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All He Ever Wanted Anita Shreve 9780316782265 Books

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All He Ever Wanted Anita Shreve 9780316782265 Books

I came across Anita Shreve's book "Stella Bain" on the new release shelf at the library and enjoyed it so much that I was eager to read other books she had written. When I realized that "All He Ever Wanted" was the same story, yet written from the husband's perspective, I had to have it. While it was a good book, it wasn't as captivating as Stella Bain, but of course intriguing because of its connection to the other.

These two books had a style similar to that of "The Bronze Horseman" by Paullina Simons, yet not as captivating or dynamic throughout the good parts, and not as disturbing as the war story parts. I continued to read other Anita Shreve novels but these were definitely two of my favorites.


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All He Ever Wanted Anita Shreve 9780316782265 Books Reviews

I listened to All He Ever Wanted unabridged on audiocassette. It is wonderfully read and kept me entranced for days. I think the book would be a hard plow despite the great issues and concept unearthed by Shreve.

The book is classic Anita Sherve and really makes one think about love and relationships. After reading/listening to several of Shreve's novels, I can't help but think she has first-hand knowledge of affairs, lost love, passionate indiscretion, and unattainable relationship expectations.

If we were all to strive for the prefect marital union of unending sexual attraction, full compatibility and satisfaction-everyone would be divorced, or would be searching until 45 for the perfect mate. I'm sure it can be had, but some of it is a matter of location and logistics. The mantra of "I just want to be happy" is childish. For married couples with children, the responsibility is greater than one's own fulfillment. In none of Sherve's novels does this comes to fore. Children are left in the wake, though she does address some of the damage of such decisions in this novel.

I understand the emotions played in the novel. It is a great book and had me thinking for days. I'd love to talk more about the plot and the sad lead characters, but do not wish to spoil it for the readers. If anyone would like to chat about this novel, I can be reached at miklos@knology.net.
I picked up this novel a few years ago and simply put it back down, it just wasn't the time for it. After receiving a Fire, I downloaded it to give it another shot. It was truly wonderful. It brought me to an unfamilar territory that I found quite intriging and opened an entirely new genre in reading an entirely different time era. This author always keeps you guessing and I have been fortunate enough to read each and every one of her novels. She is truly at her best no matter how many years you go back!
I've read all of Shreve's novels and this one is near the top of my list. The heroine, Etna, is a powerful figure, but in the tradition of the period in which Shreve writes, Etna must keep her power undercover and hidden from her husband, a boorish professor at a local New England college.
The source of Etna's power -- perhaps the very power itself -- is her ability to hold a part of herself back from her husband and family. She keeps secrets, both of fact and of feeling, so that her integrity as a person can't be breached by a husband who feels entitled to know and own her totally. I identified deeply with Etna's need to do this, as I believe many women will who have been married to men who at first seemed innocuous but after a few years of marriage are revealed to be unbearably possessive. In self defense, Etna must keep her true self contained and hidden from her husband's impulse toward emotional rape.
While that may sound a bit strong, it seems very legitimate to me. I found the fact that Etna creates a personal studio space for herself -- and keeps it secret from her husband -- a natural response to his overwhelming intrusiveness. It's a testament to Shreve's ability to finely draw her characters that a reader such as myself can so thoroughly identify with the heroine's emotions, as well as feel stifled by a fictional character such as the husband.
Overall, this is a very good novel with enough depth and action to entertain readers without being shallow.
This is a terrific period novel by the author, and she very capably captures the social mores and customs of the times. Dealing with desire and obsession, secrets and betrayal, the book certainly delivers a rich reading experience that will keep the reader riveted to its pages.

The story therein is a first person narrative told in flashback by Nicholas Van Tassel. The pivotal story begins at the turn of the twentieth century, when the narrator is an undistinguished professor at a small New England college. A bachelor, he spies Etna Bliss, a pretty, single woman and falls in love at first sight. As luck would have it, he enables her to escape from a fire, creating a connection that he will use to press his suit. That chance meeting will ultimately end in marriage. After all, her only other option is to live as a poor relation in her married sister's household.

What happens to Nicholas and Etna, as well as the tragic results of the bargain they each made when they entered into their marriage, reveals much about each of them and is also reflective of the time in which they lived. This is a wonderfully told, thematically complex tale that is evocative of a bygone era.
I came across Anita Shreve's book "Stella Bain" on the new release shelf at the library and enjoyed it so much that I was eager to read other books she had written. When I realized that "All He Ever Wanted" was the same story, yet written from the husband's perspective, I had to have it. While it was a good book, it wasn't as captivating as Stella Bain, but of course intriguing because of its connection to the other.

These two books had a style similar to that of "The Bronze Horseman" by Paullina Simons, yet not as captivating or dynamic throughout the good parts, and not as disturbing as the war story parts. I continued to read other Anita Shreve novels but these were definitely two of my favorites.