Waiting on Wednesday: The Uncoupling

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

For this week's Waiting on Wednesday I have decided to feature The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer, a novel with a very interesting premise inspired by the play Lysistrata where the women stop having sex with the men. I haven't actually read the play, but maybe I will before I pick up the book although I don't think it will be necessary in order to enjoy it.

When the elliptical new drama teacher at Stellar Plains High School chooses for the school play Lysistrata-the comedy by Aristophanes in which women stop having sex with men in order to end a war-a strange spell seems to be cast over the school. Or, at least, over the women. One by one throughout the high school community, perfectly healthy, normal women and teenage girls turn away from their husbands and boyfriends in the bedroom, for reasons they don't really understand. As the women worry over their loss of passion, and the men become by turns unhappy, offended, and above all, confused, both sides are forced to look at their shared history, and at their sexual selves in a new light.

As she did to such acclaim with the New York Times bestseller The Ten-Year Nap, Wolitzer tackles an issue that has deep ramifications for women's lives, in a way that makes it funny, riveting, and totally fresh-allowing us to see our own lives through her insightful lens.

The Uncoupling will be published April 5th 2011 by Riverhead Hardcover.

There are some classics which seem to have a few too many modern versions, mostly Pride and Prejudice comes to mind, but in general it seems like a cool way to pay credit to the greats while showing how relevant the books can still be.

How do you feel about books inspired by classic literature? What are you waiting on Wednesday?