Just finished reading Wifey by Judy Blume. It's about a thirty-something married woman who's pretty much bored with her sex life. She ends up having multiple sexual encounters, mostly with one guy from her past--the one that got away. She's always loved the one that got away and thinks he'll just dump his wife and family and, after she's free, marry her. No such luck she finds out. So ultimately she has to decide whether to stay with her husband or divorce him and start over again. She decides to stay with her husband and try to make things better.
I must say I was surprised by the ending. The husband is not nice to her all throughout the book. He criticizes her like crazy, is very rigid in his ways and thinking, and even though he says he loves her, doesn't SHOW it. After all of the things she discovers about herself throughout the story, one might think she would have one of those Ah ha! moments and think to herself: Screw this lifestyle! I'm outta here! This just ain't working.
Cue Dr. Phil's question: How's that workin' for ya?
Main character in novel: It's not workin' for me, Dr. Phil.
Ah, but that's today's world. This novel was written in 1978. A different time period. Written today, perhaps there'd be a different outcome. The main character would visit a shrink, read a lot of self-help books, watch Oprah and Dr. Phil, talk to her girlfriends in detail, and ultimately decide to divorce the rigid, critical, snobbish, only wants sex on Saturday nights and in the missionary position husband of hers and start over again.
Ah. But this is 2009. It is, isn't it?
Amen! Women deserve better in, yes, 2009.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Thanks, Janna.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it's a whole new world today. I'm not saying everybody should go get a divorce the minute the least little thing goes wrong, but a person needs to think about the big picture. Are my needs being fulfilled? Does my spouse share my views, my beliefs, my outlook on life, does he/she support my goals in life?
Good review. And yep, the bar for women's domestic happiness has been raised, substantially, between then and now ... though not for all, as you suggest.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Dr Phil, does he ever have authors on his show like Oprah does? Seems like he really would have a lot to say about Wifey.
Belated Happy New Years. (Can never remember if "Years" gets an apostrophe?)
ps Neat blog. Will return again, soon. Ken :-)