Playing House

AUTHOR: Fredrica Wagman
PAGES: 160
WEBSITE: http://www.fredricawagman.com/
TWITTER: @Fredrica_Wagman
ACQUIRED: FSB Associates (Free)

SUMMARY: When Playing House appeared in 1973, Publishers Weekly hailed it, “A probing descent into madness that will fascinate the same audience that appreciated I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.” This nationally bestselling story of one woman’s struggle with the lasting effects of a childhood sexual relationship with her brother shocked American readers; it remains a literary work of enduring quality and value. In his foreword Philip Roth writes, “The traumatized child; the institutionalized wife; the haunting desire; the ghastly business of getting through the day – what is striking about Wagman’s treatment of these contemporary motifs is the voice of longing in which the heroine shamelessly confesses to the incestuous need that is at once her undoing and her only hope.”

OPINION: Its a older book I have never heard of and is celebrating its 35th anniversary. I knew this book was going to be about incest, but boy I was not prepared for what I was about to read. The story is told in first person by the victim of incest by her brother. We never learn her name. The characters are not named, besides "turtle", the main characters husband. And I guess there is really no need for their names.
This sick, disgusting book is written almost lyrically. It is almost like reading a journal of a mad deranged woman. The book is full of long flowing sentences, that are beautiful, insane and funny at times.
I was expecting to feel sorry for this character, but I felt nothing for her. She was/is just a sick twisted individual. She enjoyed her sexual relationship with her brother, who is just a horrible individual. I think she was just born into an odd family to begin with. Her sisters suicide is something that haunts her her entire life making her ask constantly "Does it run in families?"
Although her relationship with her brother has ended years ago, she still longs for him, looks for him in every man she sees. The ultimate dream is to be with him.
It was like looking it to the mind of someone I would want nothing to do with. I found the book just so disturbing I can't even tell you. I stopped a few times and didn't think I would be able to finish it even though its not even 200 pages. When I read, like most of you probably, I see it like a movie in my mind. I see the action, the places, the characters, usually their faces are blurry, but I see them. Well now I'm stuck with some images I wish I could erase. Around page 70 or so with the whole dog. Yes I said dog. Lord some of it was just so sick. And this is where I stopped reading the second time. "Nope. I just can't do it," I said out loud. Took me three times of stopping to actually go back and finishing the book.
I was feeling bad about thinking of what I was going to say about this book. I don't like to be negative. But then I thought, well I'll just tell the truth and maybe someone will say "I wonder if I would find it as disturbing?" and read it. Be prepared to be left with some images you might not like to have stuck in your brain.