Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved the prose, but the story was just a bit too surreal for me to give this more than 3 stars. 3.5 would be more appropriate because it was consuming and beautifully written. I just had a hard time with the magical realism aspect, particularly because the ending felt very abrupt.

I was SO excited for this book, but unfortunately I was underwhelmed.

The story is told in dual perspectives: Miri, after her beloved wife has now resurfaced after being lost in a submarine for five months, and Leah, from the perspective of what went wrong to have their science expedition go so off-course. It is supposed to be a tragic romance with horror-like aspects.

Unfortunately this story just fell flat for me. I found myself bored, and though was so intrigued to see how it would end, I also was disappointed in the ending.

The writing was stunning so I would still read more by Julia Armfield, but this was definitely not for me.

Our Wives Under the Sea is a beautifully written (and creepy) story about Leah and Miri’s marriage. Leah is a marine biologist and her three-week mission goes awry, leaving her and her crew stranded on the sea floor for months. When she returns, she starts behaving in strange ways including drinking salt water. Her wife, Miri, struggles to understand this new version of Leah.

There are elements of horror to the story which made me feel anxious as a reader as it is not my preferred genre. I thought the ending was lovely, albeit vague. While this wasn’t the right book for me, I recommend it to readers who enjoy tense storylines, sci-fi, and light horror.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC via NetGalley.

Our Wives Under the Sea
by Julia Armfield
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
Picador
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
* Horror *Fiction
Not the book for me. THE WRITING of this book kept me going even when I felt the storyline was kind of slacking. The prose is so beautiful and captivating. The story itself was good as well, just a bit slow at times. However, I can still see this being a great book club book selection. Trigger warning for those who don't like claustrophobia, because she writes it so well.
3 stars

The language in Julia Armfield's OUR WIVES UNDER THE SEA is exquisite. It's a book to read more for the beauty of literature than a page=turning plot. Leah's physical presence after her return feels more haunting than when she was under the sea for six months, which is so perfectly captured when Miri claims she feels like she's living alone even with Leah in the same room. It's an intense and original exploration of loss on multiple levels as well as how the change (or transformation) of loved ones can affect those around them.

THE WRITING of this book kept me going even when i felt the storyline was kind of slacking. The prose is so beautiful and captivating. The story itself was good as well, just a bit slow at times. However, I can still see this being a great book club book selection. Trigger warning for those who don't like claustrophobia, because she writes it so well.

Leah returns from a deep-sea mission months later than expected and not acting herself. Her wife, Miri, tries desperately to hold onto the life they once had.
Strangely beautiful gothic fiction with prose that kept me turning the page. This has a sci-fi edge to it, but not too outlandish. I haven’t read anything like it!

Haunting, imaginative, and an absolute whirlwind. Can’t wait for the world to have this book! So much to discuss.

While I enjoyed the (sometimes) meandering, prose-heavy passages in 'Our Wives Under the Sea', they softened the tension, when, in fact, that tension should have been what propelled the book. In missing this mark, OWUTS will be hit-and-miss for readers. Those who can accept the book on its own terms for what it is will put it down satisfied. Those expecting more based on the summary, may leave disappointed. As other reviewers have pointed out, this book may leaves even those satisfied with it wanting more from it.

This was a case in which the back of the book summary described the book I wanted to read, and not the book I got. Yes, "Our Wives Under the Sea" describes what happens after Leah returns from a submarine voyage that carried on over four months too long, and yes, there is an element of claustrophobic body horror to this tale. But that's about it - this book is about Feelings. Characters. Entropy. Mulling. While Leah lives in the shower and drinks salted tap water, her wife Miri worries very much about her. Nothing happens. Everyone is quite passive as they describe the strange situation taking place. Nothing is really resolved, save maybe a small story of grief and acceptance.

This reminded me very much of "Leave the World Behind" by Rumaan Alam - similar distant, thoughtful tone, gorgeous writing, and ultimately very little plot. This is exactly what I think of when I think of lit fic getting in the way of a story. Someone else on here described this whole affair as very "MFA" and yes, that about covers it. I enjoyed it while I read it, but I wanted more - a lot more - than what I actually got.

Our Wives Under the Sea took a little while for me to get into but once I did I was hooked! This story truly captured how the ocean is both fascinating and terrifying.

“At night, I dream I grit my teeth so hard they break off like book matches.” -From Our Wives Under the Sea

2.5 stars

How do you make a botched submarine expedition boring? Read this book to find out. Long run on paragraphs with needlessly complicated prose and watery imagery make up the bulk of this book. If that’s your thing, you should read this. Almost no plot happens until the 75%-ish mark other than a tv being on upstairs all the time (seriously, what’s going on with this? Why is that the only thing we are told for the longest time). At that point, things get WEIRD. It’s all the same to Mimi I guess, who I have to assume is some kind of robot, because girl did not BLINK at what was happening to her wife. Odd ocean facts fill up other portions of the book. All in all, although the writing was good in a superfluous way I suppose, the characters and the book fell flat for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up last night and finished it this morning - that speaks to how compulsively readable this one is, and yet to describe it that way feels like it's cheapening things a bit. It's left me with this weird feeling I can't quite put my finger on and don't know if I'll ever be able to. I wouldn't go so far as to call this book profound or haunting, but it did have elements that made an impact.

There were things I didn't love as much, such as the lack of detail about Leah's trip and only the bare bones of her relationship wih Miri prior to The Trip, but I realize this was a stylistic choice and I do get why it was made - any more detail may have weighed the narrative down unnecessarily.

This is a tough one to talk about, partly because I'm trying to avoid spoilers and partly because this was more of an allegorical story than I really expected it to be and I still need time to think on it. That's likely a sign it was a pretty good read.

Hard to finish. The more interesting/mysterious aspects of the story were too sparse; the boring storyline too detailed.

4.5. This book was so beautifully written it would just stop me in my tracks multiple times. I highlighted sooo much during my entire reading experience. The story itself was fairly ambiguous, in terms of what is actually happening or what happens moving forward. While I am a reader that can be totally fine with ambiguity or open endings, I did find myself unsatisfied with the ending. I did not/need some clarity. That aside, the two timelines were done so effectively and had me engaged the whole time. The discussion of water, ocean, and just life and love itself was so subtle but profound. I will be thinking about this book and this story for a long time.

This book is a fever dream. It’s unnerving, unsettling, uncomfortable, pretty much all the un-s. A book with a tense atmosphere created by so many thoughtfully crafted moments, big and small. I had a creepy crawly feeling the entire time I was reading. Almost like I was being held underwater…

And I fully enjoyed the experience! The story goes through life’s hardships and triumphs, love and loss, with a haunted-underwater sci-fi element. It’s exactly the type of book I like to read, something with real human experiences set in an unworldly backdrop. I would definitely recommend!

I'm puzzled by this book. I think those who love it are able to leap over the structural haziness of the novel, and appreciate it for the lushness of the prose and also for the startling originality of some of the scenes. It's not just that it's good writing--there are some really amazing scenes, too. That's why I'm puzzled about why there are an equal or greater number of boring unnecessary scenes, of people meeting over coffee, and having conversations that go nowhere.

This novel is like a handful of unset gemstones in a black velvet bag.

What a strange and mesmerizing book. I didn't know this was everything I want in a book but indeed it is. I'll be thinking about this water-logged wife for many moons to come.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. Wow. This book was taut, creepy, propulsive, and literary. I loved it.

Leah goes down in a submarine for a research mission but something goes wrong. When she comes back we hear about what happened and at the same time we hear from her wife Miri. Miri talks about their life before the mission as well as what is happening now. Talk about building tension. I thought it was beautifully written, so strange, captivating, and chilling. Definitely one of my top reads this year.

Posted Goodreads and instagram @carolinehoppereads

Leah and Miri were married when Leah went on a deep sea expedition that went missing. The novel starts with her back at home but definitely not the same. In some ways the change could symbolize any partner becoming somewhat of a stranger over time, but in other ways it's a literary horror novel watching her wife's body become unfamiliar. The chapters alternate between points of view which always works for me, and I couldn't put it down.