The Good Husband
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1994
468
Novel • Fiction
Upstate New York • 1990s
1994
Adult
18+ years
The Good Husband by Gail Godwin explores the intertwined lives of four individuals as they navigate personal crises and relationships against the backdrop of a terminal illness. Magda Danvers, a brilliant academic with terminal ovarian cancer, and her devoted husband Francis are central to the story, which also follows Alice, a grieving editor, and her troubled novelist husband, Hugo, whose lives intersect with Magda and Francis in transformative ways. The book includes instances of death, illness, and marital strife.
Contemplative
Emotional
Melancholic
Mysterious
Bittersweet
908 ratings
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The Good Husband by Gail Godwin explores complex marital dynamics and personal struggles through richly developed characters. Critics commend its emotional depth and intricate narrative structure, although some find its pacing slow and the prose occasionally dense. Overall, it's praised for its profound exploration of human relationships.
Readers who appreciate introspective character-driven narratives akin to those in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead or Anne Tyler's Breathing Lessons will find much to enjoy in Gail Godwin's The Good Husband. It is best suited for those interested in exploring complex marital dynamics and emotional depth.
908 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
468
Novel • Fiction
Upstate New York • 1990s
1994
Adult
18+ years
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