Wellness by Nathan Hill - Review - WOW!
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- A review of Wellness by Nathan Hill.
When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the '90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine.
For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other.
Decided to read this based on your review; just finished it and can concur, it is an excellent novel and right up my alley. You did it again with the solid recs!!!!
Ok, once I got to the 250-ish page mark, something happened that made me sit upright and say out loud: "Well, THAT escalated quickly."...Without spoiling anything, it had to do with Elizabeth's whole motivation for entering into a relationship. Like you said.... WOW!!!! What a book. THANK YOU for this review.
Stunning book. Great read. Love illustrations. Quite heavy to hold only criticism.
Absolutely loved every aspect- 81 yr old from Australia
. Loved your enthusiasm.
awesome discussion and I think no one can do it this way👍👍👌💜
Wow. Once again you’re reviewing a book I just purchased. Thank you for the encouragement to pick it up and read it.
So cool to see your enthusiasm for it.
Wow, sold! It was chosen for Oprah's book club this year. His first novel looks great too, if you read it let us know.
So glad to hear your enthusiastic review. I hated his first book, The Nix. But this sounded like something I would like, so I bought it somewhat reluctantly. I’ve only read the beginning (which is very strong) and am looking forward to getting lost in it. Thanks!
I think some booktubers aren't mentioning this book is because it has won the "Oprah's Book Club" seal of approval which some people tend to turn their noses up at for some reason. Maybe they think it doesn't need any more promo? Who knows. I love a lot of her picks, and look forward to reading this one.
Oh wow! I've never read anything from the author and I was kinda nervous because I really dislike big books, but you sold it to me! I'm so intrigued!
Ordered it, can't wait to read it. I'll get back to you on it. Thanks
I just finished this book and came right over here to watch your review😅
I really enjoyed it! It's a great contemporary novel. I was expecting a satire about the wellness culture just based on the title, so I'm glad I got that, but everything else (relationships of all sorts, etc) was well done too.
I've seen very few reviews on Instagram, but they've all been positive. Maybe not many people are picking it up because it's a doorstopper. It reads fast though.
As a Gen Xer, I also really felt and loved this novel. I agree that some of the affection I had for it is almost a nostalgic feeling (weird b/c most of the novel was set in the current, not the past) and that other older and younger generations may not experience the familiarity of those cultural events that were explored.
It was wicked funny.
I had two criticisms of it - the first was that while I never fell in love with any of the characters. They were all slightly characaturized - which I think they needed to be - that held me at arms length. I don’t know that the author could have made a different choice yet I still wish was more emotionally invested.
The second was that this level of satire has to walk a careful line to avoid becoming cynical, and I felt a few times stepped into that range. Perhaps just me.
I loved your review! I think I’d like to read it again in a year.
It was on the New York Times top 10 books of 2023! I loved it too!!
This book is on Steve Donoghue's best of the year list. Which are the only lists that are worth paying attention to. And I highly recommend you to check out. Great review, by the way.
Thank you! I’ll check it out :)
Thanks
I am tempted to buy it, but I need to read The Nix first. It's been on my shelf for years.
You don't need to read that first if you would rather read Wellness. They aren't connected.
Love this review!! I've never even heard of this book until now, and it's immediately gone on my TBR. Also, the tell dont show thing is a plus for me, I love books that do this well lol ... In other news, I'd be super interested in hearing your thoughts on Foster Dade Explores the Cosmos, by Nash Jenkins. This is another book that I've heard NOTHING about this year and yet it's easily going in my top three books of the year. It's big (530 pages) audacious, maximalist and completely bonkers, but I loved every second of it!
LOVE the sound of Foster Dade explores the Cosmos! its going straight onto my reading list
Cool :) Love your channel btw, I'm slowly working my way through all your reviews and so far I mostly agree with you! @@rororeads
I'm currently reading it and enjoying the novel and underlining so many lines. Nathan HIll is pretty well known in the US for his previous novel, The NIx. This book was pretty well received by reviewers in the US (New York Times/Wall Street Journal/Oprah Book Club pick), although interestingly compared to your impression, not many liked the chapters on the FB algorithms.
This is a great book! I couldn’t put it down.
It is one of my favorite books this year too!
This is definitely going to be my next read.
I don’t know if you have ever read the Goldfinch, it’s one of my favorites from this year. Please give it a go 😊
I’m a big fan of the goldfinch
there's my Christmas reading sorted then!
Check out the Nix by the same author, too. The first half is some of the most brilliant writing I’ve ever come across. Also, much less telling and more showing :)
I'm guessing there aren't as many people talking about it because it's not out in the UK until January 2024
Loved this book
What are the novels currently on your "Top 20 of all time" list that you mentioned at the end?
Hey, I’m saving those for a future video. At the end of each year I normally do a little reshuffle so I was thinking of dropping a video about how it currently sits :)
I enjoyed it although it felt a bit too Franzen-like for the first third. The second half is far stronger though and far better than Franzen. The themes that I found most interesting were around art, private vs public truth and certainty.
Can you believe I’ve never read any Franzen. Worth checking out?
I’m not a fan but he is popular so worth trying. He is easy to read.
Stunning book. Great read . Love the illustrations. Quite heavy to hold only criticism !
Oprah talks about it :)