The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer

For a long time, before the spell came over her and changed her too, Leanne Bannerjee, Ph.D., the school psychologist, led a social life that rivaled that of her students. They would have been impressed, had they known its complexity. They would have been awed by the fact that young Dr. Bannerjee was not monogamous, and had no desire to be.

It's been a long time since I read this one. I should have reviewed it soon after, but I was so caught up with reading that it didn't happen. I did put down my notes somewhere, but I no longer have them. So this is going to be neither a long nor a deep insight into my thoughts about this book. I do have a good recollection of my response, thank goodness this is one of those books that leave you thinking about it for a while.

A few months after the start of the new school year at Stellar Plains High School, women are strangely feeling disconnected from sex. They no longer want to take part in the act nor are they able to explain why they feel that way. Their male companions are completely baffled. They initially write it off to some stress or the other, but when even after days, the women do not reciprocate, they all react differently to bring some semblance of normalcy back. At the start of the semester, the new drama teacher had chosen Lysistrata for the school play. Although initially ridiculed by the other teachers, Lysistrata soon seems to be transforming the women in the town.

I wasn't initially pumped about reading this. Sex seemed to be a main character of this book, and I was happy to pass it off. But some reviews got me rethinking my decision. So eventually, I got it from the library and sat down to read. I finished it pretty quickly. Meg Wolitzer's writing was very engaging. Her beautiful prose is the main reason I could get through the book so fast. The special focus she gives to each character, however minor or major, is commendable. It didn't matter that I barely knew some of them, but they were still able to stand on their two feet and deliver soundly.

I didn't have any favorite character. Since the subject of the book was sex, that was the preoccupation of most of the characters. I find that in books like these, even if I enjoyed the writing or the way the story is told, I don't like the characters much. Preoccupation with one subject makes them feel one-dimensional. Not that they only thought about sex - they do get on with their lives, but most of the time, it's all about sex. And yet, for a book about sex, The Uncoupling isn't graphic. There's only mention of the act and individual opinions about it, but nothing vivid otherwise.

There's been much talk about the ending, and I do agree with most of them that I thought it really lame. I guess after the mostly suspenseful and engrossing first three-fourths of the book, the author's attempt to tie up the story nicely at the end fell flat on me. Or maybe it's the magical realism element of the book that didn't win me over. Eventually, it was just an average read for me. Apart from the really wonderful writing, the other aspects of the book weren't very impressive.

I borrowed this book from my library.