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Wellness
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 18 hrs and 56 mins
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Wellness
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Summary
An Oprah's Book Club Pick. The New York Times Bestseller.
A powerfully affecting novel about how we change, grow and age, Wellness is a story of marriage, middle age, our tech-obsessed health culture, and the bonds that keep people together.
When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the 90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other.
Moving from the gritty 90s Chicago art scene to a suburbia of detox diets and home renovation hysteria, Wellness mines the absurdities of modern technology and modern love to reveal profound, startling truths about intimacy and connection. In this follow-up to Nathan Hill’s electric debut, Wellness reimagines the love story with healthy doses of insight, irony and heart.
Critic reviews
'This brilliant novel will leave you thinking about the truth of your own life and the stories we tell ourselves and each other.' – Oprah Winfrey
'A hilarious and moving exploration of a modern marriage that astounds in its breadth and intimacy.' – Brit Bennett, author of The Mothers and The Vanishing Half
'Nathan Hill is a maestro . . . the best new writer of fiction in America – the best' – John Irving
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What listeners say about Wellness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- 6TIMESDD
- 04-11-23
An enjoyable book to listen too
What poignant story about relationships and love. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it for a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 15-02-24
Relatable
I loved how flawed the characters were. The element of choice to heal and to love is fascinating. The placebo pills made it easier for people to choose to get better. The unfiltered and unaided choice of seeing flaws and actively choosing to love is harder and beautiful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- English Teacher Mum
- 24-03-24
Observant. Thought-provoking. Original.
An absolutely brilliant piece of fiction that is the closest I have read to a depiction of a contemporary relationship.
The research is impeccable. I feel like I have learnt so much but also that I have been reminded to think more critically.
A terribly original piece of fiction I won't be surprised to see win the Pulitzer or be at least shortlisted for the Booker. It is a novel that on multiple readings will yield more and more to its reader.
This is definitely not an 'easy read'. It asks you to pause and think and have an opinion.
Elizabeth and Jack's story will stay with me for a long time.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Will J Bailey
- 09-10-23
Excellent follow up to The Nix
I enjoyed The Nix, but Wellness is definitely a step up for Hill from his debut novel. Strong unshowy prose, well-plotted, excellent characterisation, thought-provoking, funny, moving, beautifully read by Ari Fliakos. Recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Luke
- 03-04-24
Half novel half inspired rant
A very enjoyable book, well narrated and well written. I liked the way it dodged from scene to scene and the observations on life, placebos, families and modern day living were excellent. There were a couple of times that I slightly drifted but overall very good.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jebbabeano
- 05-10-23
Towering brilliance
After listening to “the Nix” a few years ago, I went looking for more work by Nathan Hill but found nothing so I assumed he was something of a “one hit wonder” and he’d decided after that to do nothing.
It turns out though, the thing that he was doing…. Was this!! Which is more than an adequate explanation for me as it is absolutely beyond brilliant in every sense.
The subject intelligence and depth of back story for every character he writes is completely mind blowing.
Wellness delivers on every front and even at 18+ hours leaves you wanting more plus the re-appointment of the brilliant Ari Fliakos as narrator completes a fantastic package.
Superb.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jennifer Joyce
- 16-02-24
Loved every minute of this
The writing is so rich, plot amazing. The narrator really makes this come alive. He was brilliant!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- boo65
- 22-10-23
Wonderful
Nathan hill is such a great writer and narration (same as used for the nix) was outstanding!! Highly recommend I hope he writes about her book soon.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- tules
- 09-02-24
Absolutely brilliant
Wow! This got me on so many levels. Fantastic narration in a story that dissects, love, relationships, modern life and yes, the wellness industry.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Victoria
- 25-01-24
Absolutely wonderful
I found this book after searching for “novels with science themes”, hoping to find a satirical wonder, and this is exactly that. I adored this book. The character development was perfect, no detail too much or too little. The story was great and I loved the ‘wellness’ theme. The research and fact-checking that must have gone in to the book is astonishing and I hope the author has been rewarded handsomely for this novel. Just brilliant fun with spot-on social observation and satire, and relatable characters with back stories that are at once heartbreaking and seemingly perfectly developed into their present-day selves. I laughed out loud a good few times with this book, which is very rare for me, and I don’t just mean a sharp exhale through the nose. Oh, and the performance of audiobook was stunning. I will now pick up anything Nathan Hill writes next and I’m off to find more books read by Ari Fliakos.
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