Meg wolitzers new novel explores lifechanging importance of. The female persuasion is the sort of book that comes along in too few authors careersone that makes the writers intellectual project snap into sharp focus, and with it, the case that their artistry is not merely enjoyable but truly important. Joan defiantly leaves us wanting more, whereas wolitzer s other heroines left us wanting maybe a teensy. The book represents a real step forward for wolitzer, and its success lies in its reticence. The third book by new york timesbestselling author meg wolitzer originally published as this is your life, a smart, witty and perceptive novel about the daughters of a female standup comic who watch as their mother struggles to balance her career with the needs of her children. Enveloping and thoughtful, wolitzer s novel describes this process in a fresh and forgiving way. It is a significant contribution to wolitzers body of work. She is the daughter of a novelist her mother, who is named hilma wolitzer and a psychologist her father, who is named morton wolitzer, and was raised jewish. Our february pick for the pbs newshour new york times book club is meg wolitzer s the wife. Wolitzer joins jeffrey brown for a book conversation. Meg wolitzers the female persuasion is about friendship, womanhood, ambition, and other issues that are very much of this moment. Aug 21, 20 the interestings is the us novelist meg wolitzer s 10th book, a long novel concerning the unfolding fates of a group of friends from teenagehood to middle age. Meg wolitzer interesting the author of the acclaimed novel the interestings, now out in paperback, talks about scrabble, edith wharton, and writing without a.
From the new york timesbestselling author of the interestings, comes an electric novel not just about who we want to be with, but who we want to be. The interestings, the new novel by meg wolitzer, arrives with an endorsement from the estimable author of the marriage plot and middlesex, stating that, like virginia woolf in. From the new york timesbestselling author of the tenyear nap, a funny, provocative, revealing novel about female desire. Now a major motion picture starring glenn close in her golden globewinning role. Meg wolitzers 12th novel bristles with contemporaneity, despite being set in the recent past. Enveloping and thoughtful, wolitzers novel describes this process in a fresh and forgiving way.
How meg wolitzer made sure the interestings would be a big book. Meg wolitzer has 31 books on goodreads with 522356 ratings. The editor and novelist emailed recently about wolitzers new novel the interestings, out this month from riverhead. Meg wolitzers novel is a timely, dynamic examination of women and power that male readers and gatekeepers should take seriously. She is also the author of the young adult novel belzhar. Meg wolitzer, in the female persuasion, mentions steinem briefly as someone far senior, in terms of fame and impact, to the books similarly famous. While wolitzers 10th novel, the female persuasion, may feel retro in. Apr 16, 2018 a recent profile on novelist meg wolitzer in the new york times noted that at a time when our attention is so easily splintered, wolitzer writes big, substantial, oldfashioned books that allow her characters room to breathe, change and grow into adulthood and beyond. Joan defiantly leaves us wanting more, whereas wolitzers other heroines left us wanting maybe a teensy. Meg wolitzer books list of books by author meg wolitzer.
Charming and wise, knowing and witty, meg wolitzer delivers a novel about power and influence, ego and loyalty, womanhood and ambition. One of bestselling author meg wolitzers most beloved booksan acerbically funny entertainment weekly and intelligentportrait of deception the new york times. The interestings reminds readers to pause amidst their crowd of dear ones and try to imagine the farflung futures of these. Author meg wolitzer was born on may 28, 1959 in brooklyn, new york. The editor and novelist emailed recently about wolitzers new novel the interestings. Deft and passionate, it raises questions about misguided aims and the deals we make with ourselves and others to reach them. Jul 10, 2018 a new york times notable book the wife is a difficult book to put down, written with wolitzer s customary wit and verve. Jan 15, 2015 wolitzer nailed what its like to live with this type of person, as i know from personal experience since my father grew up in the same type of household with similar results. To him, i would recommend the wife, wolitzers 2003 novel about a talented writer forced to abandon her creative life to minister to her. The wife is the story of the long and stormy marriage between a worldfamous novelist, joe castleman, and his wife joan, and the secret theyve kept for decades.
A time of firsts meg wolitzer on her new novel, the. Meg wolitzers latest is a bildungsroman for the new feminist age, full of ambition, ego, and the power of female mentorship. The third book by new york timesbestselling author meg wolitzer originally published as this is your life, a smart, witty and pe. A couple months ago, i opened a book to find myself staring back. Conversation between the interestings writer meg wolitzer. Meg wolitzer is the new york timesbestselling author of the interestings, the uncoupling, the tenyear nap, the position, the wife, and sleepwalking. Crackling with intelligence and humor, the position is the masterful story of one. She is also the author of the young adult novel, belzhar.
Meg wolitzers new novel explores lifechanging importance. Lets just go ahead and call meg wolitzers fantastic the interestings the book of the moment. In this weeks fiction releases, youll find the highlyanticipated new novel from meg wolitzer, the female persuasion, as book as vivid and. The optimistic decade follows five characters in reaganera. Jul 25, 2018 meg wolitzers 12th novel bristles with contemporaneity, despite being set in the recent past. Meg wolitzer rides the feminist waves the new yorker.
Meg wolitzers new novel, the female persuasion, seems uncannily timely, a prescient marriage of subject and moment that addresses a. If novels can be both mirrors and windows, this one was the former. Meg wolitzer s the female persuasion is about friendship, womanhood, ambition, and other issues that are very much of this moment. Meg wolitzer s 12th novel begins with a campus assault that leads to a protest that leads to an intergenerational feminist debate that takes a turn for the toxic.
Meg wolitzers new novel is an epic exploration of friendship, comingofage, talent and success. In wolitzers 2008 novel, the tenyear nap, amy lamb, another child of the e. The interestings follows six artistic friends who meet as teenagers one pivotal summer at a camp. And her new novel about feminism, female power, and mentorship is almost uncannily timely. Meg wolitzer is an american writer, best known for the wife, the tenyear nap. Apr 19, 2018 meg wolitzer s the female persuasion is about friendship, womanhood, ambition, and other issues that are very much of this moment. Meg wolitzer is the new york times bestselling author of the interestings, the uncoupling, the tenyear nap, the position, and the wife. Theres nothing like a crush the allconsuming gush of obsession and excitement that shocks the system into euphoria. Not one to dally, meg wolitzer graduated from brown university in 1981 and published her debut novel, sleepwalking, the following year. Apr 21, 20 in wolitzers 2008 novel, the tenyear nap, amy lamb, another child of the e. Since then, shes written several more novels, as well as short stories and screenplays, and has taught writing at the university of iowa writers workshop and skidmore college.
A new york times notable book the wife is a difficult book to put down, written with wolitzers customary wit and verve. Meg wolitzer s most popular book is the interestings. The interestings is the us novelist meg wolitzers 10th book, a long novel concerning the unfolding fates of a group of friends from teenagehood to middle age. The wife is the story of the long and stormy marriage between a worldfamous novelist, joe castleman, and his wife joan. This theme of selfinvention is the subject of most of the great american novels, from adventures of huckleberry finn to the house of mirth to the great gatsby. The female persuasion by meg wolitzer tackles the evolution of contemporary feminism through the experiences of fictional 20something greer and 60something faith frank. Wolitzer tackles a litany of timely topics, from unwanted sexual advances to the underrepresentation of women in film to gamergatetype abuse. Meg wolitzers ability to take a moment, whether it be a campfire surrounded by 15yearold girls or a first kiss, and spin it out into a dozen different directions across multiple lives is the true genius of the book. The interestings, by meg wolitzer the new york times. The female persuasions subtle, powerfully ambivalent forays into secondwave feminism, the nature and limits of cooperative action and the intersection between the political and the personal function as depth charges whose ripples continue to rock our unstable little boats. Meg wolitzer the female persuasion trade paperback.
Apr 05, 20 sarah mcgrath has been editing meg wolitzer since the wife, in 2003. At its heart, the female persuasion is about the flame we all believe is flickering inside of us, waiting to be. The new york post the female persuasion is the best kind of social novela brilliant book about relationships set against a backdrop of principles, movements and change. Become a member of the book club by joining our facebook group, or by signing up to our. Apr 18, 20 the interestings, the new novel by meg wolitzer, arrives with an endorsement from the estimable author of the marriage plot and middlesex, stating that, like virginia woolf in.
We often read about romantic infatuation, but in the female persuasion, meg wolitzer sets her sights on another kind female friendship and mentorship, and the craving to be heard and admired by the one you admire. She graduated in the year 1981 from brown university, after studying the subject of creative writing at smith college. Meg wolitzer to publish a ya novel inspired by sylvia plath. Overall, i would recommend the book if you want to think about friendships and.
Mar 25, 2014 the early novel that established meg wolitzer s career, later made into nora ephrons first film as a director. Meg wolitzer s ability to take a moment, whether it be a campfire surrounded by 15yearold girls or a first kiss, and spin it out into a dozen different directions across multiple lives is the true genius of the book. Hayley williams on what went wrong with paramore and her new solo life. Her new novel, the female persuasion, has been named a mostanticipated book of the year by time magazine, esquire, entertainment weekly, new york magazine, and more. Meg wolitzer interesting the author of the acclaimed novel the interestings, now out in paperback, talks about scrabble, edith wharton, and writing without a desk. The new york times wolitzer is an irresistibly charming novelist, a keen, affectionate examiner of society. Wolitzer s short fiction has appeared in the best american short stories and the pushcart prize. Apr 03, 20 meg wolitzer s new novel is an epic exploration of friendship, comingofage, talent and success. Apr 02, 2018 in this weeks fiction releases, youll find the highlyanticipated new novel from meg wolitzer, the female persuasion, as book as vivid and complex as its kaleidoscopic cover, as well as two very. Abels timely debut is bound to draw comparisons to the interestings by meg wolitzer. The interestings, by meg wolitzer the washington post. Meg wolitzers most popular book is the interestings.
Wolitzers short fiction has appeared in the best american short stories and the pushcart prize. A recent profile on novelist meg wolitzer in the new york times noted that at a time when our attention is so easily splintered, wolitzer writes big, substantial, oldfashioned books that allow her characters room to breathe, change and grow into adulthood and beyond. The third book by new york timesbestselling author meg wolitzer originally. The third book by new york timesbestselling author meg wolitzer originally published as this is your life, a smart, witty and perceptive novel about the daughters of a female standup comic who watch as their mother struggles to balance her. She is also the author of a novel for young readers, the fingertips of duncan dorfman. At the same time, i really do recommend writing a novel. The female persuasion is another mirror for privileged. Apr 20, 2003 the book represents a real step forward for wolitzer, and its success lies in its reticence. Wolitzer nailed what its like to live with this type of person, as i know from personal experience since my father grew up in the same type of household with similar results.
In september 20, along with singersongwriter suzzy roche, she was the. The early novel that established meg wolitzers career, later made into nora ephrons first film as a director. Meg and i live a block away from each other in manhattan, and the day we met to talk about questions of art, publishing, her new book, women in fiction, we ran into each other on the street, both. From the bestselling author of the wifemeg wolitzers hilariously moving, sharply written novel usa today, hailed by critics and loved by readers worldwide, with its deadon observations about sex, marriage, and the family ties that strangle and bind cleveland plain dealer. In meg wolitzers hotly anticipated the female persuasion, a remarkably timely novel about the work of feminism and mentorship out on tuesday, i saw the story of my own life. While wolitzers 10th novel, the female persuasion, may feel retro in size and scope, read it. Meg wolitzers new novel takes on the politics of womens. Meg wolitzer, bestselling author of the interestings one of our best books of 20, has a new novel coming from riverhead books on april 3, 2018 a story of women and power that promises to be charming and wise, the female persuasion centers on the relationship between a highpowered leader of the womens movement and her shy, young. Lastly and possibly somewhat oddly and you may wonder why, as it could not be the book as a whole but some of the stories within certainly resonate you should also take a look at revenge of the lawn by richard brautigan, particularly coffee. Sarah mcgrath has been editing meg wolitzer since the wife, in 2003. A powerful comingofage story that looks at ambition, friendship, identity, desire, and power from the muchneeded female lens.
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