Conjure Wife (Hardcover)

This is a mistake Norman will soon live to regret as his comfortable life begins to unravel. See, it seems that Tansy wasn't the only one practicing witchcraft and the grasping wives of Norman's colleagues at the college have been practicing as well. Now, what with the protections ceasing to exist, the Saylor's are wide open to dangerous forces that do not wish them well!

Initially I found this book very interesting and it pleasantly reminded me of those old black and white creepy movies I used to watch during my childhood. Sadly, as I continued to read I somehow lost my way and found it difficult to maintain my enthusiasm to turn the pages. The story mainly consists of Norman's internal monologue and his attempt to find a solution to the heart-rending predicament in which he finds himself. Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the dated feel of the story or maybe it was the format but I found the book a tad too slow moving and too easy to put down. Though it was exceptionally creepy at times it just didn't click with me.

And what if a husband found his wife's charms, spells and totems and made her destroy them all, considering them dangerous neurotic superstitiousness? And, what if, perhaps somewhat naturally, through suggestion and his own neuroses, things started to go wrong for this selfsame husband?

I think you get the idea behind "Conjure Wife", a typically well-written work from one of the great speculative fiction writers of the 20th century. In typical style, much of the book's "action" is internal. The main character is left to speculate on what he experiences and to question his own sense of reality. I suspect one reason Leiber's works are not routinely made into movies (and when they are made, as in the case of this book, they're not representative at all of Leiber's spirit) is because so much of what they relate is internal.

This book is a bit dated, being essentially WWII-based, but that adds considerably to its charm for me. Very trendy (for the time) talk of neuroses and psychoanalysis. And one of the big issues is restraining co-ed licentiousness on the campus of the small, eastern private college in which the story takes place through chaperoning and dress codes. These conspire to give the novel a sort of quaint feel.

But I suppose the college politics which form the basis of the plot probably haven't changed much.

It's a good, quick read with a fun premise and which resonates greatly on serious themes: How women protect and aid their men behind the scenes, often with their men unaware or even patronizing, for example. Or, one of my favorite themes, what we consider to be real and how strongly we'll cling to those considerations, even if the face of crushing evidence to the contrary.

Although out of print, you can find this novel in the "Dark Ladies" collection, here at Amazon.com.