Widows of Eastwick

Title: The Widows of Eastwick

Author: John Updike

Date Finished: January 17, 2009

Personal Book Count: 3 out of 100

Rating: 3 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: fiction

First Line: Those of us acquainted with their sorted and scandalous story were not surprised to hear, by the way of rumor from the various localities where the sorceresses had settled after fleeing our pleasant town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, that the husbands whom the three Godforsaken women had by their dark arts concocted for themselves did not prove durable.

Summery: This is the sequel to The Witches of Eastwick. Alexandra, Jane and Sukie are back, but they are now all widowed from the husbands they married after fleeing Eastwick. They reunite and agree to spend a summer together in the old town none have visited for 30 years,

Why did I pick this book? : I received it as an ARC off of librarything. I thought the summery looked interesting, and I remember watching the movie (from the first book) as a teen.

Review: First of all let me say, I never read the first book, although I did see the movie. This book is nothing like the movie, but then again, I have heard the first book is nothing like the movie either. In my mind, I kept seeing the actresses (Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer.) As much as I enjoyed the writing, it took a while to get into, as it sometimes had long sentences, and even longer paragraphs. Once I picked up the flow, it wasn’t too bad. I found it to be well researched, but sometimes the details bogged down the story, and I found them distracting without adding much (the history, science, and even the romance novel at the end…) I thought sometimes these felt like filler. And in the end, it just seemed to stop. I never felt much wrap up, or conclusion. Maybe he was leaving it open for more, but I’m not sure how much room there is to continue the story, as I believe the ladies to be in their 80’s. And without spoiling anything, I felt the ending should have been all or nothing, and it was half way (you’ll have to read the book to understand that, or if you have, tell me if you agree.)

Now with that said, I really enjoyed the language of the piece. It was an amusing little story to follow along, and very much had the same feeling I expected (sense of humor, ect.) Though I could not necessarily relate to these women, it was an interesting journey to take with them, and there were enough side stories to keep me engrossed. And I feel the author did a good job, keeping me up with what was going on, despite the fact that I never read the first, I never felt lost. All in all, despite the little things that got under my skin (I know, my own personal pet peeves) I found this story a fairly pleasant way to spend my time. I may even have to go back and pick up the first one day. =D

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D