Separate Checks

by Marianne Wiggins

At her psychiatrist's behest, Ellery McQueen--daughter, niece, and cousin in a family of formidable women--sets out to describe her family in writing with humorously perceptive results

Genres: Fiction

271 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Marianne Wiggins is the author of seven books of fiction including John Dollar and Evidence of Things Unseen. She has won an NEA grant, the Whiting Writers' Award, and the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, and she was a National Book Award- and Pulitzer Prize-finalist in fiction for Evidence of Things Unseen.

Reviews

[taylor ⛅️ ann wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had the potential to be great. Towards the end I feel like we truly lost the plot and continued going when we should’ve ended. When the ending did come around it was unsatisfying and shocking for the sake of shock. Overall this wasn’t what I expected and I was a big fan of the writing style. This won’t work for all, but it worked for me.

[Marcia]

Another reread - SEPARATE CHECKS written before Marianne Wiggins' stint as the second of Salman Rushdie's five wives.

Short story writer Ellery McQueen (yes her mother was a novelist, who fancied her works to rival those of Agatha Christie), has been institutionalised after a nervous breakdown. To aid her recovery she is encouraged to take up what is now called journalling, and produces vignettes of the members of her eccentric and self-absorbed family.

Her 6 cousins (all female) are the daughters of 4 of 5 sisters. There are no men in the family - they may have had profound effects on these women, but were all peripheral to their lives and never were around for too long.

Despite sparce descriptions, the women's intelligence sparkes through the dialogue, but ... I couldn't feel invested in any of them, apart from husband-killer Belle.

Part of the reason I am rereading books that have been on my shelf for 30 odd years is to decide whether they should stay another 30. This one won't

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re reading this book is part of my COVID 'explore your own library' phase. Not sure how I acquired this book but it was a very interesting read. "At her psychiatrist's behest, Ellery McQueen--daughter, niece, and cousin in a family of formidable women--sets out to describe her family in writing with humorously perceptive results. " I look forward to reading more of her work. Question - she credits each part of the story to particular people - how much is her imagination, how much late night story confessional?

[Dcw]

My first act as head of “NDRB* Classics” would be to bring all these old Mariannes back into print. Like, Day one! This is kind of my ideal form for a kunstlerroman. And she’s just as good w/ the Hopi stuff here as she was with the colonial SE Asia stuff in “John Dollar” … though that is a perfect book and this is not. Still loved it though.

*New Davey Review of Books

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Wiggins is a wonder. She never (or not yet) disappoints.

[Savanah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly a bit exhausting to read, might give it another try in a different headspace.

[Margo Solod · Rating 3 out of 5]

clearly an early book. i almost gave up several times, although i stuck it out till the end. good conceit, excellent characters but she tended to get lost in the middle of some of the longer chapters, especially belle's. i ended up doing a bit of skimming.
i have been impressed by later work, and look forward to reading more written after john dollar, which i shall use as my benchmark.

[stellajames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wiggins is not easy to read. I almost gave up on this book, then I remembered how much I love her writing just for it's own sake - along with her brilliance in storytelling, so I kept up. It took a lot of concentration for some reason, but about 1/2 into the book, bam! Hooked again.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Highly recommended.