Bookworm
Jane Smiley: Private Life
Private Life (Knopf) Jane Smiley explores lives limited by repression, narrow scope and boundless ego, describing the sadness of a genius whose work never catches on, and the frustration of a wife whose husband never achieves his potential—and who barely discerns her own
By Michael Silverblatt • • 29m ListenPrivate Life (Knopf)
In her new novel, Jane Smiley explores lives limited by repression, narrow scope and boundless ego. She describes the sadness of a genius whose work never catches on, and the frustration of a wife whose husband never achieves his potential—and who barely discerns her own. In other words, we discuss what marriage was like before sexual liberation, women's liberation, psychoanalysis and self-help expanded our options.
Read an excerpt from Private Life.