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Animal Wife: Stories
In this award-winning debut collection, fifteen magical realism stories portray girls and women searching for an escape from their everyday lives. “In villages where women bore most of the weight of a constricted life, witches flew by night on broomsticks,” said Italo Calvino of the way imagination bridges the gap between everyday existence and an idealized alternative . . . The fifteen stories of Animal Wife are unified by girls and women who cross this threshold seeking liberation from family responsibilities, from societal expectations, from their own minds. A girl born with feathers undertakes a quest for the mother who abandoned her. An indecisive woman drinks Foresight, only to become stymied by the futures branching before her. A proofreader cultivates a cage-fighting alter ego. A woman becomes psychologically trapped in her car. A girl acts on her desire for a childhood friend as a monster draws closer to the shore. A widow invites a bear to hibernate in her den . . .Animal Wife was selected as the winner of the Red Hen Fiction Award by New York Times– bestselling author Ann Hood, who says, “From the first sentence Animal Wife grabbed me and never let go. Sensual and intelligent, with gorgeous prose, it made me dizzy with its exploration and illumination of the inner and outer lives of girls and women.”Praise for Animal Wife “Whimsy and fantasy meet the way things really turn out in stories from a strong new voice.” —Kirkus Reviews “Strange, funny, fearsome, Animal Wife is a gorgeous book, weird in its very bones.” —Elizabeth McCracken, author of A Novel “Lara Ehrlich has written a collection of stories that allow for escapism.” —F(r)iction “I was particularly intrigued by the way Lara beautifully portrays the inner struggle between wildness and domesticity, the surreal elements of each story lending a mythical complexity to these conflicts. Really lovely and thought-provoking. Perfect for fans of Aimee Bender, Karen Russell, and Angela Carter.” —Joy Baglio, founder of Pioneer Valley Writer’s Workshop
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2020
About the author
Lara Ehrlich
1 book25 followersLara Ehrlich is the author of the short story collection Animal Wife (Red Hen Press, 2020), which won Red Hen’s Fiction Award, judged by Ann Hood. Lara lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
June 8, 2020
Unfortunately this was a DNF. I tried to continue. I always try to avoid not finishing. This book is written in a lyrical, metaphorical fantasia-esque style that simply did not connect with me in any way.
It felt similar to my experience of reading Shakespeare. Too confusing, not concise and pretty words over substance. I think anyone who likes books that are far out there and as I've described above, will have a better experience and a chance to appreciate this book.
It felt similar to my experience of reading Shakespeare. Too confusing, not concise and pretty words over substance. I think anyone who likes books that are far out there and as I've described above, will have a better experience and a chance to appreciate this book.
February 25, 2024
hmmm. this volume of feminist fables has a magical touch, but i was expecting more bonkers depravity. instead it reminded me of the girls' guide to hunting and fishing and rosie little's cautionary tales for girls. painful little coming of age stories. some of the pieces are mere page-long vignettes.
i was also expecting more purple prose, based on some negative reviews - but the prose is flowery without being over the top. and a poetic writing style is certainly fitting for the book's fairytale themes.
notes i took about each story while listening:
ANIMAL WIFE is an elegiac fairytale about a girl left behind by her mother, believing her to have become a swan, training to be tough so she won't die a weak woman's fairytale fate. it's short and pretty.
NIGHT TERRORS is about childhood anxiety, worry beads, the weight of the world on your shoulders, being a powerless little girl, hyperaware of all the things that can go horribly wrong.
BEWARE THE UNDERTOAD is summertime sun during puberty, out of place in your own body. the deep discomfort of burgeoning sexuality. mean kids, and a supernatural riptide to represent a new world of sexual threats. i really liked the dizzying use of repetition in this story, as the same lines are repeated from one summer to the next.
SIX ROSES uses a cool collective "we" narration. a friend group talking shit and coming of age together. first kisses aren't fairytale kisses, but they're not horrible either.
DESIREE THE DESTROYER is short and confusing. no further comment.
CRUSH is a vignette about a baby's skeleton in the womb.
FORESIGHT could be my favorite story of the bunch, if only it were longer. it's a super cool speculative fiction concept - a product that allows you to glimpse your future selves in all their possible multiverse manifestations. the paradox of choice, paralysis of indecision.
THE VANISHING POINT is about a lonely woman who laboriously transforms herself into a deer and embarks into the woods. when this story got going, i exclaimed NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN BOUT! this is the bizarre, unhinged content that i need! she meets a huntress who now occupies her childhood home, and the ending is dismal. i loved the part about deer preferring liminal spaces, edges of forests and roads, never quite sure where they belong.
KITE is about attempting to ignore the pull of compulsory motherhood. very short vignette.
BURN RUBBER shows us an unusual way to go feral - leaving one's family life, husband, and child to live in a car, ignoring self care, scarcely functioning at all.
THE TENANT reminds me of my boyfriend is a bear (though this is much darker). loneliness so deep that it might even allow us to let wildness in.
PAINT BY NUMBER is another tiny lil vignette. becoming invisible as you age and cease to be useful.
THE MONSTER AT MARTA'S BACK is a depressing one. a middle aged mom, empty nested, embarking on her own journey for the first time in decades. the necessity of escaping once the time has come, and all the fear and baggage that come with doing so.
STONE FRUIT is short and sad. carrying a weight in your womb until it's too late to bear it.
ANIMAL WIFE REVISITED is the first tale from this volume, but from the perspective of the mother. she lives a beautiful life as a swan before becoming a human, a wife, a mother. of course she was always destined to fly free again eventually.
i was also expecting more purple prose, based on some negative reviews - but the prose is flowery without being over the top. and a poetic writing style is certainly fitting for the book's fairytale themes.
notes i took about each story while listening:
ANIMAL WIFE is an elegiac fairytale about a girl left behind by her mother, believing her to have become a swan, training to be tough so she won't die a weak woman's fairytale fate. it's short and pretty.
NIGHT TERRORS is about childhood anxiety, worry beads, the weight of the world on your shoulders, being a powerless little girl, hyperaware of all the things that can go horribly wrong.
BEWARE THE UNDERTOAD is summertime sun during puberty, out of place in your own body. the deep discomfort of burgeoning sexuality. mean kids, and a supernatural riptide to represent a new world of sexual threats. i really liked the dizzying use of repetition in this story, as the same lines are repeated from one summer to the next.
SIX ROSES uses a cool collective "we" narration. a friend group talking shit and coming of age together. first kisses aren't fairytale kisses, but they're not horrible either.
DESIREE THE DESTROYER is short and confusing. no further comment.
CRUSH is a vignette about a baby's skeleton in the womb.
FORESIGHT could be my favorite story of the bunch, if only it were longer. it's a super cool speculative fiction concept - a product that allows you to glimpse your future selves in all their possible multiverse manifestations. the paradox of choice, paralysis of indecision.
THE VANISHING POINT is about a lonely woman who laboriously transforms herself into a deer and embarks into the woods. when this story got going, i exclaimed NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN BOUT! this is the bizarre, unhinged content that i need! she meets a huntress who now occupies her childhood home, and the ending is dismal. i loved the part about deer preferring liminal spaces, edges of forests and roads, never quite sure where they belong.
KITE is about attempting to ignore the pull of compulsory motherhood. very short vignette.
BURN RUBBER shows us an unusual way to go feral - leaving one's family life, husband, and child to live in a car, ignoring self care, scarcely functioning at all.
THE TENANT reminds me of my boyfriend is a bear (though this is much darker). loneliness so deep that it might even allow us to let wildness in.
PAINT BY NUMBER is another tiny lil vignette. becoming invisible as you age and cease to be useful.
THE MONSTER AT MARTA'S BACK is a depressing one. a middle aged mom, empty nested, embarking on her own journey for the first time in decades. the necessity of escaping once the time has come, and all the fear and baggage that come with doing so.
STONE FRUIT is short and sad. carrying a weight in your womb until it's too late to bear it.
ANIMAL WIFE REVISITED is the first tale from this volume, but from the perspective of the mother. she lives a beautiful life as a swan before becoming a human, a wife, a mother. of course she was always destined to fly free again eventually.
November 7, 2021
Really, really great. I loved this.
September 26, 2020
Flowery writing that is supposed to be a commentary on women and feminism and sex, but I just flat out didn't like it. I will quickly forget this book exists. Honestly I only read it because I think the cover is awesome.
April 22, 2023
pretty interesting collection of short stories that revolve around misogyny, feminine desire & rage, and the more earthy, natural woman.
September 13, 2020
A wonderful collection of stories that I keep thinking about. They are both familiar and fantastic. Modern and archaic. Delightful and unsettling. They grounded me in visceral, physical memories brought back to life by Ehrlich from forgotten corners of my mind, while taking me to new places on the wing of a swan, in the depths of the sea, in the forest in the company of a stag. Exploring themes of motherhood, gender expectations, and identity, this is one of my favorite passages that speaks to the collection as a whole:
"In fairy tales, the stag eludes a prince, drawing him deeper and deeper into the forest. There, the prince finds a maiden: a swan princess, a sleeping beauty, a girl dressed as a beast with three dresses folded into nut shells. He finds her in a lake or hollow tree. Although he doesn't threaten her outright, he rides a stallion and carries a bow or a gun. Often, there are dogs. He bears her back to his palace, assuming that she yearns for domestication. She grieves her wildness, even as she bears the prince's children, maybe even comes to love them." - The Vanishing Point
In the worlds of this collection, something unknown always simmers beneath the surface. Nothing can be taken for granted. Relationships, love, and affection are as dark and mysterious as the fables and fairy tales the collections draws from. Why does she leave? Why does she stay? Will she return? Does she love me? What does it mean to be a mother?
The closing story, Animal Wife Revisited, does not answer all these questions, but is instead a haunting, unforgettable story that reflects the entire collection and is one that you wish you could put in your pocket with your other precious talismans collected from nature - a stone, an animal bone, and single white feather. Something to keep, and keep coming back to.
"In fairy tales, the stag eludes a prince, drawing him deeper and deeper into the forest. There, the prince finds a maiden: a swan princess, a sleeping beauty, a girl dressed as a beast with three dresses folded into nut shells. He finds her in a lake or hollow tree. Although he doesn't threaten her outright, he rides a stallion and carries a bow or a gun. Often, there are dogs. He bears her back to his palace, assuming that she yearns for domestication. She grieves her wildness, even as she bears the prince's children, maybe even comes to love them." - The Vanishing Point
In the worlds of this collection, something unknown always simmers beneath the surface. Nothing can be taken for granted. Relationships, love, and affection are as dark and mysterious as the fables and fairy tales the collections draws from. Why does she leave? Why does she stay? Will she return? Does she love me? What does it mean to be a mother?
The closing story, Animal Wife Revisited, does not answer all these questions, but is instead a haunting, unforgettable story that reflects the entire collection and is one that you wish you could put in your pocket with your other precious talismans collected from nature - a stone, an animal bone, and single white feather. Something to keep, and keep coming back to.
August 8, 2020
I loved this beautifully written collection of short stories. Some of the themes explored included what it means to be a girl/woman, finding your identity, childhood friendship, coming of age, and pushing back against expectations. They are all explored with lyrical writing and a touch of a fairy tale feel. I appreciated the way metaphors were used, the appearance of water within the various stories and it representing a portal to another world as well as hidden dangers among other things. Each story contained its own little world quite well and did not feel like it was just the start of what should have been a much longer book.
May 7, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and some of my favorite stories were: "Night Terrors," "Crush," "Foresight," "The Tenant," and "Stonefruit." I recently read Kate Folk's collection Out There, and her story "Doe Eyes" would pair perfectly with Ehrlich's "The Vanishing Point."
February 25, 2021
Just the type of writing I was in the mood for. A sort of feminist magical realism, with a generous nod to the folkloric trope of animal wives and transformation.
April 9, 2023
A polarizing read, Animal Wife is a handful to digest by the name alone. It’s a short story collection about women and their (or lack of) journeys through life, some of which were incredibly uncomfortable or pretentious or devastating. But ultimately, I can only assume what the authors intent was. What I know for sure is how it made me feel— sensationalized. There’s a lot of criticism here about the patriarchy and I’m all for dismantling it.
June 6, 2020
”A short story collection about women’s transformations from girls into wives, mothers, and monsters.” ― Red Hen Press
Full of kids confused by gender roles and women who reject them altogether, ”Animal Wife” talks about womanhood with fantastical and creative metaphors. This book will be out on September 8, 2020.
BR 🇧🇷 ”Uma coleção de contos sobre as transformações da mulher, de meninas para esposas, mães e monstros.” ― Red Hen Press
Cheio de crianças confusas por papéis de gênero e mulheres que os os rejeitam por inteiro, “Animal Wife” fala da feminilidade com metáforas fantasiosas e criativas. O livro será publicado em 8 de Setembro de 2020.
Full of kids confused by gender roles and women who reject them altogether, ”Animal Wife” talks about womanhood with fantastical and creative metaphors. This book will be out on September 8, 2020.
BR 🇧🇷 ”Uma coleção de contos sobre as transformações da mulher, de meninas para esposas, mães e monstros.” ― Red Hen Press
Cheio de crianças confusas por papéis de gênero e mulheres que os os rejeitam por inteiro, “Animal Wife” fala da feminilidade com metáforas fantasiosas e criativas. O livro será publicado em 8 de Setembro de 2020.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 27, 2020 Dnf @ 20%
After every story I felt like there was more to it than what I was taking at face value. I started to feel dizzy after a point not to mention inadequate. The prose is meant to create a whimsical world with elements of magical realism but I couldn't look beyond the flowery language to decipher the complexities of these characters.
After every story I felt like there was more to it than what I was taking at face value. I started to feel dizzy after a point not to mention inadequate. The prose is meant to create a whimsical world with elements of magical realism but I couldn't look beyond the flowery language to decipher the complexities of these characters.
June 23, 2023
A collection of fascinating but unfinished stories
October 28, 2020
I read this while I was quarantined for 14 days after a trip to New Mexico. The book came on a Wednesday. By that time I had run out of all books, except ones I had already read or had been avoiding reading my whole life, yet still put on my bookshelf: delusionally hopeful.
Animal Wife arrived in the mail with 15 stories. I read the first one that day.
I had found the book because of a video that Red Hen Press put on LinkedIn. I had heard Ehrlich read from a story and was totally mesmerized by the book's concept: women who become animals, who become destroyers, who fall in love with childhood friends, who put on deer costumes and go out into the woods.
I read one story, sometimes two at night before bed for the rest of my quarantine. I loved the world of Ehrlich's writing. The way the women untrap themselves from these domestic lives.
I would argue this book is eco-fiction and a particular kind of feminism that I enjoy reading about.
I give this book a full five star rating and will definitely follow Ehrlich's work.
Animal Wife arrived in the mail with 15 stories. I read the first one that day.
I had found the book because of a video that Red Hen Press put on LinkedIn. I had heard Ehrlich read from a story and was totally mesmerized by the book's concept: women who become animals, who become destroyers, who fall in love with childhood friends, who put on deer costumes and go out into the woods.
I read one story, sometimes two at night before bed for the rest of my quarantine. I loved the world of Ehrlich's writing. The way the women untrap themselves from these domestic lives.
I would argue this book is eco-fiction and a particular kind of feminism that I enjoy reading about.
I give this book a full five star rating and will definitely follow Ehrlich's work.
August 18, 2020
Lara Ehrlich is a master stylist of the surreal, the fabulist, and the fantastic. I loved each of these whimsical, magical stories that centered around girls and women and their transformations (whether that be into women, mothers, or animals). I was particularly intrigued by the way Lara beautifully portrays the inner struggle between wildness and domesticity, the surreal elements of each story lending a mythical complexity to these conflicts. Really lovely and thought-provoking. Perfect for fans of Aimee Bender, Karen Russell, and Angela Carter. Also, if you're a language-lover and (like me) find yourself highlighting gorgeous prose, this collection is full of lines like this: "In none of her lives will she be be brilliant or famous or content. Her mediocrity will hound her through a kaleidoscope of futures." I deeply enjoyed every story (and sentence) and find myself still thinking about them and the ideas they raise days after.
November 21, 2020
What a stellar debut of stories. At the heart of this collection are the lives of women and how they bump up and brush against the realities of motherhood, childhood dreams and expectations, the myriad disappointments of adulthood, and contemplation of the great unknown. Frequently at a breaking point, these characters seek outlets to express their yearning animalistic rage, rejecting society's need to pigeonhole them and keep them in one place. Playful, crisp language, often written in a compelling present tense voice, gives these stories a briskness, so much so I was sad that I'd already reached the end.
Read
August 13, 2023We are descended of the moon, she explained. It was part of the earth until it broke away and spun into space. Water filled the hole it left behind, and that's why the ocean breathes in and out with the moon.
A really great collection of short reads.Enjoyable.
Also this cover is 😍😍👌🏼👌🏼 Obsessed
A really great collection of short reads.Enjoyable.
Also this cover is 😍😍👌🏼👌🏼 Obsessed
May 13, 2022
The cover of this book is honestly better than its contents lol
Read
July 17, 2022a couple of these stories will stick w me for a long time x
October 1, 2023
4.5
This book entirely came to me by fate - I picked it up from the library knowing nothing apart from seeing the quote from Italo Calvino (one of my faves) on the back and the cool cover - and boy I'm glad I took a chance on it! I am convinced the low rating is because this just hasn't found its audience, cause it's really doing it for the girlies:
For fans of Mariana Enríquez - commentary on the sexualisation and objectification of female bodies, even those of children.
For fans of Ottessa Moshfegh - the general weird tone that sometimes verges on the bizarre and disgusting (poop, bestiality)
For fans of Nightbitch - commentary on motherhood and how the identity of 'mother' consumes that of the woman - generally 'mothers not coping'
I'm sure there's more but this was just really up my alley. Weird in the best possible way, with the stories making their points without being too ambitious for the limited page count. Lots of really interesting commentary on the place of women in Western society and culture - women seeking the male gaze but also rejecting it; wild women having to be 'saved' by domesticity and perhaps enjoying it but still yearning to return to the wild; and how a woman's life is always a compromise.
Not a full five stars cause there were some elements I didn't love (like the bestiality) and it could have been cool to also see some commentary on being female from a broader perspective (e.g. queer/trans) but overall I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I think it is extremely relevant to this moment, and will especially resonate with the 20-something female group that the above titles seem to do well with. A couple of my favourites were The Tenant (a bear just moves into this lady's house and she's just like...slay) and The Vanishing Point (lady makes a suit to just live in the woods as a deer).
This book entirely came to me by fate - I picked it up from the library knowing nothing apart from seeing the quote from Italo Calvino (one of my faves) on the back and the cool cover - and boy I'm glad I took a chance on it! I am convinced the low rating is because this just hasn't found its audience, cause it's really doing it for the girlies:
For fans of Mariana Enríquez - commentary on the sexualisation and objectification of female bodies, even those of children.
For fans of Ottessa Moshfegh - the general weird tone that sometimes verges on the bizarre and disgusting (poop, bestiality)
For fans of Nightbitch - commentary on motherhood and how the identity of 'mother' consumes that of the woman - generally 'mothers not coping'
I'm sure there's more but this was just really up my alley. Weird in the best possible way, with the stories making their points without being too ambitious for the limited page count. Lots of really interesting commentary on the place of women in Western society and culture - women seeking the male gaze but also rejecting it; wild women having to be 'saved' by domesticity and perhaps enjoying it but still yearning to return to the wild; and how a woman's life is always a compromise.
Not a full five stars cause there were some elements I didn't love (like the bestiality) and it could have been cool to also see some commentary on being female from a broader perspective (e.g. queer/trans) but overall I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I think it is extremely relevant to this moment, and will especially resonate with the 20-something female group that the above titles seem to do well with. A couple of my favourites were The Tenant (a bear just moves into this lady's house and she's just like...slay) and The Vanishing Point (lady makes a suit to just live in the woods as a deer).
May 30, 2021
The wants, needs, and desires of otherwise domestic women all blend into carnal, simple, sensory, instinct with a driving storybook element.
This is what we are, after all.
4.5! Paperback purchased from Tombolo Books, an independent bookstore in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2020.
This is what we are, after all.
4.5! Paperback purchased from Tombolo Books, an independent bookstore in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2020.
September 3, 2022
We are descended of the moon, she explained. It was part of the earth until it broke away and spun into space. Water filled the hole it left behind, and that's why the ocean breathes in and out with the moon.
Animal Wife is a collection of short stories about women. I love the connection crafted in the theme of this book between woman and wild animal. These stories are about women who transforms, their desires to escape, women at their final straws. Lara Ehrlich has a way in storytelling that keeps me reading everything about her characters. Epic and charming.
Animal Wife is a collection of short stories about women. I love the connection crafted in the theme of this book between woman and wild animal. These stories are about women who transforms, their desires to escape, women at their final straws. Lara Ehrlich has a way in storytelling that keeps me reading everything about her characters. Epic and charming.
May 14, 2023
not for me. writing is ok. maybe this would appeal more to cishet individuals who dig metaphors or something, I don't know. the audiobook was narrated well, I guess.
May 14, 2023
not for me.
I felt like it just completely escaped my understanding. I understood the words and phrases, but on the text level I just blanked. So after a while I just started to space out during the listen.
Until some very weird stag scene (if you know you know)
Made me feel like I do when reading poetry: I know there is another layer of meaning there but I can't seem to reach it.
I felt like it just completely escaped my understanding. I understood the words and phrases, but on the text level I just blanked. So after a while I just started to space out during the listen.
Until some very weird stag scene (if you know you know)
Made me feel like I do when reading poetry: I know there is another layer of meaning there but I can't seem to reach it.
May 23, 2022
4.5 stars
I just really wanted to read this title directly after 'Animal Farm'. haha. But I'm glad I did! I love a good set of short stories, which is what we have here. All from the female perspective (not so much only wives), but usually tied to animals in some way. Some of these stories are only a page long. Most of these stories are great. My favorite: 'The Vanishing Point'. I have always thought most Sasquatch sightings could simply be a person pretending to be a Sasquatch, in a suit of hair, wanting to slum it in the woods and be left alone. 'The Vanishing Point' takes this concept but applies it to deer, rather than Bigfoot. The story is about a woman who invents an elaborate, uncomfortable deer suit to wear in the woods around her childhood home, to connect with another deer with a damaged back leg she saw as a child. But all of the stories here are rich with wonderful detail. 'Beware the Undertoad' in which a girl visits her grandmother every summer by the sea. 'Burn Rubber' about a bailing mother living in her car, yet haunting her daughter's elementary school. I love the two stories bookending the collection, which offers a daughter missing her feathery mother and the last story explaining what happened to the mother from her perspective. This collection is full of life, spirit, spunk, weird, whimsy. And that cover! Perfection! If you loved this collection, please check out the underappreciated Sharma Shields. Raising my rating, as I see this as underappreciated as well. Excited to see Ehrlich's next book!
Set this on the shelf beside:
Sharma Shields
Karen Russell
Chouette - Claire Oshetsky
Nightbitch - Rachel Yoder
I just really wanted to read this title directly after 'Animal Farm'. haha. But I'm glad I did! I love a good set of short stories, which is what we have here. All from the female perspective (not so much only wives), but usually tied to animals in some way. Some of these stories are only a page long. Most of these stories are great. My favorite: 'The Vanishing Point'. I have always thought most Sasquatch sightings could simply be a person pretending to be a Sasquatch, in a suit of hair, wanting to slum it in the woods and be left alone. 'The Vanishing Point' takes this concept but applies it to deer, rather than Bigfoot. The story is about a woman who invents an elaborate, uncomfortable deer suit to wear in the woods around her childhood home, to connect with another deer with a damaged back leg she saw as a child. But all of the stories here are rich with wonderful detail. 'Beware the Undertoad' in which a girl visits her grandmother every summer by the sea. 'Burn Rubber' about a bailing mother living in her car, yet haunting her daughter's elementary school. I love the two stories bookending the collection, which offers a daughter missing her feathery mother and the last story explaining what happened to the mother from her perspective. This collection is full of life, spirit, spunk, weird, whimsy. And that cover! Perfection! If you loved this collection, please check out the underappreciated Sharma Shields. Raising my rating, as I see this as underappreciated as well. Excited to see Ehrlich's next book!
Set this on the shelf beside:
Sharma Shields
Karen Russell
Chouette - Claire Oshetsky
Nightbitch - Rachel Yoder
April 4, 2023
Short story collections. Yeah. They are not always for me.
I think many of the stories in this book did not connect with the title or cover of the book - this was dissapointing becuase LOOK AT THE COVER! LOOK AT IT
I'm buddy reading this book so my book is heavily annotated, but unfortunately I just didn't connect with many of the stories as the themes weren't strong enough, or the overall story failed to stick its landing
For being a story called "Animal Wife" I wish there was more of a sense of Sharp Claws and Biting Teeth (metaphorically speaking) - I just needed it to be slightly more punch-ier
That being said, I did love a handful of stories found in this collection. The more aggressive and bizarre stories I found extremely fascinating and more aligned to my expectations of what I was getting into before starting the book.
The following were my favorites in the collection!
Desiree The Destroyer
The Vanishing Point
Burn Rubber
The Tenant
I think many of the stories in this book did not connect with the title or cover of the book - this was dissapointing becuase LOOK AT THE COVER! LOOK AT IT
I'm buddy reading this book so my book is heavily annotated, but unfortunately I just didn't connect with many of the stories as the themes weren't strong enough, or the overall story failed to stick its landing
For being a story called "Animal Wife" I wish there was more of a sense of Sharp Claws and Biting Teeth (metaphorically speaking) - I just needed it to be slightly more punch-ier
That being said, I did love a handful of stories found in this collection. The more aggressive and bizarre stories I found extremely fascinating and more aligned to my expectations of what I was getting into before starting the book.
The following were my favorites in the collection!
Desiree The Destroyer
The Vanishing Point
Burn Rubber
The Tenant
October 24, 2020
Lara Ehrlich’s collection of stories, Animal Wife, are an intense, introspective, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny exploration of the mythology of modern womanhood. Whether the heart-wrenching coming of age tale, Beware the Undertoad, the magical realism of The Vanishing Point, or the balancing-act between wonder and depression in a young girl’s attempt to explain her mother’s absence in the eponymous Animal Wife, each stand-alone piece touches on the good and bad of a woman’s place in modern society, and Ehrlich’s subtle, but powerful prose guides the reader along on the journey with a sense of hope and wonderment.
November 25, 2021
An appropriately unhinged account of girlhood, motherhood, and womanhood. Adored this collection. Who am I but “a tease…in sheep pajamas, with a worried frown”? Loved “The Vanishing Point,” “Stone Fruit,” “Six Roses,” “The Tenant,” and “Foresight” in particular.
January 7, 2022
actual rating: 2.5/5
I'm not so sure how I feel about this one. It wasn't bad but I just didn't vibe with it I guess.
I'm not so sure how I feel about this one. It wasn't bad but I just didn't vibe with it I guess.
May 30, 2024
Animal Wife by Lara Ehrlich is a hidden gem quietly waiting on the bookshelf to be discovered by its people. Despite its humble 3.25 stars on Goodreads, this book is a treasure, shining bright with a well-deserved 5-star rating, Animal Wife is flying way under the radar!
Ehrlich's prose is nothing short of breathtaking, weaving a tapestry of femininity, resilience, and self-discovery. Her words flow like an unobstructed river with a fierce current, painting vivid pictures of the female experience in all its glory and complexity.
So many of the stories in this book felt like Ehrlich reached into my soul and turned my own experiences into words something poetic. Seriously, this book feels like a piece of our (women) stories tucked between the covers.
The Vanishing Point: The depravity had me gripping the pages.
Kite: Hit me like a ton of bricks, tapping into emotions long suppressed.
Burn Rubber: I felt like I was right there with the main character, sharing every moment of her struggle.
The Monster at Marta’s Back: Hit me like a freight train. I saw myself in Marta, staring down a path I’m on, but don't want to take.
Each tale in "Animal Wife" is a masterpiece in its own right, delving into the depths of what it means to be a woman navigating the world today. These stories aren't just fiction—they're mirrors reflecting the struggles, triumphs, and resilience of women everywhere.
Ehrlich's prose is nothing short of breathtaking, weaving a tapestry of femininity, resilience, and self-discovery. Her words flow like an unobstructed river with a fierce current, painting vivid pictures of the female experience in all its glory and complexity.
So many of the stories in this book felt like Ehrlich reached into my soul and turned my own experiences into words something poetic. Seriously, this book feels like a piece of our (women) stories tucked between the covers.
The Vanishing Point: The depravity had me gripping the pages.
Kite: Hit me like a ton of bricks, tapping into emotions long suppressed.
Burn Rubber: I felt like I was right there with the main character, sharing every moment of her struggle.
The Monster at Marta’s Back: Hit me like a freight train. I saw myself in Marta, staring down a path I’m on, but don't want to take.
Each tale in "Animal Wife" is a masterpiece in its own right, delving into the depths of what it means to be a woman navigating the world today. These stories aren't just fiction—they're mirrors reflecting the struggles, triumphs, and resilience of women everywhere.
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