Conjure wife

by Fritz Leiber

Paper Book, 1953

Status

Available

Call number

813

Genres

Collection

Don

Publication

New York : Ace Books, 1977, c1953.

Description

A professor discourages his wife's witchcraft to disastrous ends in this Hugo Award-winning novel--that inspired three films--by the Grand Master of Fantasy. Ethnology professor Norman Saylor is shocked to discover that his wife, Tansy, has been putting his research on "Conjure Magic" into practice. She only wants to protect him from the other spell-casting faculty wives who would stop at nothing to advance their husbands' careers. But Norman, as a man of science, demands she put an end to it. And when Tansy's last charm is burned . . . Norman's life starts falling apart. First, Norman has a disastrous run-in with a former protégé. Then his student secretary accuses him of seducing her. He's even passed over for a promotion that had been certain. Plus he's become exceedingly accident prone: from shaving to carpet tacks to letter openers, hazards are suddenly everywhere. At his wit's end, he begins to worry that a dark presence is exploiting his fear of trucks. But the worst is yet to come--when Tansy takes his curse upon herself. Now, in order to save his wife, Norman must overcome his disbelief and embrace the dark magic he disdains. Winner of the 1944 Retrospective Hugo Award, Conjure Wife is widely celebrated as a modern classic of horror-fantasy and has been adapted for film three times: Burn, Witch Burn (1962), Weird Woman (1944), and Witch's Brew (1980). … (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C

Published in 1943, this doesn't read as dated as much as true to it's period, but with delicious hints of subversion here and there. The conceit of the story is that all women are witches--men just don't know it--and are constantly engaged in covert sorcerous warfare to protect or promote their

men. And it has perhaps the perfect setting and point of view for this pre-Feminist Mystique horror tale. Norman Saylor, smug, self-satisfied Norman, professor of anthropology and sociology at Hempnell College, a thoroughgoing rationalist who congratulates himself on having this very modern rational wife--for a woman. Until he finds out that she's woven spells all about their home--benign spells of protection. But of course, Norman being a man of science and reason, all this superstitious nonsense must go. And when it does...

And the subversive part? Well, Fritz Leiber really can write. I remember this particular novel vividly several years after first read. And just as a good yarn, a nifty Halloween read it delivers, but it has an almost Stepford Wives allegory about what lurks between the supposedly normal surface, even of academia. And it ends on just the perfect note that completely reverses that note of complacence hit in the beginning.

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LibraryThing member delta351

This book lingered on my bookshelf for a year or two. I bought it in desperation to use up some book credits, and had little hope for it. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Lieber is a clever writer, and I loved his quote of Galileo regarding the stone dragon. He sprinkles in some

other respectable literary references also. He keeps the story moving along, and explains the witchcraft portions of the story line.

I also had some philosophical moments when he entered deep discussion regarding the human soul. Overall I think the book has aged quite well, and I plan on looking at a few other Lieber books.

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LibraryThing member dbsovereign

Our narrator is a bit of male pig, but Leiber's gift is in achieving great economy with instilling fear of the unknown.

LibraryThing member Charrlygirl

This was a fun novel about a witch.

The professor of a small college discovers that his wife is practicing magic.
He's disgusted that his wife, superstitious and flighty as she is, would do such a thing and orders her to immediately discontinue her practices.
Unfortunately, he does not consider that

there could have been benefits associated with her charms.
I enjoyed the book very much despite the prejudices against women. Since this book was published in the 50's, I guess that type of thing is par for the course.
All in all, I enjoyed the prose, the story and the ending.

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LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco

“But a scientist ought to have a healthy disregard for coincidences.”

Oh ought he? What about finding out your wife of many years has been protecting you and your career by practicing witchcraft? And that she's not the only one...

The lightning flickering while he buries Totem, the murdered cat,

is a good, creepy scene! As is the repeated utterance of the phrase, “I want my soul.” I also really liked the ending with the final battle between the witches! If you are into witchcraft, I think this book will be to your liking! It does start fairly slowly, but gathers steam near the end!

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