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The Secret Lives Of The Four Wives (2011)

by Lola Shoneyin(Favorite Author)

3.78 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0061946389 (ISBN13: 9780061946387)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

William Morrow Paperbacks

review 1: Although of little relevance, I thought I needed to say that this story reminded me a bit of Su Tong's novella, Raise the Red Lantern, a story of a polygamous family in 1930's China, mainly due to the jealousy and rivalry between 3 wives against the 4th youngest one.The general pace of the novel is very good, starting off in a lighter tone and getting more serious in the second half, which shows excellent writing. The idea of having the the Point of View vary in the chapters among the wives is also a artistic literary device, but because the narrative style is similar, you don't know which wife is speaking in which chapter until you are about halfway though it, and to me this was a big flaw, and the author lost a star because of this in my rating.The satirical caricature o... moref the polygamist Baba Segi, was very amusing and served as a wry comment on male dominance in patriarchal cultures.All the characters are engaging and full of humor, wit, malice, spite, and even some charm as well.
review 2: "Four women, one husband and a huge secret..." That's the way the cover describes this intricate novel about modern-day Nigeria. I was enraptured from the very first page, because this book takes you into a totally different world, and lets you experience life in a polygamous household in Ibadan.The story is told in many different voices, mostly the four wives. Each had her own reason for marrying, and each has her own inner turmoil and demons. I enjoyed the way that each was distinct from the other, and the way that their individual decisions made sense. Even their jealousies and sorrows made sense, when you learned their background.This novel is really well-written, and has a very tight plot. Descriptions are so evocative that you feel you're right there. Although there is a lot of heartbreak, viciousness and violence, the author's voice feels very true, so you don't mind the sorrow. This book gives us a powerful statement about what it means to be a woman in the Third World, particularly in a patriarchal society where women have few options. It also demonstrates how a lot of the despair in a woman's life is inflicted by other women, albeit within cultural confines controlled by men.And the "secret" referred to on the cover is pretty ironic. :) less

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