Let me begin my saying how much I love Shannon Hale‘s work. I’ve read all of her books except the graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge. I’ve recommended The Goose Girl countless times to many of the pickiest readers of my acquaintance, and almost each person has been converted to Shannon Hale fandom. While there were some who thought her first book for adults, Austenland, was missing that special something which makes her young adult books shine, I wasn’t one of them. So it will come as no surprise that I’d been excitedly awaiting the release of her second book for adults, The Actor and the Housewife, since I first heard of it. Excited to the point that I made sure all of the above-mentioned Shannon Hale fans (my friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family) had been alerted to its June release months in advance. Before I’d had a chance to read it myself, I was telling said fans looking for a good summer book to go out and get it. Sure, the premise may not be for everyone, but I wasn’t worried. Ms. Hale had never done me wrong, and if anyone could deal with a controversial subject in such a way that was both enjoyable and appropriate to her fan base, it was she. I knew it wouldn’t have the traditional happy ending, but I didn’t mind. I trusted her.
When the mixed reviews from above persons started to come in, admittedly my expectations dropped somewhat, but I was left mostly unfazed. When a copy finally reached me I was still very happy to open it up. I went along pretty happily until I was about 50 pages in, when I disregarded what I now see as a warning-to-self to stop reading. My determination to finish and like this book was really tested when the second questioning thought came – “Am I really going to finish this book?” – as the figure of speech slogging through mud came to mind. I also firmly believed it could get better, so I kept going, and it did in some respects. Unfortunately finishing this book became more about my history as someone who’s not a book-quitter and someone who does not earnestly review books of which they haven’t read every page rather than to experience a lot of enjoyment on my part.
The story begins with Mormon housewife Becky Jack, seven months pregnant with her fourth child, trying to sell her first screenplay in Los Angeles. Just as she’s beginning to negotiate her contract, in walks Felix Callahan, the sexy British actor/heartthrob of her dreams. Strangely, she is confidently loose-lipped, and they immediately start what will be only one of many witty exchanges. Before she knows it, they’re sharing a cab back to the hotel they both happen to be staying in, and Felix is offering to negotiate her contract. After another chance encounter in Salt Lake City, an unlikely friendship is born. But amidst family and neighborhood gossip, her husband Mike’s doubts, and Becky’s own anxieties, can it be sustained?
That summary doesn’t do the story justice: the premise is so fun and interesting, I expected to like it whether it was written by Shannon Hale or not. And there were parts that I couldn’t not like. My favorite scenes were at the beginning, when the coincidences were unlikely but believable. It seemed totally natural for Becky to meet someone like Felix and have that kind of happenstance and repartee. More than half-way through I almost cried because I could understand what Becky was going through. Some of the cheesy but true Mormon stereotypes were funny enough to laugh out loud. The story even picked up for the wish-fulfillment part of me with the crazy turn-of-events midway through which bring Becky back to L.A. Some aspects of Becky and Felix’s relationship rang true. I very much believe that married men and women can be good friends with the opposite sex and have seen it work in reality. But what didn’t sit well with me from the beginning remained the same, and this is where my likes for this book end. In everything I read I felt the author’s intentions, from the overdone witty banter to the telling and not showing – everything was overwrought. The dialogue was trying too hard to be hilarious it became ridiculous. Becky and Felix were trying so hard not to cross any lines they were inconsistent. Since most page-time was spent on Becky and Felix’s interactions, there was no room for Becky to show us how much she loved her other life. Instead, Becky was ubiquitously telling us how much she loved her husband, how he was her best half, how their marriage and kids meant the world to her, and how Felix wasn’t in love with her. But her actions spoke differently. As much as we’re supposed to believe otherwise, Becky and Felix are much more than just friends. They are soulmates. Whereas the necessity of Felix to Becky and vice versa is clear, the strength of Becky and Mike’s marriage is not, and there’s so little about Mike he’s almost a stranger. It didn’t matter how many times Becky was physically and verbally affectionate with Mike directly after a particularly intimate Felix encounter. I didn’t buy it. There was always a chance for redemption, but when the contrived ending came, I was so done with this book, I almost couldn’t finish the last few pages. I really hope this was a one-miss wonder, because I will definitely be reading more by Shannon Hale.
