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Siri Hustvedt
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The Summer Without Men Hardcover – 3 Mar. 2011

by Siri Hustvedt (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars 650 ratings
on any 2 Qualifying items | Terms

Out of the blue, your husband of thirty years asks you for a pause in your marriage to indulge his infatuation with a young Frenchwoman. Do you:

a) assume it's a passing affair and play along
b) angrily declare the marriage over
c) crack up
d) retreat to a safe haven and regroup?
Mia Fredricksen cracks up first, then decamps for the summer to the prairie town of her childhood, where she rages, fumes, and bemoans her sorry fate as abandoned spouse. But little by little, she is drawn into the lives of those around her: her mother and her circle of feisty widows; her young neighbour, with two small children and a loud, angry husband; and the diabolical pubescent girls in her poetry class. By the end of the summer without men, wiser though definitely not sadder, Mia knows what she wants to fight for and on whose terms.

Provocative, mordant, and fiercely intelligent, The Summer Without Men is a gloriously vivacious tragi-comedy about women and girls, love and marriage, and the age-old war between the sexes - a novel for our times by one of the most acclaimed American writers.

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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sceptre
  4. Publication date
    3 Mar. 2011
  5. Dimensions
    13.7 x 2.2 x 22.4 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1444710524
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1444710526
Next slide of product details

Product description

Review

Siri Hustvedt is a novelist of great intelligence. She knows the ways of the world and of the heart . . . THE SUMMER WITHOUT MEN is a new departure. Despite its painful subject matter - marital rupture, encroaching death, the tormenting antics of malice-ridden girls - the novel is a mordant comedy. ― Lisa Appignanesi, The Observer

a rich and intelligent meditation on female identity, written in beguiling lyrical prose . . . heady and intoxicating ― Lucy Scholes, Sunday Times

Hustvedt is a writer of luminous perception ― Jane Shilling, Telegraph

It's a warm, affecting tale about love, loss and finding consolation in female friendship. Hustvedt captures both the absurdity and the tragedy of life ― Sebastian Shakespeare, Tatler

Hustvedt's intensely visual writing spans the generations. She can conjure up a child's realm of imaginary friends as evocatively as the brave face adopted by the elderly living in "a world of continual loss". The story of one woman regaining her own identity, it's by turns funny, moving and erudite, playfully reminding us of a contemporary Jane Austen. ― Claire Colvin, Daily Mail

[Mia] is alarmingly funny and her narrative toys with the immediacy of the epistolary novel . . . Events are coupled with commentary, commentary leads into event and temporal sequence is delightfully confused. Such digressive freedom is one of the pleasures of THE SUMMER WITHOUT MEN, in which fiction, fantasy, and historical fact are interweaved. ― Stephanie Bishop, TLS

THE SUMMER WITHOUT MEN shows a mind alive, at work and boundlessly curious about the way people live and love. It is the kind of book with which to grapple and argue, to challenge and fight, but also with which to engage and at which to marvel. ― Jennifer Levasseuer, The Age

Siri Hustvedt is an intelligent, intuitive, talented writer ― Lionel Shriver, Financial Times

Distinctive and enthralling...The Summer Without Men is satire, full of brilliant disquisitions on all manner of things - the nature of love, the difference between men and women, the question of madness. But it is satire with a heart, a great big glorious heart, and I loved every minute of it. ― Sara Dowse, Canberra Times

Spirited and intelligent. ― Sydney Morning Herald

About the Author

Siri Hustvedt's first novel, The Blindfold, was published by Sceptre in 1993. Since then she has published The Enchantment of Lily Dahl, What I Loved, The Sorrows of an American, The Summer Without Men and The Blazing World, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2014 and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. She is also the author of the poetry collection Reading To You, and four collections of essays -Yonder, Mysteries of the Rectangle: Essays on Painting, A Plea for Eros and Living, Thinking, Looking, as well as the memoir The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves.

Born in Minnesota, Siri Hustvedt now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has a PhD in English from Columbia University and in 2012 was awarded the International Gabarron Prize for Thought and Humanities.
She delivered the Schelling Lecture in Aesthetics in Munich in 2010, the Freud Lecture in Vienna in 2011 and the opening keynote at the conference to mark Kierkegaard's 200th anniversary in Copenhagen in 2013, while her latest honorary doctorate is from the University of Gutenburg in Germany. She is also Lecturer in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and has written on art for the New York Times, the Daily Telegraph and several exhibition catalogues.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sceptre
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 3 Mar. 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1444710524
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444710526
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 348 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.7 x 2.2 x 22.4 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 615,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 650 ratings

About the author

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Siri Hustvedt

Siri Hustvedt

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Siri Hustvedt's first novel, The Blindfold, was published by Sceptre in 1993. Since then she has published The Enchantment of Lily Dahl, What I Loved, The Sorrows of an American, The Summer Without Men and The Blazing World, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2014. She is also the author of the poetry collection Reading To You, and five collections of essays: Yonder, Mysteries of the Rectangle: Essays on Painting, A Plea for Eros, Living, Thinking, Looking, and A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women: Essays on Art, Sex, and the Mind. She is also the author of The Shaking Woman: A History of My Nerves.

Born in Minnesota, Siri Hustvedt now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has a PhD in English from Columbia University and in 2012 was awarded the International Gabarron Prize for Thought and Humanities.

www.sirihustvedt.net

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
650 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking, leaving them with plenty to ponder. Moreover, the writing style is brilliant and easy to read, while the characters are painfully real. Additionally, the narrative explores feminist ideas, with one customer noting how it delves into women's experiences across different generations. Customers describe the book as beautiful and uplifting.

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ReadabilityWriting styleCharacter developmentNarrative styleNarrative qualityUpliftingElegance
21 customers mention ‘Readability’21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and engaging, leaving them with plenty to ponder.

"...It was engaging and charming and very human. An enjoyable, surprisingly uplifting book." Read more

"A good read if you are interested in relationships, feminism and good writing. Some of the writing is rather pretentious and show-offy." Read more

"...Definitely worth a read and some contemplation too. An interesting book." Read more

"...However, it was thoroughly interesting and enjoyable...." Read more

19 customers mention ‘Writing style’16 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, finding it brilliant, easy to read, and intelligent, with one customer noting that the author writes without elitism or arrogance.

"inspirational, intelligent, lyrical and wise. She lifts the temperature of life. I will order the rest of her oevre. I an hooked!..." Read more

"Intelligent, thoughtful and hopeful. Loved reading this. So glad I have found this author." Read more

"...How Hustvedt does introduce males into the story is immensely creative and clever, by keeping them on the periphery of the story she further..." Read more

"...be in experimental mode with form, there are letters, diary entries, poems, a few drawings and a curiously intrusive though playful narrator who..." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Character development’9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, describing them as painfully real and thoughtful, with one customer noting the brilliant emotional descriptions.

"...felt true to the end but it very soon turned out to be an intimate, thoughtful and thought provoking story...." Read more

"...Hustvedt captures the characters emotions and personalities so clearly that you feel a very strong connection to them - as in What I Loved...." Read more

"...It was engaging and charming and very human. An enjoyable, surprisingly uplifting book." Read more

"...She does this with sensitivity, elegance, a sense of down-to-earthness and an appealing playfulness...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Narrative style’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative style of the book, with one customer noting how it explores women's experiences across different life stages, while another highlights its conversational approach to intergenerational female relationships.

"...Hurstvedt creates an excellent account of the female support that women can give and receive from each other when they have been hurt by their..." Read more

"I loved this book. It is a first hand narrative told by Mia, a fifty something poet whose husband, Boris, has asked for a 'pause' in their marriage..." Read more

"A good read if you are interested in relationships, feminism and good writing. Some of the writing is rather pretentious and show-offy." Read more

"...of plot though; it's more observational and conversational about females of the different generations and their relationships with each other and..." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Narrative quality’6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative quality of the book, with one review noting its fragmented structure with interludes, while another describes it as a sardonic novel with many narrative strands.

"...The narrative is fragmented by interludes where Mia dots back and forth in time, and by her inner musings...." Read more

"...Her writing is full of intelligence, sagacity and a willingness to learn about the vagaries of our lives today...." Read more

"This book has so many narrative strands and forms that I was never bored...." Read more

"Great story and well written. It scored 9/10 at my book club meeting. I would definitely recommend this book" Read more

5 customers mention ‘Uplifting’5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and uplifting, with one customer describing it as life-enhancing.

"...It was also easy to read although often complex and thought provoking. It was engaging and charming and very human...." Read more

"...depression, hate - that she manages to make the whole experience deeply positive and life-enhancing...." Read more

"...but it very soon turned out to be an intimate, thoughtful and thought provoking story...." Read more

"inspirational, intelligent, lyrical and wise. She lifts the temperature of life. I will order the rest of her oevre. I an hooked!..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Elegance’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful.

"...It was engaging and charming and very human. An enjoyable, surprisingly uplifting book." Read more

"...She does this with sensitivity, elegance, a sense of down-to-earthness and an appealing playfulness...." Read more

"Siri Hustvedt never fails to engage with beautiful and painfully real characters. I loved this." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Book Worm
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for 2011!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I read What I Lovedby Hustvedt last year so was really excited to read her new book and I think it is even better. Hustvedt tells Mia's pain of being wronged by her husband in an excellent manner and she steers away from the clichéd approach of turning all men into the anti-heroes of the book nor does she have another male character sweep in to mend her heroine's pain. How Hustvedt does introduce males into the story is immensely creative and clever, by keeping them on the periphery of the story she further emphasises the importance of her key characters and the relationships that they share. Hurstvedt creates an excellent account of the female support that women can give and receive from each other when they have been hurt by their partner. Any women who has ever been in a position akin to Mia's will recognise the feeling of being pulled into a female only circle and being helped to mend as you learn your problem is not new or unique. Hustvedt captures the characters emotions and personalities so clearly that you feel a very strong connection to them - as in What I Loved. The Summer Without Men is excellently written and flows fantastically. Although I have said that women will relate to the main character's story this should not put men off reading this book. The Summer Without Men is in no way an attack on men rather a study of the relationships that women develop together through different stages in life and whilst the men may not be physically present it is their interactions with women that much of the storyline grows from. This book is so multi-layered and brilliantly written that it will leave you thinking about it for days.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Chrissy Frost
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not Chick Lit
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2024
    Verified Purchase
    When poet Mia’s husband of 30 years requests they take a marriage ‘Pause’ so he can dally with an attractive French work colleague, she has a mental breakdown that lands her in a psych ward. After recovering, Mia heads to her native Minnesota where she rents a house near her mother - giving her time to reflect and plan what comes next after this unexpected twist to her life. Over the summer Mia forms connections with her mother’s reading group, the young family next door, and a group of adolescent girls whom she tutors in a summer poetry class. From the sprightly and spirited elderly ladies in the book group, to the frustrated young mother next door who is struggling in a ‘shouty’ marriage’, to the ‘mean girl’ situation that evolves within her poetry group, Mia has opportunities to reflect on the challenges of being a woman at every stage of life. With frequent digressions into psychology and philosophy, this is not the ‘chick lit’ novel the title seems to suggest. This is a slim novel that is a quick read but leaves you with plenty to ponder. I must comment that I was amused by the author’s subtle promotion of her husband’s (Paul Auster) coining of the phrase ‘The Music of Chance’, which is the title of one of his novels.
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  • Sabina
    3.0 out of 5 stars Siri Hustvedt in experimental mode
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Following a breakdown after her husband asks for a 'pause' in their 30-year marriage, Mia (an award-winning poet) spends the summer in her old Minnesota town, close to her mother's Rolling Meadows retirement home. The initially confused and fragile Mia ponders her situation, while she also observes the generations behind and before her. She is hired to teach poetry to a group of teenage girls at the local Arts Guild. The group (The Coven) develop some disturbing behaviour, despite their commitment to the poetry classes. Mia's mother's 'Five Swans' are also literary and creative, despite their age-related limitations of body. Mia befriends a neighbour, a young married woman with two small children and a difficult husband. She also indulges in a correspondence with her "annonymous tormentor," an emailer who calls himself 'Mr. Nobody.'

    However interested we are in these characters, we are kept at a distance from them by Mia's constant musings. Despite the book's title Mia's mind is full of references to learned men whom she quotes or whose ideas come to her mind as she observes her life: Kant, Spinoza, Hume, Plutarch, Diogenes, Becket, Ibsen, Derrida, Winnicott, Vygotsky et al, while Freud and Kierkegaard feature several times. There are references to films, Cary Grant, Antigone, Jane Austen, ruminations on neuroscience and the nature of orgasm, the two Columbuses, the nature of bullying. Siri Hustvedt seems to be in experimental mode with form, there are letters, diary entries, poems, a few drawings and a curiously intrusive though playful narrator who suddelny steps aside to address 'Dear Reader.' The learning does not weigh heavily within the novel, but the cumulative effect made me wish the author had kept a stronger focus on the plot and sub-plot. But you could argue that the apparent interruptions and frequent changes from description to contemplation are very much the plot, because the drama is in Mia's head - what will be her conclusion about married life and her own future?

    I quite enjoyed the book, and I think that established fans of Siri Hustvedt will be interested to see what she has done here, but if you are new to this author, I would recommend one of her previous novels as a first read.
    43 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Circlestones Books Blog
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ein Frauensommer
    Reviewed in Germany on 15 November 2023
    Verified Purchase
    “I will report on that later. Chronology is sometimes overrated as a narrative device.” (Zitat Seite 198)

    Inhalt
    Die fünfundfünfzig Jahre alte New Yorker Dichterin und Universitätsprofessorin Mia Fredricksen schlittert in eine ernste persönliche Krise, als ihr Mann Boris nach dreißig gemeinsamen Ehejahren eine Pause braucht. Rasch findet sie heraus, dass diese Pause eine wesentlich jüngere Kollegin ist. Sie beschließt, diesen Sommer als eigene Auszeit im ländlichen Ort ihrer Kindheit in Minnesota zu verbringen, umgeben von Frauen unterschiedlicher Generationen. Da sind ihre Mutter und deren vier lesebegeisterte Freundinnen, die älteste ist einhundertzwei Jahre alt. Spontan übernimmt Mia die Aufgabe, einen Lyrikkurs für Mädchen im Teenageralter zu geben. Sie hat ein Haus über den Sommer gemietet und freundet sich auch mit ihrer Nachbarin an, eine junge Mutter. Inzwischen hält Mias Tochter Daisy in New York den Kontakt zu ihrem Vater aufrecht.

    Thema und Genre
    In diesem Roman geht es um unterschiedliche Frauen aus verschiedenen Generationen, ihre Probleme, Konflikte, Freundschaft, Beziehungen, Ehe, Familie und die Erkenntnis, dass es möglich ist, in jeder Lebensphase neue Wege gehen zu können.

    Erzählform und Sprache
    Siri Hustvedt wählt hier eine moderne Schreibform, durchbricht die chronologischen Abläufe oft durch eigene Bewusstseinsströme, gedankliche Ausflüge in die Literatur, Erinnerungen, um dann nach einigen Umwegen wieder über die Ereignisse dieses aktuellen Sommers zu berichten. Die Sprache bringt Ruhe in die facettenreichen Handlung und ist einfühlsam, ehrlich und übt durchaus humorvoll Selbstkritik. Ich habe das englische Original gelesen, im Juni 2024 wird bei Rowohlt Taschenbuch eine neue Sonderausgabe von „Der Sommer ohne Männer“ erscheinen.

    Fazit
    Die Geschichte eines Sommers, in deren Mittelpunkt Frauen aller Alters- und Lebensstufen stehen, mit zeitlos aktuellen Themen.
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  • Tom Gray
    4.0 out of 5 stars Maiden - Mother - Crone
    Reviewed in Canada on 5 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Maiden - Mother - Crone - Hustvedt identifies as the three stages of a woman's life. Among other characters, she weaves the stories of Alice,(the maiden) Lola (the mother) and Abigail (the crone) with her account of the summer that her main character spent coping with the separation from her husband. Each of these characters provides a basis for an examination of the place of the female in current society. The separate plot lines converge and illuminate the central character Mia coming to self-knowledge and self-empowerment in relation to her husband and in her life in general. I found the book to illuninating and enjoyable
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  • Irene G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Irene G.
    Reviewed in France on 21 October 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Marvellous story, beautifully written. Temporarily separated from her husband, the main character goes back to her mother and discovers many things about herself and her family. She's a poetess, so we have that extra pleasure. Look out for the subversive sewer (as in, one who sews!) Have given this book to many friends, and always reorder one for myself.
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  • Maria-Jose Hernandez-Ortiz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Las mil capas de Siri
    Reviewed in Spain on 20 September 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Al igual que Elegia para un americano, The summer without men, es un libro con múltiples capas y multiples historias entrelazadas. Elementos comunes son su interes por el psicoanálisis y la neurologia como una forma de descifrar y entender la psique humana. En este libro, además el elemento femenino es analizado en todas las edades y siempre con cariño. Me encanta como escribe Siri en ingles y la riqueza de su lenguaje (que a veces me supera) por lo que si no se tiene un muy buen nivel de ingles recomiendo leerla en español. Tiene muy buenos traductores
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  • Judith Singer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A summer withough good books like this one would be worse than a summer without men
    Reviewed in the United States on 20 May 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I have always enjoyed this author's books and this one is no exception. The novel is well plotted, with the main character in the middle between a group of older women and younger ones. She takes on the problems that both ends of the spectrum encounter--bullying for the younger ones, losses (friends, faculties) for the older ones. And interesting situations for the woman in the middle of these two groups. Also no sappy endings, but brilliant language.
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