A review by clairebartholomew549
Wellness by Nathan Hill

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was one of the most meaningful and thought-provoking books I've read this year, and maybe in the last few years, too. It's a searing and in-depth exploration of what it means to be married for a long time, raise a child, exist in our modern gentrifying and technological world, and figure out your identity. I felt incredibly seen by this book - it echoed so many fears I've had about being a bad mom or being a mother becoming my whole identity, sustaining a marriage over years and inevitable sea changes in lives and personalities, never quite figuring out what I want to do with my life, etc. This was a book where I highlighted countless passages, but it was also a book where I felt deeply connected to the characters and was rooting for them to make sense of their lives. It was extremely gratifying to get prolonged insights into both Jack and Elizabeth's childhoods and how they each experienced the beginning of their love story, and this book inspired compassion for them. 

I did find some of the prose a bit meandering and verbose, so sometimes I skimmed, which is maybe cheating and maybe would have knocked this book down to me for four stars if I hadn't done that, but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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