Mariner Books, 2008
The men in Wifeshopping have ideas about what they want in a soul mate, or what they think they should want. They may even have fiancées or girlfriends. But in Steven Wingate's thirteen short stories, the relationships - whether real or imagined - face what Amy Hempel describes in her foreword as "The Flaw, the excuse to back out, to tear down the picture of a life together."
So although some of the stories' outcomes are more hopeful than others, this collection is not focused on happily-ever-after relationships. The hope is that the couples, whether they stay together or split apart, will be better off for their decisions. The men, who frequently narrate their tales, are often at common points in their lives - perhaps in their thirties, well educated, employed but looking for something better. For all their searching for wives, partners, soul mates, they may not find them but often start to discover or admit their own feelings about marriage - for better or worse, as it were.
The young bartender in "The Balkan House" has such a moment: "I realized I could just keep saying 'Sure' to Maura and pretty soon I'd have a wife without having to bust my ass for one like most guys do." He also learns that, in Maura's case, it's not quite that simple.
The men in Wifeshopping have ideas about what they want in a soul mate, or what they think they should want. They may even have fiancées or girlfriends. But in Steven Wingate's thirteen short stories, the relationships - whether real or imagined - face what Amy Hempel describes in her foreword as "The Flaw, the excuse to back out, to tear down the picture of a life together."
So although some of the stories' outcomes are more hopeful than others, this collection is not focused on happily-ever-after relationships. The hope is that the couples, whether they stay together or split apart, will be better off for their decisions. The men, who frequently narrate their tales, are often at common points in their lives - perhaps in their thirties, well educated, employed but looking for something better. For all their searching for wives, partners, soul mates, they may not find them but often start to discover or admit their own feelings about marriage - for better or worse, as it were.
The young bartender in "The Balkan House" has such a moment: "I realized I could just keep saying 'Sure' to Maura and pretty soon I'd have a wife without having to bust my ass for one like most guys do." He also learns that, in Maura's case, it's not quite that simple.
Budding composer Clayton, in "Knuckles," struggles with a self-described "savior complex" about the young widow he is courting, a musician/artist with a buoyant golden retriever and lingering ghosts: "I wanted her to be an artist whose personal loss had dammed up the flow of her creativity, and I wanted to be the man who blew that dam apart for her."
In "Inside the Hole," Roger must calm his tenuously pregnant fiancée after they uncover mysterious items buried in their yard. "It was one of those moments as a couple when you grit your teeth and wordlessly tell each other, We're going to get through this, then go back to slogging across whatever river of shit you're stuck in." At the same time, the event increases his doubts about his ability to be the steady husband and father.
In "Inside the Hole," Roger must calm his tenuously pregnant fiancée after they uncover mysterious items buried in their yard. "It was one of those moments as a couple when you grit your teeth and wordlessly tell each other, We're going to get through this, then go back to slogging across whatever river of shit you're stuck in." At the same time, the event increases his doubts about his ability to be the steady husband and father.
Other men (and sometimes the women) in affianced couples either see the end coming or try to imagine what a breakup would be like. A flea-market aficionado wonders about his compatibility with a woman who prefers the new and trendy. An accomplished playwright and his fiancée/muse attend a family funeral and begin to see that their future happiness will not depend on each other. Another young couple is shaken by the breakup of their carpool acquaintances; as the man reflects on their own chances, he wonders "how we'd find out that our marriage was sick."
At least one piece breaks this mold: "A Story about Two Prisoners" shows the unusual but caring relationship between two neighboring apartment dwellers who've never met.
Wingate's language is carefully crafted yet doesn't call attention to itself, letting the stories take the forefront. Some are vignettes or character sketches; others have more distinct story arcs and a sense of closure. Characters are well drawn, sometimes dysfunctional, usually sympathetic, always interesting. Wifeshopping is the winner of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize, selected by Hempel. Of the eight previously published pieces, two have won other awards and one has been a finalist.
At least one piece breaks this mold: "A Story about Two Prisoners" shows the unusual but caring relationship between two neighboring apartment dwellers who've never met.
Wingate's language is carefully crafted yet doesn't call attention to itself, letting the stories take the forefront. Some are vignettes or character sketches; others have more distinct story arcs and a sense of closure. Characters are well drawn, sometimes dysfunctional, usually sympathetic, always interesting. Wifeshopping is the winner of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize, selected by Hempel. Of the eight previously published pieces, two have won other awards and one has been a finalist.
From a bookmaking standpoint, the relationship theme provides cohesiveness. From a reader's perspective, it can make the stories seem more similar than they are. The doom factor that hangs over many of the relationships may also make the happily married count their blessings and cause singles to wonder if these are really their options. Taking in one or two at a time, rather than reading the book straight through, may keep such impressions in check.
What comes out above all is that these are men confronting uncertainty about what constitutes marital bliss and how to achieve it, and they're every bit as conflicted as women about society's expectations versus their own.
What comes out above all is that these are men confronting uncertainty about what constitutes marital bliss and how to achieve it, and they're every bit as conflicted as women about society's expectations versus their own.
