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Confusing,
Pointless,
Difficult

4 reviews

The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene

Published: 2014-02-25
Hardcover : 288 pages
20 members reading this now
11 clubs reading this now
6 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 3 of 4 members

An immensely talented writer whose work has been described as “incandescent” (Kirkus) and “poetic” (Booklist), Thomas Christopher Greene pens a haunting and deeply affecting portrait of one couple at their best and worst.
 
Inspired by a personal loss, Greene explores the way that ...

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Introduction

An immensely talented writer whose work has been described as “incandescent” (Kirkus) and “poetic” (Booklist), Thomas Christopher Greene pens a haunting and deeply affecting portrait of one couple at their best and worst.
 
Inspired by a personal loss, Greene explores the way that tragedy and time assail one man’s memories of his life and loves. Like his father before him, Arthur Winthrop is the Headmaster of Vermont’s elite Lancaster School. It is the place he feels has given him his life, but is also the site of his undoing as events spiral out of his control. Found wandering naked in Central Park, he begins to tell his story to the police, but his memories collide into one another, and the true nature of things, a narrative of love, of marriage, of family and of a tragedy Arthur does not know how to address emerges. Luminous and atmospheric, bringing to life the tight-knit enclave of a quintessential New England boarding school, the novel is part mystery, part love story and an exploration of the ties of place and family. Beautifully written and compulsively readable, The Headmaster’s Wife stands as a moving elegy to the power of love as an antidote to grief.
"A truly remarkable novel, I read the second half of The Headmaster’s Wife with my mouth open, my jaw having dropped at the end of the first half. Thomas Christopher Greene knows how to hook a reader and land him." --Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Empire Falls

"An accomplished and artful storyteller, Greene has surprises in store as he unspools a plot that becomes as poignant as it is unpredictable." --Wally Lamb, New York Times bestselling author of The Hour I First Believed

"Greene’s genre-bending novel of madness and despair evokes both the predatory lasciviousness of Nabokov’s classic, Lolita, and the anxious ambiguity of Gillian Flynn’s contemporary thriller, Gone Girl (2012)." --Booklist

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

ACRIMONY

He arrives at the park by walking down Central Park West and then through the open gates on West 77th street. This is in the winter. It is early morning and the sun is little more than an orangeish haze behind heavy clouds in the east. Light snow flurries fill the air. There are not many people out, a few runners and women bundled against the cold pushing strollers. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

What did you think were the central themes of the book, and how did they resonate with you?

The novel explores the taboo subject of a teacher—student affair. What did you think of the author’s handling of this?

‘Maybe, I think, this is what love is.’ There are several varieties of love portrayed in the book: passionate affairs, marriage and parental love. Discuss the depiction of love in all of its forms.

The river is described as ‘timeless and uncaring’. Explore the symbolic resonance of water in the book and what it means to the characters.

How did your opinion of the headmaster and his wife change throughout the course of the novel? Did you understand them more having encountered both points of view?

‘Time is malleable. Memory fails. Memory changes.’ Discuss the representation of time and memory throughout the pages of the book.

What do you think the structure of the novel brought to your reading experience? Did the narrative switch surprise you?

What did you think of the author’s representation of the boarding-school culture at Lancaster? Has it altered any of the views you currently hold?

Were you satisfied with the ending of the novel?

Which character did you sympathize with most, and why?

Suggested by Members

Thumbs up or down -- did you like the book?
What did you like best about the book?
Was there an experience or character that resonated for you?
by poohnuts26 (see profile) 06/21/14

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

No notes at this time.

Book Club Recommendations

Keep Calm and Carry On
by poohnuts26 (see profile) 06/21/14
I create a memento for each book we read. The setting for this book is a boarding school. It seemed appropriate to give a \\\\\\\"notebook\\\\\\\" and on the cover of the notebook it is printed \\\\\\\"Keep Calm and Carry On\\\\\\\" (I purchased these notebooks at Michael\\\\\\\'s Arts and Crafts for $1 each). I also wrote on the cover the date of our book club meeting and the book title.

Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
  "Very readable, good story twist"by Susan J. (see profile) 04/15/14

I enjoy a book that reveals itself slowly. That moment where you say, "ah, now I get it!" I was reluctant to put it down. Very well written. A couple of connections in the story seemed to be missing but... (read more)

 
  "Delightful read"by Lynn A. (see profile) 03/17/14

This book was an interesting, but relatively normal, gothic-type novel until the midpoint, when it took an unexpected and brilliant turn and then continued to twist until the end. Can't wait for the rest... (read more)

 
  "the headmasters wife"by Carolyn R. (see profile) 08/02/16

Like his father before him, Arthur Winthrop is the headmaster of Vermont's elite Lancaster School. It is the place he feels has given him his life, but is also the site of his undoing as eve... (read more)

 
  "The Headmaster's Wife"by Maggie D. (see profile) 04/01/16

Overall our bookclub thought this was an interesting concept for a book. There was some great writing in this book. However we struggled with finding the characters likeable or with making sense of the... (read more)

 
by Carrie C. (see profile) 04/01/16

 
  "A Twisted Path"by Robin L. (see profile) 06/21/14

I would suggest this book is a psychological thriller and reminded me in some ways of the "Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian. All members of my book club gave it a thumbs up and we had quite a lively discussion... (read more)

 
  "Don't waste your time"by Nancy L. (see profile) 01/03/14

Made myself read this book - didn't like the beginning; thought it got better, then it got unbelievable. I think I hurt the author's feelings, but the book was pretty well written. The characters were... (read more)

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