Chris Flinders has just lost his job. He lives in rural North Yorkshire, has an amicible relationship with his ex-wife, a less than friendly one with his only sibling, Gerald and is wondering what the hell he's going to do next. When a very pregnant Alex turns up, looking for information on the late author Laurence Canning, Chris tells her a story that inadvertently kick-starts his eventual resurrection.

I loved this book. The characterisations are pitch perfect; especially the hapless Gerald, who I initially couldn't stand but grew to understand and care for as much as the others. It's told in three parts; one and three are set in the present, while part two brings us back to latter day London. I found Part One to be a bit slow but was utterly invested in the story from Part two onwards. Chambers writes beautifully. The story is tragic and dryly humourous and has a wonderfully redemptive finish that satisfied me no end.

It was my first Claire Chambers novel but it certainly won't be my last. Fans of Anne Tyler will definitely enjoy.

With thanks to the author, the publisher and @netgalley for the digital copy. The Editor's Wife was originally published in 2007.

Loved this book, beautifully written. I cannot wait to read more books from this author. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It seems like i will be the lone dissenting voice in a raft of unlimited praise for this book. For me the whole thing was like wading through treacle, it was lifeless and uninteresting with poor characterisation. The overall rating is saved by the portion from 80 - 90% where the events were at least comic (although I am not sure that was exactly what the author was aiming for) and kept my attention. It did not, however, make up for the other leaden 90%. This is not an author I have read before or one i will be returning to soon. I would have put it down if it had not been an ARC

Love the way Clare Chambers writes! How does she craft such amazing characters? How are her scenes so perfectly written?

Split into 3 parts, The Editor's Wife tells the story of Chris.

When we meet him in part 1, it's the present day and he's left his job. An encounter with someone takes him back into the past and us into part 2. It's here, where he meets Owen and Diana, (the editor's wife) and it is here where I became invested in the story of Chris and why this book is called The Editor's Wife. Part 3 brings us back into the present and where we left part 1 earlier on. It is seamless and I loved how the past was built into the walls of the present.

If you are someone who enjoys well written characters just as much as plot line, you will appreciate the authentic characterization Chambers writes. Each person we meet has a very unique and vivid voice which brings the novel to life and they come together to create a varied group of people who could very well be the people next door.

The Editor's Wife is a humorous, at times heartbreaking and at others heartwarming novel of love, life and all the things in-between.

Another quiet tale of a life unearthed by the author of Small Pleasures. I didn't enjoy this as much as that novel - at times it seemed a little convoluted - but I understand it is an earlier work, and I am still interested in reading more from Chambers.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this! Probably my own fault for waiting so long to start it. It was sent to my kindle fine but when I came to open the file it wouldn’t work! Such a shame.

This book is excellent. The story it’s such a slow burner that really picks up in the last third Surprising and delighting the reader. I have to say about halfway through I was struggling to understand where things were going but I’m so glad I persevered as it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. The writing and character forming is excellent like so many of the authors books. I really enjoyed it!

Interesting read, huge fan of the author. Pulled in quickly and devoured page after page. I have loved this one.

I loved Small Pleasures and was looking forward to reading this; it is in a similarly well-written style but with a more traditional subject matter, an aspiring writer falling under the wing of an enigmatic editor and his wife. We find Owen, the author, twenty years on, living in remote Yorkshire, happily isolated and living alone. He is contacted by a researcher investigating the editor, and we find out more through flashbacks to the time that they met.
It was a well paced and mature story, worth a read for sure

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as small pleasures but it was still worth a read. The writing is beautiful and I loved how the characters developed throughout the story.

This novel gave me a much-needed laugh (in fact several).

I loved everything about ‘Small Pleasures’, the only other Clare Chambers’ novel that I’ve read, except the ending: with ‘The Editor's Wife’, even the ending satisfied this reader.

The book has a ‘sandwich’ structure: the present, the past, the present and we follow narrator Chris as he moved through different environments,. He is always a bit of an Adrian Mole figure, aspiring to leave his working-class background behind him and become one of the metropolitan intelligentsia.

Gerald, his brother, is one of the great English comic creations. Clearly on the autistic spectrum, though this is never stated directly, he is someone who dances to music only he can hear. But in the end comes up trumps when the chips are down (if that’s not a mixed metaphor).

In fact, I loved the witty treatment of his whole family. Here his mother brings home a dead man’s suit for when Chris gets a ‘proper job’: “I could see Mum mentally measuring me up, like a hangman estimating the drop”.

There is an overarching sense of regret, several missed opportunities almost Hardyesque in nature, and many wrong turnings: the coulda, woulda, shouldas of Chris’s life. Yet, despite this, the overall tone is light, witty and engaging. Whatever blunders he makes, and one has a monumental impact on his life, he never seems to lose his sense of the ridiculous.

The story:
Aspiring novelist Chris Flinders has dropped out of university in a fit of pique, and is struggling to make any progress with his writing. That is, until he meets supportive editor Owen Goddard, and his charming wife Diana. Taking Chris under their wing, he is full of inspiration and hope for the future. But when everything comes crashing down and Chris’s choices lead to disaster, he turns his back on London and writing for good…

Twenty years on, and a young academic researching the life of Owen Goddard comes across some old correspondence between Chris and his erstwhile editor, sparking a chain of events that leads Chris to revisit his past with the Goddards, his broken relationship with his brother, and even to potentially find resolution to what happened all those years ago.

My thoughts:
One of my favourite reads of last year was the novel “Small Pleasures” (2020) by Clare Chambers. I loved the careful, quiet details of the story, and I know it will be one I return to in the future. So I was delighted to find that this was the latest in a series of novels from the author, with “The Editor’s Wife” originally published in 2007, and now reissued with a beautiful new cover design.

The author creates a vivid picture of each of the characters in her story, which is beautifully written and by turns heart wrenching and hilarious — the exchanges between Chris and his hapless but somehow endearing brother Gerald in particular. The scene where Gerald thinks nothing of sprinting miles through the dark in the pouring rain to try and locate a phone signal, but baulks at the idea of actually using a mobile phone, sums up the strengths and flaws of his character perfectly.

Moving between Chris in the present day and his retelling of the events of twenty years ago that threw him into the path of Owen and Diana, it’s clear that he has never really recovered from the tragedy that occurred. The revelations that come at the end of the story are therefore hugely cathartic, and it’s satisfying as a reader to feel that everything is as it should be. I am now a confirmed Clare Chambers fan, and would unreservedly recommend this book to all fiction fans.

I’ve downloaded a few of Clare Chambers books….I just love the look of the covers. Such simplicity. And I’m pleased I judged this book by the cover. I really enjoyed the book. It was a light read, and my only criticism really was that the book went nowhere but the odd twist and turns still made it enjoyable until I reached the end. The characters are well formed and at times more likeable than other times. I also finished wondering what would happen next to the characters which for me is a sign of a good well written book. Overall I enjoyed it enough to say probably a four star and would recommend if you are wanting a light read. I will read the other books I have by this author.

I have long been a fan of Clare Chambers’ writing, particularly the recent and masterly ‘Small Pleasures’.
I actually had a copy of The Editor’s Wife on my shelves, mistaking this for a new book when it is actually a reissue.

This it the story of Christopher and Gerald, brothers. Christopher is living on his own after a failed marriage, having retreated from a former life in London. His parents have died and he and his brother have an uneasy relationship. Gerald is living in the parents’ home which has been left to both of them but Gerald is not cooperating with the sale. Christopher returns to the house to find it flooded, Gerald is nowhere to be seen and he finds a letter which will take us back to events in the past…to the days when he was writing his novel , when he met an editor, Owen, and he met Owen’s wife, Diana…

This is another deliciously domestic novel by Chambers and I loved it. The novel shares many of the characteristics of ‘ Small Pleasures’ but with a lot more delightful humour. Both novels felt so visual that I imagined them as films. I particularly liked the character of Gerard - I have this lasting image of him cycling his bike, laying out his sleeping bag and falling asleep wherever he lies..The relationship between the brothers is beautifully observed - full of jealousy and tension, strained affection and ultimately misunderstanding.

The novel is full of gorgeous domestic detail and observation - the minutia of life which made the story seem so real. Scenes and scenery were beautifully crafted. The humour was gentle but so funny. Social situations were skilfully contrived to maximise the opportunity for humour and social observation. I particularly loved the scene when both Gerald and Christopher’s ex-wife Carol turn up unexpectedly..

With many thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for a digital copy of this wonderful novel.

Great writing style that was throughout the book. The pace was good as that kept you wanting to read more.

What a stunning book! I loved the writing and there were so many moments where it broke my heart. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Beautifully written with engaging characters, it was an enjoyable read with some humour and romance.

An absolutely gorgeous read. Clare Chambers is an immensely talented writer and this book is superb. I definitely would recommend it. The perfect way to spend a winters evening is with this excellent book and a nice hot whiskey!

'The Editor's Wife,' by Clare Chambers is a deeply moving novel of love and lost chances and how a single decision can change the course of a person's life forever. When young, aspiring novelist Christopher drops out of university to write a novel (whilst working a series of dead-end jobs), his family is unsupportive.
But when Chris meets an esteemed London editor, Owen Goddard, and his charming wife Diana, suddenly his literary ambitions seem attainable. About to realise his dreams, Christopher makes a decision based on his heart which results in disaster. With his life in tatters, he retreats to rural Yorkshire, all hope of literary success over.
Twenty years on, a young academic researching the life of Owen Goddard seeks Christopher out, forcing him to return to his past, and setting him on a path to a life-changing discovery.
Chambers writes so assuredly, her novels are always a joy, and this one is no exception.