Husbands
| Item Information | |
|---|---|
| Item#: | 9780385699037 |
| Author | Gramazio, Holly |
This exuberant debut, praised by Gabrielle Zevin as a "time-bending gem," asks: how do we navigate life, love and choice in a world of never-ending options?
When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.
As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.
As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
Review Quotes
"Brilliant, hilarious, surprising and wise. I devoured it." —Naomi Alderman, New York Times bestselling author of The Power and The Future
"The Husbands is WONDERFUL: fresh, original, hugely entertaining and oddly comforting. . . . I laughed out loud countless times. . . . [This] was the most fun I’ve had reading in the longest time. It is an utter delight." —Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups
"The Husbands is a wily and wonderful exploration of modern decision-making, kaleidoscopic and bright and very, very funny." —Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had
"Such a brilliant concept. It’s funny and emotional, but also gets to grip with the thorny issues of commitment and romance—and what love really means—in a totally innovative way. The most hilarious, fascinating and revealing novel you will read this year. It’s going to be the bookclub hit of 2024." —Keith Stuart, author of The Boy Made of Blocks and The Frequency of Us
"One of the funniest debuts published in years. In a publishing landscape awash with clever concepts, the video game designer Holly Gramazio has not only come up with the most ingenious conceit, she has summoned the humour and sophistication to pull it off." —Times (UK)
"Gramazio’s often comedic fantasy rom-com proceeds from an unlikely premise, but the plot allows the author to explore current attitudes and approaches to dating, and mating from a fresh perspective: given the infinite variety of people in the world, how can you know “the one” when there may be a better one just around the corner (or descending the attic staircase)? . . . the makings of a comic miniseries are all here. A fun take on a big question." —Kirkus Reviews
"Hilarious. . . . This delightful fantasy is both funny and philosophical as it asks readers to consider if a person can ever be sure if they have taken the right path or found the right spouse." —Booklist
"This book is a match made in heaven for readers in search of a zippy read." —Star Tribune
"There’s something delightfully addictive about Holly Gramazio’s fiction debut, The Husbands, a bottomless champagne flute of a novel (with no hangover)." —Washington Post
"The Husbands is WONDERFUL: fresh, original, hugely entertaining and oddly comforting. . . . I laughed out loud countless times. . . . [This] was the most fun I’ve had reading in the longest time. It is an utter delight." —Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups
"The Husbands is a wily and wonderful exploration of modern decision-making, kaleidoscopic and bright and very, very funny." —Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had
"Such a brilliant concept. It’s funny and emotional, but also gets to grip with the thorny issues of commitment and romance—and what love really means—in a totally innovative way. The most hilarious, fascinating and revealing novel you will read this year. It’s going to be the bookclub hit of 2024." —Keith Stuart, author of The Boy Made of Blocks and The Frequency of Us
"One of the funniest debuts published in years. In a publishing landscape awash with clever concepts, the video game designer Holly Gramazio has not only come up with the most ingenious conceit, she has summoned the humour and sophistication to pull it off." —Times (UK)
"Gramazio’s often comedic fantasy rom-com proceeds from an unlikely premise, but the plot allows the author to explore current attitudes and approaches to dating, and mating from a fresh perspective: given the infinite variety of people in the world, how can you know “the one” when there may be a better one just around the corner (or descending the attic staircase)? . . . the makings of a comic miniseries are all here. A fun take on a big question." —Kirkus Reviews
"Hilarious. . . . This delightful fantasy is both funny and philosophical as it asks readers to consider if a person can ever be sure if they have taken the right path or found the right spouse." —Booklist
"This book is a match made in heaven for readers in search of a zippy read." —Star Tribune
"There’s something delightfully addictive about Holly Gramazio’s fiction debut, The Husbands, a bottomless champagne flute of a novel (with no hangover)." —Washington Post