Wellness

by
4 stars (1 review)

The New York Times best-selling author of The Nix is back with a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together. From the gritty '90s Chicago art scene to a suburbia of detox diets and home-renovation hysteria, Wellness reimagines the love story with a healthy dose of insight, irony, and heart. “A hilarious and moving exploration of a modern marriage that astounds in its breadth and intimacy.” —Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the '90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors,...

1 edition

reviewed Wellness by Nathan Hill

Suprisingly superb book!

4 stars

Very long (640 pages) novel and I have to admit that I rarely got bored. All the more surprising to me as the subject matter and the characters do not represent cherished values for me. The main character comes from Kansas (which, sorry to say, for me is more associated with red neck mentality and values), he is married and has a son. The novel is essentially the story of that marriage, another subject that normally would bore me to death. But the writing is vivid, not telling a linear story and goes on to reflect on the nature of art in the 21th Century with considerations on the impacts of social media algorithms on people interactions. But you have to no let yourself be impressed by the wall of text that is each page, very few paragraph breaks give you the chance to take a breath.