The Stepford Wives

I watched one of the movie adaptations some years ago and liked the idea. However, if you already know the twist going into the book, you basically know all there is to know. You won't get more background information on what's going on or anything. While that was disappointing and a lot of the things shown in the book aren't that exciting, the writing was enjoyable and there were some small, nice humorous moments. I liked the honest portrayel of everyday life and parenting, also near the end, there was some more excitement. Honestly, if you aren't wondering what's going on in this place, this isn't a standout book. It's left its mark for a reason, but there is not enough exploration of that aspect to satisfy what I wanted from it, and not enough other values to make it work perfectly nonetheless. Sidenote: The introduction is tedious, not only is it (like it seems to be the norm) spoiling the book, but I don't really know what it wants to tell me. I'm sure Palahniuk hasn't read the books he's trying to discredit and his view of women is weird to say the least

The book is definitely creepier than the movie (and her I can only speak for the Nicole Kidman version). While the movie is quite funny in parts and has the feeling to it of being just a nice Sunday afternoon film, the book IS creepy - it's like quiet horror, I can't describe it in another way. Joanna moves with her family to Stepford, where it is difficult for her to find friends among the other wives. They all seem to be too perfect housewives: beautiful, caring, and then they don't have any interests besides their household. Her husband and the children, though, are having a good time - and Joanna feels that the distance in her marriage grows bigger and bigger. When her only two friends are changing, too, she starts thinking hard... I loved the refreshing story line and couldn't put the book down even though I knew what was coming because I had been watching the movie three or four times already. Still, there are differences, and it was nice discovering them. And even though the book was written in 1972, the idea behind it is still a topic that needs discussion nowadays...how equal are women and men even now? Do women decide willingly for a role they want to fulfill in their lives? Do we trust our men so far that we won't think they'd like to transform us into perfect housewives? ;) A great read but I think I'll try to get my hands on another copy of the original version as this edition was worked on in order to make it a little easier to understand for English learners.