August 2023 Group Read - Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

[Kenneth]

This is the thread for the August 2023 Group Read, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

[Kimberly]

I think I'll join in this one--I haven't read it yet!

[destiny ♡]

Yay! I read this one just a few weeks ago and really liked it, so I'm excited to see what everyone thinks!

[slumpeer]

Hell yea I’ve been eyeing this book

[porcelynne ☾]

I’ve never done a group read before so I’m excited to do this one!

[Alan]

Just took the suspension off on my library hold. I have no excuse tio put this one off longer now.

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!)]

I have a copy of this sitting on my shelves since release day ready to go so perfect excuse to pick it up! :D looking forward to reading with you all!

[lauren]

I fist pumped when I saw this book got chosen haha. I can't wait to read this one!

[Franziska (tintenklexxe)]

I read this last month and I LOVED it. Excited to see what you think!

[Maddie]

I can’t wait to read this!

[Trista]

I own this book, but haven’t read it yet. I’m definitely in! And I’m excited!

[Netanella]

I read this several months ago with another group. It is amazingly good!

[inciminci]

I've read this already but will re-read for this group read.

[Erik]

First time joining a book club and this is the book I plan to read with y’all! Just bought a copy off Amazon!

[Kristy]

This is my first group read and I'm excited about this book! First one I've voted for too! Bought my copy today!

[Navi]

This was a great read. I hope you all enjoy it as well!

[elise]

I just read this last month! Hope everyone enjoys it!

[Amber]

I just ordered this and The Terror. I look forward to reading both!

[Kasia]

Dang this looks so good...

[lupine]

I’m looking forward to reading this! Just put it on hold at my library…

[Kimberly]

Mariga wrote: "I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but... I didn't like this book. This is not a horror novel, this is a relationship novel. In all fairness, I only got halfway through it before throwing in the to..."

We ask that you please use spoiler tags and percentage/page numbers when discussing events in the book--many members haven't read this yet, and it isn't fair to them to see all these details unless they choose to read them. Without the spoiler tags, I had no idea that you were going into the events of the book.

[inciminci]

@ Mariga - I read this as a (view spoiler)[Mythos (hide spoiler)] novel, so it would be definitely a horror novel in my book.

The (view spoiler)[killer octopus (hide spoiler)] you mention (view spoiler)[is Cthulhu (hide spoiler)], that's at least how I read it, because there were thousands of little hints throughout the book. And since (view spoiler)[no one can see Cthulhu and stay alive, we witness the dying of someone who caught a glance of him and is dying of it. (hide spoiler)]

I haven't seen this in any of the reviews though, so I was in doubt if I understood it correctly. Only lovely Netanella from the Horror Aficionados here wrote it in her review, and she too was positive that's it. That's why I'm re-reading because (view spoiler)[the point of the book is revealed in the last page (hide spoiler)] and I want to read again with that knowledge. That's why I think it's such a good horror book. Apart, the fact that Miri falls apart is quite horrendous too.

[Mariga]

Interesting. Good to know.

[Netanella]

I just read a book in a similar vein, Elegy for the Undead, a horror novel where the main focus of the story is the relationship between the couple, and the horror is sort of woven throughout the entire piece. "Our Wives," like "Elegy", all comes together in the end.

[inciminci]

I had never heard of that book, but added it immediately :)

[destiny ♡]

inciminci wrote: "@ Mariga - I read this as a [spoilers removed] novel, so it would be definitely a horror novel in my book.

The [spoilers removed] you mention [spoilers removed], that's at least how I read it, bec..."

I've read the book but hadn't caught this at all, and you just blew my mind a little! This is one of those books that is better and better to me the more I look back on it. Wow!

[inciminci]

destiny ♡ wrote: "inciminci wrote: "@ Mariga - I read this as a [spoilers removed] novel, so it would be definitely a horror novel in my book.

The [spoilers removed] you mention [spoilers removed], that's at least ..."

Hehe, glad I could blow your mind a little. It is a clever book and beautifully written too.

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚]

Hi Everyone !
I can’t wait to read this book! I can honestly say I haven’t been disappointed by a book this group has voted as a read either the first or the second.

[Michelle]

inciminci wrote: "@ Mariga - I read this as a [spoilers removed] novel, so it would be definitely a horror novel in my book.

The [spoilers removed] you mention [spoilers removed], that's at least how I read it, bec..."

This is exactly what I took from this book as well. It's very Lovecraftian in atmosphere, feel, and plot....but modern and with women.

[Netanella]

Charlene (Char) wrote: "Hi Everyone !
I can’t wait to read this book! I can honestly say I haven’t been disappointed by a book this group has voted as a read either the first or the second."

Yay! Char!

[Dawn]

I just recently finished this and will be curious what people think...as mentioned previously the horror is maybe too subtle but it still has a beautiful weirdness to it...

[The bookish Witch]

Mariga wrote: "Just FYI, there are some spoiler alerts in the following post.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but... I didn't like this book. This is not a horror novel, this is a relationship novel. In all f..."

lupine wrote: "I’m looking forward to reading this! Just put it on hold at my library…"


Hey,
same here. I made it to the end of the book. It was very hard. I agree with you. It is a good book, but it was not for me. At the end I was bored to death.
BUT I learned about the ocean zones and watched two documentaries about life in the deep see. ^^

[lauren]

I can't believe I just got this book spoiled by checking this thread. What a huge disappointment, I was really excited to read this :( Why are people who have already read the book commenting about details of the plot/ending/themes on a thread for people who haven't read it yet?

[inciminci]

I'm so sorry, Lauren, if it was my comment that spoiled your read. I have put spoiler tags in the parts that I think would spoil the reading, I'm very sorry if I overlooked something. I don't think there's a separate thread for people who have and haven't read it. I always do discuss books I read for this group in the same thread but put spoiler tags.

[lauren]

inciminci- I'm not sure if it's just bad formatting by Goodreads because I'm on my phone, but unfortunately none of your spoilers were hidden for me. I appreciate the effort and I'm not upset with you at all. It's just that coupled with the comment above that didn't have spoiler tags, I got the entire story ruined for me before I even realized what was happening! I guess in the future, I will just try to avoid the group read threads until I've finished the book.

[Kimberly]

inciminci wrote: "I'm so sorry, Lauren, if it was my comment that spoiled your read. I have put spoiler tags in the parts that I think would spoil the reading, I'm very sorry if I overlooked something. I don't think..."

I don't think your comments were the problem. Another member did NOT use spoiler tags, and was told to after it was noted. You did use them, so I'm not sure if it's a GoodReads issue, or the device being viewed on. At any rate, the other comment has been deleted now, so others won't be spoiled. :)

[Quinn]

Loved this book so much! Hope everyone enjoys it.

[Netanella]

If I remember correctly, spoiler tags don’t work when using the phone app. You have to use the web version.

[Alan]

Read this tonight in one sitting. For those who are claiming this "isn't horror" I 100% do NOT agree at all. It's not in your face, ravenous monster shark, demon possession, knife wielding maniac horror. It's ostensibly speculative fiction, but also literary horror, psychological horror, even a little body horror. It's horror is the fear of the unknown. Right from the start there's a pervasive sense of uncertainty and uneasiness. And (view spoiler)[the fact that Leah comes back not acting at all like herself, making Miri wonder if her Leah actually came back at all, is like something out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Annihilation. Especially when she's physically changing, sloughing off something in the bathtub, her skin taking on odd hues. (hide spoiler)] Horror is not bound by one or two things, but is the broadest of all genres, and what happens in this book falls in that realm.
My spoiler free review if anyone is interested.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[destiny ♡]

Alan wrote: "Read this tonight in one sitting. For those who are claiming this "isn't horror" I 100% do NOT agree at all. It's not in your face, ravenous monster shark, demon possession, knife wielding maniac h..."

I agree completely, Alan. Well said!

[Kimberly]

Netanella wrote: "If I remember correctly, spoiler tags don’t work when using the phone app. You have to use the web version."

I believe you're right! I usually do my GoodReads updates on the computer because of issues like that.

[Kimberly]

Alan wrote: "Read this tonight in one sitting. For those who are claiming this "isn't horror" I 100% do NOT agree at all. It's not in your face, ravenous monster shark, demon possession, knife wielding maniac h..."

You, Destiny, and Quinn have made me determined to read this one now.

[JasonReads]

I haven't read a horror novel in a while, so I'll give it a try.

[Mariga]

Yes, I thought it was very well written but just not what I was in the mood for.

[Adrienne L]

Kimberly wrote: "Netanella wrote: "If I remember correctly, spoiler tags don’t work when using the phone app. You have to use the web version."

I believe you're right! I usually do my GoodReads updates on the comp..."

Yes, I learned this this hard way when participating in my first group read for The Burning Girls and checking comments on my phone.

[Adrienne L]

I read this one last week and I really enjoyed it! I started off borrowing the audiobook through hoopla on a long car ride, but loved the beautiful prose so much I knew I wanted to actually read it visually, so immediately purchased the e-book. I would link my review, but I'm not sure how to do it correctly.

[Adrienne L]

Alan wrote: "Read this tonight in one sitting. For those who are claiming this "isn't horror" I 100% do NOT agree at all. It's not in your face, ravenous monster shark, demon possession, knife wielding maniac h..."

I agree with you entirely. To me, this was certainly horror, just a more subtle and insidious kind.

[Adrienne L]

Hopefully this will work. Here is my spoiler free review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kimberly]

Adriennelee wrote: "Hopefully this will work. Here is my spoiler free review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Great review, Adriennelee!

[Adrienne L]

Thank you, Kimberly!