A lot of people will call this “timeless”, and in some ways that’s true - Joanna’s

betrayal by her supposedly “feminist” husband

still hits just as hard now as it did 50 years ago. On the other hand, it feels distractingly 70s, and knowing the big twist beforehand undercuts a lot of the suspense. Neither of those is Levin’s fault, obviously, but it means the book ultimately feels a bit lacking.

Palahniuk’s introduction is… more complicated. He’s a lot more coherent than in his recent works (looking at you, Adjustment Day), and he does cite My Personal Queen Susan Faludi, but for the intro to a feminist masterpiece (TM) it would have been more interesting to hear from a woman.