As if that is not enough, he attempts to normalize his affair and suggests a ménage à trois arrangement, in spite of the fact that Hadley is clearly uncomfortable with such a living situation. He also blatantly flirts with women in front of Hadley, as well as conspicuously carries on an affair with another woman. He then proceeds to cheat on her while on that assignment and chooses to conceal the infidelity from her upon his return. For instance, while working as a journalist, he accepts a long-term, international assignment without first consulting with her to make sure that she is comfortable being alone for such an extended period of time. While Hadley’s entire being revolves around Ernest, he often seems to pay her no mind.

He has a number of flaws, which are essentially the converse of hers. To be fair on Hadley though, Ernest is not much better. Perhaps it’s just the jaded urbanite in me, but I would never leave any of my belongings unattended - you’re just asking for someone to take them. Lo and behold, someone steals the suitcase, and she acts shocked when it happens. She then steps off the train to grab something to eat but decides to leave the suitcase on the train while she does so. A couple of times throughout the book, she also does things that make you want to yell out “Are you serious?!” For instance, at one point in the story, she gathers up all of Ernest’s manuscripts and packs them into a suitcase, which she then brings with her onto a train in Paris. She enters into the relationship knowing that Ernest prioritizes his writing over all else, yet she is surprised and even irritated when he spends hours each day working on his stories. From the moment that she meets Ernest, she becomes obsessed with him, and her happiness quickly becomes dependent upon him. Hadley is rather naive and far too clingy. The two protagonists, Hadley and Ernest, are both unlikeable.

One of the biggest issues that I have with the book is its characters.

Unfortunately, however, The Paris Wife lived up to neither my expectations nor the hype surrounding it. The book’s front flap is also filled with praise from several notable sources, including The Boston Globe. The story is set during one of my favorite decades, the 1920s, and its cast of characters includes such famous Jazz Age writers as F. I had fairly high hopes for The Paris Wife.

The paris wife by paula mclain