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There are currently 23 member reviews
for The Headmaster's Wife
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Margaret M. (Venice, FL)
the headmasters wife
This is a quick well-written read. the plot keeps your attention and does not reveal the conclusion until the end. There are twists and turns in the story.
I am the wife of a headmaster and so of course was immediately drawn to the title. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and think it would interest men as well as women. A good read!
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Claudia K. (Raleigh, NC)
My very, very first review
I must admit that having three children attend prep schools in New England I felt very much at home while reading The Headmaster's Wife. Beyond this connection, my comfort level stopped. What is reality, what is confused memory, and what is what one might wish it had been. Throughout this novel, these questions kept recurring. I suggest reading this book with out trying to determine the answers to the questions until the end and then try to reconstruct what is a troubling and compelling story of love, lose, and confusion. I hope to read more of Thomas Christopher Greene's work.
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Diane P. (Concord, MA)
Worth the read
In this novel, Thomas Greene has adroitly captured the pitch-perfect tone of pre-1960's and 1990's boarding school life, as well as a trenchant understanding of adolescent impunity, along with adult longing and despair. Greene quickly establishes his cynical protagonist, the Headmaster, Dick Ives, but not until the second half of the novel does the Headmaster's wife, Elisabeth, fully emerge.
Surprisingly, authentic, emotional turmoil over loss is the true focus of this work, but Greene's literary trompe l'oeil is only apparent halfway through the narrative, which is both the brilliance and the difficulty of the novel. The first half is trite, but when Greene reveals the real purpose of the work, the reader forgives him and becomes engrossed in the narrative. If readers are tenacious, they will reap the rewards of Greene's poignant world.
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William B. (East Peoria, IL)
Headmaster's Loves
In very simple prose, an effective, well-told tale with a couple of suprises.
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Malinda N. (Wheeling, WV)
The Headmaster's Wife
I really wanted to give it a 4.5 rating. This is a book with an unique plot which makes it a compelling read. It doesn't take one too long to realize the specific twists that is center to the story but the book continues to hold the reader's attention until the end. It is hard not to sympathize with all the characters and there suffering. I felt a bit let down by the ending but not because it was poorly written but because it seemed sad for all (at least for me).
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Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
The Headmasters' Lives
I was captured on the first page. Police inquiries, illicit romance, set-ups, tragedy, and a reunion of past love.
The writing is exquisite. The story, though, is often disturbing and the time shifts without warning. The ending is much too tidy and not very satisfying.
Still, I might look into the author's previous books.
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Bonnie B. (Port St. Lucie, FL)
The Headmaster's Wife
This is a beautifully written book. Thomas Christopher Greene has a way with words that hooked me in from the beginning. However, the plot ended up being less compelling than the writing style.
The novel starts off with Arthur Winthrop found wandering naked in Central Park. The police pick him up and he begins to tell the story of his obsession with Betsy Pappas. Arthur is the Headmaster of the Lancaster School, a very prestigious boarding school in Vermont. He becomes obsessed with a transfer student named Betsy and is willing to risk his career on their relationship. It becomes clear, however, that Arthur is not in his right mind and as his story becomes more implausible, the real story unfurls.
I found the denouement not as believable as I would have liked but I loved reading this book. Greene is an author that I have added to my radar.
