Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Knopf (2023), 624 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:The New York Times best-selling author of The Nix is back with a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together. From the gritty '90s Chicago art scene to a suburbia of detox diets and home-renovation hysteria, Wellness reimagines the love story with a healthy dose of insight, irony, and heart. �??A hilarious and moving exploration of a modern marriage that astounds in its breadth and intimacy.�?� �??Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the '90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago�??s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine. For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives:… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
There were parts of this book that I really liked - Elizabeth and Jack's marriage was portrayed very realistically and I enjoyed all the sections about their relationship. But there was a lot of rambling in the book as well. I really didn't need a whole section on Facebook algorithms or the history
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of Elizabeth's family. I would have preferred a condensed book solely about Elizabeth and Jack's marriage - at 600+ pages it was just too much. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gingersnap000
A masterfully written book about two.people who have a crush.on each other from a far. They meet, fall in love and.marry. During the book.which span 20 years both Jack and Elizabeth wonder why they are even together.
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The reader will wonder too.
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The reader will wonder too.
LibraryThing member BALE
Hill has a gift for character development. His characters are developed naturally and beautifully with insightful depth. Unfortunately, in other areas where he is trying to make a point (e.g., algorithms, human psychology, and related studies), he is overly obsessive. One can make an important
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point without excess. Hill is undoubtedly a talented writer. He simply needs to edit instead of lecturing his readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
This novel tells the story of a relationship, from its heady beginnings between two very young people who felt out of place and lonely until they found each other, and afterwards were able to enter into the world of art students and college students who were part of a slowly gentrifying Wicker Park
There's very little that author Nathan Hill isn't interested in and this novel digresses all over the place. Luckily, when he wanders off into, say, the history of artists depicting the American prairies or even how the Facebook algorithms work (something I have negative interest in) it is all worth reading and well-incorporated into the novel. Yes, this novel is longer than it *needs* to be, but cutting everything unnecessary out would make for a far less rich and entertaining book. He occasionally sends up people and situations in ridiculous ways, but always pulls the story back into its grounded center. And by taking the time to fully draw both Jack and Elizabeth's childhoods, as well as how their relationship and daily lives function, Hill makes this portrait of a marriage feel very real.
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in Chicago. They were entirely wrapped up in each other, but in the present day, after marriage and a child and having put a sizable down payment on a condo in a renovated factory in a prestigious neighborhood, things begin to fall apart. Elizabeth, the scientist, points out that they are just at a natural low point in their relationship and she's happy to put space between them, insisting that the new place have separate master bedrooms. Jack, an artist and adjunct professor, is much less sanguine about the distancing. As they veer apart and then come together to try to refresh their marriage, it's not clear if they can stay together or if their relationship was ever on solid ground.There's very little that author Nathan Hill isn't interested in and this novel digresses all over the place. Luckily, when he wanders off into, say, the history of artists depicting the American prairies or even how the Facebook algorithms work (something I have negative interest in) it is all worth reading and well-incorporated into the novel. Yes, this novel is longer than it *needs* to be, but cutting everything unnecessary out would make for a far less rich and entertaining book. He occasionally sends up people and situations in ridiculous ways, but always pulls the story back into its grounded center. And by taking the time to fully draw both Jack and Elizabeth's childhoods, as well as how their relationship and daily lives function, Hill makes this portrait of a marriage feel very real.
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LibraryThing member delphimo
A disturbing view of two young lovers who marry and navigate the hazards of life. Jack and Elizabeth secretly watch one another from the cover of a darkened apartment. They finally meet and begin a roller-coaster saga that every individual rides. Nathan Hill brilliantly portrays both Jack and
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Elizabeth an the hurdles they must jump in this blasé life. And the secrets that each family hides from view and the rest of the family. A fabulous journey through life and death and our perspective of life. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
This is ultimately a love story of Jack and Elizabeth. They secretly watch each other across the way in their apartment buildings until they meet at a club. From then on they are destined for each other, soulmates. They are in college in Chicago, Elizabeth majoring in multiple things, Jack in art.
Jack is committed to Elizabeth. Both Jack and Elizabeth had varying traumas in their childhood which affects the way they live their adult lives.
I really enjoyed Jack, but struggled with Elizabeth. I also felt that the middle of the book dragged a bit, and could have been a bit shorter. I was satisfied with how I think their story ends.
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They date for 5 years, and are married for 15. Elizabeth tinkers with Wellness and placebos, studying their effect. She is wondering if there is more to their life, to their family, to their love. She begins experimenting and looking for excitement elsewhere. They talk about a forever home, and sink their life savings into it, yet it is a building fraught with problems.Jack is committed to Elizabeth. Both Jack and Elizabeth had varying traumas in their childhood which affects the way they live their adult lives.
I really enjoyed Jack, but struggled with Elizabeth. I also felt that the middle of the book dragged a bit, and could have been a bit shorter. I was satisfied with how I think their story ends.
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LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
Nathan Hill wrote "The Nix" in 2016. I gave it 5 stars(don't give those out very often). It was a 640 page book that dealt with the people and times it described in a great and interesting way. I have been waiting for another book ever since. Finally "Wellness" arrives and again we have a 600 page
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book that shows an author at the top of his game. Elizabeth and Jack meet and fall in love in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood in 1993. They come from divergent backgrounds and Hill does a great job during the book giving is a lot of backstory on each of them. This way we get a good insight into why they. make the decisionsthey do. The book mainly deals in the present of 2014 with 40'ish Jack and Elizabeth dealing with work, marriage, and 8 year old Toby. We get a lot about parenthood, marriage, work, and all the things that have been going on in our world in 2014. Hill does a great job of pointing a satirical finger at social media, our current silos that allow large groups to have their own realities and how Jack and Elizabeth are constantly trying to fit in but also figure themselves out. The book had a Jonathan Franzen feel to it. There are lots of reviews out there so you may want to learn more before you commit to a 600 page book. There is some excess when it comes to parenting research and Facebook algorithms but they have their importance in the book. If you enjoy this book, then consider reading "The Nix". Hill is a special talent. Show Less
LibraryThing member mkapij
A great lesson where if you keep chasing more too hard you miss what you have, and if you hold the present too tight you you can lose it.
LibraryThing member shazjhb
This is a very long book. It is slow and I am not sure if anyone would have the patience to read it. Loved Elizabeth studies and Jack art. With the parents the had it is amazing the couple survived.
LibraryThing member pgchuis
I feel as if I have been reading this novel for ever - it's long and entirely un-skimmable.
It concerns Jack (artist and lecturer) and Elizabeth (scientist interested in the placebo effect) and their 20 year marriage. It goes back and forth in time and certain things are revisited and the real story
By the end I was mainly amazed at how well Jack and Elizabeth had done in their lives after having had such appalling parents themselves.
It concerns Jack (artist and lecturer) and Elizabeth (scientist interested in the placebo effect) and their 20 year marriage. It goes back and forth in time and certain things are revisited and the real story
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revealed (e.g. Jack's break out piece of art, how Elizabeth drew Jack in on their first date). I found it consistently entertaining, although I was never sure how seriously to take anything and the lengthy bibliography/scientific articles section at the end only complicates this further.By the end I was mainly amazed at how well Jack and Elizabeth had done in their lives after having had such appalling parents themselves.
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LibraryThing member kcshankd
Sweet novel, did not expect so much Kansas.
Predictable finish, probably overly long but kept me reading.
Predictable finish, probably overly long but kept me reading.
LibraryThing member KallieGrace
An excellent, heartbreaking, reality-baked modern love story from the childhood trauma that made them to the outside forces that tried to tear them apart and ultimately brought them back together. The scene at the kitchen table/in the grocery store with the two year old was just too real for me.
LibraryThing member framberg
While I found this novel a bit difficult to enter, ultimately it was incredibly rewarding. It unfolds the story of two individuals and their partnership, revealing the secrets they keep from each other and, often, themselves. I found this story of how we can begin to see ourselves clearly, and how
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that allows us to finally truly connect with others, moving and hopeful, "heartbreaking" blurbs on the back of the book notwithstanding. There are funny moments and sad moments, moments of insight and moments of confusion. This is a novel about humanness, the ways our pasts and the stories we tell ourselves about our pasts shape us, and the opportunity we have to "try out those [stories] that are most humane, most generous, most beautiful, most loving." Show Less
LibraryThing member alexrichman
Peppered with great stuff - especially the opening - but never quite got me in a vice like The Nix did.
LibraryThing member LindaLoretz
The New York Times describes Wellness as "a unique blend of satire and realism." There are numerous story arcs. While some are undeniably satirical, others focus on the complexities of modern life, tackling issues like technology and social structures with a realistic lens. Wellness is
In the early 1990s, one protagonist, Jack Baker, leaves his family where he grew up in Kansas, rejects life on the prairie, and moves to Chicago to pursue a life as a photographer and artist. After spying on Elizabeth through her apartment window in a manner that would lead to charges of voyeurism today, he meets Elizabeth Augustine, the other protagonist. Elizabeth also rejected her family, a wealthy one from Connecticut. They fall in love immediately, then marry and eventually have a child.
Jack and Elizabeth's child, Toby, has social issues, and they disagree on the best way to integrate him into society. Childrearing is difficult for them, and their decision to build a forever home outside the city leads to numerous unanticipated problems. They soon realize they have grown apart and may not continue to enjoy the status of soulmates. As they experience issues in relationship status a decade after meeting, the novel delves into their back stories and how their families and experiences affected their personalities and life decisions.
The novel only sometimes progresses linearly, but we continually learn more about Jack and Elizabeth, including their formative years, moral compasses, and careers. Elizabeth works at a company called Wellness, whose name plays into the book's title and predominant theme. When the story focuses on Elizabeth's career, the reader cannot help but consider what wellness means in the 21st century. The Wellness company provides placebo studies for corporations and organizations. Elizabeth's role in the company evolves to include more power but devolves when some of the company's studies become less ethical. Jack's photography and art inclinations as a youngster have led to his becoming an adjunct faculty member at a college. He is most comfortable with hands-on artwork and less comfortable promoting himself on social media, which is an HR concern at the college.
Through the events of Jack and Elizabeth's upbringing, marriage, family life, careers, and life decisions, Nathan Hill creates scenarios that force us to think about myriad societal issues. These include but are not limited to the following:
Acceptance of one's children's dreams
Importance of marital fidelity
Characteristics of people in upscale neighborhoods
Value of affordable housing
Implications of rallying for environmental and other issues
The tenuous nature of friendships
Marriage as an institution and the fragility of marriages
Competence of builders and landowners
Effects of social media on different segments of the population, including viral social media rants
Dualities of wealth and poverty, class distinctions, dishonest accumulation of money
The omnipresence of family secrets
Placebos, fake medicine, and scam doctors, Con artists posing as health professionals
Decisions about what is valuable in life
Lessons from video games
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well-written, engaging, and thought-provoking. In the early 1990s, one protagonist, Jack Baker, leaves his family where he grew up in Kansas, rejects life on the prairie, and moves to Chicago to pursue a life as a photographer and artist. After spying on Elizabeth through her apartment window in a manner that would lead to charges of voyeurism today, he meets Elizabeth Augustine, the other protagonist. Elizabeth also rejected her family, a wealthy one from Connecticut. They fall in love immediately, then marry and eventually have a child.
Jack and Elizabeth's child, Toby, has social issues, and they disagree on the best way to integrate him into society. Childrearing is difficult for them, and their decision to build a forever home outside the city leads to numerous unanticipated problems. They soon realize they have grown apart and may not continue to enjoy the status of soulmates. As they experience issues in relationship status a decade after meeting, the novel delves into their back stories and how their families and experiences affected their personalities and life decisions.
The novel only sometimes progresses linearly, but we continually learn more about Jack and Elizabeth, including their formative years, moral compasses, and careers. Elizabeth works at a company called Wellness, whose name plays into the book's title and predominant theme. When the story focuses on Elizabeth's career, the reader cannot help but consider what wellness means in the 21st century. The Wellness company provides placebo studies for corporations and organizations. Elizabeth's role in the company evolves to include more power but devolves when some of the company's studies become less ethical. Jack's photography and art inclinations as a youngster have led to his becoming an adjunct faculty member at a college. He is most comfortable with hands-on artwork and less comfortable promoting himself on social media, which is an HR concern at the college.
Through the events of Jack and Elizabeth's upbringing, marriage, family life, careers, and life decisions, Nathan Hill creates scenarios that force us to think about myriad societal issues. These include but are not limited to the following:
Acceptance of one's children's dreams
Importance of marital fidelity
Characteristics of people in upscale neighborhoods
Value of affordable housing
Implications of rallying for environmental and other issues
The tenuous nature of friendships
Marriage as an institution and the fragility of marriages
Competence of builders and landowners
Effects of social media on different segments of the population, including viral social media rants
Dualities of wealth and poverty, class distinctions, dishonest accumulation of money
The omnipresence of family secrets
Placebos, fake medicine, and scam doctors, Con artists posing as health professionals
Decisions about what is valuable in life
Lessons from video games
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Awards
BookTube Prize (Octofinalist — Fiction — 2024)
Libby Book Award (Finalist — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
Oprah's Book Club 2.0 (2023-09 — 2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2023)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2023-09-23
Physical description
624 p.; 9.52 inches
ISBN
0593536118 / 9780593536117