Real Rating: 4.75* of five

The struggles that all who form, and sustain, the heavy bonds of matrimony are evergreen plots because most of us have some experience of them. It doesn't matter how much you love each other, it matters how committed you each are to the friendship you share with your chosen partner. Love ebbs and flows, common interests wax and wane, people grow and change, and what makes couple-stories so endlessly interesting is how they are shown managing...or not...these deeply familiar challenges.

It is absolutely clear to me that Author Hill, in his second novel after the startlingly assured The Nix, has honed his craft to a sharp edge. He doesn't shy away from the difficult or the painful parts of commitment. The hateful, hurtful things people say when they are in a deeply enmeshed relationship are both unique and common. There is a certain kind of dynamic in US couples of different socioeconomic backgrounds that's central to this book. We are taught that ours is a classless society, but it is not. The wealth of one family is always a weapon in the couplehood of one its members; a more effective one when the other partner is not from equal wealth.

That bludgeon goes both ways, of course. After a child is born, dynamics change, often for the worse, as incompatible parenting goals are a major cause of divorce. In this story, the couple...a daughter of wealth and privilege, a psychologist, and a deeply wounded soul who feels shackled and devalued by her working class artist husband...are twenty years into a commitment neither can remember why they made.

It absolutely does NOT help that they're living in a surveillance-capitalist society that valorizes getting and spending, when neither has a set of core values instilled from solid bases in love to resist these relentless pressures. It is obvious Author Hill has little use for facile patching-up life hacks or quick-fix lifestyle gurus. He dedicates a lot of space to social media's machiavellian algorithm driven effects. (Coulda been less for all of me, but hey...) The thesis is, however, what good is hacking or fixing stuff too fragile and hollow to last? Your old marriage is not delivering the same thrills...move on, get something new and better.

Right?

Not necessarily. Not even desirably. Open your mind to the possibility that just maybe your life doesn't need to be fixed. Maybe instead your relationship to your life needs to be recalibrated, reassessed, revalued. This being a message I resonate with, I found the read compelling and involving.

Does learning to make the best of it mean settling? Mean getting less out of life? Or is it instead the way to find deeper, more important ways of being who you are inside this long-term commitment to yourself, and your partner, to be well and truly together?

Wellness is that endlessly relatable journey, set in a time where even asking that kind of question isn't encouraged by anything around us. Anyone in a couple, past or presnt, ongoing or ending, will find a lot of deeply interesting details to muse over. A lot of richly textured background to admire, even envy. A lot of deep and scary emotions to batten on from the safe remove of fiction.

I'd rate this the full five of five were it not for what felt to me like the author's rather-too-evident need to overshare. A funny thing to say in a review of a novel about intimacy, I know, but I'm left a bit overfamiliar with his opinions of the self-help/new-age/quick-fixery. A couple times, okay; after a while, what is this really about, Author Hill?

I'm highly recommending this read for all partners in a long-term relationship to load onto the Kindle this #Booksgiving. It is manna from heaven to feel seen in stressful times; family "Togetherness" is rough any time, but now...? Bring some independent comfort with you this Yule.

Nathan Hill's Wellness is a poignant and humorous exploration of the complexities of marriage and the challenges of maintaining a long-term relationship. The masterful storytelling brings the characters to life, making them both relatable and endearing. The author's sharp wit and keen observations of human behavior add depth and complexity to the narrative. There's a reason why this book is one so many are talking about.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I absolutely loved this novel - Following the couple at different stages of their lives and parenthood was fascinating. There were also laugh out loud moments and the writing was overall very sharp and engaging. I loved Hill's previous novel (The Nix) and this held up to that high standard. I am looking forward to reading everything he publishes in the future.

This was a different book than I normally would read, I had a hard time getting into the book. I did finish and would recommend this book.

Slow progression, but manages to stay intriguing enough to keep going. Would recommend half-heartedly.

Another 5 star book by Nathan Hill. The 20+ year story of Jack and Elizabeth captivates you with the first few lines. The author's skill at storytelling this 20 year span is remarkable. I would read this again and again. This would make an excellent book club book.

Why did I wait so long to read this? It was the length (600+ pages) that was intimidating to me, and while I do still wish that it had been a little more concise in a few spots, I loved it. The writing was so smart, telling this masterful portrait of a marriage with these deep dives into various interesting subjects - psychology studies, the beginning of the internet, real estate, parenthood, relationships, art, Chicago, the plains of Kansas. Absolutely worth the read! Now I need to go back and check out the Nix!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. 4.5 ⭐️

Late in his bold, brilliant and bulky novel WELLNESS, author Nathan Hill (THE NIX, 2016) writes: “…[C]ertainty was just a story the mind created to defend itself against the pain of living. Which meant, almost by definition, that certainty was a way to avoid living. You could chose to be certain, or you could chose to be alive.” Despite the many subjects and concerns of the narrative, which include but are not limited to the wellness industry, art, conspiracy theories, polyamory, algorithms, re-gentrification and Kansas prairie fires, the book, which covers nearly three decades of the complicated marriage of Chicagoans Jack, an artist and professor, and health consultant Elizabeth always circles back to its powerful central idea: the impulse we all share to create stories — about ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us — that we often confuse with certainties, much to our detriment. This is a tricky, demanding read but Hill’s expert storytelling and sharp insights about contemporary American culture make this a masterful plea for critical thinking in a time in which so many of us are battling each other with concocted rather than authentic realities.

I loved this book, its in-depth look into the two main characters was so much fun and sometimes sad to read. There was love, hate, sorrow and everything in between, which is something I really appreciate. I did feel the book was too long, but still enjoyed it overall.

I don’t even know how to put this in to words, what this book has done. I found it so relatable. Cathartic almost, at times.

This is about two people, Jack and Elizabeth. And we dissect their lives and their histories and their traumas and their marriage and their relationships with their parents… I was just completely swept up in their lives for all 19 hours of this audiobook,

It’s about love and modern times and technology, and yes in some places about the wellness industry. (Though if that’s your thing you may not love what is has to say.)

It gives you things to think about but also is just enjoyable for the story and the characters.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author and check out his backlog.

The narrator did a great job and delivered the book perfectly. I highly recommend the audio.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

Wellness by Nathan Hill is a novel that’s as sprawling and complex as the relationships it explores. It took a while for the plot to find its footing, and I wasn’t sure what to make of the characters at first, but once the pieces began to fit together, Hill’s talent as a storyteller truly shone through. This book is filled with layers—of marriage, identity, and the absurdities of modern life—and it takes its time peeling them back.

It’s admittedly a long read, and there were moments when I wondered if it could have been trimmed down. Conversely, sometimes I felt like the journey down what seemed like a tangential path was not only a welcome reprieve from the main storyline (just as a buffer!), but I genuinely enjoyed learning the information. By the end, I realized that every detour and tangent had a purpose which made it all the sweeter. The depth of emotion and the beauty of Hill’s prose made it all worthwhile. I joked while reading that it was a "yapper" but upon reflection I'd be hard pressed to part with any part of the story because, in its entirety, it was stunning.

If you’re willing to let it unfold at its own pace, Wellness is a deeply rewarding read, and the popularity is so deserved. Hill’s exploration of love, time, and the messiness of human connection is poignant and powerful. I could recommend this to anyone, and I love that.

“Wellness” by Nathan Hill is a warmhearted satire that chronicles our “perfectly, stupidly, dreadfully elegant” accommodations to life. Spanning decades, the novel follows Jack Baker, a talented photographer, and Elizabeth Augustine, a quadruple major at DePaul. Hill skillfully weaves together academic satire, love gained and lost, and the complexities of relationships, making this a captivating read that leaves you wanting more.

This book was unfortunately not for me. It was taking too long to get into the meat of the story, and it could be about 200 pages shorter. Some editing could have made this one better. I did DNF around 30%.

This is an astounding work, hard to believe it’s the author’s second book, as they usually suffer the sophomore effect. I don’t read the author’s first book, but I definitely want to after this!

A boy meets girl, Gen X 90s marriage, building a forever home, parenting, and so much more, this is complex, well-developed, emotional, and kept me coming back for more. I’ll be thinking about this for a while.

I’m done… I feel like this book had a nice solid start. But at 57% in, I’m wondering where is this going? What is he talking about now? Why does it matter? Why is this story SOOOO wordy? All signs that the constant meandering has proven to be more distracting than engaging in my case.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. From start to finish I was absolutely mesmerized. This was such a emotional book that explores so many aspects of different relationships. Such a journey this book was.

"Between ourselves and the world are a million stories, and if we don't know which among them are true, we might as well try out those that are most humane, most generous, most beautiful, most loving."

I go into books blindly. And all I knew about Nathan Hill's tour de force "Wellness" was that it centered on a Gen-X couple living in Chicagoland in both the 1990s and present day.

And, while a simple premise, Hill's incisive, probing prose elevates a tale to the next level, and the majority of it really does work.

You could make an argument that Hill's sophomore magnum opus is a great American novel of the 2020s, and you would not be too far off. With tender characters and an acute narrative voice, Hill uses the marriage of Jack Baker and Elizabeth Augustine to explore a kaleidoscope of themes: mental health, truth in art, defense mechanisms, motherhood, the placebo effect, the definition of beauty, finding your purpose, self-fulfilling prophecy, social media - oh, the list goes on. Hill examines how we live, what we perceive wellness to be, and at least alludes to a more organic landscape.

Do all of these variegated topics come together to make a cohesive whole? Surprisingly, it's pretty close - and this is coming from me, a reader who has always struggled with longer tomes outstaying their welcome. This book is 600 pages, and I felt that all of the twists and turns really did matter. I would call them "relevant tangents," and by exploring the characters' background and motivations, we get a more complete tapestry of this world, a world that looks like just like yours and mine - because it is.

(Hill also provides perhaps the most searing indictment of social media algorithms I have ever read, claiming that "Information overload is the new hungry lion." Is it ever.)

By the end of it all, do we know exactly what wellness is? Perhaps, but it would be too pithy to encapsulate it in a single sentence. Yet one character comes close: "If you cling too hard to what you want to see, you miss what's really there."

May we all enjoy what is in front of us and savor every sunset. Perhaps that is the truest path to wellness after all.

In "Wellness," author Nathan Hill crafts a bittersweet love story spanning decades.

In the bustling streets of 1990s Chicago, Jack Baker, a visionary photographer hailing from Kansas, finds himself at odds with conventional expectations regarding his craft. Embracing Polaroids as his medium of choice, Jack's avant-garde spirit clashes with pragmatic inquiries about the purpose of his work. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Augustine, a multi-major student at DePaul University, captivates Jack's heart with her intellect and charm. Their journey unfolds against a backdrop of shifting fortunes and societal trends. From humble beginnings to the heights of success, the couple navigates the complexities of life's choices and compromises. As Elizabeth's career in psychological research blooms, Jack's struggles as an adjunct professor underscore the challenges of their mismatched financial circumstances.

The novel delves into themes of love, ambition, and the compromises we make along life's journey amidst the satire of contemporary culture. With sharp wit and keen observation, Hill skewers everything from academic pretensions to societal norms, offering a poignant reflection on the human condition.

Ultimately, "Wellness" serves as a warmhearted exploration of the compromises we make in pursuit of happiness and reminds us that while love may not conquer all, it certainly provides a solid foundation for navigating life's complexities.

Seems like WELLNESS is everywhere right now (thanks Oprah!), and for good reason — I loved it!

I was initially unsure how I would feel about this 600+ page tome. I read THE NIX, Hill’s debut novel a few months ago, and while I liked it, I didn’t love it as much as I was expecting to (although I do find myself thinking about it a lot, so maybe it’s growing on me?).

WELLNESS follows Jack and Elizabeth, a couple who meet in 1990s Chicago through the city’s grungy art scene. Fast forward twenty years later and the couple, who originally planned to take the world by storm, feel that their lives have gotten a bit stagnant. Elizabeth is struggling with raising their young son, while Jack flounders in his career as a professor who just can’t seem to get ahead. As the couple is confronted with wellness cults, bizarre detox diets, and strange social media occurrences, they realize that they’ve grown father apart than they ever thought possible, and must face their demons, from career woes to childhood trauma, to come back together.

If you decide to read this book, go in knowing this: it’s long and occasionally rambly, but it works SO well, with a payoff that’s beyond worth it. The level of research that went into this book is astounding. The writing is perfect for this type of storytelling. It’s smart yet easy to understand, and to be honest, the sheer amount of detail will make you feel smart, especially when you see the ways it all coalesces in the narrative. This book is very cynical, but I found it to be really funny and not at all heavy-handed. There’s a lot about art and psychology and technology in here, and I genuinely feel like I learned a lot from reading this.

Jack and Elizabeth are both incredibly nuanced characters. Hill creates characters who are compelling, frustrating, and wholly human, which I adore.

I really enjoyed this take on modern marriage and the emphasis of “wellness” in our culture and highly recommend. It would be a great book club pick (as long as you’re prepared for a 600-pager!) — obviously Oprah agrees.

This book just wasn’t for me it was way to cynical and to long but I can see why people enjoy it the writing was unique and entertaining and hop to read more from this author in the future. The characters in this book were to much for me I just really disliked them so made it hard to enjoy this book. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.