Wife 22

A Novel

By: Melanie Gideon

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

For fans of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It comes an irresistible novel of a woman losing herself . . . and finding herself again . . . in the middle of her life.

Maybe it was those extra five pounds I’d gained. Maybe it was because I was about to turn the same age my mother was when I lost her. Maybe it was because after almost twenty years of marriage my husband and I seemed to be running out of things to say to each other.

But when the anonymous online study called “Marriage in the 21st Century” showed up in my inbox, I had no idea how profoundly it would change my life. It wasn’t long before I was assigned both a pseudonym (Wife 22) and a caseworker (Researcher 101).

And, just like that, I found myself answering questions.

7. Sometimes I tell him he’s snoring when he’s not snoring so he’ll sleep in the guest room and I can have the bed all to myself.

61. Chet Baker on the tape player. He was cutting peppers for the salad. I looked at those hands and thought, I am going to have this man’s children.

67. To not want what you don’t have. What you can’t have. What you shouldn’t have.

32. That if we weren’t careful, it was possible to forget one another.

Before the study, my life was an endless blur of school lunches and doctor’s appointments, family dinners, budgets, and trying to discern the fastest-moving line at the grocery store. I was Alice Buckle: spouse of William and mother to Zoe and Peter, drama teacher and Facebook chatter, downloader of memories and Googler of solutions.

But these days, I’m also Wife 22. And somehow, my anonymous correspondence with Researcher 101 has taken an unexpectedly personal turn. Soon, I’ll have to make a decision—one that will affect my family, my marriage, my whole life. But at the moment, I’m too busy answering questions.

As it turns out, confession can be a very powerful aphrodisiac.

©2012 Melanie Gideon (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Wife 22 is absolutely fresh, vibrant, au courant, and hilarious. As you read, you will swear that this deft novelist hacked your phone and unearthed your longtime marital secrets and maternal struggles with a keen ear and an open heart. Brilliant! Melanie Gideon owns the moment with this debut.” (Adriana Trigiani, best-selling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife)

“Refreshing, original, and crackling with energy, Wife 22 is a brilliant, engrossing novel about the way we love and live now. Prepare to be dazzled.” (Elin Hilderbrand, author of Summerland)

“Absolutely delicious! What Bridget Jones did for single women, Alice Buckle will do for married ones. Melanie Gideon’s Wife 22 is a fabulously funny contemplation of relationships and parenthood in the twenty-first century.” (Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Four Ms. Bradwells and The Wednesday Sisters)

Surprisingly Great!

I really enjoyed this book! It started a bit slow but had such a rewarding finish. The narrator was perfect for this book. I could totally relate to the story, having been married for 20 years myself. Very good!

A little slow at times, but generally enjoyable

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, with a caveat that it does get slow at times.

Could you see Wife 22 being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, a shortened version of it.

Any additional comments?

Overall, I found the book enjoyable. There were times that it got a bit slow and the constant reading of the e-mail parts of the book got a little annoying, but I did like the story and at times, could relate to Wife 22. I just thought it could have been done in a slightly condensed version, taking out pieces that were repetitive.

LOVED this book

I debated about buying this book for several months because I wasn't sure if it sounded entertaining but finally took the plunge. I found this book incredibly original and highly entertaining. Would totally recommend.

Insulting to female intellegence

What would have made Wife 22 better?

What a horrible book!What a horrible story!Seriously?! This novel is written for the brain capacity of a 12 year old girl. Couldn't' even finish it, as the narration was so grating, and the story line was ridiculous and insulting to my intelligence. Extremely BASIC read/listen. Someone who isn't familiar with the internet technology may find this slightly entertaining. Maybe?! OR probably not.

Has Wife 22 turned you off from other books in this genre?

Chick lit can always be questionable, but this was absolutely terrible.

Protracted and Predictable

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I usually enjoy listening to long books, but this one has far too little substance to justify its length. Additionally, the "big plot thist" is practically telegraphed around a third of the way in.

What could Melanie Gideon have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I have no constructive response.

What three words best describe Cassandra Campbell’s performance?

Easy to follow

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not especially...it was easy enough to listen to but not very engaging.

Boring!

I would Not recommend this book. Boring, and I don't need to listen to email addresses being read over and over.

Perfect for the right audience but not me

Annoying, self-absorbed protagonist, predictable twist and end, but some clever and romantic moments. Way too long. Some will love, but not me.

Did not keep my attention

The narration was fine, but I did not care for the form of the narration or the substance of the book. As much of the book takes place in emails, the narrator is forced to read the ENTIRE email address of the sender and recipient, along with the subject line, date and time. This alone was just about enough to make me stop listening, as it became really tedious to hear. The substance of the book was not new, or clever, or especially sad, moving, or even pathetic - just wasn't much of anything. The subtitle of this book could be: "the musings of a vaguely unsatisfied woman".