Chick Lit Challenge for April: The Other Woman by Jane Green
I own several of Jane Green’s novels, but because I read them way, way back I’ve forgotten how utterly enjoyable her style is. Good thing I picked The Other Woman for this month’s challenge, because it completely made up for the somewhat disappointing reads I chose for the first three months.
The Other Woman is the story of Ellie Black, a woman in her mid-thirties who, like most women her age, wants to keep career and romance on the same level of success. The ultimate superwoman, right? Well, work eventually took a backseat to married life as Ellie found herself planning for her wedding—make that having her wedding planned by her mother-in-law. Said mother-in-law did not stop there, no she did not, as she continued the assumption of the stand-in wife and mother roles upon the birth of Ellie’s baby son.
The entire story was tremendously personal and real, and I literally found myself gritting my teeth whenever Linda, the mother-in-law from hell, would show up on any page. I wanted to kick Dan’s ass for having no backbone. Though Ellie’s friend Lisa turned out to be the token bad girl, I actually found her genuine in her badness; she was consistent throughout, despite the warm moments she shared with Jane which almost always seemed forced. I had a complete change of mind as I was convinced by Ms. Green regarding Linda’s being misunderstood, and how she only wants to please everyone. In her case, it’s eagerness that wins over logic, which often triggers uncomfortable moments between her and Ellie.
In the end, I liked that Ellie finally discovered her own sense of self, independent of her husband, son, and career. She eventually chose to go back to her marriage, but without learning valuable lessons regarding love, relationships, and giving people another chance.
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- Cubicle # 12
- Should be making reports and presentations but would rather go shopping in Greenbelt.
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1 comments:
good review this is one of my favourite Jane Green books
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