What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Wives Club
Before Sex and the City ...before The Starter Wife ...there was The First Wives Club
The sharp-witted and sexy New York Times bestseller!
Elise, Brenda, and Annie have one thing in they were all first wives. Make that two things in common -- they were the secret to success for each of their spouses, faithfully supporting them as they rose to the top. Okay, three they were each abandoned for younger, blonder, sleeker women, "trophy wives" for their exes to sport about town.
It may not be on the menu at New York's finer restaurants, but revenge is a dish best served cold -- and while lunching at Le Cirque, the ladies decide the time for self-pity is now it's time to get even. How they conspire to give each man his due -- in full view of New York society -- makes The First Wives Club the "deliciously wicked" ( San Francisco Chronicle ) indulgence that, like vintage champagne, goes straight to your head...and captures your heart along the way!
The sharp-witted and sexy New York Times bestseller!
Elise, Brenda, and Annie have one thing in they were all first wives. Make that two things in common -- they were the secret to success for each of their spouses, faithfully supporting them as they rose to the top. Okay, three they were each abandoned for younger, blonder, sleeker women, "trophy wives" for their exes to sport about town.
It may not be on the menu at New York's finer restaurants, but revenge is a dish best served cold -- and while lunching at Le Cirque, the ladies decide the time for self-pity is now it's time to get even. How they conspire to give each man his due -- in full view of New York society -- makes The First Wives Club the "deliciously wicked" ( San Francisco Chronicle ) indulgence that, like vintage champagne, goes straight to your head...and captures your heart along the way!
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
105 people are currently reading
7582 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Goldsmith
48 books155 followersOlivia Goldsmith (January 1, 1949 - January 15, 2004) was an American author, best known for her first novel The First Wives Club (1992), which was adapted into the movie The First Wives Club (1996).
She was born Randy Goldfield in Dumont, New Jersey, but changed her name to Justine Goldfield and later to Justine Rendal. She took up writing following a divorce in which she said her husband got almost everything (including her Jaguar and the country house). A graduate of New York University, she was a partner at the management consultants Booz & Company in New York prior to becoming a writer.
Many of her books can be described as revenge fantasies; a constant theme is the mistreatment of women by the men they love, but with the women coming out the winners in the end.
Controversially, in late 1996 Goldsmith said, in response to an Entertainment Weekly reporter's question, that her favorite event of 1996 was when Bob Dole fell off a stage during a campaign function.
She also wrote several books for children, which were published under the name "Justine Rendal."
Goldsmith died as a result of complications from the administration of anaesthesia before cosmetic surgery. Her final two books were published posthumously.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, amended.
She was born Randy Goldfield in Dumont, New Jersey, but changed her name to Justine Goldfield and later to Justine Rendal. She took up writing following a divorce in which she said her husband got almost everything (including her Jaguar and the country house). A graduate of New York University, she was a partner at the management consultants Booz & Company in New York prior to becoming a writer.
Many of her books can be described as revenge fantasies; a constant theme is the mistreatment of women by the men they love, but with the women coming out the winners in the end.
Controversially, in late 1996 Goldsmith said, in response to an Entertainment Weekly reporter's question, that her favorite event of 1996 was when Bob Dole fell off a stage during a campaign function.
She also wrote several books for children, which were published under the name "Justine Rendal."
Goldsmith died as a result of complications from the administration of anaesthesia before cosmetic surgery. Her final two books were published posthumously.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, amended.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
May 8, 2017
Trigger warnings: Donald Trump. Also suicide and racism and misogyny, all of which go hand in hand with that first one...
I tried really hard to love this one, because I know that my dear friend Wendy loves it. Buuuuuuut reading this in 2017 is a lot like reading a 470 page book about Donald Trump. Because seriously. Every single one of the male characters in this book is basically Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is name dropped multiple times. All the male characters basically aspire to be Donald Trump. There's a crapton of Trump-esque racism in the story. The younger women are basically only there for the Donald Trump characters to stick their dicks in. The older female characters pine for the days when they were married to Donald Trump characters.
I just... GAAAAAAAH.
I made it to page 232, and when it featured one of the male characters having sex with his younger wife/fiancee/girlfriend/something and the reveal that he can only orgasm if she calls him Daddy and says "I'm Daddy's little girl" as they fuck? Yeah, no. Bye.
(Sorry, Wendy)
I tried really hard to love this one, because I know that my dear friend Wendy loves it. Buuuuuuut reading this in 2017 is a lot like reading a 470 page book about Donald Trump. Because seriously. Every single one of the male characters in this book is basically Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is name dropped multiple times. All the male characters basically aspire to be Donald Trump. There's a crapton of Trump-esque racism in the story. The younger women are basically only there for the Donald Trump characters to stick their dicks in. The older female characters pine for the days when they were married to Donald Trump characters.
I just... GAAAAAAAH.
I made it to page 232, and when it featured one of the male characters having sex with his younger wife/fiancee/girlfriend/something and the reveal that he can only orgasm if she calls him Daddy and says "I'm Daddy's little girl" as they fuck? Yeah, no. Bye.
(Sorry, Wendy)
March 12, 2017
I decided to read this book because it has a movie connection and I wanted to watch the movie again as I didn't really remember it...
This has to be one of the most annoying books I have ever read! I wish kept a tally of how many times I rolled my eyes or said aloud, "I hate this book."
This book is about a bunch of self-absorbed divorcees that come together after a friend of theirs, whom it seems they pretty much ignored or shunned, commits suicide. The seek revenge on their snobby husbands, who seem to have left them for no other reason than for younger women (or in Annie Paradise's case, because she couldn't have an orgasm - which I find as an outrageous reason to leave someone).
The concept of this book was a great one, but the way it was written is straight up disgusting. The stereotypes throughout this book are sickening. I don't think I will ever forget, until my dying day, that Brenda Cushman was fat. How could I forget when every two pages, if she wasn't present, someone was talking about how fat she is, and if she was there was some type of reference that she was fat. Always eating cupcakes and sweets, but only a size 18. My guess is if she was a middle aged woman overeating that she would be closer to like 300 or 400 pounds. But just a guess. Then, she falls in love with a woman, but of course the author makes the woman seem manly - so only fat women and those with manly features can be in love?? WTH!
The conversations that the characters had were often predictable or shallow. The sex scenes were odd and often the offers to have sex were very strange. Also, I couldn't for the life of me, figure out why these women were constantly showing up to social events that all their ex-husbands were also at. And then with dates and people they were using to screw them over.
The last annoying thing, was all the name and product dropping. No, I am not accustomed to high society, but way to make me not relate by calling out all the designer name items they wore/used. The $4,000 dresses. I GET IT - THEY'RE RICH!
SOOO glad I am done with this book and I am going to permanently remove this trash from my bookshelf as I will never read it again nor suggest any of my friends to read it.
This has to be one of the most annoying books I have ever read! I wish kept a tally of how many times I rolled my eyes or said aloud, "I hate this book."
This book is about a bunch of self-absorbed divorcees that come together after a friend of theirs, whom it seems they pretty much ignored or shunned, commits suicide. The seek revenge on their snobby husbands, who seem to have left them for no other reason than for younger women (or in Annie Paradise's case, because she couldn't have an orgasm - which I find as an outrageous reason to leave someone).
The concept of this book was a great one, but the way it was written is straight up disgusting. The stereotypes throughout this book are sickening. I don't think I will ever forget, until my dying day, that Brenda Cushman was fat. How could I forget when every two pages, if she wasn't present, someone was talking about how fat she is, and if she was there was some type of reference that she was fat. Always eating cupcakes and sweets, but only a size 18. My guess is if she was a middle aged woman overeating that she would be closer to like 300 or 400 pounds. But just a guess. Then, she falls in love with a woman, but of course the author makes the woman seem manly - so only fat women and those with manly features can be in love?? WTH!
The conversations that the characters had were often predictable or shallow. The sex scenes were odd and often the offers to have sex were very strange. Also, I couldn't for the life of me, figure out why these women were constantly showing up to social events that all their ex-husbands were also at. And then with dates and people they were using to screw them over.
The last annoying thing, was all the name and product dropping. No, I am not accustomed to high society, but way to make me not relate by calling out all the designer name items they wore/used. The $4,000 dresses. I GET IT - THEY'RE RICH!
SOOO glad I am done with this book and I am going to permanently remove this trash from my bookshelf as I will never read it again nor suggest any of my friends to read it.
November 15, 2011
If, like me, you spend an inordinate amount of time reading the cheatin' kinda romance or the ones with the Alphahole jerky H that seems so prevalent in various category lines and find that for every 10 you read 8 are probably just not satisfying the need for a good apology and a sincere "I love you and only you" from the misbehavin' sorry b*stds.
If your tired of the H whose always seems to get out of a big grovel with a cheeky smile, and a "I will be faithful to you from now on, mostly, If I am not too tempted the by the buxom blonde in the spandex.." and some hot smokin' smexxing moves then you need to cleanse your palate with a good ole' fashion make-the jerks-sorry revenge novel. I admit I wear a lot of rose colored googles and tend to throw a lot of pink and purple sparklies around in my quest to really believe in the HEA, but there is a dark, seekrit corner of my heart that just wants to see the dawgs beg for mercy. That is why periodically I just have to read this book.
Yes it is vindictive, it is cruel and probably very frightening to most males, (my own husband read three pages and ran away screaming, I think it was the part about the paint job getting ruined on the jag), but nobody actually gets physically castrated they just get a good dose of what is coming to them.
Olivia Goldsmith manages to take every kinda alphahole H know to Romancelandia and characterizes them brilliantly in her four male "bad guys" in TFWC. She also does a pretty good job of exemplifying the typical doormatty h's seen in too many novels to count and finally gives them a backbone.
What I find particularly interesting is that none of the ladies could do it for themselves, they really are "good girls" for the most part, but when one of their own kills herself because of her asshat husband, watch out. The ladies find an inner strength and resiliency that would make any proper Romancelandia h stand up and cheer and want to move over to chick lit, all in the name of avenging their fallen comrade. They aren't really very kind or sweet about it either, but they do remain ladylike at all times while slowly turning the screws on four very rotten scoundrels who finally get what is really coming to them.
The book is over the top, and yep it has got a lotta fluff, but believe me if you have read as many bad romances as I have, you have got to appreciate the break.
In any other romance book the ladies would quietly get on with their lives and wait for the gents to see how they missed them and return. Annie would take Aaron back with a half-hearted apology and a few "I really love you's", his indiscretions overlooked and quietly swept under the rug. Our abuser Gil would agree to go to counseling and maybe become a monk to help other's overcome their violent tendencies. Elise and Bill would come off as Hollywood royalty and Bill would promise to be more discreet in the future and Morty would realize that all he really wants is Brenda and a cannoli. OG doesn't take the easy, sweet route. No way, the guys were pigs of the first order and they gotta pay. The ways to make them pay and the methods used are most of the fun of this book.
I can't tell you how many times I have smiled in wicked glee as Elise sells Bill's collections for a dollar, I had even more fun contemplating Gil's major financial collapse and subsequent interview with the SEC, almost as much fun as imagining the paint melting off his classic jag. When Morty gets sent to prison I just had to cheer and when Annie -nicely- tells Aaron off, it was the highlight of the book. I know it isn't nice, compassionate or kind, but I was glad those caricatures of male romance hero's suffered. I felt a blow was struck in the name of justice for all the times the h's have to say "It is okay dear, all is forgiven and I still love you" and then ride off into an unbelievable HEA. I know the ladies got an HEA in this one, they made sure of it themselves.
All in all the novel is not the greatest piece of literature in the twentieth century. Parts are trite, some characters are obviously over-dramatized, but so what? Every one needs a break from the overwhelming forgiveness with no real reparation so prevalent in Romancelandia today and I am so glad Ms. Goldsmith managed to do it in a wickedly funny entertaining style that still makes me laugh every time I read it.
If your tired of the H whose always seems to get out of a big grovel with a cheeky smile, and a "I will be faithful to you from now on, mostly, If I am not too tempted the by the buxom blonde in the spandex.." and some hot smokin' smexxing moves then you need to cleanse your palate with a good ole' fashion make-the jerks-sorry revenge novel. I admit I wear a lot of rose colored googles and tend to throw a lot of pink and purple sparklies around in my quest to really believe in the HEA, but there is a dark, seekrit corner of my heart that just wants to see the dawgs beg for mercy. That is why periodically I just have to read this book.
Yes it is vindictive, it is cruel and probably very frightening to most males, (my own husband read three pages and ran away screaming, I think it was the part about the paint job getting ruined on the jag), but nobody actually gets physically castrated they just get a good dose of what is coming to them.
Olivia Goldsmith manages to take every kinda alphahole H know to Romancelandia and characterizes them brilliantly in her four male "bad guys" in TFWC. She also does a pretty good job of exemplifying the typical doormatty h's seen in too many novels to count and finally gives them a backbone.
What I find particularly interesting is that none of the ladies could do it for themselves, they really are "good girls" for the most part, but when one of their own kills herself because of her asshat husband, watch out. The ladies find an inner strength and resiliency that would make any proper Romancelandia h stand up and cheer and want to move over to chick lit, all in the name of avenging their fallen comrade. They aren't really very kind or sweet about it either, but they do remain ladylike at all times while slowly turning the screws on four very rotten scoundrels who finally get what is really coming to them.
The book is over the top, and yep it has got a lotta fluff, but believe me if you have read as many bad romances as I have, you have got to appreciate the break.
In any other romance book the ladies would quietly get on with their lives and wait for the gents to see how they missed them and return. Annie would take Aaron back with a half-hearted apology and a few "I really love you's", his indiscretions overlooked and quietly swept under the rug. Our abuser Gil would agree to go to counseling and maybe become a monk to help other's overcome their violent tendencies. Elise and Bill would come off as Hollywood royalty and Bill would promise to be more discreet in the future and Morty would realize that all he really wants is Brenda and a cannoli. OG doesn't take the easy, sweet route. No way, the guys were pigs of the first order and they gotta pay. The ways to make them pay and the methods used are most of the fun of this book.
I can't tell you how many times I have smiled in wicked glee as Elise sells Bill's collections for a dollar, I had even more fun contemplating Gil's major financial collapse and subsequent interview with the SEC, almost as much fun as imagining the paint melting off his classic jag. When Morty gets sent to prison I just had to cheer and when Annie -nicely- tells Aaron off, it was the highlight of the book. I know it isn't nice, compassionate or kind, but I was glad those caricatures of male romance hero's suffered. I felt a blow was struck in the name of justice for all the times the h's have to say "It is okay dear, all is forgiven and I still love you" and then ride off into an unbelievable HEA. I know the ladies got an HEA in this one, they made sure of it themselves.
All in all the novel is not the greatest piece of literature in the twentieth century. Parts are trite, some characters are obviously over-dramatized, but so what? Every one needs a break from the overwhelming forgiveness with no real reparation so prevalent in Romancelandia today and I am so glad Ms. Goldsmith managed to do it in a wickedly funny entertaining style that still makes me laugh every time I read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2020
This book turned out to be completely different than I expected. Also, I read it at a time when I felt like reading something completely different. Still, I think it's a very good book and I really enjoyed it. Even if there are a few things I would change.
I am aware that there is a movie based on this book, but I don't think I watched it. But knowing the cast of this movie and suggesting tags on GR, I expected this book to be humorous. I was wrong. That is, there are funny moments, but humor is mainly manifested in the language and style of writing. In exaggerating and overdrawing certain things so that they are fun. I can fully imagine that a movie can be quite fun. But the topic and the events in this book are not that amusing. And I was looking for something funny and light. This book is not like that. It tackles many very difficult topics, such as suicide and domestic violence. There are also fragments when we follow the story from the point of view of the husbands who left their wives. They are not nice guys. Being in their heads is tiring and is not a pleasant experience.
Especially since it's quite a long book. And before you get to the part where good characters begin to win, you need to get through a large part where all good deeds are punished and evil characters triumph. Because I wanted something definitely lighter, those long fragments of failures tired me. This does not mean that this book is too long. I have practically not skipped pages, which is rare for me with longer books. I don't think there are any unnecessary scenes or words here. Although for my current mood there were a bit too many different threads and characters.
And I think all of these characters are a little too closely related. Take Phoebe, Bill's new girlfriend, for example. Everyone is connected with each other as in one of the Bold and Beauty TV show. It's really weird.
I'm also a little disappointed with the ending. I expected a greater triumph of the first wives. Meanwhile, they don't achieve that much. And they couldn't do anything without a man - Uncle Bob – after all. In fact, he does everything. And husbands are led to ruin more by their own decisions than by the actions of their ex-wives. There is no magic or charm in all of this. I am not satisfied with this turn of events.
Still, I think it's a very good book and one day I will definitely watch a movie. I expect it will be very different from the book. I wonder which of the countless threads have been removed.
I am aware that there is a movie based on this book, but I don't think I watched it. But knowing the cast of this movie and suggesting tags on GR, I expected this book to be humorous. I was wrong. That is, there are funny moments, but humor is mainly manifested in the language and style of writing. In exaggerating and overdrawing certain things so that they are fun. I can fully imagine that a movie can be quite fun. But the topic and the events in this book are not that amusing. And I was looking for something funny and light. This book is not like that. It tackles many very difficult topics, such as suicide and domestic violence. There are also fragments when we follow the story from the point of view of the husbands who left their wives. They are not nice guys. Being in their heads is tiring and is not a pleasant experience.
Especially since it's quite a long book. And before you get to the part where good characters begin to win, you need to get through a large part where all good deeds are punished and evil characters triumph. Because I wanted something definitely lighter, those long fragments of failures tired me. This does not mean that this book is too long. I have practically not skipped pages, which is rare for me with longer books. I don't think there are any unnecessary scenes or words here. Although for my current mood there were a bit too many different threads and characters.
And I think all of these characters are a little too closely related. Take Phoebe, Bill's new girlfriend, for example. Everyone is connected with each other as in one of the Bold and Beauty TV show. It's really weird.
I'm also a little disappointed with the ending. I expected a greater triumph of the first wives. Meanwhile, they don't achieve that much. And they couldn't do anything without a man - Uncle Bob – after all. In fact, he does everything. And husbands are led to ruin more by their own decisions than by the actions of their ex-wives. There is no magic or charm in all of this. I am not satisfied with this turn of events.
Still, I think it's a very good book and one day I will definitely watch a movie. I expect it will be very different from the book. I wonder which of the countless threads have been removed.
October 7, 2020
Uhggg I SO wanted to give this book 5 stars. Unfortunately a lot of this just didn’t age well. If you grew up, as I did, watching & loving the movie, maybe just skip this one. The movie is *much* better.
March 11, 2017
Don't get mad. Get everything.
When their best friend commits suicide over her divorce, Elise, Brenda and Annie decide enough is enough. Each was crucial to her husband's career. But now that the men are successful, they've traded in their wives for newer, blonder models.
Over lunch one day they form the First Wives Club. But this is no support group. This is the SAS in Chanel. Painstakingly, inexorably, they plan the downfall of the men who've wrecked their lives - and know that revenge has never tasted sweeter...
Film only, flatline 3* chick-flick which centres on mammon, deception and revenge with a couple of chuckles thrown in.
When their best friend commits suicide over her divorce, Elise, Brenda and Annie decide enough is enough. Each was crucial to her husband's career. But now that the men are successful, they've traded in their wives for newer, blonder models.
Over lunch one day they form the First Wives Club. But this is no support group. This is the SAS in Chanel. Painstakingly, inexorably, they plan the downfall of the men who've wrecked their lives - and know that revenge has never tasted sweeter...
Film only, flatline 3* chick-flick which centres on mammon, deception and revenge with a couple of chuckles thrown in.
January 2, 2015
I thought this book was well...unfortunate. I was interested in reading the books because I had seen the movie first and loved it! But I was very disappointed in the books. I thought the transitions from character to character were a bit rough, the plot was ALL over the place, the characters were either overly developed to the point that we were still learning things about them up until the very last chapter of the series or they were underdeveloped to the point that made me wonder why the author gave them a point of view in the story at all. In my opinion there was WAY TOO MUCH exposition! Every chapter was a new meaningless character that the author described for what seemed like endless paragraphs or a description of a setting that was unimportant to the story. And don't even get me started on the transitions between time and setting. Why would anyone write a scene and then in the next paragraph make it suddenly nine weeks later in the story? Another thing I didn't like was the sex. I am 15 years old and I just couldn't take all the useless sex. It added nothing to the plot and very little to character development. The contradictory statements in the books also bothered me. Overall the book was mediocre and could have been improved, but tells a good tale of three women overcoming circumstances that they were forced into by their low life husbands and even getting revenge on them along the way.
January 12, 2021
"Only the weak seek revenge, but only the strong command justice"
This is a credible and deeply satisfying story but along the line you will feel a shadow of dullness which made me give it 3 ✳️ star instead of 4 ✳️ star.
This is a credible and deeply satisfying story but along the line you will feel a shadow of dullness which made me give it 3 ✳️ star instead of 4 ✳️ star.
March 24, 2021
I read this many years ago, before the movie (which may share some similarities but is NOTHING like the book). I remember it taking me awhile to get into it as there were a lot of characters to learn and relationships to understand but by the end of it, I really liked this book. I will have to dig up my copy and give it a re-read to truly do this review justice.
January 16, 2015
A sublimely satisfying read! If you've only seen the film, you owe it to yourself to read the book! While the film was a terrific screwball comedy, the book goes so much deeper. Not only are there belly laughs-a-plenty, but Goldsmith's novel has its touching moments, its scathing moments, its moments of satisfying and poetic justice!
The book is a completely different experience than the film. If you enjoyed the film - or even if you didn't - pick up the novel and give it a try. I will avoid spoilers, but will say the story of Annie's daughter is one of the most touching I've recently read. Unlike in the film, her daughter is not a lesbian but a young woman with Downs Syndrome finding new independence. Her mother's struggle to let go is told with delicacy and honesty.
The husbands' crimes are 10 times worse than in the film...and the wives' revenge is 100 times sweeter! These women aren't playing around this time!
As I enter the second half of my life, I find that The First Wives Club has given me much to think about. It's not merely a tale of revenge...it's a tale of growing up and discovering who you really are.
Olivia Goldsmith has quite a knack of putting right into the places she sets her scenes. I'm a 37-year-old man who grew up in Midwestern suburbia (and not exactly the intended demographic for this novel) but I had no trouble feeling transported into the world of the backstabbing social elite. Some of the situations and dropped-names (Leona Helmsley for one) might date the book, but Goldsmith's prose is so rich that I felt as if I had been there.
I knocked off a single star for what I felt was the only shortcoming in a wonderful read. There are so many supporting characters in the novel that I occasionally wasn't sure who I was reading about, especially as many chapter may have passed since the last time they were mentioned. Full disclosure, however, I read this during slow times at work so there were a lot of starts and stops, your mileage may vary considerably.
I can see myself revisiting the Wives and their quest for justice again one day. It has definite re-readability.
Highly recommended!
The book is a completely different experience than the film. If you enjoyed the film - or even if you didn't - pick up the novel and give it a try. I will avoid spoilers, but will say the story of Annie's daughter is one of the most touching I've recently read. Unlike in the film, her daughter is not a lesbian but a young woman with Downs Syndrome finding new independence. Her mother's struggle to let go is told with delicacy and honesty.
The husbands' crimes are 10 times worse than in the film...and the wives' revenge is 100 times sweeter! These women aren't playing around this time!
As I enter the second half of my life, I find that The First Wives Club has given me much to think about. It's not merely a tale of revenge...it's a tale of growing up and discovering who you really are.
Olivia Goldsmith has quite a knack of putting right into the places she sets her scenes. I'm a 37-year-old man who grew up in Midwestern suburbia (and not exactly the intended demographic for this novel) but I had no trouble feeling transported into the world of the backstabbing social elite. Some of the situations and dropped-names (Leona Helmsley for one) might date the book, but Goldsmith's prose is so rich that I felt as if I had been there.
I knocked off a single star for what I felt was the only shortcoming in a wonderful read. There are so many supporting characters in the novel that I occasionally wasn't sure who I was reading about, especially as many chapter may have passed since the last time they were mentioned. Full disclosure, however, I read this during slow times at work so there were a lot of starts and stops, your mileage may vary considerably.
I can see myself revisiting the Wives and their quest for justice again one day. It has definite re-readability.
Highly recommended!
March 23, 2009
One of the grandmothers of the chick lit genre. Funny, if a bit mean-spirited at times, though it's hard *not* to empathize with the long-suffering first wives who are tossed aside like yesterday's leftovers when their husbands decide it's time to bag trophy wives. The story of how they work together to wreak vengeance on those cads, and improve their own futures and that of their community at the same time, is an entertaining read.
April 16, 2022
Bookopoly 2022. – e-book or audio book
Orillium (spring equinox) – Astronomy (basics: asteroids and comets) – top of your to-be-read list
Book Club Osijek 2022. - 2 (Elvira)
2,5
Knjiga prati tri starije žene koje muževi ostavljaju zbog mlađih žena te se one, potaknute samoubojstvom prijateljice kojoj se to isto dogodilo, odluče osvetiti muževima.
O knjizi imam podvojeno mišljenje. Prvu polovinu čitala sam tjedan dana, toliko mi je bila spora, dosadna depresivna. Glavne junakinje su slabe, bezvezne, naivne žene. Nisam se apsolutno nikako mogla povezati s njima, niti s društvom u kojem su se kretale (umišljeni bogataši, rasisti, opsjednuti novcem). U drugoj polovici se ponešto popravila i čak mi ima zadovoljavajući kraj, ali da nije bila za knjiški klub, ostavila bih ju već nakon par poglavlja.
Orillium (spring equinox) – Astronomy (basics: asteroids and comets) – top of your to-be-read list
Book Club Osijek 2022. - 2 (Elvira)
2,5
Knjiga prati tri starije žene koje muževi ostavljaju zbog mlađih žena te se one, potaknute samoubojstvom prijateljice kojoj se to isto dogodilo, odluče osvetiti muževima.
O knjizi imam podvojeno mišljenje. Prvu polovinu čitala sam tjedan dana, toliko mi je bila spora, dosadna depresivna. Glavne junakinje su slabe, bezvezne, naivne žene. Nisam se apsolutno nikako mogla povezati s njima, niti s društvom u kojem su se kretale (umišljeni bogataši, rasisti, opsjednuti novcem). U drugoj polovici se ponešto popravila i čak mi ima zadovoljavajući kraj, ali da nije bila za knjiški klub, ostavila bih ju već nakon par poglavlja.
December 26, 2024
Never have I ever love a book like The first Wives Club. The movie is great. The book is national treasure. Miss Goldsmith is smart and funny. The characters are lovely and the plot is just genius.
I hope they do make the sequel.
5 stars
I hope they do make the sequel.
5 stars
July 16, 2015
I quit halfway through. Rambles on and on and on...
September 18, 2022
Hace poco más de un año, en una feria del libro de Albacete, me tropecé con el texto en el que se basa una de mis películas favoritas de los 90': El club de las primeras esposas, aunque quizás sea un poco injusta esta apreciación, ya que mis películas favoritas de esta década se pueden contar por decenas. Se trata de una edición del Círculo de lectores, en cartoné, con la sobrecubierta de papel verjurado en casi perfecto estado de conservación y a un precio que podría catalogarse de ridículo. No tuve más remedio que comprarlo.
Lo leí en apenas dos días y fue una de estas lecturas que te atrapan con tanta fuerza que tan pronto llegas a casa corres a coger el libro y te sientas en el primer sitio que encuentras para seguir devorándolo. El libro, lejos de tratarse de una comedia suave con tintes feministas, como su homólogo cinematográfico, se trata de una historia llena de matices, humor ácido y algún que otro momento rudo.
El argumento, a grandes rasgos, narra la historia de tres mujeres de mediana edad, pertenecientes a la Jet-set neoyorquina que, tras años entregadas a la vida doméstica y a apoyar a sus maridos para que asciendan en sus flamantes carreras, son abandonadas y reemplazadas por mujeres mucho más jóvenes. Tras un acontecimiento trágico que las une, nuestras tres protagonistas deciden crear un club para vengarse de sus ex-maridos.
Lo leí en apenas dos días y fue una de estas lecturas que te atrapan con tanta fuerza que tan pronto llegas a casa corres a coger el libro y te sientas en el primer sitio que encuentras para seguir devorándolo. El libro, lejos de tratarse de una comedia suave con tintes feministas, como su homólogo cinematográfico, se trata de una historia llena de matices, humor ácido y algún que otro momento rudo.
El argumento, a grandes rasgos, narra la historia de tres mujeres de mediana edad, pertenecientes a la Jet-set neoyorquina que, tras años entregadas a la vida doméstica y a apoyar a sus maridos para que asciendan en sus flamantes carreras, son abandonadas y reemplazadas por mujeres mucho más jóvenes. Tras un acontecimiento trágico que las une, nuestras tres protagonistas deciden crear un club para vengarse de sus ex-maridos.
January 3, 2024
Yikes, this doesn’t hold up.
Among the various horrible threads of this book, one that I found interesting is when the young, broke paparazzo sees a very sad, famous woman on the street who is grieving the death of a friend. She makes her way into a hotel bar for a drink, he follows her in and buys her more drinks until she is blackout drunk. They go to a room where she vomits and is clearly in a great place to provide consent, so he has unprotected sex with her…and this is the start of their love story.
Ah, the 80s. At least he asks permission to finish in her.
Stick to the movie.
Among the various horrible threads of this book, one that I found interesting is when the young, broke paparazzo sees a very sad, famous woman on the street who is grieving the death of a friend. She makes her way into a hotel bar for a drink, he follows her in and buys her more drinks until she is blackout drunk. They go to a room where she vomits and is clearly in a great place to provide consent, so he has unprotected sex with her…and this is the start of their love story.
Ah, the 80s. At least he asks permission to finish in her.
Stick to the movie.
July 29, 2019
I picked up THE FIRST WIVES CLUB (1993, Pocket) by Olivia Goldsmith only after reading FLAVOR OF THE MONTH. I found the latter...
https://sleaze-factor.blogspot.com/20...
https://sleaze-factor.blogspot.com/20...
August 13, 2014
The movie is better.
September 5, 2015
this is one of my favorite movies. it's hilarious. I quote it all the time. but for some reason, I hated the book. I don't know why, I just did. sorry, Olivia Goldsmith.
June 20, 2022
A million times better than the washed out movie it was made into.
Picked it up for a book club but did not finish it since it was rather long and was seriously depressing me...
I gave myself enough time to think about it and it simply is not a book for me...
Picked it up for a book club but did not finish it since it was rather long and was seriously depressing me...
I gave myself enough time to think about it and it simply is not a book for me...
March 6, 2016
I usually read books quicker than this, however, I started an online course in early September, and wasn't able to read as often as I usually do. The length of my reading this book is not an indication of how much I liked it.
The book is about 3 divorced women, who decide to get back at their ex-spouses.
I loved how the main characters - Elise, Annie and Brenda - are portrayed; how their characters grow in character and strength throughout the book, overcoming personal challenges (eg. Elise with drinking too much) and becoming independence of their former spouses. The way they get back at their spouses is inspiring to any woman who has been mistreated/abused by her spouse of former spouse - mistreated either physically, emotionally or financially.
I haven't seen the movie, so it was really good to read the book without the influence of the movie.
In general, the book is a lot of fun to read.
The book is about 3 divorced women, who decide to get back at their ex-spouses.
I loved how the main characters - Elise, Annie and Brenda - are portrayed; how their characters grow in character and strength throughout the book, overcoming personal challenges (eg. Elise with drinking too much) and becoming independence of their former spouses. The way they get back at their spouses is inspiring to any woman who has been mistreated/abused by her spouse of former spouse - mistreated either physically, emotionally or financially.
I haven't seen the movie, so it was really good to read the book without the influence of the movie.
In general, the book is a lot of fun to read.
February 21, 2020
"All at once a wave of loneliness hit her so hard that she had to clutch the side of the refrigerator until her knuckles whitened".
The First Wives Club (Paperback)
by Olivia Goldsmith
The ultimate revenge of the wives story. Did a recent reread of this. Did not like it as much as when I originally read it but I still loved the wit and the cleverness of the story. It also spawned so many other books, similiar in nature, that this book has to be recognized for that.
Some people I know did not like this and even were a bit offended by its premise but I think the book was all in good fun. Some of the situations are so extreme and out of control that I never took it as reality, just a fun, slightly dark and unexpectedly witty book about good women doing some really naughty things. Four stars.
The First Wives Club (Paperback)
by Olivia Goldsmith
The ultimate revenge of the wives story. Did a recent reread of this. Did not like it as much as when I originally read it but I still loved the wit and the cleverness of the story. It also spawned so many other books, similiar in nature, that this book has to be recognized for that.
Some people I know did not like this and even were a bit offended by its premise but I think the book was all in good fun. Some of the situations are so extreme and out of control that I never took it as reality, just a fun, slightly dark and unexpectedly witty book about good women doing some really naughty things. Four stars.
August 25, 2017
Did not finish. I've been on it for a whole week and I'm not even 200 pages in. I just couldn't get into it. I hated the writing style. I hated the fact that we switched point of views in the middle of a paragraph. I hated the fact that they mentioned Brenda's ''fatness'' every 2 seconds. I get it. She's fat. And she's not even that fat, they mention at one point that she's a size 16, which is not all that fat. And she's constantly eating or thinking of food. Urgh. So annoying. I hated when Brenda's gay friend talked I could barely understand what I was reading because the words were spelled like the way he was talking with lots of Zzs and EEEss. Annoying.
I just couldn't take it anymore.
Now, on to better books.
I just couldn't take it anymore.
Now, on to better books.
June 6, 2007
I've always been mad at what that stupid movie did to this awesome book. The movie made these characters into idiots, when in the book they were smart, strong women. But hey, isn't that what life in our society likes to do to strong, intelligent women - try to take their power from them by turning them into charicatures - if you're ambitious, you're a witch, if you're angry you're just being emotional.... UGH
It's really a great read.
It's really a great read.
Read
December 2, 2008I liked this book because the premise was that men underestimated their wives and their wives showed them that one should never underestimate anyone. I liked the attitude that the first wives take. It has a bit of man-hating in it, which I don't agree with.
November 28, 2014
si alguien te engaño, te partió el corazón te trato como mierda y tu le diste todo de ti, todo lo mejor, pensaste primero en el que en ti y te traiciona de una manera que no tiene como describirse este libro es para ti
May 3, 2015
This is not the best written book, but I enjoyed the characters and the storyline.
April 2, 2018
entertaining story, just not sure why I had to read every two pages about Brenda being fat. I got it.
April 19, 2024
If you're expecting the movie then prepare for oh so much more...
July 16, 2020
Tämä kirja on vuodesta toiseen seilannut omalla lukulistalla ja nyt sain aikaiseksi oikeasti tarttua siihen. Kirjasta vuonna 1996 tehty elokuva on yksi suosikkejani ja sen vuoksi alkuperäisteoksen lukeminen on kai hirvittänyt. Aivan turhaan, kirja on erinomainen. Sillä ei tunnelmaltaan ole paljoakaan tekemistä tuon hauskan komediallisen elokuvan kanssa, vaan teos on paljon raadollisempi ja elävämpi kuin elokuva.
Kolme ex-miestensä kolhimaa naista päättävät ottaa kohtalonsa omiin käsiin ja kostaa keski-iän villityksen kouriin loikanneita miehilleen. Sinällänsä hauska idea ei ole ainoa kirjan kantava voima, vaan sen sisällä pohditaan paljon myös sitä miten naiset joutuvat kantamaan parisuhteen epäonnistumisen vastuun, vaikka heissä ei olisi mitään syytä.
Kirjassa on paikoin havaittavissa turhaa toistoa ja melodraamaa, eikä yläluokkaisten naisten asema rahallisesti ole koskaan varsinaisesti "huono" vaan lähinnä epäoikeudenmukainen. Annie ja hänen kertojaäänensä kasvun huomaa kirjassa parhaiten, myös hänen kasvunsa down syndrooma tyttären äitinä on kerrottu kirjassa hyvin.
Annan kirjalle täydet viisi tähteä, vaikka se muotoseikoiltaan jääkin sen alle. Kirja on omassa genressään sekä hauska, että järkyttävä ja sen lukeminen tuotti suunnattomasti tyydytystä. Lisäksi elokuvan fanille maailma aukeaa verrattain, ei täysin erilaisena kirjan avulla.
Kolme ex-miestensä kolhimaa naista päättävät ottaa kohtalonsa omiin käsiin ja kostaa keski-iän villityksen kouriin loikanneita miehilleen. Sinällänsä hauska idea ei ole ainoa kirjan kantava voima, vaan sen sisällä pohditaan paljon myös sitä miten naiset joutuvat kantamaan parisuhteen epäonnistumisen vastuun, vaikka heissä ei olisi mitään syytä.
Kirjassa on paikoin havaittavissa turhaa toistoa ja melodraamaa, eikä yläluokkaisten naisten asema rahallisesti ole koskaan varsinaisesti "huono" vaan lähinnä epäoikeudenmukainen. Annie ja hänen kertojaäänensä kasvun huomaa kirjassa parhaiten, myös hänen kasvunsa down syndrooma tyttären äitinä on kerrottu kirjassa hyvin.
Annan kirjalle täydet viisi tähteä, vaikka se muotoseikoiltaan jääkin sen alle. Kirja on omassa genressään sekä hauska, että järkyttävä ja sen lukeminen tuotti suunnattomasti tyydytystä. Lisäksi elokuvan fanille maailma aukeaa verrattain, ei täysin erilaisena kirjan avulla.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews