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    Any suggestions for books about women (married or in LTRs) having affairs or cheating on their partner, realizing they’re unhappy in their marriage, etc? Not looking for smut or romance books, more along the line of litfic/fiction.

    by iwannabanana

    17 Comments

    1. Lumpy-Daikon-4584 on

      You have me curious. Looking for tips/strategy? Comparing notes from what you are seeing irl to catch your partner?

      Also interested in recs.

    2. MuggleoftheCoast on

      Kate Chopin’s *The Awakening*, fits the “realizing they’re unhappy” part, together with at least consideration of having an affair.

    3. Zestyclose_Sell_3031 on

      Madame Bovary! 

      Hang in for the first few chapters, which are focused on Charles Bovary. Once he marries Emma, she becomes the focal character for the remainder of the book. I really enjoyed it. 

      Here’s a very brief AI summary: 

      Madame Bovary follows Emma, a provincial doctor’s wife, who longs for passion and sophistication beyond her dull marriage. Dissatisfied, she plunges into affairs with [redacted names], chasing romance and escape. These illicit relationships, central to the novel, deepen her disillusionment, financial ruin, and [removed for spoilers]. 

    4. Lady Chatterly’s Lover. Banned in the US until around 1960. My favorite takeaway from the book is the use of the word “crisis” to mean “orgasm.” Now whenever I hear someone say they’re in crisis, I think of this book. A whole country in crisis, well, that’s just spectacular

    5. Trespasses by Louise Kennedy.
      It’s an extraordinary book in my view. I’ve read it three times. Literary fiction. Published maybe 4 years ago. Takes place outside Belfast in the early years of the Troubles. I cannot recommend it enough.

    6. All Fours by Miranda July is a great one! Possession by A S Byatt is a complicated and beautiful one with a lot of layers of betrayal and love. 

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