A Reliable Wife: A Reliably Good Read

"You can live with hopelessness for only so long before you are, in fact, hopeless." - pg. 8

After reading this line within the first few pages of the novel, I knew that I was getting myself into a sad, depressing story...and I was actually excited by the idea. Who doesn't love a great story about death, sadness, broken love, murder, mystery?! Today, I finished reading this book, A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. I started it on Monday afternoon. Needless to say, I really couldn't put it down. Goolrick writes with such poetic beauty that you can almost tell he himself must just be some broken hearted man with a writing obsession. This painful story is about a young woman, Catherine Land, who answers an ad for - what else? - a reliable wife. But she doesn't want love. She doesn't even want a long, fruitful marriage. She really only wants one thing...to kill her future husband and take all of his money. But the older, disgustingly wealthy man who placed the ad from a wintry Wisconsin town (named after his family) in 1907 has a few plans of his own in this gripping tale of deceit, betrayal, and the unbelievably difficult burden of forgiveness.

Although the writing was very entrancing (and oddly not boring, considering there wasn't much dialogue), Goolrick does lose his reader at some points when he jumps from one big event to the other in a matter of just a few words. At one point, I reread a certain 2 paragraphs 4 times before I realized what exactly had happened...a certain character was literally taken from the story in just 2 paragraphs and we still don't know why. Save for that one confusion, I felt the story was moving, erotic (very erotic), sensual, and desperately sad. It didn't quite push me to tears but I did have quite a naughty dream Monday night! (Stop blushing! We're all adults here!)

I was very confused in the beginning because it read almost exactly how the movie Original Sin (Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie) started. After finishing the book, I find it different from the movie but there are similar aspects that, if you've seen the movie, you won't be able to deny the likeness. (Remember all of those provocative sex scenes with Antonio and Angelina?! Yeah...exactly!)

Anyways, is it worth your time? Yes, I believe so. It's an entertaining read that is very difficult to put down. At 291 pages, you will probably be able to read it in a matter of a week and you WILL enjoy it, I promise. I give it a 7.5 out of 10 stars. (Hahahaa...another rating. :D) My favorite paragraph? Pg. 190 "The glass of water comforted him, and he clung to the habit with tenacity. The water meant nothing in itself. He was rarely thirsty. The ritual meant everything, a moment to close the day, the moisture on his dry lips like a soft kiss." - I, too, must sleep next to a glass of water every night not because I'm thirsty, but because I've just always been like that...always. I couldn't have described the habitual feeling any better. Thanks, Goolrick!

Apparently, it's being made into a movie. I'm not going to lie...I pictured myself being cast as Catherine Land! Me, a boring, bland lady playing the role of a tricky courtesan. How exciting to play such an intriguing character! Hey, 'such things happen!'