Minnie's Fiction Addiction

👀 First impressions:
Originally published in French and later translated into English, My Husband is Maud Ventura’s unsettling debut novel. It follows an unnamed narrator, a wife consumed by her obsessive love for her husband. On the surface, they appear to be the perfect couple, but inside her mind lurks a constant, feverish need for validation, attention, and control. Each chapter is structured around the days of the week, giving the narrative a claustrophobic rhythm as we dive deeper into her spiralling thoughts.

The premise is immediately gripping: an intimate portrait of love turned toxic, written with sharp prose and psychological intensity. But while the set-up promises tension and insight, the execution left me torn.

✅ What I Liked:
Ventura’s writing captures the suffocating paranoia of obsession extremely well. The unnamed wife’s inner monologue feels authentic, a mixture of self-delusion, insecurity, and manic passion. I liked the way the “perfect marriage” veneer cracked in subtle ways, revealing how relationships can be prisons built from expectation and performance. The structure, cycling through days, adds a sense of inevitability, as though we’re watching a slow-motion train wreck.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
At times, the wife’s obsessive thoughts became repetitive, making the middle of the book drag. While I appreciated the unsettling atmosphere, it lacked variation and nuance, which made it harder to stay invested. The husband himself is almost a blank slate, which may be intentional, but it left me feeling disconnected from the dynamic the book was trying to dissect. By the end, the payoff didn’t feel as sharp or satisfying as the build-up promised.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you enjoy dark, psychological portraits of women unraveling under the weight of love and expectation, this book is worth a try. It will appeal to readers who liked My Year of Rest and Relaxation or None of This Is True, but want something more intimate and interior. It’s also a fascinating translation of contemporary French fiction, giving insight into different cultural approaches to marriage and femininity.

💭 Final Thoughts:
My Husband is a claustrophobic, obsessive character study that will intrigue some readers and frustrate others. I admired Ventura’s willingness to dive into the darkest corners of desire, but the execution sometimes faltered under its own intensity. It’s a book that lingers, but not always for the right reasons.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★ – Darkly obsessive, but not always convincing