When the Eberhart family moves to Stepford, Connecticut, everything seems so idyllic. It's like living in a perfect advert, but wife and mum Joanna starts to suspect there is something sinister lurking under the surface. Kudos to NetGalley for the ARC/Audiobook of this classic tale with expressive and clear narration.

The Stepford Wives follows Joanna, a woman who has just moved to a new town called Stepford with her husband and two children. At first Stepford seems like a perfect place to live, but Joanna soon realizes that the women who live in Stepford are… creepy. They are all the “perfect” housewives. They are obsessed with taking care of their houses, kids, and husbands, they’re always dressed up with a full face of makeup on, and they’re all incredibly docile. As Joanna watches the women around her go from acting normal to acting like the other women of Stepford, she starts to feel like there’s something sinister happening to the women of Stepford.

Honestly my expectations going into this weren’t very high. I’ve seen and loved both of the movie adaptations. I’ve consumed and loved countless stories inspired by this book. But for some reason I doubted that the source material could be as good as the media it’s inspired. I think I thought it would be too outdated to be relevant to me anymore. Also… honestly the fact that it was written by a man made me a little… skeptical. But I was completely wrong. This book is a classic that frequently inspires other artists for a good reason. It’s excellent. It’s creepy how modern and relevant the writing style and content feel. If you told me this had been written this year the one and only thing that would’ve given me pause is the lack of cell phones and internet, and honestly I could’ve just mentally written that off as an artistic choice on the author’s part.

I used to rewatch the movie adaptations A LOT back when I was a brand new baby feminist at 16 and this story seemed like the height of feminism for me lol. So the entire time I was reading this book I was comparing it to the movies. And I liked it so so much more than the movies. I LOVE short books and I was shocked to find out how short this book is. The movie adaptations added in a lot of information and development that isn’t in this book.

This is a very plot based book without very much character development, and the writing is simple and straightforward. It’s not heavily descriptive at all. I would almost describe it as sparse. Ira Levin did not waste a single word. He simply made his point effectively and wrapped the story up. He trusted the reader to read between the lines and understand why certain choices had been made. Nothing was ever overexplained. I personally absolutely love that kind of writing, but I know that some people hate it, so I thought I should mention it.

But for the little attention given to character detail there is, I thought the portrayal of women (at least the “normal” women) was realistic, which is always my concern when reading about women who were written by men. While reading this I never had an “Ugh. Right. This was written by a man” moment because of some weird unnecessary comment about a woman’s chest or something like that.

I can’t imagine how much more I would’ve loved this book if I’d gotten to read it without already knowing the story. My only criticism is that I wish just a little more detail had been provided at the end of part 2. I know I praised Ira Levin for not overexplaining, but in this particular area I think he could’ve done just a little bit more explaining. There’s one big question I have in particular that I really really want an answer to.

If it’s not clear: I highly recommend this book. Like I said it’s a classic for a reason. It’s simply that good. I plan to read more of Ira Levin’s work.

🎧3.75⭐️

A modern classic retro psychological suspense narrated by January LaVoy, a favourite narrator for me, she does a great job with the narration.

The book cover is effective portraying a faceless generic woman.

I hadn’t read the book, I think the old film might be floating around somewhere in my head with no clear memories so as it was a fav narrator I opted to give it a go. It’s very compact,it feels more like a novella, I don’t know if this was a popular book length of the time.

Although published in 1972, it feels like a throwback to the 1950’s/ 60’s with the stereotypical woman busy looking after the home and children with an emphasis on looking good for when her husband gets home. Joanna is a modern woman. Behind the idyllic facade there lies a terrible secret.

Joanna, Walter and their 2.2 children consider themselves lucky to have moved to idyllic Stepford, until Joanna’s suspicions are roused.

It’s interesting to see that the book stands the test of time against modern psychological suspense, with the slow dawning of a big problem, isolation of the main character with being gaslit, tension due to impending doom, it even manages a decent creepy vibe, exiting with an open ending leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions. Ok it lacks the massive twists associated with modern equivalents. For me an easy listen, however it’s examined in more literary detail by Peter Straub in an afterword.

The Stepford Wives … a chilling tale that creeps up on you. I listened to the new audiobook version. Deceptively quaint, we’re slowly drawn into a bizarre undoing of conjugal bliss and the white picket fence life. I had to catch myself from fading to keep locked on to all the subtle patches in the quilt being knit before my feet. Androids or automatons … a sharp critique on sexism and our male-centred world and the whole Western concept of marriage that sadly still rings true for a lot of folks today. I’m reminded of Japan, where the Stepford Wives are merely women who strive to become the perfect specimen and then are merely kept, at the financial mercy of their husbands, if nothing else, and often abandoned, like childhood dolls when we age, to then go on and live their own lives. The robot and the automaton … neither seems ideal to me. Perhaps it’s time to deconstruct rather than control and conform.

Superb narration by January LaBoy & Grover Gardner. Don’t miss the summary at the end.

I have read this book before. I am a fan of it so when I had the chance to listen to the ALC... I jumped right on it.

The narrator is BRILLIANT and bought a new depth to the stepford wives. I loved how real the characters all felt and my only real issue with the book is the ending... I needed to know more!

It's definitely worth the read if you have never read it before but I highly recommend the audio!!

The Stepford Wives is a classic for a reason - the original feminist horror novel that spawned a genre of its own. Get lost in the eerie, too-good-to-be-true world of Stepford, CT. Everyone is happy, no one argues, and all of the wives are the picture of domesticity. It's perfect - right? I quickly devoured this audiobook in a "I can't stop listening" kind of way. From start to finish, it was captivating and full of questions that kept you guessing. Fantastic narration by January LaVoy & Grove Gardner! Thanks to NetGalley, Ira Levin and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC of the recently re-released audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me an ARC of their new audiobook production of The Stepford Wives in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the early 1970s, and Joanna, her husband, and their two kids, have recently moved to Stepford. At first glance, Stepford is a perfect, upper middle class community. But Joanna feels that something is off. Most of the neighborhood housewives keep their distance from her, and spend too much time endlessly cleaning their homes. And the husbands spend too much time at their secretive Men’s Association. After a few months, Joanna is convinced that she has to get out of Stepford before something—somehow—changes her. But how can she persuade Walter to leave when she can’t explain what’s happening?

The Stepford Wives is a surprising and surprisingly good novel. Because the expression ‘Stepford wife’ has entered the lexicon as an insult about a certain type of submissive wife, you’d be forgiven if you expected the book to be about the Stepford wives. But the Stepford wives are largely mysterious and opaque, to the reader and to Joanna, until the end of the story.

Instead, The Stepford Wives is a satire (and a vicious one at that) of the Stepford Husbands—these feminism-fearing men who would desire #tradwives rather than being in a real marriage to an equal partner. It’s also a chilling, effective psychological thriller focusing on Joanna’s growing fears about her losing her identity if she stays in Stepford. Taken together, the book is a social horror story in the tradition of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the movie Get Out. Recommended, especially the new Blackstone Publishing audiobook, which is well-performed by January LaVoy.

I loved this classic as a movie from the book published in 1972 when I was a kid and when I saw January LaVoy was narrating this recent audio production, I was all in! Ira Levin was truly a genius and the overall message in the novel has aged well. At a mere four hours, the characters are so well developed and the feminist in me still gets angry at the males in this book. The entertainment value here is spectacular and with the outstanding narration by January LaVoy, this one is a must on audio. You can’t go wrong with either movie production, so watch them both after you listen to this masterpiece!

Thank you to @blackstonepublishing for an audiobook copy of The Stepford Wives. I loved it!

I am a long-time fan of Levin's work, and absolutely love this reissuance of his classic titles in new audio formats! The narrators have all been fabulous, and January Lavoy does an incredible job capturing all of the sassiness of Joanna - and the eerie-ness of Stepford. It's hard to remember that the term "Stepford wife" once didn't mean anything to anyone, such that the casual use of it in the book wouldn't have struck its original audiences as anything meaningful - but as a contemporary reader/listener, who is fully aware of its connotations, it added a creepy omniscient and foreboding element, even though I already knew what was coming! This is a fantastic story, written with Levin's trademark crisp and concise prose that somehow makes his chilling tales all the more so for their brevity and sparseness. I am definitely looking forward to the next audiobook to be presented on here!!

4.5/5

This one 1,000% stands the test of time. It will remain relevant and always thought provoking.

I love dystopian books, they are my guilty pleasure. This one is like the OG black mirror.

The gaslighting starts almost immediately and as a reader you’ll be enraged on behalf of Joanna and the other women. She goes from a fulfilling equal partnership to having to fight to have a voice.

If you liked Handmaid’s Tale and/or Black Mirror you will probably enjoy this one.

This book has held up. I watched the film years ago and wasn’t aware it was a book. Great choice of narrators.

Of course I read this years ago but I could not resist listening to it as an adult mom, especially with January LaVoy narrating!
I was not disappointed. What an experience!

Wow, I loved this. I hadn't seen any of the movie or show adaptations, so I went into this blind. I loved the pacing, characters, and social commentary. It's a "I have to know what happens next" from the start. The ending was a little confusing to me and I wish there had been more closure. But overall a great read! And I enjoyed the narration, although I wonder if I would've followed the story better reading it in print.

If you’re on Goodreads, you’re probably of the mindset that the book is almost always better than the movie. So it will come as no surprise that The Stepford Wives works much better in (audio)book form than any of its adaptations. What did surprise me, though, was the degree of difference. I’d seen the movies over the years, but never was interested enough to seek out the source material - suburban heterosexual marriage not being of any particular relevance to my life. The book, though, while certainly set amongst the trappings of mid-century upper middle class ladies who no longer lunch, is a wonderfully compact thriller. The whole thing, including an interesting if slightly outdated afterward, is less than five hours. Unlike her cinematic incarnations, our protagonist is smart, capable, and genuinely unsure how to handle the seemingly implausible situation she’s been lured into. Her difficulties in gathering information and getting the outside world to believe her ring true even in our digital age rather than seeming forced to prolong the suspense as is the case with many lesser imitations. This is the perfect book club pick - short, fast paced, and will generate endless discussion. This new audio edition doesn’t add anything new, but is nicely produced and perhaps will bump the title up enough in the lists to pick up more new readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me review this audio ARC!

Stepford Wives is another classic! I remember watching the movie with Nicole Kidman when I was very young and always found it interesting.

This was an easy read and I flew through it in a day. This is more of a Science Fiction story rather than a Horror like Rosemarys Baby.

This book is set in the late 60’s early 70’s and you can see the difference in how husbands and wives were back then and now.
You kinda feel for the wives and you know it would be more difficult to get away with this situation in today’s world.

Ira Levin was incredible back in the day!

This 1972 novel is a crafty little psychological thriller. It had such an affect on people, the term “Stepford Wife”, has become popular enough to be used on its own without having to reference the book.

Joanna, Walter, and their children move to the idyllic town of Stepford. Everyone has great marriages, the women are manicured and primped, and dinner is always on the table in their nice clean houses. Joanna begins to see that the women are no longer normal acting; they are old-fashioned and seem to be living in the 1950’s, all while idolizing their husbands and spending their day cleaning and cooking.

As Joanna begins to investigate, her troubles begin. Her seemingly nice husband is now becoming impatient with her snooping and accusing. This behavior must be stopped. He sends her to a psychiatrist in Stepford who can not help her either. She takes matters into her own hands but you will have to read this 144 page book to see if she succeeds in proving her suspicions.

What a fabulous thriller, especially for 1972! I have seen both the original movie and the remake and they are great too. I think this book is a thriller with a minor sci-fi twist.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by January LaBoy and Grover Gardner, both of whom do a superb job narrating this story.

I am happy to report that nothing has been changed in this revised version of this legendary tale by Ira Levin. This audio book now allows you to listen to this iconic tale. Its fantastic! If you have not read this tale or its been awhile, I highly recommend you give it a listen!!!

As a long-time fan of Ira Levin, I was thrilled to revisit his speculative fiction masterpiece, The Stepford Wives, in audio form. The success of an audiobook often hinges on the narrator, and January LaVoy did an absolutely spectacular job. Her vibrant narration brought both the story and its characters to life with remarkable clarity. Unlike many other audiobooks where my attention quickly drifts, LaVoy’s lively articulation and perfect pacing kept me fully engaged throughout. The story was just as exciting, thrilling, and unsettling as it was the first time I read it. I highly recommend this audiobook to both fans of the novel and newcomers experiencing the story for the very first time!

Thanks to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

I was excited to see that Ira Levin books are being released in audiobook format, and I was thrilled to get an eARC copy of The Stepford Wives (one of my all-time favorites) for review.

In the realm of chilling narratives that delve into the uncanny valley of suburban perfection, Ira Levin’s “The Stepford Wives” stands as a paragon, and this audiobook rendition, narrated by the talented January LaVoy and Grover Gardner, breathes new life into the unsettling tale.

Levin’s prose is a masterclass in suspense, weaving a story that is as much a social commentary as it is a psychological thriller. The tale of Joanna Eberhart, a photographer and young mother who moves to the idyllic town of Stepford, Connecticut, only to discover a sinister truth behind the town’s facade of perfect wives, is one that resonates and stays with the listener (the book has stayed vividly in my mind, for numerous decades after I first read this book).

January LaVoy’s narration captures the essence of Joanna’s initial optimism and gradual descent into paranoia with a performance that is both nuanced and compelling. Grover Gardner, on the other hand, provides a counterbalance with his portrayal of the men of Stepford, infusing the story with a sense of foreboding that is palpable.

The production quality of the audiobook is commendable, with clear audio and pacing that mirrors the building tension of the narrative. The dual narration adds a layer of depth to the listening experience, allowing the characters to fully come to life.

This audiobook is outstanding. It not only remains faithful to the source material but also enhances it through the emotive power of voice. The narrators’ ability to convey the underlying dread and critique of societal norms is exemplary, making this audiobook a must-listen for fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

“The Stepford Wives” audiobook is a haunting echo of Levin’s vision, a reminder of the timeless nature of his cautionary tale. It is a testament to the power of voice to evoke the deepest of emotions and thoughts, leaving an indelible mark on the listener’s psyche.

For those who dare to listen, prepare to be mesmerized and disturbed in equal measure.

Releasing the Ira Levin novels in audiobook format is sure to create new fans of this captivating and imaginative author.

How many books are still being read over fifty years since they were published? How many book titles literally become dictionary definitions?

I listened to this both with an interest in the history of thrillers, and the cultural impacts. It’s easy to forget just how many hugely popular movies came from books, Psycho, Jaws, The Exorcist, Strangers On A Train, Silence Of The Lambs, even Rebecca, to name a few.

Surely everyone knows the story of The Stepford Wives? Joanna Eberhart and her family move to Stepford, an idyllic suburb, but she quickly realises something’s not quite right.

Told from Joanna’s perspective, her curiosity balanced with self-preservation builds suspense as she gradually gets closer to the small town’s secrets. It works wonderfully in building tension, threat and in examining the patriarchal society and the pressures on women to conform.

The publishers draw a lineage to The Handmaid’s Tale and Get Out, I was thinking of recent psychological thrillers such as The Perfect Wife (JP Delaney), The Last Housewife (Ashley Winstead) and The Favorite Girl (Monica Arya).

The narration by January LaBoy is excellent, distinctly handling a wide range of characters, and injecting a chilling, calm distance into the voices of the Stepford wives.

It’s a short novel, around 150 pages, the films continue past the end of book which ends at a chilling and open-ended point.

‘Modern classic’ gets bandied about, but The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin is a true, timeless modern classic, it still thrills, still carries suspense and the issues raised are still vitally relevant. Grab it from the library or definitely listen to this version of the audiobook if you can.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks