Silver

by Hilma Wolitzer

Paulie Flax decides to leave Howard, her unfaithful husband of nearly twenty-five years, but on the eve of her departure, Howard suffers a heart attack and belatedly realizes that he truly loves Paulie

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Hilma Wolitzer (b. 1930) is a critically hailed author of literary fiction. She is a recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, and a Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award. Her first short story appeared in print when she was thirty-six. Eight years later she published her first novel. Her novels and stories have drawn praise for illuminating the dark interiors of the American home. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Julie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilma Wolitzer's fictional worlds are full of some sexy people.

Wait, let me clarify that statement: not sexy, as in, I find them sexy, but sexy in the Holden Caulfield way, that they are constantly thinking about sex.

And, wow, they are sooo not sexy. Or, at least not to me.

This is my 4th novel of Ms. Wolitzer's, and it's a return story to an earlier novel of hers I read in the past year, IN THE FLESH, which was quite thrilling for me to discover.

I think that both Elizabeth Strout and J.D. Salinger have incorporated recurrent characters well in their work, and Ms. Wolitzer, with her writing chops, does an excellent job, as well, of checking in with these characters almost 20 years after we last “knew” them.

But, back to the sex.

Here's one of the many aspects of Hilma Wolitzer's writing that fascinates me: she hands me completely unattractive (both physically and mentally) characters, and then places them in almost revolting settings, and then manages to stir me up, emotionally, and often makes me laugh as well.

Let me clarify: she's not laughing at her characters. Believe me, they're as three dimensional as your neighbors, and probably just as weird. What I mean: she makes kinda gross people play together in kinda gross ways, and, even if it's not your cup of tea, you find that you're still interested.

Without giving away any plot spoilers, I'd like to mention that there's a scene in this novel where 52-year-old Howard, freshly home from the hospital (still unbathed, with sticky adhesive marks on his skin, recently recovered from a heart attack), reaches up to grab at his wife, Paulie's, breasts, (whose hair is up in a grubby clip, wearing an apron covered with cumin), and says to her, “You smell spicy, babe.”

Next thing you know, they're doing it.

Let me explain to you about cumin. . . I'm so sensitive to it, I can't even sit at a table where it's being served in a meal. The few times in my life I've consumed it, I've basically projectile vomited the moment it touched my throat.

So, really. . . can you imagine how sexy this scene was for me? An apron covered with cumin??

Cumin is right up there, for me, with a cow's milk mustache and/or green snot spontaneously running down someone's face.

And, yet. . . I read on.

'Cause Ms. Wolitzer's got some big, cumin coated cojones and she can write like nobody's business.

Almost none of her characters are the least bit appealing to me (and, seriously, who/where are these middle-aged married people, anyway, who want sex like every five days?), but they are all so damned real, flawed and fantastic, with dialogue that you never question.

If you are a fan of Anne Tyler's, Larry McMurtry's or Joan Silber's, I think you'd be an instant fan of Ms. Wolitzer's.

I saw that a couple of community reviews on here for this novel describe it as “poolside reading.”

Poolside reading? In what Universe?

Please, show me the pool where the people are reading books like these!

[Melinda Worfolk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this shortly after reading Wolitzer's more recent An Available Man, which I enjoyed much more. It's funny, in Silver I could see the kernels of several plot points and characters she expands on and refines (to much more satisfying effect) in An Available Man. Silver is enjoyable, but also very dated and much rougher around the edges--less polished than her later work. Thankfully, Wolitzer's writing seems to have improved with time. I want to read more of her work, but I think I'll stick to her more recent stuff.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Wolitzer. She captures relationships and people realistically.

In this novel, she tells the story of a normal, damaged marriage and family in both the wife and the husband's voices.

Her characters just are who they are, with all of their flaws and charms.

Humble human beings sharing a journey through life and loving one another.

Her books are always a pleasure.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this, it's very well written and more along the lines of literary fiction than chick lit.
I recommend reading the first book, In The Flesh, before reading this one.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reading by the pool.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked the format, made story more intersting...........read at southern trails in unadilla, georgia

[Janice Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating story with endearing characters and their relationship challenges.

This novel is written from the perspective of both husband and wife. The format works well. The characters are interesting and the story of this marriage kept me reading.

[Gloria Cross · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not consider this a happy ending

Allowing yourself to be fooled more than once is not a love story and abandonment does not rise to even the most basic level of friendship

[Becky Griffus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent story, happy ending. Were all only human. Glad they made it through - 25 yrs is a long time with one person. I am grateful my marriage has made it through 35 yrs - NO transgressions

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up