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275th out of 416 books
—
659 voters
The Half Life
by
Jennifer Weiner (Goodreads Author),
Katie Finneran
From Redbook’s Red-Hot Read series, a short story by the New York Times #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes and Fly Away Home
"My life is over," Piper DeWitt thinks to herself, awaiting departure in the overcrowded International Terminal of the Philadelphia airport for an overseas business trip, to romantic Paris no less. She watched as her husband, Tosh, put his own sui...more
"My life is over," Piper DeWitt thinks to herself, awaiting departure in the overcrowded International Terminal of the Philadelphia airport for an overseas business trip, to romantic Paris no less. She watched as her husband, Tosh, put his own sui...more
Audio CD, Abridged, 0 pages
Published
February 1st 2011
by Simon & Schuster Audio
(first published December 17th 2010)
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Piper lives in a world of her own. Business trips that often take her around the globe with a successful business and small family at home to welcome her upon her return. At least that’s how she views it. Unfortunately, she hasn’t yet acknowlegded the fact that her husband has been sleeping on the couch for close to a month and recently mentioned to her his lack of interest in their relationship. It’s not until a scheduled trip to Paris and an “unexpected” announcement from her husband, Tosh, th...more
The Half Life is a short story.
The heroine is Pippa DeWitt, a forty-year-old business woman on her way to Paris for a business trip. The reader first meets Pippa as she stands in the check-in cue to board her flight; she’s agitated, upset and being talked at by a stranger. We learn why rather quickly, Pippa’s husband has left her.
Tosh DeWitt stated his was leaving her and shoved the “Dear John” into her hand as she was leaving the house earlier for this business trip. Pippa understandably spends...more
The heroine is Pippa DeWitt, a forty-year-old business woman on her way to Paris for a business trip. The reader first meets Pippa as she stands in the check-in cue to board her flight; she’s agitated, upset and being talked at by a stranger. We learn why rather quickly, Pippa’s husband has left her.
Tosh DeWitt stated his was leaving her and shoved the “Dear John” into her hand as she was leaving the house earlier for this business trip. Pippa understandably spends...more
I got this "e-book" on my Nook and it turned out to be a short (and I mean VERY short - about 30 pages) story. The remaining 100+ pages were Weiner's other books excerpts. This book is a two part story that was in Redbook last summer. I was annoyed that I thought I purchased a book and it was just a story that I could have read online. I also didn't really care for the ending of the story, it was just weird and not very realistic. Sorry JW you know I ADORE you but I really didn't like this one a...more
Nov 18, 2012
Jean Oram
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chicklit-romance-womensfiction
A short story of a woman (mom and consultant), Piper, who is off to Paris for a week or work only to have her husband tell her that he will not be home when she returns. In other words, he is leaving her. In this short story we see Piper deal with the problem of being the main breadwinner, of having a husband who is out of work and feels unneeded. (And finds someone who needs him.)
It's an interesting viewpoint because in some ways, I think stay-at-home moms may feel this way... yet... they don't...more
It's an interesting viewpoint because in some ways, I think stay-at-home moms may feel this way... yet... they don't...more
I have to laugh at some of the other reviews below, the disappointment in it. It not being very long...um, hello...it says "short story" right on the description! Anyway, I will read anything by Jennifer Weiner. I enjoy her descriptions and characters. However, just when I was getting into it, it was over. I disliked the ending...Piper's marriage is falling apart and she confronts her husband on the front steps of his girlfriend's house only to take him home for what? One last romp between the s...more
Saw this on Kobo and it was only 1.99 so I thought why not? I was disappointed that it was so short. Overall it was an okay story, I just couldn't relate to the main character. If my husband left me for another woman I certainly would not handle it the way she did. There would be no trying to win him back and wishing only good things for him like this character. My style is a whole lot more dignified, including clothes strewn about in the street, a smashed computer in the driveway and a knee to...more
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I bought this for my NOOK and thought it would be a good short story to read, but was sadly disappointed when it was only about 20 pages and left me wanting to know more about what happen's to the characters. Also not thrilled that they did not provide a better discription that the story was only 20 page's and the next 130 were nothing but snippit's of her other novel's.
I am not sure if I would have liked this better if I read it rather than listened to it. As it was, I listened the whole time with my heart in my throat, hoping it would turn out one way (but then again, glad it didn't or I would have been pissed at Piper, the main character). If I had read it, I would have sped through it to find out the ending, but that is impossible to do with an audio book. Not a waste of my time, but definitely a story I could take or leave.
I thought this was a proper book not a short story.
So I feel cheated. Hmmm.
And I thought there was a problem with ME figuring out my Kindle because I couldn't get it to jump to the rest of the book (which there isn't).
Clearly that means the ending was that unremarkable.
Disappointed, and I'm a BIG Jennifer Weiner fan usually.
So I feel cheated. Hmmm.
And I thought there was a problem with ME figuring out my Kindle because I couldn't get it to jump to the rest of the book (which there isn't).
Clearly that means the ending was that unremarkable.
Disappointed, and I'm a BIG Jennifer Weiner fan usually.
This is very short, only about 30 pages. The rest of the pages (about 100 or so) are excerpts from each of Weiners other books. This story felt like an excerpt too, it felt like we were just going somewhere, when it was over. I turned the page expecting more.
weird. Swim was such a good short story, The Half Life is not.
weird. Swim was such a good short story, The Half Life is not.
So you must know that there's really no point in me writing a review b/c I absolutely love any and all of Jennifer Weiner's books. So of course I'm not surprised that I read this in one sitting...it is a short story after all. I want to go pick up any of Jennifer's previous books and jump in to her marvelous story telling.
This is actually 2.5 stars...it's ok. The writing is beautiful. Jennifer is talented with her analogies and metaphors. Also, unlike some of the other reviewers, I listened to the CD and knew it was a short story going on. I guess I can't relate in any way to the subject matter and so it just made me sad.
I knew this was a short story, but didn't know until I picked up the audio book and it was ONE disc. I think I about listened to the whole story just on the way home from the library. What a waste of time. I especially would have been upset if I had purchased the e-book so beware.
It was good. A very short story - since this was first published in a magazine, it was to be expected. However, I thought it would be longer because the download was pretty big (read it on my Kindle), but it turned out that over 4/5ths of the book are previews of her other books.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Your husband has been telling you for months that he is unhappy, you thought he was depressed. On the day before she is to leave for Paris on business he tells her he is moving out, he's found someone else. How will she and their 4 year old daughter survive?
very disappointed. bought on ibooks and although it showed it as 621 pages (on the iphone) only 122 were of this book... the rest were excerpts from her other books. definitely not worth paying for, feel very taken advantage of... though I was buying a full book.
Unlike a lot of people, I knew this was a short story. I really enjoyed it. It was quick, easy to get into and got to the point quickly. It did seem to wrap up really quickly, however I don't feel like I missed out on anything important. It was a great quick read!
HI MY,NAME IS JAMIE I WONT THIS BOOK I HAVENT"READ ARE GONE THROUGH NONE OF THE PAGES.IT INDICATES THAT SOMETHING IS TELLING TO BUY THE ;BOOK,BUT I DONT KNOW WHY...JENNIFER WEINER IS GOOD STORY INTRODUCTION SHE,ALSO PLAYS GOOD IN A FEW PLAYS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HER AS OF MINES BOOK DAIRY..
I would read a napkin written by Jennifer Weiner. This felt like a book in embryo. It was a complete short story, but it just whet my whistle until I can get my hands on the next offering from Ms. Weiner.
Hated it. This should either be turned into a novel because there is real potential in the story or characters or stowed in J. Weiner's personal writings. It should not be published as a short story.
I have read other books by Jennifer Weiner that I have enjoyed. This was just way, way too short. Not really long enough to develop characters or story line. Glad it was a free download for my kindle as it would have been a waste of money to pay for it.
Great character development. Odd ending, would have been a great long story. Telling a good short story is hard, Weiner does it well. She paints a rich picture.
B; A one disc audio of a short story Weiner had published in Redbook. An easy listen about a woman's experience for the few days after her husband leaves her.
Awesome story and then you get to page 25 and no'thing, it's freaking done! How can you reel me in hook, line and sinker then leave me hanging'. So not cool! This would make a great book but severely lacks as a short story. Don't waste your time.
Jennifer, please finish this short story.
Jennifer, please finish this short story.
I want part of my life back. The part I spend reading this book. I think this book was written to be cathartic for the author. There could be no other reason.
Too short a short story. Would've liked more on Mark Bancroft rather than a non-confrontational last f*** closure with Tosh DeWitt. I mean, like, what?!
This was okay. Maybe due to the fact that it was a short story made me feel like the characters were never fully developed. Does not compare to her full books.
I agree with other readers of this book that it was too short. I'm just glad it was a free download on my Kindle. I love Jennifer's work though.
Honestly Weiner is such an amazing author that maybe short stories aren't for her? they always leave something to be desired for me.
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Jennifer Weiner was born in 1970 on an army base in Louisiana. She grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Princeton University. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Central Pennsylvania, Lexington, Kentucky, and Philadelphia, before the publication of her first novel, GOOD IN BED, in 2001. She is the author of the novels IN HER SHOES (2002), which was turned into a major motion picture; LITTLE...more
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