Review of The Ex Mrs. Hedgefund

Title: The Ex Mrs. Hedgefund
Author: Jill Kargman
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: April 2009
ISBN: 978-0-525-95098-1
Format: (Hardcover)
Amazon Link:

Genre: (and sub-genre) fiction / humor / women rebuilding life after divorce
Age Group: Adult

As Fitzgerald once said, the rich are different from the poor – he could not be more spot on than with this novel by Jill Kargman. Kargman gives a valiant attempt at trying to show that even rich people have feelings. The story is shown through the eyes of Holly Talbot soon to become the Ex- Mrs. Hedgefund. Holly wants us to believe that she is different from all the other spoiled, arrogant and condescending hedgefund wives. Holly Talbot wants us to believe she really has a pure non capitalist soul and she will still wears, at times, non designer clothing.

The story is a predictable saga of girl meets rich boy. A quick marriage, a baby, falling in love with money and baby and finally the gun fight at OK Corral. Divorce happens because - Holly has become the neurotic stay at home wife/mother and Tim has become the quintessential - I am interested in a younger version of my wife. Kargman brings no new spark to this age old story except the exorbitant spending excesses of the current hedgefund families.

Holly Talbot is self absorbed, whiny and insecure. Kargman places Holly in numerous situations some comedic and one extremely dangerous. It is obvious Kargman is attempting to connect with all women who have experienced the pain of divorce. Holly explores the feelings of losing friends, single parenting, extreme loneliness and finally the fear of entering the dating scene. But this falls short because Holly never experiences any true life change. She still lives in her cozy huge apartment, her young son is at the same private school and she does not need to work.

Though, her friend and ex-sister-in-law helps her to find employment. Holly lands a job that is a little more than three days a week and requires her to listen to music and write reviews for the hottest up and coming artists. Tough gig for a rich ex-hedgefund wife.

The story ends with Holly’s ex-sister-in-law finding the man of her dreams. Holly finds the man of her dreams. Oh, and did I forget to mention that both men are wealthier than the first husbands and of course just all around better guys.

Jill Kargman writes a fine story. It’s just that this story has been told many times before. This story takes place in the lives of the richest of the rich. But then, it’s very difficult to identify with and have empathy for people who pay a half a million dollars to have a 10 second spot as a corpse on the TV series Law & Order. But then again, that would sum up the type of people that Kargman is writing about – very rich and very emotionally dead.