Fleishman Is in Trouble

April 1, 2019
Brodesser-Akner’s sharp and tender-hearted debut centers on hapless 41-year-old New York hepatologist Toby Fleishman, recently separated from his driven wife, Rachel, and alternately surprised and semidisgusted to find his dating apps “crawling with women who wanted him,” who prove it by sending him all manner of lewd pictures. After an increasingly rocky 14-year marriage, Toby has asked Rachel, who owns a talent agency and makes a lot more money than he does, for a divorce, because she is always angry and pays little attention to their two preteen kids. But then, as Toby is juggling new girlfriends, dying patients, and unhappy children, Rachel disappears, leaving Toby to cope with logistics more complicated than he anticipated. The novel is narrated by Toby’s old college friend Libby (a device that’s occasionally awkward), a former magazine journalist now bored with life as a housewife in New Jersey. Though both she and the novel are largely entrenched on Toby’s side, Libby does eventually provide a welcome glimpse into Rachel’s point of view. While novels about Manhattan marriages and divorces are hardly a scarce commodity, the characters in this one are complex and well-drawn, and the author’s incisive sense of humor and keen observations of Upper West Side life sustain the momentum. This is a sardonically cheerful novel that readers will adore.

This is a listen for anyone who's married, divorced, dating, and/or cares about women. It's an outstanding audiobook delivered by an exceptional narrator, Allyson Ryan. By now, many have heard the buzz about this novel. Believe the hype. It's ostensibly about a recently divorced New York City doctor, but really it's about the challenges women face in relationships--in working, in parenting, and in partnering during a time when women are told they can (and should) have it all while also being expected to be all things to all people. Ryan's performance is spot-on throughout. She captures the essence of each character and never misses a beat in expressing the author's insights into life as a woman in the 21st century. J.P.S. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine