The Ten-Year Nap

I primarily enjoyed this insightful, often humorous satire of upper middle class mothers. The characters are well-drawn and the situations somewhat realistic, sometimes bitingly funny especially Penny Ramsay, a character I instantly hated. My only criticism was the overly long chapters and too many characters. However, I'm looking forward to more books by this author.

I easily finished the book in one weekend because I think Wolitzer is a fine writer who knows how to spin a story. However, my dislike for these characters prevents me from recommending it. I might be able to tolerate 350 pages of whining if the characters actually had something to whine about, but that's not the case here.

For example, Roberta stays at home in a rent-free apartment while her kids are in school and her good-natured husband works two jobs. In the meantime, she's grumbling about the male-artist hierarchy that has apparently ruined her life .... Huh?? If you ask me, all of these characters need a good swift kick in the pants. Or some real problems.

Another odd aspect of this book is how little the children actually factor into the story. None of these self-absorbed moms seem to have meaningful relationships with their children, who are hardly described at all. I kept hoping Nadia, the little girl from Romania, would be adopted by a family that actually cared about her.

This book provided a few good insights and interesting plot twists. But in the end, it painted an unrealistic picture of life for a stay-at-home mom---filled with seething discontent, oppression, frustration, boredom and lost promise ... Depressing.

I would have given this 0 stars if possible. This book was a total waste of time. I read a little over 100 pages, and couldn't bring myself to go further. Amy is whiney and vapid. For god's sake -- if your finances are bad, your kid really couldn't care less if you were there to greet him at the end of the day or not, and you're a licensed attorney (!), then get off your butt and go to work!!! Grow up! Horrible characters. As a working woman (and an adult!), I just couldn't relate at all.

What a disappointment. I pre-ordered "The Ten-Year Nap," and was delighted to settle down for what I was certain would be another great novel from Meg Wolitzer, a writer with a knack for a finely-turned phrase, coupled with a wonderfully observant eye for human behavior and motivations. Instead, what I found was a meandering book filled with poorly realized characters and a near-nonexistent plot that centered on the vague ennui of several self-pitying, spoiled women with all the depth and meaning of motel-room art. This novel is to writing as bologna is to steak.

Potential buyers will be better served to read "The Wife," or "The Position." If you've already read those, I suggest re-reading them; you'll get more enjoyment from revisiting either of these two fine novels than you will from "The Ten-Year Nap."

If you're still not convinced, you might consider visiting one of your fine local bookstores to read the first chapter. If you don't find it interesting, save your time - it doesn't improve.

I was so looking forward to reading this book! As a working mother of an 18 month old, the title and premise of the book really intrigued me, and I was so excited at the prospect of curling up with this book. And now I can honestly say I wish that I had read any of the other books I bought. I really feel like this SHOULD have been a better book.

Meg Wolitzer is an eloquent writer and, as other reviewers have noted, her phrasing choices are wonderful (her descriptions of alarm clocks going off all over the city is particularly deft). However, in a book that revolves around the choices of four friends who meet regularly, there is a startling dearth of actual dialogue in this story. It seems that all of the characters have these internal conversations and, after a while, there is too much imagery and not enough conversation.

And then there were the characters. Amy, Jill, Karen, and Roberta had all left the work force at a high point at their career, and want to feel lucky, blessed even that they are able to do so, but instead feel trapped into staying home with their children of varying levels of independence. I should have known I was in trouble when I couldn't make any investment in ANY character. Each of them seemed to be in their season of discontent, for a myriad of reasons, but I found it hard to care about any of them, most of them stopping just short of selfish. The most promising subplot of the book -- Amy's friendship with Penny - a friendship based on a juicy secret, and the invitation into a life that seems so satisfying. This portion is written so carefully, so lovingly, I'm with Wolitzer as she explores their friendship, but then it is dropped so quickly (and rather absurdly, in my opinion). The last 25 pages of the book provide tidy endings for everyone, and I wondered what the point of it all was in the first place.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

Basically, the book relates the mental life of a medley of women with kids as they go about their business, struggling with the fact that they don't work, they're kids are growing up, and various and sundry other issues. It starts well and there are many places where Wolitzer shows she "gets" the inner life of mothers. Sadly, though, the book comes to not much, as the only major plot line comes to a bit of a minor "pop" and then fizzles. All quite pleasant but very light.

This is a very stereotypical NYC perspective. Despite the author's attempt to portray a wide variety of perspectives without apparent comment, what we get is a very narrow impression of the world and families and it is terribly depressing.

A collection of whining stay at home moms who have it all end up finding slightly more meaning in their self-obsessed lives by not being stay at home moms anymore. Only one character was supposedly happy and that was the least fleshed out, most stereotypical of all the friends, an Asian maths whizz who, despite her decade out of the workforce could still get any job she wanted but prefers not to because her husband is so successful (yes, success is defined by wealth) that she doesn't need to.

There is very little actual affection, let alone love, in this book, not even the incidental moments that pepper our days and the men are universally bland and characterless.

Don't bother with this unless you are really trying to inspire your own existential crisis.

I too thought this would be a great book. College, great job in a big city, then staying at home with the kid(s) - I can relate! But then, after only 28 pages, I read this - and put the book down: {Main character Amy is looking lovingly [as a mother does] at her 10 yr old son just getting out of bed) ..."She wanted to pull him back onto the bed and heave him into her lap, though he was ten years old and his legs were long and gangly, and it would have been approaching incest at this point if she had done that." Incest, are you kidding me? I don't need to read more. What a horrible thing to say!

Seriously - would you read a book that uses phrases like 'yeasty syllables?'
I growled my way through it, just to see if somewhere the author was going to
get 'real' and get to the point.
Her writing smacks of Creative Writing 101 as she tries to form as many clever
little phrases to describe so many unclever things.
I should get some remuneration for finishing the damn thing.

This book had so many different story lines it was hard to keep up. Some of them were very interesting but then the story would switch to another character/story line that was painfully boring. It is a nice story of motherhood and I can see how some people would find this enjoyable. I found it daunting to get through and didn't relate to many of the characters.

I had heard good things about this latest offering by Meg Wolitzer, and the subject matter is something close to my heart. After reading it, I must say it's been an engaging and perceptive read.

I used to teach school for 8 years before getting married and starting a family, and then opted to stay home to raise my daughter [for the past three years], but as she grows and develops, I too am beginning to wonder " What now for me?". Don't get me wrong - I am content and happy to stay home with my child, but I am also thinking of my future and how I can potentially balance motherhood with my other passions, like teaching etc. Having come from generations of women who opted to be stay-at-home moms, and having seen the fruits of their labors, it has been a difficult decision for me to make. Meg Wolitzer's book, though a work of fiction, encapsulates the struggles that many mothers go through as they grapple with that difficult, potentially life-altering decision - give up one's career [for a while or perhaps longer] or continue working [and how does one juggle the many responsibilities that entails?].

The four main characters - Amy, Karen, Jill and Roberta, look forward to their daily meet-up at a cafe, The Golden Horn and share the joys and tribulations of life, family and especially motherhood. These are women who had successful careers before giving their careers up to fulfill the demands of motherhood. Ten years have passed and as their children develop a level of independence, they begin to take stock of their situation.

Their journey is an interesting one, and makes for an involving read - it will appeal to those who have been in a similar situation, and for those who just want some perspective on motherhood and the many challenges that entails. In Meg Wolitzer's capable hands, we are able to not just enjoy the stories of the four protagonists, but also to define the meaning of motherhood, the choices it places before us, and how those choices affect our lives.

I picked up this book because I got pregnant late and wanted to hear about mothers and the tension between work and raising children. I think Meg Wolitzer secretly or not so secretly hates these characters. She wrote them with no imagination, no spark. She continually harps on the fact that they are in now middle aged and happiness eludes them, except through their children. It is a joyless book. I wouldn't write a bad review, but it made me that mad.

As the target audience for this book (40 year old moms in NYC), I was very disappointed. I felt the author tried to pack every possible stereotype into this story and added in a big handful of angst, to boot. Maybe it would be more interesting to women who weren't actually living the story. I don't know. Would not recommend.

Given one reviewer thought the characters were all too whiney, I wanted to counter that. One mother is quite happy with her quiet, stay at home life. The other moms don't seem so unhappy to me versus a little confused, unsettled, and unsure if how they're living is "right". I loved reading that given I often feel that way. As the book points out, not all women are tremendously good at something or have a job they just love. When that's the case, then what? Doesn't mean they're always unhappy or whining but they do think about it. I thought the ending was very settling and I was glad nothing profound happened as that's what struck me - for most people, there isn't necessarily something monumentous or profound. Ms. Wolitzer's writing style is great as well.

I love when a character draws me into their world and allows me to switch places with my own reality. I don't need to relate to a character, but it's nice to at least like one of them. Sadly, the characters in this book are not interesting or even very likeable. There were some "oh-no-she-did-NOT-just-do-that" moments (shared breast-feeding and the public display of a woman's genitals), but there is very little meat to this book. I kept waiting and waiting for the plot to pick up, only to find that it was one plateau from beginning to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Great book if you want a "nap."

While I appreciate the scope and density of Wolitzer's undertaking, it seems past the point of the "opt" out generation. Nicely written but, I couldn't relate to whining, unhappy SAHM's with the economy the way it is. The men and children seem unrealized characters and don't react to their mothers' malaise either. I wanted to feel for them and couldn't.

Meg Wolitzer sheds new light on the dilemma of motherhood versus careers. She takes us on a journey of discovery for four New York friends who are grappling with how to add meaning to their daily lives while they stay home and raise their children. The story tells us much about women's struggles to define themselves while juggling friendships, marriage, children and self-doubts about their worth outside of the work world. Brought up to believe they could do it all, and have it all, these friends are reluctant to leave the joy of being with their children, but afraid that their identities are disappearing with each passing year. While their ultimate answers might not be your answer, you'll enjoy following them as they determine their own true path. This book will charm you, enlighten you, and most of all, provoke the debate that lies beneath the surface for every woman. By Susan Walerstein, Author of Dancing Above the Waves

At the height of the feminist movement, I always said: Women will never attain equal rights until men assume equal responsibility for raising the children. Unfortunately, this time has not come, and women like the characters in 10-year-nap represent the end result. Why do we always have to do the sacrificing, the juggling, while men can focus on their career and still be dads and have it all? When will they wake up from their nap? When we wake them up, that's when, and demand true equality. I hope Wolitzer's next novel takes a deep look at this issue.

I haven't seen another fiction work on this topic which I think is why the author got so much hype. My book club read it, but the characters were so poorly written - whiney, helpless, etc that our discussion, while lively, centered around current events and opinions that the book touched on, but did little to explore.

The book is basically about four women and their whining thoughts. Period.

The author puts in gratuitous detail that isn't necessary. For example, she mentions the words boob, nipple or breast 21 times throughout the book the use of which fails on the level of being literary. The whole discussion of her son's private parts was just plain gross.

The book is not something I would recommend anyone waste their time on and my book club of seven other women felt the same way.

Meg Wolitzer has written a wonderfully detailed and subtle novel about the intricate push-and-pull in the lives of the married-with-children set in modern cities and suburbs. It is a magnificent book which will appeal to those who are delighted by keen observation and lucid prose. As C.S. Lewis once said, "we read to know we are not alone," and for me, this book is one that proves his point.

Meg Wolitzer has never been funnier, or more astute. Her newest is brilliantly written, laugh-out-loud funny, and a guaranteed page-turner. And she has her finger perfectly on the pulse; you will want to buy a copy for every mother in your kid's grade school class. Perfect book group selection; we had possibly our best and most frank discussion ever, about issues Wolitzer addresses subtly and hilariously.