Book: “The Husbands”
– C1 (advanced) –
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The Husbands book cover photo courtesy of goodreads.
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Holly Gramazio’s debut novel, “The Husbands,” is a thrilling work of literary fiction twisted with absurdist magical realism. It is an exploratory look at the mechanics and importance of modern-day relationships, both platonic and romantic. I suspect it will be nominated for best book of its genre this year (2024).
STORY
This novel centres around a single woman who suddenly finds herself married when a man claiming to be her husband climbs down the ladder to her attic. Soon, however, she discovers that when the man returns to her attic, he disappears and is replaced by a new one. A new husband. Such sends the protagonist on an outlandish journey of self-discovery as she cycles through a myriad of husbands and potential lives. Think time travel to the hypothetical, with a similar spirit as Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library.”
WHAT TO LEARN
When reading this book, there are a variety of linguistic elements that can aid in enhancing one’s English language skills:
British English
the present tense
the past tense
the conditional
adjectives
inner monologue vs. dialogue
vocabulary related to:
personality
interests
quirks
furniture
décor
the home
change
time
memories
relationships (friendship, neighbours, acquaintances, strangers, marriage, the self)
and much more…!
How does this book sound to you? Do you like to read literary fiction and magical realism? What are your favourite book genres? Let me know in the comments below.