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The Other Woman: Twenty-one Wives, Lovers, and Others Talk Openly About Sex, Deception, Love, and Betrayal
by
Victoria Zackheim (Goodreads Author)
She's been called the harpy, the Jezebel, the Lorelei, the bitch...and other choice names. In truth, she is someone's daughter, mother, friend, confidante. She seduces husbands, breaks up marriages, and occasionally becomes a stepmother. Sometimes, she is even a victim. So who is this creature who arrives like a wrecking ball to destroy lives and families? She is the Other...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
August 13th 2008
by Warner Books
(first published June 13th 2007)
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Here's the thing about the other woman. She lives inside your head. She may live on the next corner or in the next town or halfway across the world; she may be five-two or five-nine; she may be rail thin (never skinny) or voluptuous (never fat). But however big or small she is, however much space she takes up in the world, will never compare to the amount of space she'll take up in your brain. (from Not Istanbul, by Pam Houston)
The Other Woman is an anthology of non fiction musings, essays and c...more
The Other Woman is an anthology of non fiction musings, essays and c...more
While some of these stories are beyond riveting (ex. Mary Jo Eustace's essay), there are several that leave much to be desired. Some of the authors seem to tell their stories from a detached perspective, while others are emotionally stripped. That being said, some of the essayists bring a lot to the table with their emotionally-charged tales. While there are certainly women I could not relate to in this book, they displayed a new perspective; sins with no guilt and destroying lives without remor...more
I thought this book would be an interesting collection of stories dealing with the infamous "other woman". Some of the stories were entertaining, but others were just sad and depressing. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this one.
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A friend gave me this book a few years ago and told me it would be therapeutic. I was afraid to start it, not wanting to relive any of my own painful memories, but finally did and breezed through with a surprising lack of gut-wrenching tears. Most of the authors are very skilled writers, and their tales compelling, so I surprised myself by finding it almost enjoyable, although there were certainly moments that felt like I was picking an old scab. Human behavior is endlessly complex and becoming...more
Very good anthology about infidelity. All essays were contributed by women writers, and are from the point of view of both the woman contending with "the other woman", as well as " being" the other woman. Most of the stories were extremely honest, many of the women baring themselves emotionally without attempting to whitewash this delicate issue. I really appreciated that included were the stories of lesbian and bisexual women, giving the book a much more inclusive feel than many other anthologi...more
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVery in*ter*est*ing.
amusing quotes/food for thought/and questionably flawed theories:
-who is the other woman? she is our friend, our sister, our doctor, grocery clerk, or neighbor. sometimes, despite our best intentions, she is us. and while the other woman may believe that she got her man, she understands that what she has gained may be the most she'll ever get. so she takes what she can, reminded in many little ways of the existence of her lover's wife, home, and chi...more
amusing quotes/food for thought/and questionably flawed theories:
-who is the other woman? she is our friend, our sister, our doctor, grocery clerk, or neighbor. sometimes, despite our best intentions, she is us. and while the other woman may believe that she got her man, she understands that what she has gained may be the most she'll ever get. so she takes what she can, reminded in many little ways of the existence of her lover's wife, home, and chi...more
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Apr 03, 2013
Jennie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autobiography,
sex-and-gender-books
My fear in picking this up is that it would be poorly written. I was also concerned that it wouldn't convey any sense of diversity or acceptance of nontraditional relationships. But this book is actually an intelligent and mostly thoughtful collection of essays. It illuminates some hard, basic and sometimes very ugly truths about human nature. It also shines a light on the truly insane, outrageous turns that relationships can take over the course of a life. I looked up a few of these stories bec...more
Nov 22, 2010
Lianne
added it
I attended a seminar where Victoria Zackheim, who is the anthologist of this collection, presented. A voyeuristic sharing of the many aspects of the other woman. Individual memoir pieces (often with the names changed to protect identities)portray confessions from the point of view of all: wives, lovers, and observers. The memoirs reveal the lessons learned from the anguished, funny honest encounters and obsessions.
I loved this book. The stories in it were compelling and thoughtful, and demonstrated the shades of gray in relationships. Some of the women were gay, some straight, some were cheaters, some were cheated on, but everyone in the book had a distinct voice, thoughtful perspective, and wonderful writing voice. Definitely worth checking out, especially for Mary Jo Eustace, Dani Shapiro, Ellen Sussman, Caroline Leavitt, Connie May Fowler, Aviva Layton, and Gayle Brandeis.
An interesting perspective on the whole notion of cheating. I did feel like the book was written for a much older audience and from the perspective of much older women. As if in your 20's cheating isn't a reality, just a concept, but by the end of your life, it will have touched you in some way.
May 20, 2011
Hol
added it
Found this in the free book room and read it on a plane. I completely recommend picking it up for free and reading it on a plane--I was very absorbed. This is not the first essay collection I’ve read in which Jane Smiley’s contribution is head and shoulders above the others.
Interesting perspective from all sides, the woman who was cheated on, the cheating, etc. There were a couple stories that I really wanted to hear more about but they ended too quick. There were two that I didn't really get into but finished. Good book!
"Reason itself knows nothing of the heart" - last line of the last story in this great anthology of essays on the subject of The Other Woman. Funny, truthful, poignant, some sad - with one or two not so interesting - essays. The essays have been well chosen and are a good read. I commend Vicgoria Zackheim for putting it all together. Nothing is as it seems, and yet all is pure reality.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. It did get repetitive near the end but I did find the different view points of affairs interesting.
Not as juicy as I thought it would be, nevertheless, it was insightful as it gives perspectives of the other woman as well as the wife's.
This book is pure guilty pleasure. I bought it mainly to read what Tori Spelling's husband's ex-wife had to say! It was worth it.
Got this book because it has the story of Dean McDermott's Exwife in it. How Tori Spelling stole my man...lol!
This book was an interesting read. It shared various views of "The Other Woman" such as from the 'other woman's' perspective, women dealing with the 'other woman' in their marriages, and even lesbians with 'other women'. This book reminded me a bit of high school, when my girlfriends when some other girl 'stole(!!)' their guy. I was always amazed that they would be more upset with the girl than with the stupid guy. This book is pretty much in that same vein. Women blaming other women rather than...more
Amazing read, couldn't put it down. I particularly enjoyed the essays by Dani Shapiro & Nancy Weber.
I really liked some of the essays. It was nice to hear it form the wife's perspective and on the other hand from THE OTHER WOMAN'S perspective.
Stories weren't as interesting as they sounded... Couldn't finish the book.
Some of the stories are very good. I especially
loved the story by Diana Abu-Jaber and Lynn Freed. It's really true that for most of us women 'Reason itself knows nothing of the heart'. The other comment that I loved by Diana Abu-Jaber is: 'It seems to me that being an Other must be at times at least as painful as being betrayed'. I have never experienced this and hope I never will but I bet this is very true. I recommend it to women who might be interested in reading about the other side. The s...more
loved the story by Diana Abu-Jaber and Lynn Freed. It's really true that for most of us women 'Reason itself knows nothing of the heart'. The other comment that I loved by Diana Abu-Jaber is: 'It seems to me that being an Other must be at times at least as painful as being betrayed'. I have never experienced this and hope I never will but I bet this is very true. I recommend it to women who might be interested in reading about the other side. The s...more
Didn't enjoy. Some of them were just depressing. Not my cup of tea.
Well written but super depressing.
great read. scary too.
They truth is stranger than fiction. Well, this book is a collection of essays by female writers who describe their own true & personal experiences where they have been victimized by the other woman . Or in some cases, where they have played the role of the other woman. And each essay truly does validate the saying truth is stranger than fiction. Fascinating reading !
In this collection of stories, several women talk about their own relationship that ended when their partner left them for another woman. Overall, I thought this book was boring and that it lacked "juiciness". I found that the only story I was interested in reading about was on Mary Jo Eustace whose husband Dean, had left her for Tori Spelling. I give this book two stars.
I couldn't love this book any more than I do. Compelling, quirky, sometimes lyrical accounts of being the cheated-on wife, the other woman, and the other other woman. No one is a two-dimensional cartoon, and no one is a simple villain even when the emotions and actions are simply awful. Jealousies, fears, and needs subvert and reify cultural conditioning.
I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. It did delve into some interesting issues though. I would not recommend this book to everyone. There are some graphic descriptions. There are stories about lesbians and there is also an essay about sexual abuse. If anything, this book opened my eyes to the "other" side of the story.
I really enjoyed getting to read the multiple perspectives of the other woman. Whether it be a woman scorned, or a woman who fell in love with someone else's man, the other woman at a young age, or older and after marriage. I loved how the stories had all different emotions: humor, love, rage, healing. Great stories, super interesting.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Publishers Weekly Review | 1 | 7 | May 15, 2007 03:54pm |
Victoria Zackheim is the editor of four anthologies: The Other Woman, For Keeps, The Face in the Mirror, and He Said What? (2011). She is also the author of The Bone Weaver, a novel, and story developer/writer of the documentary film Tracing Thalidomide: The Story of Frances Kelsey (On the Road Productions) and writer of the film More Than A Lord's Daughter: Ida Byron Lovelace (On the Road), as we...more
More about Victoria Zackheim...
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“You slept with Tori Spelling?...Nobody sleeps with Tori Spelling-not by choice anyway.”
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