The Harpy by Megan Hunter

The Harpy
☆☆☆☆
.PDF, 119 pages
Expected publication: November 3rd 2020 by Grove Atlantic/Grove Press

About the Book:
Lucy and Jake live in a house by a field where the sun burns like a ball of fire. Lucy has set her career aside in order to devote her life to the children, to their finely tuned routine, and to the house itself, which comforts her like an old, sly friend. But then a man calls one afternoon with a shattering message: his wife has been having an affair with Lucy’s husband, Jake. The revelation marks a turning point: Lucy and Jake decide to stay together, but make a special arrangement designed to even the score and save their marriage—she will hurt him three times. As the couple submit to a delicate game of crime and punishment, Lucy herself begins to change, surrendering to a transformation of both mind and body from which there is no return. Told in dazzling, musical prose, The Harpy is a dark, staggering fairy tale, at once mythical and otherworldly and fiercely contemporary. It is a novel of love, marriage and its failures, of power, control and revenge, of metamorphosis and renewal.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

Poor Lucy finds out, via a voice mail, that her husband, Jake has been having an affair with his colleague, Vanessa. It is Vanessa's husband who makes that call. 

After accidentally scratching Jake they both declare that Lucky can hurt him three times to even the score. To make it even more satisfying Lucy decides Jake won't know when it's coming.

Lucy uses some pretty evil and violent methods to punish and hurt Jake. In my opinion I felt Lucy was disenchanted with marriage and motherhood long before she found out about the affair. 

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was poetic and seemed to just flow through my mind. I felt for Lucy yet I also pitied Jake, which surprised me. I enjoyed learning about harpies and how the title and cover fit in with the book was marvelous.

This was a great psychological domestic drama that kept me on my toes and left me anxious to what Lucy would do next. The writing is worth five Stars but the unsatisfying ending left me giving it four.

Disclousure:
Thank you NetGalley, Megan Hunter and Grove Atlantic/Grove Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#TheHarpy #NetGalley

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