books 2011 // # 06 - The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
Title: The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin [New York 1972]
Series: ---.
Genre: Horror. Thriller. Dystopia. Classic.
Length: 195 pages.
Summary: For Joanna, her husband, Walter, and their children, the move to beautiful Stepford seems almost too good to be true. It is. For behind the town's idyllic facade lies a terrible secret -- a secret so shattering that no one who encounters it will ever be the same.
At once a masterpiece of psychological suspense and a savage commentary on a media-driven society that values the pursuit of youth and beauty at all costs, The Stepford Wives is a novel so frightening in its final implications that the title itself has earned a place in the American lexicon. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Scary | Impressing | Memorable | Very intense and clever |
Personal Rating: ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ of 5.
Review:
It happens seldom enough in my case, but for once I saw the film first and enjoyed it so much that I couldn't resist picking up the book as well. It turns out that this was a really good decision as I really enjoyed the book and definitely put the author on my "you need to read more from that guy!"-list.
The Stepford Wives greatest strength is, in my opinion, the atmosphere. Sure, there are great characters, i.e. Bobbie, and hilarious situations whenever the husbands are confronted with a "real" woman, but the thing that makes the book stand out, is mostly the way you can feel the metaphorical noose tightening around Joanna's neck, until she has no more chance to escape. What fascinates me so much about the book is not only the story, but its implications. So much is merely hinted at, i.e. the fact the reader never learns what exactly happens to the wives (unlike in the film) or what inspired the men's association, how things were like before etc. etc.
Next to that, there's the social critique which also gave me plenty of stuff to think about.
Overall I found The Stepford Wives to be a book that works on many levels and certainly one I expect to offer me something new each time I read it again.
Links: @ wikipedia
Other books I've read by this author: ---.