Nine Wives: A Novel

by Dan Elish

Henry Mann is a 32-year-old bachelor who has spent the last few years watching everyone he knows get married. After the most recent wedding, where an intoxicated Henry proposes to no less than three women (including the rabbi), it dawns on him that being single isn't that much fun after all.

" Nine Wives is an inventive, original, funny, and big-hearted novel, a book I will recommend to anyone interested in good fiction."--Tim O'Brien, National Book Award-winning author of July, July

"Dan Elish has written an extremely funny book."―Jay Parini, author of The Apprentice Lover
"Dan Elish has created a Portnoy for the 21st century."―David Eddie, author of Chump Change

"Henry Mann wages battle between the real world and the imagined one with equal parts goofiness and suaveness. A very charming novel."―Antonya Nelson, author of Female Trouble

"Enough to put Bridget Jones to shame."―Helen Schulman, author of P.S.

"In a world where Sex and the City and Bergdorff Blondes tell us what we think we need to know about relationships, Elish has created a world far more real without stinting on the wit, insight, or hilarity."―Jonathan Rabb, author of The Book of Q

"Dan Elish at last shows women what lurks within the minds of men."―Helen Ellis, author of Eating the Cheshire Cat

"I read Nine Wives while Dan and I were dating. I didn't speak to him for a week, but I married him anyway."―Andrea Elish

Genres: Fiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Dan Elish is the author of eleven novels, including the upcoming KING OF BROADWAY (Olympia Press, 2025). Dan's other books include THE WORLDWIDE DESSERT CONTEST (Orchard Books and Bantam), THE SCHOOL FOR THE INSANELY GIFTED (Harpers), NINE WIVES (for grown-up types/St. Martins), and BORN TOO SHORT (S&S) which won a 2004 International Reading Association Students’ Choice Award for young adult literature.

Dan also writes musicals - many for children (music and lyrics) - but also the script (with Robert Horn) to the musical 13 which played at the Mark Taper Forum and won the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for best production; the show moved to Broadway in 2008 and is now a feature on Netflix, named one of the best ten films of 2022 by Variety. Dan is also the book writer and co-lyricist of THE EVOLUTION OF MANN which played at the Cell Theater in NYC in 2018.

Dan has also written scripts for TV (notably CYBERCHASE and THE WONDER PETS), and has won scholarships and fellowships to The Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences. He was a member of the BMI workshop and a current member of the Dramatists Guild.

Dan lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Crickett Cote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Elish is a good writer. But, unfortunately, this one is a flop. The main character is not likeable and spends way too much time in fantasy land to be enjoyable. Only reason I finished it is because I'm a weirdo who always has to finish what I start. If you're not like that, skip this one and read something else on your list.

[Chrisinny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have known it was not for me when it was compared to Portnoy's Complaint. Protagonist was not that funny. I can read "guy" books, but this one's charms eluded me.

[Ani · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book less than one star I would.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, fun beach read.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

You've heard of "Chick-Lit"... this is Dude-Lit (or Lad-Lit). This is a funny and entertaining read that relates to me and a lot of my friends. Plus, the author (Dan Elish)was very very very cool when I contacted him (by email) after reading the book.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was like reading Bridget Jones but from a man's view. I think this was the first ROM-COM (that is romanitc comedy for those who don't know) written by a guy and it was a funny to read from that perspective.

[Noelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

HORRIBLE; terrible writing, bad/predictible story. Don't waste your time.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible! Couldn't bring myself to finish reading it.

[Tori]

2005

[Jordan Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Henry is hilarious and some of the things he gets into make me laugh out loud.

[Felicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, this author really likes similes. The only child character in this book isn't written any differently than the adults, so she sounds really weird. Generally a predictable rom-com story.