topics are carefully explored in a way that doesn't negatively effect the story. Everything feels natural and contributes to the novel's objective of exploring the human condition.
Without a doubt in my mind Wellness is a masterpiece. In his sophomore effort Nathan Hill crafts a novel that will surely cement itself as one of the most important books of the 21st century. This novel is packed with ideas and it left me speechless at how well it accomplishes what it sets out to do. I would recommend this book to the fans of literary fiction and satirical stories. Any readers who enjoy character-driven stories will love Wellness. The tone of this novel is thought-provoking and bittersweet, so some readers might like that about this book as well. Overall, this book is a monumental achievement in fiction and it makes me sad that I have to wait 5 years to read another novel written by Nathan Hill. 6 stars.
There are two main characters in this book and I honestly cannot think of a better example of character development. Elizabeth escaped her family and moved to Chicago to study psychology and a bunch of other subjects that interested her. Jack is a struggling artist who moved to Chicago from Kansas and chose to attend an art school. They meet and almost instantly fall in love with each other. 20 years later, they are married and have a son Toby, but it appears that something is missing. Their marriage feels stale and the spark is no longer there. What follows is a tremendous character study and commentary on modern marriage that will make you ponder about the text you're reading. Both Jack and Elizabeth have deep and heartbreaking traumas that are gradually revealed to the reader and we begin to understand them on an intimate level.
Wellness is not just a book about modern marriage. There are so many other topics presented here that it can occasionally become overwhelming. Topics like parental expectations, art, academia, science, ethics, psychology, health fads, online addictions, algorithms, motherhood, fatherhood and much much more are on full display here. Nathan Hill commands the prose in such a way that all of these topics are carefully explored in a way that doesn't negatively effect the story. Everything feels natural and contributes to the novel's objective of exploring the human condition.
Without a doubt in my mind Wellness is a masterpiece. In his sophomore effort Nathan Hill crafts a novel that will surely cement itself as one of the most important books of the 21st century. This novel is packed with ideas and it left me speechless at how well it accomplishes what it sets out to do. I would recommend this book to the fans of literary fiction and satirical stories. Any readers who enjoy character-driven stories will love Wellness. The tone of this novel is thought-provoking and bittersweet, so some readers might like that about this book as well. Overall, this book is a monumental achievement in fiction and it makes me sad that I have to wait 5 years to read another novel written by Nathan Hill. 6 stars.
adrienne_adrimano's review against another edition
5.0
Very mansplain-y, but EVERY chapter is riveting.
I think the premise of this novel is unforgettable, and with every chapter a bit more of the main character's individual and joint stories are revealed, seamlessly bouncing between past and present, examining the human condition along the way. This is the kind of book that does not drop the ball in ANY chapter. It keeps you on your toes 'til the very end, wondering but not necessarily dreading whether or not you will get a happily-ever-after or a tragedy.
Also, "Come With." is a truly special chapter. I've never seen a male novelist describe falling in love so beautifully.
I think the premise of this novel is unforgettable, and with every chapter a bit more of the main character's individual and joint stories are revealed, seamlessly bouncing between past and present, examining the human condition along the way. This is the kind of book that does not drop the ball in ANY chapter. It keeps you on your toes 'til the very end, wondering but not necessarily dreading whether or not you will get a happily-ever-after or a tragedy.
Also, "Come With." is a truly special chapter. I've never seen a male novelist describe falling in love so beautifully.
ayeshaa9998's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
kortisses's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Some aspects of the book took a long time to get through, but I find myself still thinking about the concepts and creative approach to the topics