The Life and Loves of a She-Devil , Fay Weldon (Pantheon, 1983). ****

A remarkable satire, very funny at times but the humor gets progressively darker, The story details the ingenious if far-fetched revenge of a mistreated British housewife on her philandering husband. It will appeal to any reader, male or female, regardless of your stance on women's liberation. As with Boyle's book, The Road to Wellville, you'll find yourself laughing out loud in places, yet totally absorbed in the story's many twists and turns.