His Secret Little Wife: A Novel

by Fredrica Wagman

His Secret Little Wife is the story of a brilliant young cellist and her sexual affair with the famous composer and conductor who created her.
It is a story of seduction, of hope, of obsession and triumph. It is also the story of a supremely narcissistic man of genius and insatiable appetites whose magnetic appeal is irresistible, even to those he would use, discard, and even destroy; a bold man with a horrendous sense of entitlement who takes what he wants to take, dumps whom he wants to dump, and never looks back; a man incapable of sorrow, of grieving; a man who destroys everything in his wake. Told through the eyes of a child – as if Lolita had narrated her tale rather than Humbert Humbert – the narrator doesn’t understand the darker side of her relationship with The Maestro as she blossoms within a world that lacks all boundaries. Employing a beautiful and unique style, Fredrica Wagman makes the reader privvy to the thoughts and emotions of a young girl caught in the throes of a relationship beyond her own comprehension.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[liana star · Rating 2 out of 5]

If… I write like this… perhaps… I will sound… more introspective?

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book by one of my favorite authors, this small tale evokes deep emotions that will not be easy for all readers to take. This is the story of a young musical protégé who is enchanted by her much older mentor – who is also her friend’s father. And even though she is only 12 years old, she finds herself supposedly “in love” with the man and thus begins a horrific affair that can only lead to heartache and pain.
As she finds herself falling deeper and deeper into his trap, she begins to realize this isn’t the first time he’s seduced a young girl. However, she thinks this time is different. In her eyes, he really loves her and eventually, she won’t be just his “secret” wife.
Sad and overpowering, this story demonstrates the artistic ability Fredrica Wagman has as a writer. As difficult as this book is to read, it’s absolutely brilliant and I loved it.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's as if Lolita wrote a book from her perspective. .. unfortunately, unlike "Lolita" the writing doesn't hold my attention - page long paragraphs and ellipses make it feel overly dramatic rather than gripping emotions. I read the whole thing on a 2 hour flight - not a long book, with a lot of promise but in the end, I finished it wanting a little more depth and story (even ignoring the prose style). I didn't feel anything towards any of the characters, nor do we discover anything new that's not summarized on the book jacket cover.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'His Secret Little Wife' is an interesting coming of age book that has the reader curious about what is to come... an easy read, I was able to finish this in a day, tho others may be able to finish in a few hours.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

creepy...sick...twisted... and yet not really...

[Anna Valenzuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmmmmmm..... it was like a car accident that you had to look at even though you know it would make you feel queasy and sick and sad.

[Stargazer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I'd read anything about a cellist, but there's no musical passion in here, just a paedophile composer, sad.