Fay Weldon Books

I picked this book up on a whim while browsing and was so delighted with it that I shared it immediately with friends and family. I felt that many of the stories rang true with a realistic modernism, and the couple of ventures into futuristic sci-fi were interesting and satisfying. I recommend this book to all readers and expect that most women will recognize bits of themselves in the pages! A very enjoyable read. I am anxious to read more of Weldon's work.

Great storyteller. Full of delightful insights. Will find yourself saying "So true, so true." Could not put it down.

I enjoyed this book greatly. Fay Weldon's writing can be as unattractive as Goya's art. This short story collection is very gripping but not hideous at all . Typically, of this author, there are some wicked characters portrayed. And there are some deadly accurate vignettes focused on New Zealanders and the English: somewhat brutal, but nothing unfair. There are some optimistic stories included which might be inspirational, particularly with parent / child themes. I couldn't put it down.

Auto Da Fay is about as good as autobiography gets. Fay Weldon has a wonderful zest for life and a larger than life-size personality that comes through on every page. It's the sort of book that cheers you up and restores your faith in human nature.

A Good Boy Tomorrow: Memoirs of A Fundamentalist Upbringing
Basic Flying Instruction: A Comprehensive Introduction to Western Philosophy

Fay Weldon is the author of twenty-four novels, five short story collections, two children's books, four works of nonfiction, several plays, and now AUTO DA FAY, a memoir. This delightful autobiography is imbued with the same audaciousness and perspicacity as is her other works. As a woman of deep insights she highlights the key, transcendent events of her life. On page one, titled "Pre-name", she writes, "I long for a day of judgment when the plot lines of our lives will be neatly tied, and all puzzles explained, and the meaning of events made clear. We take to fiction ... because no such thing is going to happen, and at least on the printed page we can observe beginnings, middles and ends, and can find out where morality resides." She declares that, while life moves into entropy, each individual does the best with the hand s/he is dealt.

Weldon was born in 1931 and raised in a rural New Zealand town called Napier. She was the daughter of a troubled but creative mother who, along with Fay and her sister Jane, was abandoned by Fay's father, a selfish, philandering doctor named Frank Birkinshaw. The girls attended a private parochial school and, early on, Fay displayed her dislike for authority and disdain for pomposity. "Mother Teresa was nice and motherly, and would hug you and give you sticky treats: all the others ... ruled by sarcasm and violence. I liked their names, but that was about all."

When the sisters wanted to baptize the girls, Fay's mother wouldn't allow it. She describes her parents as "... freethinkers, rationalists - humanists" and, while Jane had been christened as a Protestant, Fay had not even had that benediction to her name. This state of her soul meant that Fay was excluded from much at school and learned to enjoy her own company. She also had to learn to take care of herself and approach life's challenges with a sense of humor. She says she was the 'good' girl, always wanting to please.

Affable or not, Fay grew up in a strange milieu that was often as perplexing as it was pleasing. She attended school, made friends, and her relationship with her troubled mother was as exasperating as any normal girl finds her mother to be, even under the best of circumstances --- and these women certainly didn't have it easy. In 1946, at the end of World War II, upon the death of a relative, Fay's mother received an inheritance of ... "nine hundred pounds." This gift changed all of their lives because it allowed them to go to England. There, the schools Fay attended and the people she met offered the opportunity for her to nurture her genius for writing.

Weldon's life, at times, unfolds like the lives her heroines lead: she became pregnant and gave birth to a son; she married a man whom she thought would take care of her, but didn't want to have sex with her and insisted he be her pimp; she went to work for an ad agency and did so well that she wrote herself out of a job; and twists of fate kept her on a journey into an interesting life that keeps going on and on. Her words are but amulets of power, both here and in her other writing. She uses well her flawless sense of timing to limn her own story effectively and inspirationally. Weldon's fans will delight in visiting the places, sharing the experiences, and looking within themselves, as she does, and asking some of the same questions about life, love, work, parenting, survival and family. But Fay Weldon will deny this. She says of herself that she does not enjoy the journey inward. She does not enjoy examining 'who she is'.

But fortunately for us, she does raise 'those' deep questions; the ones we all struggle with and, fundamentally, Fay Weldon is as unconventional in her writing as she is in her life. Her honest approach to her writing reflects her observations as they regard the 'war between the sexes' and the roles people play in their relationships. This memoir ends when she is getting on with her first novel, THE FAT WOMAN'S JOKE, and the rest is, as they say, history. Enjoy!

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

Famous 60's photographer (beau of Jean Shrimpton, Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Bailey) performs here an experiment that few are in a position to try and succeeds brilliantly. His current (and long term) wife, Catherine Bailey, was a sixties supermodel - before the term was invented - and is still a ravishing woman and she here reveals through her husband's eyes some aspects of being female. From stunning fashion shots, to shots with her children, to shots of her *having* children. This is a frank look at a beautiful woman and a touching tribute to someone who comes across as a fine partner and mother. Mystifyingly, the title implies to me something that I couldn't see in the book. No problem, just a puzzle. And you can ignore the text by Fay Weldon. Why did they put that in? I'm very lucky. I've got a copy signed by both Baileys. Christopher Stephens

I have not had the chance to explore the book itself, but I saw an excerpt in an issue of Penthouse Magizine. I have been unable to locate the book itself in stores. If you have any suggestions, let me know at emc@epm-inc.com

If you have any interest in Wewldon, then Ms Faulks' book is a must for your collection. This is a stirring, delightful review of Weldon. Faulks clearly loves her subject matter and her writing shows a real sensitivity to the nuances--and pleasures--of Weldon's prose. I personally have little time for literary criticism and was surprised at how much I enjoyed this when it was given to me for my birthday.

In present day London a middle aged woman looks back at the time when she, and a group of her female friends, were all unfaithful to their husbands, and all with the same man. The story which she tells is a master piece of black humour, and reveals much about friendship, infidelity, and how the past will always catch up with you. The language is dazzling - sharp, inventive, concise and witty. The humour is black and the cast of characters bizarre, fascinating and entirely convincing. The way that different voices and different timescales are used is original and works brilliantly. Very few books manage to be both frivilous and profound - but this one does. Women will find this book talks honestly about why women are unfaithful. Men may find it a worrying read!

This is perhaps ms. Weldon's most straightforward novel. The thrilling - and chilling - plot will have you on the edge of the seat as you feverihsly turn the pages to get to the end of the story. Do try to get a copy of this book. The plot? Well its about a woman who has an out-of-wedlock child with an american politician. All is well until he suddenly is in a position to become the next president of The United States. From then on the woman and her child is in deep trouble.

I don't understand why nobody has written a review for this one yet. I read it years ago and still feel it's one of Weldon's best novels. It's a must for every pregnant women - as the hilarious story centers around a pregnancy. And it's certainly equally important for every woman considering this step! Containing about as many chapters as a pregnancy has weeks, the novel is simultaneously funny, fast-paced, quirky and oh so true. Weldon's prose was never more hard-hitting, albeit the fairy-tale-like setting.
Give it a try, you'll like it.

. . .novels where it's a good premise, but I actually liked the movie adaptation better.

I can believe that Ruth would indeed turn as dark and cynical and manipulative as she does in the novel.

What I have a hard time swallowing is that

1) She manages to cast aside enough of her personal inhibitions to use the means that she uses to wreak general havoc--shades of _Naked Came the Stranger_, for those of you who have read that. The movie is superior here not only because one would like to think that revenge on that scale _is_ possible without resorting to those means, but a woman who grew up thinking herself plain and not having had much luck in love is rather unlikely to hit on that as a method in any case.

2) That after all Bobbo has done to her, that she'd even _think_ of wanting him back afterward, let alone going through what she does in order to achieve that goal.

Sure, read the book, but take it with a grain of salt.

Many people will have seen the movie based on this book, starring Roseanne Barr and Meryl Streep. I found the film reasonably entertaining, but ultimately forgettable.

So, reading this book was a pleasant surprise. It's infinitely funnier than the film and Weldon constructs her tale of revenge and retribution with a savage, hilarious wit. Be warned, however, that the story is considerably darker than the movie.

I've read several of Weldon's works, always aware that her work is dark. When I heard that a U.S. version was being made (back in the day), I completely dreaded it. And I was RIGHT to dread it. It was the merest OUTLINE of the plot. All the dark, long-term conniving towards revenge and transformation was gone.

This book is a bit more like watching "First Wives Club." It's about a woman taking back her life and punishing those who drove her into that corner in the first place. I personally loved this book, and any woman whose been in a similar situation with a man would enjoy it too. It's dark, it's evil, it's not for everyone.

If you want to WATCH a version, get the British mini-series. It was a spectacular, no-holds barred version. Skip Rosanne unless you want Weldon-lite.

The only problem I have with this book is either that Fay Weldon made a lot of mistakes in the American setting (judge in a wig, the California coast and Park Avenue seemingly within driving distance) or else the book that I have is an Americanized version of the original Brit. novel, and did not have a particularly careful American editor.
Fay Weldon deals vey well with modern-day divorce, in which anyone who wants out can leave with few consequences, and never mind the family unit.

"The Life and Loves of a She-Devil" is the second book by Fay Weldon I have read , after "Remember me", which I had reviewed - rather unfavorably. I liked it much more than "Remember me".

The novel is about Ruth, an ugly, big woman, a housewife with two children, who is left by her husband Bobbo for a tiny, pretty Mary Fisher, a successful writer of trashy novels.
Ruth is devastated, but undergoes a mental transformation and sets off for revenge... All her actions are concentrated on destroying Bobbo's new life (and Mary's, too) and getting him back. The plan requires a lot of effort and suffering, and using other people. Because of all the people involved, almost each social group is depicted and criticized with precision.

The whole story is presented in a convention of a fairy tale (an adult fairy tale!), and thanks to this trick the most absurd actions sound almost plausible.

The novel is funny, easy to read, but at the same time tackles serious matters and makes the reader think, sometimes being scary in its frankness (after all, Ruth's plan is not what all the betrayed women do, but it certainly is what many of them want to do). And what more can the reader want?

First, Alexandra takes absolutely forever to get out of denial about the character of her husband--not credible at all. I don't believe anyone is that stupid. The reader is shouting, "You moron!" The lead character and story start out bad (Alex is even mean to the dog) and then all the characters and the story go downhill from there. Her late husband, her friends, and even her mother become more abominable. Injustice piles upon injustice. A. doesn't do any of the things we are rooting for her to do to make things right. She's appalling, utterly shallow and inert, and the ending is a terrible waste. The only excuse I could think of for such an awful story is that Ms. Weldon had bad things done to her and this was her revenge. P.S. I didn't find any humor. There was irony, sarcasm, bitterness, but not humor.

The brilliant Fay Weldon skewers and punctures hypocrisy is this wonderfully sly first-person narrative. Protagonist Alexandra Ludd is the only real, genuine, honest human being in this disturbing but ultimately triumphant (in a way!) tale of adultery/infidelity, backbiting, lies, and false friendship. Alexandra, a beauty and successful actress, is in a sham of a marriage, but she's the only one who doesn't seem to know it. Her late husband Ned, a failed theater critic consumed by jealousy of her success -- she makes the money, he spends it -- porked all available females in the environs of their country cottage to get even with her for the failures of his professional career. He lived a devious double life and was unfaithful to her in nasty and sundry ways much worse than mere physical infidelity. Additionally, he maligned her character and twisted the reasons for her behavior. Alexandra is a great character, and I was rooting for her all the way, even when it seemed that all had fallen apart like Humpty Dumpty, never to be put together again. It's a terrible aspect of human nature, but success/beauty/talent are resented by those who lack any of these three attributes; Weldon exposes it for what it is, from the obsequious pseudo-friends to the horny brother-in-law Hamish, who, feigning assistance to the grieving widow, is just itching for the opportunity to get into her pants; to the country folks' envy -- there is a wonderful cameo of a resentful child-minder, the servant of everyone's nightmares -- of the city folks, who seem to have too much and they too little. It's a witty page turner typical of Weldon's best work. Am already casting the film with Angelina Jolie as Alexandra, Brad Pitt as Ned, Heath Ledger as his brother Hamish, Helen Mirren as the older, Slavic femme-fatale Vilna, Julianne Moore as the duplicitous best friend and neighbor, Abbie (playing against character), et al. Am only stumped by the worst of the bunch, the dumpy lump/unfaithful wife Jenny Linden and the unethical therapist/counselor Leah. They are perhaps the most contemptible of the rich and subtle cast of characters. Weldon has the typical counselor's mealy-mouth platitudes down pat, but the manipulative Leah is evil to boot. A terrific read that would make a fabulous film.

I bought this at a book outlet, so it only cost 3 bucks, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten it. The back intrigued me, but I felt fairly let down after reading it.

I suppose as I'm not an adult or married, I wouldn't understand the fear of a spouse cheating on me. So maybe I just can't relate which took away from my experience reading this.

The main character just didn't intrigue me like I like in books. The way she dealt with her son seemed a little unbelievable but then, she does seem like she was pushed around a lot of the time.

I have to say, I was nearly believing she was insane, imagining that her husband was cheating on her at times. The writing was good, it just wasn't my speed.

The entire cast was mostly women. So it's not a very universal book, but maybe it wasn't supposed to be.

I wish that the characters had seemed a little more different from one another, but then, I'm not used to reading books mostly about women, so maybe they were just all blending together for me in this rural setting.

Overall, the writing was good, but I feel obliged to take off one star simply because I really didn't feel what the author was going through.

An actress, seemingly in a wonderful marriage, gradually learns the truth after her husband dies of a sudden heart attack. She emerges unbowed, if less innocent. The prose is Weldon at her best: simple, but sparkling with sharp edges. While the book reflects Weldon's sardonic view of human relationships, it is light, humorous, and even affirming at the same time. Worst Fears is the opposite of those books with unsatisfactory endings: not only does the plot eventually make sense, but the behavior of the characters, which at times seems contrived, also comes to make complete sense.

fay weldon is the most honest person alive when it comes to describing human nature and the funniest i've ever read. she is like a dose of cold water over the sappy tv sitcom type of books that make the best seller lists. her tart tongue can skewer even the most complacent hypocrite, and the most sanctimounius new-ager. she runs the gamit. she is very funny as she reveals peoples true natures and when the heroine begins to explode in bewliderment and rage, well, who can blame her for stealing her husbands mistress's phone diary and calling up a plumber and instructing her to go to the mistresses house at 600am. trust me a more sancitmounous other woman never existed, and the ending, i wont spoil it for you but it is a satisfying ending. fay weldon, thank you for telling the truth,and in such a funny way!

There's a national debate going on in my country concerning the value and relevance of literature in modern society. Students are liberally encouraged by their schools to drop literature from their curriculum in favour of more examination friendly subjects to increase their chances of achieving the maximum aggregate score for their "O" and "A" levels. So, it is not without some irony that I should be reading Fay Weldon's "Letters to Alice On First Reading Jane Austen" as my introduction to this author's works. Well, I was completely blown away by its first chapter/letter entitled "The City of Invention" which alone is worth the price of the book and....says it all. The imagery she uses in distinguishing the different genres in writing as well as the intrinsic or superficial merits of each form of writing is absolutely breathtaking. In it, she hints at why Shakespeare in the "city of invention" is that castle that marks the skyline and a compulsory stop for every tour group making the rounds of the "city". Weldon is eloquent, witty and wickedly funny with her pen. While she never quite hits the high of that first chapter again, she offers some rare and valuable insight into why Austen is read even today. Great literature has the power when read (whether quietly or aloud) to touch the masses by revealing the universality of some home truths or values they espouse. Although Austen fans will be delighted to see their favourite characters come to live in Weldon's world, you don't have to like Jane Austen to enjoy this book. To fellow Singaporeans sceptical about the value of literature in schools, my advice is "read this and you will see how absurd the question really is". No matter if you disagree after reading the book, b'cos you would have had a jolly good time. Great stuff. Truly.

I thought someone ought to give fair warning to diehard "Jane Fans" that this book is not so much about Jane Austen as it is about coming of age and the relationship between two different generations. Jane is not its main focus. Borrow it from your local library, if they have it, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

Borrowed from a friend during my Jane Austen period, this book so delighted and inspired that it is now a dog-eared resident of my nightstand. As a neophyte pro-writer, I often have people ask me how I made the transition from "wanna-be" to "real" writer. This book was an important part of that process.

I loved this book when it first came out years ago, and it still makes me laugh, as Jane Austin still makes me laugh. Fay Weldon is one of the few writers I know of who has the wit and the irony that we Austin-lovers look for. Letters to Alice is wise and insightful; read it!

Written in the form of witty letters to a niece taking an undergraduate English Lit course, this book attempts to bring insight to the work of Jane Austen in particular and to answer those who question the relevance of literature in general. First published in 1984, there is no mention of deconstruction's effect on academic departments, but otherwise the author seems to address most issues pertinent to the reading and writing of fiction, beginning with a wonderful chapter on the lovely metaphoric City of Invention. Elsewhere, Weldon discusses non-literature, Latin, a writer's relatives and friends, feminism, literary truth, critics and invention. Austen is here as well,and the author enlightens with her discussions of Austen's life, times, works, style and death. There are many wonderful passages, and I especially admired the analyses of Austen's work, but I would have liked more of this, and in more detail. At one point the author writes: "[Jane Austen] knows how to end a scene, an episode, a chapter, before beginning the next: when to allow the audience to rest, when to and how to underline a statement, when to mark time with idle paragraphs, allowing what went before to settle, before requiring it to inform what comes next. It is a very modern technique. It requires ... consciousness of audience, and audience reaction." It should be evident from that passage that Weldon is an elegant, insightful and articulate writer, and I would have *loved* to have seen extended examples and analysis of specific Austen passages to illustrate the points made in the preceding excerpt.

Ultimately, I didn't think the niece's subplot worked. Weldon first advises her not to attempt to write a novel, and then advises her to write it, and then advises her about dealing with the publisher when the novel is not only published but very successful. What's Weldon's greater meaning? Why would this undergrad's novel be published and who is reading it? Is it a condemnation or just a device to drive the conceit?

I learned a lot about Jane Austen and about writing, and got some help for the next time someone tells me it's a waste of time to read a novel. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.