The Undoing: Previously Published as You Should Have Known
By Jean Hanff Korelitz
- Release Date: 2014-03-18
- Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Description
In this "smart and devious" New York Times bestselling thriller, a marriage counselor's relationship begins to unravel when the mother of her son's classmate is murdered (The New York Times). The inspiration for the HBO series The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.
Grace Reinhart Sachs is living her best life. Devoted to her husband, a pediatric oncologist at a major cancer hospital, their young son Henry, and the patients she sees in her therapy practice, her days are full of familiar things. Grace is also the author of a book You Should Have Known, in which she cautions women to really hear what men are trying to tell them.
But weeks before the book is published a chasm opens in her own life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only an ongoing chain of terrible revelations, leading her to dismantle her life in order to create a new one, lest she allow these disasters to destroy her.
Reviews
Pacing
3By AKS83The pacing is too slow.Really good
3By velvetnoiseIt’s a lot different from the HBO series. A lot more of the Grace’s journey - everything from her point of view. I’m only on episode 4 of the Undoing - but I heard it was an adaptation of You Should Have Known & I figured I’d read it. Very thick with prose & a lot of introspection. It’s more about Grace’s thought process & how she deals with being the person who believes their own perfection & being married to a sociopath & psychopath- either willingly knowing it or ignoring all the signs. It’s an interesting viewpoint from how the HBO is establishing the plot. It’s a good winter read, a lot of internal dialogue of Grace. I’d do a library borrow rather than purchase.The undoing
1By ghiokmngvSoooo boringMust Read
5By risapikerI could not put this book down. I am love a story with redemption, there was so much redemption for her. It was also a book that had suspense galore. And created self reflection much like the main character.Very Drawn Out
2By ErinEli28If you are looking for action or a thriller this is not your book. I kept waiting for something to happen which never did. I also found the ending abrupt and unsatisfying.You should have known
2By Samq718It’s like your Mother’s neighbor telling you a story that’s interesting, and you wait and wait for the climax but it never comes.... I didn’t hate it,but I barely liked it.I liked it.
5By emarlownpI loved the author's tone. Very real woman trying to make in America today and with a psychopath for a husband to boot. Highly entertaining with a relatable sympathetic leading lady.You Should Have Known
4By Primadonna2The I had to read it twice because I really liked this book. The realization that Jonathan was a psychopath was a shock to Grace and to me, also. My sister married one and he killed her and left four little orphans. She had finally decided to leave him, and he was going to be left alone, no job, and little support. My sister never told us what she was going through. Physical and emotional abuse. Fifty years later, aftershock remains for her children and the rest of the family. In the meantime, he served the bare minimum and remarried again and had children. What a life of ruin people that are psychopaths leave behind. The author has written an outstanding novel that if it helps even one person from going into a relationship that's a blueprint for anguish and sorrow, then Ms. Korelitz has done her job. I am ready to read some more of her books.At Last!
5By ktzelIt's been months since I've read a really good book ! I've had 2-3 star books since winter. The writing here was so descriptive and flowing. The plot was intriguing enough to make you stay awake " for just one more chapter", but it wasn't outlandishly implausible as some in this genre can be. The characters were well defined and likable. Plot twists were clever enough to make you say " That makes sense!" rather than " What the.....?" A well told story, one I had been waiting for a long time to enjoy.You Should Have Known
5By GrmaChrisExceptionally written; full of unexpected twists and turns. A real page turner..The Psychological Thriller
5By Oregongrown68Jean Hanff Korelitz new book Narrated by Christina Delaine is a true to life fictional story about Family, children, and blind spots that we all have regarding those we choose to spend our lives with. Grace Reinhart Sachs is a devoted mother, wife, and family therapist. She has heard the complaints of many husbands and wives about failed expectations and promises. When Grace writes a self help book describing the many signs and signals partners should notice before marriage. Grace uses her years of experience to point out the often suttle sometimes obvious signs that many choose to ignore that continue to cause them suffering for years. Her book "You Should Have Known" looks like a best seller. Morning TV, Magazines, and Raido all want her for interviews as her life is getting ready to skyrocket. Her perfect Husband and college sweetheart is a dedicated pediatric oncologist and the love her life. Things couldn't get better. Until...there not. This story turns on a dime as her book comes to life and her husbands secrets, that she had completely overlooked, become more complicated than she ever could imagin. This book is a great twist of life when what you know best becomes your worst nightmare. You Should Have Known is a gets listen or read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like a psychological thriller.Loved this book!
5By Sio8hanYes it was a little wordy but we'll worth it. I really enjoyed this book.Tedious
3By Mimitimes6I am glad I stayed with the book to the end, but there was way too much emphasis on pulling away from the narrative to adjacent subjects. I know it was her way of getting the reader to understand her life, but it was frustrating. It could have been an exciting thriller.ISHOULD HAVE KNOWN
1By FRINKLESOUSTHERE WAS NO SOLID STORY LINE, JUST A BUNCH OF FACTS AND CONVERSATIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WERE TEDIOUS TO READ. I KEPT WAITING FOR THE REAL STORY AND THAT WAS VERY WEAK AND INCOMPLETE. I FELT THAT THERE WERE SOME PAGES MISSING. A VERY FRAGMENTED ACCOUNT OF SOMETHING. SORRY I WASTED MY TIME AND MONEY.Long winded
1By Mks515Boring - long winded thoughts without much of a story. Don't waste your time with this one.You Should Have Known
4By 1DalMomI'm really glad I went ahead and read this book, despite the reviews. The author's style attempts to draw the reader into the internal monologue of the main character. Along with Grace,we slowly come to understand that the things she believed to be true about her husband, her parents, her best friend, even her own investment into her career are not what she thought them to be. How she handles what could been an existential crisis, becomes an unflinching look at the interpersonal choices she has made throughout her marriage. Grace bravely faces people she had doubted and misjudged. In return she is given grace and indeed, she finds her herself in the process.You should have known
4By Peg1gyThis book is good! Very different in that there is little action but a lot of thoughts. I felt like I had lived some of this story.Would have given it five stars...
2By fecolagrossi...if the author had mastered the art of brevity. She just kept going on and on, endless descriptions about the most boring and remotely adjacent subjects. Could have cut this book in half.Boring
1By LuvmealittledeanI'm not even sure why I bothered with this book after page 100 or so. Kept thinking it would get better. It didn't, it just kept repeating itself with more boring commentary on relationships. I was hopeful about half way thru when the first mention of a murder came up... Maybe? Something interesting? Nope just more of the same self indulgent reflections on nothing. Don't bother. Would love to get the time back that I spent on this book. I purchased it based on a good People magazine review. Was the reviewer on meds when they read the book? Or maybe off their meds. Sorry for the harsh review but this book was just plain boring. Couldn't care less about the characters at all.
