The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, Peter Straub Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Stepford Wives
Book Review: A 3 1/2 star book.
Summary: 3 Stars
Although the book is good, it needs a bit more detail. A few times, when reading, I was not sure what was happening and I had to re-read a paragraph or two. Also, even though the book does not have much detail, you must pay very close attention or you will miss important points in the story. I rate this book 3 1/2 stars.Book Review: A Sly, Subtle Novel of Ingenious Suspense
Summary: 5 Stars
Ira Levin never fails to impress me. I've only had the great luck of reading "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Stepford Wives." Rosemary's Baby was unbelievable, and reading it was like watching a speeding train coming at you. Part Two of that novel (it's written in three parts) becomes so incredibly frantic towards the end, yet Levin himself is so calm about it all. It's as if he's merely opening the doors to the insane asylum and letting you in, without ever stepping in himself. It's brilliant. And he manages to best that book with "The Stepford Wives," which if anything, should be used in a study for subtlety, less-is-more, and incredible foreshadowing. Re-reading the novel and knowing what's going to happen, it's amazing the way he drops clues, in the most inconspicuous of places. And the way he writes scenes--he's very concise about what details he puts in, and while he doesn't go overboard, he gives you the one or two details that are absolutely perfect, and you feel like you know everything.
The characters are also finely drawn. You learn a lot about Joanna, just in tiny details, and how she is with her children, her husband, and her friends. ...P>Levin's ending, as others have noted, is also quite amazing, and you're almost too out of breath to realize what has happened. I remember the first time I read the last section, with Ruthanne (a black woman who's the newest to move to Stepford after Joanna) and her husband, and it wasn't until I read it a second time that I just got so freaked out, just in the subtle hints. And how it almost seems to end abruptly, and yet ends at the perfect moment.
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Book Review: A True Landmark
Summary: 5 Stars
Very few suspense novels achieve historic status, and this 1972 gem is one of them. Short, swift, and genuinely terrifying, it had an impact on the world that still resonates. The phrase, "Stepford wife," is now part of our language, and a certain type of woman will always be described that way. Ira Levin managed to make a profound sociological statement disguised as entertainment, and there aren't many other examples of that in suspense fiction.
There is no substitute for reading this chilling novel, although the solid 1975 film version with Katharine Ross is infinitely better than the ill-advised "comic" remake with Nicole Kidman. To turn Levin's dark, pro-feminist statement into a campy farce was a disservice to him and an insult to women everywhere. Stick with the novel--you'll never forget it, I promise.
Book Review: A funny book without a happy ending
Summary: 3 Stars
The whole story with was very funny in my opinion. I really liked the robots and their vacuum cleaners. Bobbie was always good for a joke and Joanna brought her back to reality when Bobbie thought that the whole town of Stepford was poisoned by some computer factories.Book Review: A quick and worthwhile read
Summary: 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end (although the introduction part gave away much of some interesting parts) and although I put it down several times it only took me about an hour and a half to read in total (without even really concentrating on it). It's interesting to note that Joanna (and Ruthanne later on) begins to become a Stepford wife long before her "transformation" into the extreme type. Her character is deeply wrung and realistic and, although she is the central character in the novella, she is not the only one who gets a strong development. But I'll let you see that for yourself if you so wish. :p