"Some writing is what you call 'writerly', you fill in the gaps and participate, and some is 'readerly', and you're entertained. We tend to see 'readerly' more in genre fiction like adventure, romance and thrillers, where the author dictates your experience as a reader. Literary [writerly] fiction lets you go into a new environment and you have to find your own way."
Do you have a guilty pleasure television show (or even a movie), one that you know is silly and probably rotting your brain, but you watch nonetheless? I'm quite embarrassed to be admitting this, but every time I come across an episode of America's Next Top Model, I stop and watch. Why? Who knows, the dialogue is inane, the plots are contrived, the drama is phony, and yet I can't peel my eyes from the tv. Well, The Husband's Secret is just that.
In addition, any plot summary that you can possibly provide for this novel is going to make the whole thing sound incredibly stupid. Here, let's try it. This novel is about three women (yep, this is chick lit): Cecilia, whose husband is harboring a terrible secret that could destroy their marriage, Rachel, who still grieves the death of her daughter, and Tess, whose husband just announced that he has fallen in love with her cousin. If I were to tell you more, you might run screaming. If you haven't already that is...