A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Book 3 of the Literary Wives series

I initially read this book about 3 years ago as a Borders employee, since it was a “make” book. Absolutely nothing about it resonated for me. I rarely even mentioned it to customers, because I could not honestly say I “liked” it. I realized that the story was just way too depressing for me, and I couldn’t find much to appreciate or like about the writing style. I rated it one star on goodreads.

Upon seeing it listed for the Literary Wives discussion, I swore I would NOT reread this, but I broke down Saturday and checked it out from the library…and…reread it. This time I was more aware and took better note of writing devices employed by the author, whether by design or subconsciously I don’t know, but there are many ways in which Goolrick creates and reinforces the bleak, desolate, and hopeless supporting atmosphere for this bleak, desolate, and hopeless story: (1) Frequent repetitions of “Such things happen,” or “Such things happened,” emphasizing the belief that life just happens to us, we have no control, (2) repetitious description of the dark, bleak, desolate, and barren Wisconsin winter landscape, (3) repeated references to the atrocities committed upon themselves and each other by members of the community (suicide, beatings, murders, etc.). I’m sure there are many more…and now I understand a bit better my reaction upon my first read that the story felt so repetitive to me, it was! However, these repetitions do much to make this one of the most depressing stories I’ve ever read; please understand that I try to reject truly depressing reads because I’ve found daily life can present many depressing factors with which I must deal and I really do not want to read about others’ unless it is uplifting, and frankly, I found very little to nothing uplifting about this book. I can only hope this was the author’s intention, or perhaps it is just my specific interpretation and reaction…

The second time around I did detect just a bit of redemption at the very end in each of the main characters. For Catherine, I guess it was better late than never, and she did seem to be truly “rehabilitated” to a genuinely kind and caring human being, following one of the most bizarre stories of human destruction I’ve ever read… And Ralph did appear to truly regret the abuse he had heaped upon “his” son, however, his main goal in obtaining forgiveness was simply to ease his own mind and make him feel better about himself, “redeemed.” Once a narcissist always a narcissist, I guess?!?

Interestingly, having just reread The Great Gatsby several months ago, I discovered some similarities between these two books: amassing wealth to do nothing more than advance your own standing/prestige, to the exclusion of any truly personal/spiritual  development, exploiting people for your own gain. Most of Truitt’s 2,000 inhabitants worked directly for Ralph Truitt; “He underpaid them, though he grew richer by the hour.” (page 9) However, Goolrick does include the helplessness and seeming hopelessness of abject poverty born of parental abandonment (e.g. death) and/or abuse/neglect. This is particularly devastating to females who have no real economic/financial recourse in 1908 to truly “make a living,” other than the “oldest profession”? Catherine states she “…would not, could not, live without love or money.” (page 20) 

Neither of them cared about nor knew how to “love,” sex was just motion that others enjoyed, though I believe at the end they may have each discovered some love in their hearts, but what a long and painful journey! I could appreciate Catherine’s recognition that having enough money to live well as Ralph’s wife was part of the reason she could become more caring, life was just easier…I believe Catherine had known true love for her younger sister, Alice, and although she had worked very hard to provide her with a life much better than her own, Alice, too, turned to prostitution, though she was seduced at age 12 by Catherine’s “sugar daddy” at the time. And I did feel true compassion for Catherine as she watched Alice dying, much as I was able to feel for Antonio as he died. 

A theme from this book to which I could relate is just how difficult, and many times impossible, it is to overcome the injustices played out in our childhoods: Ralph for a truly uncaring, cold-hearted, abusive mother who refused to hold him as a baby, etc.; Catherine for being orphaned at such a young age and forced to “make it on her own”; and Antonio for his father’s physical and emotional abuse, and mother’s abandonment of him. I did increase my goodreads rating to 2 of 5 stars.

If you're interested in the Literary Wives online discussion, four bloggers are hosting this: Angela, Ariel, Audra, and Emily. Read the book and join in!

There are 4 books chosen: (1) May: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, (2) June: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, (3) July: A Reliable Wife by Richard Goolrick, (4) August: The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. Everyone who wishes to read these books and join the discussion is invited to do so. 

The questions to consider:

Question 1: What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife?

Question 2: In what way does this woman define "wife" -- or in what way is she defined by "wife"?

#1 Perhaps most obvious for me, literally anyone can be a wife, at least hold the title, etc. This was evidenced by the fact that Ralph just advertised for a “wife” and got one! Little did he know this woman was his son’s lover and they hatched a plan to kill him and live well with his money to keep them. Wives can be faithful in some ways and unfaithful in others: marrying only to benefit their own family’s finances (Emilia), sexually promiscuous with other men (Emilia and Catherine), plotting their husband’s death (Catherine), slowly poisoning their husband (Catherine), etc. Alice (American Wife) definitely held the title of wife, but loved Charlie, and was faithful and loyal, perhaps to a fault in some ways… Hadley (The Paris Wife) definitely married Ernest for love and was faithful, though she eventually set limits and dissolved the marriage.

#2 Catherine defines “wife” by treating this role as a complete sham initially, but eventually, after nearly killing Ralph, beginning to truly love him…I think! (And hope.) She is defined by her role as “wife” in acting as if she is an unaccomplished lover at first, and learning to present herself as a mannered “lady” (while in St. Louis), however, she was also sleeping with her husband’s son at the time! Such hypocrisy! But I believe she does eventually become Ralph’s true “wife,” at least according to my standards! Alice (American Wife) became totally defined by her role as “wife” in many ways, though she did stand up for her own individual beliefs eventually in some ways. Hadley (The Paris Wife) was in my opinion a truly faithful, loyal, and understanding “wife” until faced with a polygamous relationship, and then she removed herself from that role.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Book 2 of the Literary Wives Series

The pace of this book definitely picked up for me after the first 125 pages or so. Hadley was not a very exciting person on her own, in fact, that was her main attraction to Ernest--his excitement and exciting behaviors! I particularly appreciated the details McLain included about some of the authors of that time period in Paris. For example, I had no idea Ezra Pound had actually taught (and been dismissed from) a small private college in Indiana, my home state! That prompted some research on my part! 

I was so much reminded of James Redfield's theory of "marriage"; that such relationships are truly "spiritual" and should continue only so long as each person is receiving the spiritual nourishment and foundation they need from the relationship. Once that is gone, this "spiritual relationship" should be dissolved. I thought perhaps this was how Ernest felt; although he needed the "grounding" Hadley provided, he was now "moving on and up" and felt he needed someone who could better provide a more "social" partnership among the "partying' couples with whom he now associated. Though once I learned Pauline planned to move him to Piggot, Arkansas, that illusion was banished! I seriously doubt the same type of social scene was available anywhere in Arkansas as in Paris! I kept wondering what spiritual gain Hadley ever received; it appeared to me little to none, overall. 

Then we get to the real shocker for me--polygamy! Yes, Ernest heartily believed his life would be complete if all of them lived together, and although Hadley allowed this for a short time, she finally made the decision to divorce herself from Ernest's life. I sometimes wonder if males are just hard-wired differently from females. I cannot imagine being one of multiple females in a relationship with one male; polygamy just isn't a valid workable concept for me, and rather implies that none of the females/"wives" could possibly be fulfilled by such an arrangement, rather only sublimated to minor roles in making certain the male is fulfilled. Personally, just one relationship at a time for me! I personally believe multiple partners in my life would make me feel duplicitous and dishonest. Although Hadley had played that type of role from the beginning with Ernest, she was unwilling to share her man, child, and daily life with another woman. Finally something made her realize just how insignificant she really was to Ernest, and that she deserved better! Although Ernest did give her some financial security by assigning royalties from  The Sun Also Rises to her. I can only hope her second marriage proved to be much happier. It was not lost on me, however, that Pauline was more than capable financially, and with her money, Ernest wouldn’t have to work to meet living expenses (as he had with Hadley), but could devote himself totally to writing.

I felt Ernest exemplified what I consider to be a truly "creative" personality: a roamer, always traveling, moving around, exploring, etc. It seems many artistic people find it difficult to "put down roots," as they say... Perhaps that is how they maintain a high level of creativity, by never feeling stuck... Although if it hadn’t been for Hadley’s inheritance, Ernest might never have made it to Paris in the first place!

I am glad I read this book and I appreciated the insights I gained about Hemingway and his first/"Paris" wife. I am anxious to learn more by reading Therese Anne Fowler's Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. I have been reading Fitzgerald’s novels and short stories and now will begin to read Hemingway's works also.

If you're interested in the Literary Wives online discussion, four bloggers are hosting this: Angela (http://persephonewrites.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/literary-wives-book-2-the-paris-wife-a-literary-love-affair),   Ariel (http://onelittlelibrary.com/2013/06/01/literary-wives-part-two-the-paris-wife/), Audra (http://unabridged-expression.blogspot.com/?m=1), and Emily (http://emilyjanuary.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/literary-wives-series-the-starter-wife-in-paris/). Read the book and join in!

There are 4 books chosen: (1) May: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, (2) June: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, (3) July: A Reliable Wife by Richard Goolrick, (4) August: The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. Everyone who wishes to read these books and join the discussion is invited to do so. 

The questions to consider:

Question 1: What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife?

Question 2: In what way does this woman define "wife" -- or in what way is she defined by "wife"?

I definitely felt Hadley believed her role as wife was to be supportive and provide care and unconditional love to her husband. There was no real belief that she should develop her own talent(s) beyond caring for Ernest, and then Bumby once he was born. At one point Ernest explains that in order to write he must be alone, but then that he must "...leave that place and come back here and talk to you. That makes it all stick." Hadley responds that she "thinks" she "gets it," but Ernest responds, "Maybe no one can know how it is for anyone else." I would agree that no one person can ever know exactly how another person feels/thinks all the time, let alone understand. Though I don't believe it was ever possible for Ernest to feel truly understood; most likely an outgrowth of his family's lack of acknowledgement and/or understanding; I doubt any one person truly satisfied him for long. However, he does note in his last letter to Hadley, “You’ve changed me more than you know, and will always be a part of everything I am. That’s one thing I’ve learned from this. No one you love is ever truly lost.” So again, as with Alice in American Wife I felt Hadley completely buried herself and her needs in submitting to Ernest, whatever he wanted, needed, etc. He definitely called the shots. Though Hadley did at least continue playing the piano, so she got some fulfillment, unlike Alice.

Hadley had never been in a serious relationship before Ernest and I truly felt many times that given their age difference (8 years, as I recall), she rather felt that nurturing was the role of a wife, especially with Ernest. There were times I almost believed she was "mothering" him and that he would definitely resent Hadley ever diverting some of her attention from him to raise a child. As Ezra Pound warned her, "I think it would be a terrible mistake if you tried to utterly domesticate him," believing the baby would change everything, her expectations, etc. She admits that "about this one thing he had been dead right." While Hadley felt she could be both a mother and Ernest's wife, I believe that Ernest felt undivided attention to him was necessary, though only when he desired it, heedless of the many hours of “alone time” Hadley had to fill.Overall, I had more respect for Hadley than I had for Alice.