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How to be a Good Wife

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How to be a Good Wife

By: Emma Chapman
Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
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About this listen

I know what my husband would say: that I have too much time on my hands; that I need to keep myself busy. That I need to take my medication. Empty nest syndrome, he tells his friends at the pub, his mother. He's always said I have a vivid imagination.

Marta and Hector have been married for a long time – so long that she finds it difficult to remember her life before him. He has always taken care of her, and she has always done everything she can to be a good wife. But when Hector comes home with a secret, their ordered domestic life begins to unravel, and Marta begins to see things, or perhaps to remember them. In the shadows there is a blonde girl that only Marta can see. And she wants something .

©2013 Emma Chapman (P)2013 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction Marriage

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Critic reviews

“Fans of Before I Go To Sleep will love this chilling debut from Emma Chapman.” (Grazia)

”On the surface the book is a highly competent, creepy little chiller, but beneath, like a silent, bolted and half-dark room, there’s a much bigger, equally disconcerting story about the nature of feminine experience. It’s an accomplished debut from a writer who shows insight and emotional power.” (Hilary Mantel, Man Booker Prize winning author of Wolf Hall)

”A chilling study of paranoia and doubt… Chapman builds the tension, as Marta’s behaviour becomes more erratic and her seemingly benign husband begins to appear in a sinister light. An unnerving tale, where nothing is as it seems.” (Marie Claire)

”Wonderfully assured… This is a tale of the tricks repression, denial and memory can play on us… Set in an eerie, purposefully undefined part of Scandinavia, this is an unnerving, clever read. It’s one of those novels (think Gone Girl) with a big twist. Recommended for fans of S J Watson, Rosamund Lupton and Zoe Heller.” (Viv Groskop, Red)

”This taut debut will have you rooting for Marta as she rediscovers who she was before her marriage. A must-read for fans of S.J.Watson.” (Easy Living)

All stars
Most relevant  
I enjoyed this story more than I expected, and although Marta can be a frustrating character at times in how she reacts to things, it's understandable why she behaves as she does, and becomes clearer as the story goes on. A good read

A well paced story with a surprising twist

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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Nearly gave up early into story as was very depressing listening to the main characters internal thoughts.

Would you ever listen to anything by Emma Chapman again?

Yes

What three words best describe Fenella Woolgar’s voice?

Haunting, emotional, depth

Was How to be a Good Wife worth the listening time?

Wouldn't want to listen again, too miserable for me.

Any additional comments?

Quite depressing.

Exhausting main character

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Would you listen to How to be a Good Wife again? Why?

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well paced and really engaging. The author has engineered this book perfectly, so that the reader is never quite sure if the main character is mad or is her husband bad.

What did you like best about this story?

The sense of suspense and intrigue that the author creates and the pace of the story. It unwinds slowly, but never becomes dull.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The scenes in which the main protagonist slowly emerges from the fugue of her own confusion.As readers we take this journey with her and want to be on her side, but there is always the seed of doubt about her sanity.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely, but I savoured it over a few sittings.

Any additional comments?

Download this book and enjoy the journey!

Is she crazy, or is he bad!

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I was expecting the book to get going but it didn’t seem to gather pace to me. However it

Not my favourite listen

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I found this slow and miserable at first but it hotted up eventually. I was disappointed at the ending... thought she would do more for herself.

Unsettling.

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What did you like most about How to be a Good Wife?

Normally I gallop from read to read but this book brought me to a full stop. I had to think and make my own conclusions about how I saw life as a woman après marriage, career , children, etc. etc. I am haunted by this novel I will never forget it. Most pulp I accidentally read I think of it zero moments after finishing. I would highly recommend this book. I will definitely read it again.

What did you like best about this story?

You were truly engaged and gripped,involved, stricken and with her all the way.

What about Fenella Woolgar’s performance did you like?

Compleatly inside the veins of the protagonist, gripped me relentlessly.... Would not let go.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, yes, and yes again!!

Any additional comments?

I would strongly recommend the lover of a good book to give this some time, understand like all best books you have to give it time to evolve. Well worth the read....audio fantastic!!!!

A must read!

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****BEWARE SPOILERS****

This was quiet a different story of a woman called 'Marta' and her husband 'Hector'. She appears initially and maybe in reality as a sufferer of a mental illness. The husband appears to be caring for her but the dynamics of their relationship (even if it is real and she has a mental illness) is very odd. From his perspective we are led to believe that he took her in from his doorstep and despite having to care for her mentally and sometimes physically he loves her and is still begging her 'never to leave him'. If this is true then a relevant question is why would he do this and continue to do so for some years when he was getting nothing back from it ie what was in it for him. He comes across as something of a pervert with the rape of 'Marta' in the book and the way he was under investigation for an inappropriate relationship with a student in his school. He had been suspended for 2-3 months without saying anything. Its all a little odd if you think about it.
If 'Marta' has a point re her remembering events then why should everyone believe him and why should even her son not take it further considering her obvious distress. Her son said he found no reference to her disappearance on the internet but surely there should be a record of her parents deaths and she would have had to produce a birth certificate and proof of her identity in order to marry Hector as it said they were married in a church.
I did enjoy it but do not think it would be everyones cup of tea and would not as such wholeheartedly recommend it.

Dysfunctional relationship and odd story

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I wanted to listen to this book because of the reader, Fenella Woolgar who I think is utterly brilliant and because of the positive reviews. However, I soon found myself researching again, to see if anyone had found this book boring beyond belief. Half way through I was still un-engaged. I eventually just about managed to listen to the entire story with my my "Stoic hat" firmly planted on my head and as the closing credits were read I thought "Well that's a whole chunk of time I will never get back again!"

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

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Two hours into this story I decided I didn't really care if Marta was mad or Hector was bad. There is clearly something odd going on but the setting is so dull and the characters are so unengaging that I didn't feel any sense of tension or desire to unravel the mystery.

Sadly a good idea but a dreary story

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only got 4 chapters in before it irritated me too much to listen any further. i gave up!

hated it

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