Through the eyes of Jack and Elizabeth, we get a real good look at the idea of 'Wellness'. For Jack and Elizabeth, this term is defined differently through the stages of their life. Does that it mean being the aspiring artist/entrepreneur, the perfect mom/dad, the perfect husband/wife? With the added physical and emotional factors of life added into the mix, the term well-being becomes completely subjective.

Nathan Hill is an extremely talented writer but I don’t think his writing style fits with my reading style. Wellness seems to want to be a Great American Novel, and perhaps it is, but the long passages of exposition made the pace just too slow to keep my interest. I was enchanted at first by the love story of Jack and Elizabeth, and then I realized that this was going to be a novel where time jumps around, which is fine, but Hill’s ambition to address so many themes and situations makes the exposition necessary (otherwise the novel would be even longer), and that is the main problem for me.

I read Hill’s previous work-THE NIX-and thought it fabulous. He seemingly disappeared and then 7(?) years later-WELLNESS!!!!! I’m now convinced he spent a good portion of those years writing/ researching WELLNESS. On one level it is the relationship between the two main characters-Jack and Elizabeth. He a photographer, she multi-talented but settles on psychology and psychological testing. Both are “ damaged” as a result of terrible childhoods, and their absolutely terrible upbringing is explored in detail. BUT-it is so much more. Life in rural Kansas, the wellness industry and the effect of placebos, photography, the computer/ search firms-in this case FACEBOOK-and the algorithms they utilize to influence us, a look at polyamorous love relationships and what drives them, how major construction works are perilously funded, how “ cults” can so easily ostracize people and ruin lives-in short-well worth the 600 page tome it is!!! Beautifully written, captivating snd informing-a “ must read” of 2023!!!!!!!

“Wellness” will undoubtedly be deemed the next Great American Novel™ because of its length and exploration of timely topics through a Middle America lens, but whereas some might view that as a compliment, I think it pigeonholes the story – and possibly alienates potential readers.

Sure, Nathan Hill explores the intersection of technology, politics and money on the conscious and subconscious self, but he went for intimacy over scale, using those elements as a framework to dissect what is, in essence, a love story.

It starts in the early 1990s, when modern bohemians (think “Rent”) Jack and Elizabeth have fled to pre-gentrification Wicker Park, Chicago, to escape repressive childhoods. They quickly become each other’s entire world and vow to maintain their anti-establishment ideals.

Twenty years later they would be nearly unrecognizable to their younger selves, having embraced the trappings of capitalism and allowing a chasm to grow between them – the product of unresolved trauma that manifests as a desire to please others over self.

These are the broadest strokes of the story, and the homebase that Hill frequently revisits. Yet between the 600+-pages is a cornucopia of interesting anecdotes and social commentaries that melded into the most interesting and entertaining book I’ve read this year.

Readers of Hill’s debut “The Nix,” know that his storytelling doesn’t follow a straight line. There’s a plot, sure, but how the novel ends is far less interesting than the journey he takes us on. And, this journey will take you everywhere from the Flint Hills of Kansas to the forests of Western Connecticut and a swingers’ club in Chicago.

Jack and Elizabeth are given near equal page-time and through flashbacks and reflection, we learn the depth of their challenges and how desperately they want to resolve them. The story is so immersive that I felt like a voyeur spying on the most personal moments of two strangers.

Whereas the scope of “The Nix” was extensive, balancing decades worth of dual POVs and introducing many characters – both real and fictional – as they experience watershed world events, “Wellness’ is far more contained but no less epic.

In many ways, I think Hill did a better job of not letting ideas or situations overshadow the characters – a minor issue with “The Nix” – but strong character arcs is only one aspect of what made this novel so engrossing.
In the author’s note, Hill said that writing a book gives him “permission” to explore the various “odd things” that grab his attention. In this case that’s the psychology of placebo, social media algorithms, fine art and, of course, long-term relationships.

Each of these topics play an important role in the plot, and I was frequently struck by the depths of Hill’s knowledge, further evidenced by the nearly 20-page bibliography that shows he did extensive research on each topic, too.

We’ve all read novels where it’s clear the author is trying to impress the reader, but Hill is the ultimate Midwesterner, effortlessly showing off while never coming across as pretentious. Thanks, in large part, to the humanistic and humorous approach he takes to each situation.

He knows these whims need to pay off, and with maybe one or two exceptions, he found a way to organically connect them in a meaningful way to Jack or Elizabeth. For instance, readers already know that social media algorithms manipulate data to optimize engagement so rather than give us a primer on the topic (which he does), it’s through the lens of how this manipulation further erodes the relationship between Jack and his father.

My one complaint is that he didn’t quite nail the ending. The last few chapters were a little scattershot and rushed, and honestly, I would’ve preferred about 60-pages trimmed from the middle to tighten the end.
Still, I had unreasonably high hopes for “Wellness” and, thankfully, they were often met and frequently exceeded.

3.5 stars. Wellness is an ambitious novel primarily about the marriage of Jack and Elizabeth, two 40-something Chicagoans (from elsewhere) who met their first year of college and never parted. Aside from the challenges of marital boredom, parental responsibilities, work, etc. we also learn about their childhoods and see some of the factors and events that went into molding Jack and Elizabeth into who they were at 19 and are now.

This novel touches on SO many psychological theories and studies that it has a bibliography at the end. It also discusses Facebook, the pop "wellness" movement, monogamy vs. non-monogamy in relationships, every generation's tendency to see older generations as "the MAN" and disdain their priorities and way of life, the gradual change from radical teens/20somethings to suburban dwellers with corporate jobs, etc.

I thought it was a very good book but I admit that some of the sections dragged on forever, particularly the chapters about the Facebook algorithms. It did serve the storyline, but it was TEDIOUS to my mind.

This is a very interesting book to try and encapsulate in a review. It is about everything and nothing. It is about two married characters and jumps around in time. It delves into their early lives, family histories, and present day lives. I ended the book feeling satisfied but unsure as to why I felt this way. The book is long, likely longer than it needs to be. It feels like several different books put together. There is some cohesiveness, but also parts that feel completely different. It was an interesting read that I recommend, but don't expect it to be like other books you have read or what you may be expecting.

I still cannot decide what to say about this novel. I guess that is the giveaway. It begins with an interesting situation of two people close enough so their windows look into each others apartments. After weeks of surreptitiously watching one another, they meet and mesh. Then we skip ahead fourteen years. Then I lost interest. I guess that sums it up.

DNF 32%. wow this was a hard one. I wanted to read this because of all the reviews of The Nix which Nathan Hill also wrote - plus overall the description of the book. I just could not get into it…I was not tied to any of the topics of what was happening. A lot of the topics seems to be extremely over explained - what made me stop and put it down was the long-wonder chapter about Toby eating. Wow that was very rough to get through.
A lot of reviews claimed they’re happy they finished it but I simply can not and had to put it down.

Nathan Hill's "The Nix" was my favorite novel of 2016. I laughed so hard and I loved every moment I spent with that novel. Even so, I was worried about requesting "Wellness" since it's more than 600 pages and what if I didn't like it?

After a lot of hemming and hawing I requested it any way and slowly started reading it, hoping it wouldn't be too hard to get through.

I spent the next three days of my vacation wanting to do nothing but read this book. I fell in love with the characters. I laughed, I cried, I was touched, I was mad. I loved following every single meandering thread of story Hill took me down and I exclaimed with joy when he brought it all back and tied it with an awesome knot.

This book singlehandedly made my vacation ten times better than it already was. I came home feeling full of joy and could not stop talking about the book to everyone I saw. I am absolutely confident it will be my favorite read of 2023.

Nathan Hill has done the impossible and his sophomore novel is even better than his breakout novel and his story is funny, meaningful, thought provoking, and tender. I loved and cherished every single minute I spent with it.

I cannot recommend it enough.

Now I really hope he hurries up and writes another novel.

with gratitude to netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The Nix by Nathan Hill just might be my favorite book of all time, so suffice to say I have been waiting for his next release with bated breath. Although I don’t think Wellness quite hits the same heights as The Nix, there’s still a lot to like here.

Wellness paints a compelling portrait of a mature marriage, and in particular excels in creating main characters that feel finely drawn and believable. It does this be spending a lot of time defining these individuals, though perhaps a bit too much, as I felt Wellness – particularly in the first half – had some real pacing issues. At multiple points, there seemed to be a real loss of momentum and direction, although this was mostly recovered in the second half and it finished strong. Overall, I think this is a strong sophomore effort for Hill, and although I don’t believe the work quite justifies in exceptional length, I’d still eagerly recommend it to others – especially if they were fans of The Nix, like myself.

I was excited to read this book because I loved The Nix. I didn’t think this second effort was as strong, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I did get bored during some of the explanations of algorithms and prairie fires, but overall I highly recommend it to lovers of contemporary intellectual fiction.

I loved The Nix and I think I love Wellness even more. Nathan Hill is a mind-blowingly good writer who is able to attack a theme from a hundred different points and have it all fit together with flawless precision. In Wellness, Hill explores the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and how change is a force that we shouldn’t try to escape and he illustrates his points with everything from the Theseus ship analogy to algebraic topology, sex clubs, Moms of Liberty, and Psychology’s replication crisis. But this book isn’t just an intellectual exercise. Hill explores his characters with heartfelt depth and nuance, making us care about them and root for them with passion. Even the non-linear storytelling which in someone else’s hands could feel disorienting, feels as intentional as the drip fire starters that burn the plains. Overall, this is a work of ambition and excellence, in the vein of The Dutch House and Corrections, that should win every award.

3.5 stars. Oh boy, this book had a lot going on - marriage, monogamy, parenthood, wellness cults, art, philosophy, conspiracy theories, prairie fires, ill-begotten family fortunes, Facebook addictions, bat infestations, "what is the truth," and more. And the timeline jumped all over the place, without markers. That said, this was an enjoyable read!

The story centers on Jack and Elizabeth, who find young love in Chicago in the early 90s, then find themselves growing apart in the early 2010s. We go back and forth between their childhoods, the beginning of their love story, and what may be the end. I honestly enjoyed the science deep dives best - we got into the weeds on the efficacy of placebos, studies on childrearing, and Facebook algorithms - all very interesting (and hopefully accurate).

Ultimately, there were so many story threads that the ending felt rushed and somewhat cliché. Hence, the 3.5 star review.

Thank you to NetGallery and Knopf for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was excited to read this new book by Nathan Hill. A few years back I read his other book The Nix and really enjoyed that book. Wellness is the story of Jack and Elizabeth. They meet as college students in 1990’s Chicago, eventually marry and have a child. Suddenly they are two people in their forties question their lives. What I really enjoy about Hill’s writing is the detail he goes into with the characters. There are lots of family tree subplots, most of them interesting. Actually, there many subplots in this book how we are influenced by social media, parenting, what is wellness and, and how do you avoid becoming your parents. The book is long so if you want a quick read, this is not it since the book is over 600 pages. I got sucked in and finished the book over the course of a weekend, but towards the end the book dragged a little. I am giving this 4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reader copy of Wellness.

Wow - such a wonderful story about living life. The story follows Jack and Elizabeth, friends from college who bond over their awkwardness and challenging childhoods. They grow up and grow together (and apart!) as they navigate life.

A HUGE book but well worth the read!

This book asks the question, what happens when our dreams for alternative quirky lifestyles are met with adult realities? At times, the characters are infuriating with entitlement, but they are also incredibly relatable. I enjoyed the pace and storytelling of this novel and would recommend,

I loved this book so much. I left a 5-star rave on Goodreads along with the pub date and comparable titles. I was really impressed with THE NIX a few years ago but this seemed to bring the authors talents to full fruition and I was deeply moved.

If you're a fan of Nathan Hill's hilarious and compelling debut novel, The Nix (a five-star read for me back in 2016!), I've got some excellent news for you: he's got a second book coming out in September and it, too, is damn good.

This one is a 624-page behemoth, but I can say with 100% confidence that Hill has retained his satirical sense of humor. Also still here is his ability to write flawlessly from multiple perspectives and his talent for putting his finger on the pulse of various cultural phenomena.

Along with being the story of a husband and wife who fell madly in love as teens but are now, decades later, disenchanted with their situation, Wellness contains multitudes--it's a seamless working in of SO MUCH into a plot. In Hill's hands, it's not too much, though, and it is clear he knows what of he speaks. For example, just to name a few, whether
•tracing the algorithms of Facebook's diabolical thought control
•fleshing out just how spectacularly marriages can fizzle under the weight of middle age and raising kids
•chronicling the anatomy of prairie fires in the Midwest
•parsing the science of the placebo effect
•exploring the laws of attraction and vision boards for positive life events
or
•detailing how sexual swinging works in open marriages

I am consistently transfixed and learning about a topic I did not know I had even the slightest interest in. (There's more, but I'll stop there!)

Thank you so much, @netgalley , for offering up this treasure, especially when I needed a goodie for my Kindle. Much of Wellness is set in Chicago and describes city living, which I have been doing in New York City the past week, so it's been perfect. Hill has written another epic!

Thank you to @netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of Wellness by Nathan Hill. Jack and Elizabeth meet in college in Chicago, both are kind of loners who are trying to find themselves after tough childhoods. They marry, have a son, and we are with them as they navigate life and try to keep their marriage together. I almost didn't finish this one but did keep going, I guess I'm glad I did. #wellness #nathanhill #netgalley #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks

From the author of the great novel, The Nix!

Strap in for a long journey and exploration of contemporary life - marriage, art, social media algorithms and pretty much anything else you think of in terms of wellness or happiness. Wellness explores placebos and the search for what is missing in life and it's a brilliant ride.

Jack and Elizabeth are our protagonists and we follow them as they marry and parent and many of the other demons we all face in every day life. This novel is one of a kind and I hope you grab it and enjoy every minute of it! #Wellness #NathanHill #Knopf