I first came across New Zealand author Emily Perkins when I read her 2012 novel, The Forrests. I adored it, and on the strength of that I raced out and bought one of her earlier books, Novel About My Wife. It has languished on my shelf until now (and during that time I read her most recent book, Lioness, which I also enjoyed).

Novel About My Wife is narrated by struggling screenwriter, Tom Stone, as he combs back over the events that led to the death of his beloved wife, Ann. There are various elements in their story that initially seem important – Ann’s pregnancy; a train derailment; a new friend, Kate; a mugging; ongoing money issues; a road rage incident that results in a fist fight; a local homeless man whose constant presence looms; and their home beset with vermin, smells and strange noises. There are also flashbacks to the week the couple spent in Fiji, where Tom was working on a script about the Fijian coup, with a vampire/ zombie twist… I think that kind of says it all. This story was a hot mess. Continue reading →