Reader, I Married Him

by Michèle Roberts

Who is Aurora? Every time she becomes a new Mrs (three times when last we counted) she becomes a new woman: art collector with the first; hippy with the second; deli owner with the last. Sad that they all died. Widowed three times...When Aurora decides to take herself off to Italy to visit her old friend, Nun Leonora, after her last husband's demise, she finds herself plunged into intrigues at the convent; and very odd goings on at the art gallery. Combined with her own dangerous lust for sex and food, this could well be the scenario that reveals the real Aurora - even to herself.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2000

About the author

Michèle Brigitte Roberts is the author of fifteen novels, including Ignorance which was nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction and Daughters of the House which won the W.H. Smith Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Her memoir Paper Houses was BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in June 2007. She has also published poetry and short stories, most recently collected in Mud: Stories of Sex and Love. Half-English and half-French, Roberts lives in London and in the Mayenne, France. She is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Reviews

[Annie Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uni reading- found this to be quite an odd book. I felt like it was missing character development and chunks of info. Was also getting quite confused with all the different names the main character was called. Didn't really understand why she did what she did but found it an alright story.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sly and fun. A short, clever and sophisticated mystery.

[Jack Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read any Michèle Roberts before so I didn't know what to expect, but this was very entertaining. Some great descriptions of food and buildings, plus amusing characters and, I suppose, a mystery.

[Liz Owen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed Michele Roberts' books before, but I didn't like this one much. Disappointing.

[Mbuye · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get into the story, if there was one, but nonetheless I found myself laughing again and again at the wry descriptions and situations set before eyes.

[Natanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is just strange. Like another reviewer said, I felt like I was missing tons of details throughout the novel, and although I did more or less understand everything by the end, I was pretty dissatisfied. The ending was abrupt and fairly unexpected, and it definitely wasn't a positive surprise. This was a light read, good for the airplane, but the whole second half, really, was just weird. Aurora does a lot of random, sudden, unexpected things, and attributes everything to her self-characterization as an "extrovert." Until the end, I didn't dislike this book, but it really wasn't a particularly worthwhile read.

[Tlackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished this easy-to-read book. Nice and light, with a cute twist at the end. A friend at work recommended it and so I read it. I had never heard of Michele Roberts, so I learned of a new author. It seems she has several books. What I loved about the book, the large, airy type! Yes, I'm 50 and not afraid to admit that I want to be able to see what I'm reading! I might check out another of her books. Great for the beach or airplane.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I compare reading this book to reading a book in another language or watching a foreign film. Throughout the book I felt like I was missing a lot of details (or that they weren't given and should have been) but persevered thinking "at least have the gist of the story"....now that I am finished I think it was a good thing that I wasn't given a lot of details. The author writes in a beautiful and interesting way and the book was very clever. Especially the ending!

[Luann Ritsema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed most of this book -- read it in one sitting yesterday - but the ending put me off. I think I'll get a tattoo that says "Didn't like the ending" because that seems to happen to me a lot. This one seemed silly and at odds with the overall tone and atmosphere of the book. But there was much here I enjoyed so 3 stars it is.

[Sonia Gomes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Michele Roberts, but this book seemed out of character for her, not her style at all.
I cannot say I enjoyed it that much, left me disatisfied, which never ever happens to me when I read Michele Roberts

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ending was SOoooooo disappointing - I felt betrayed!

[amma.keep.reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the writing but hated the story... Very strange characters

[Ayden Wilkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

some clever and funny bits in this book, and a great ending, but ultimately i found this a dull read. much below my expectations.

[Story · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd and deliciously farcical.

[Jessica Jernigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while giving birth. It was an odd choice. My plan was to be reading Little, Big by John Crowley, but my daughter was ten days late being born and I had already finished that.

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multiple widow journeys to Italy, hijinks ensue. Weird ending.
The narrator is unreliable.