The Doctor's Wife

It's been a while that I've read a book I truly loved. The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage is a very freaky book and it's very hard to put down. I've been reading so much slush (like a friend of mine described her reading material of late - love the word!) that this psychological thriller was a very refreshing change.

First of all, there is something very beautiful and haunting about the cover of this book. It describes the atmosphere of the book very well. I was instantly drawn to the cover and was expecting a lot from this book because of it - I know - one should never judge a book by it's cover, but I often tend to do so!

There are some serious issues going on in this book, just to mention a few: abortion, mental illness, religious fanatics and infidelity. But don't be put off, this doesn't mean that it's a heavy book to read. Dispite these issues, the story really lived in my head and I was compelled to continue reading whenever I could find the time.

The main characters are two very different couples. Michael and Annie seem to have the perfect life, good jobs, kids, a nice house. Simon and Lydia on the other hand are a strange couple. Simon is an eccentric once-popular artist whose wife is known to be extremely beautiful but unstable. Annie and Simon start a passionate affair and soon all their lives are entangled together in a twisted way.

I found the most facinating character to be Lydia. Her childhood and the developments in her life are very tragic. When you come to the part where you find out what has happened, it will make you sick to your stomach. These experiences have made her deranged. Once you get on with the book, you'll be wondering what she's going to do next - will she totally lose it or can she go on like this..

There is something very wonderfully disturbing about this book, I don't know how else to describe it. Now I'm a bit stressed beacause it's going to be quite a difficult task to choose my next book.. really don't want a let-down after this brilliant novel. Superb and captivating!