A 1980s marriage seemingly very strong till the wife decides to end it. Her husband bewildered and then getting progressively angrier by the day, refuses to move out of the home he has painstakingly built from scratch. The retaliation between the couple starts out as trivial until you know it’s a fight to the death, as it becomes vitriolic on both sides till the tragic end.

The story highlights how much value we place on material possessions and in this case any shred of humanity and goodness are left behind. It is a stark reminder to everyone not to get too attached to anything. The book was harsh to read, and frightening because it is very probable.

It's always a pleasure to read the books written by Mr. Adler. Even if the behavior of the main characters is a little dated, what lies behind it isn't. The couple lacked real communication each living in their separate bubble with the feeling that provided material needs were met everything was fine as each was fulfilling their obligations. They substituted true feelings, respect, partnership by the need of winning and keeping the material possessions they had accumulated through more than one decade together till they destroyed everything that mattered. Sad but still happening nowadays when divorce knocks at the door.
I thank Mr. Adler's family, their publisher, and NetGalley for this book.

I was not aware that this was a novel that was being re-released, that there was a movie already about it, and it has its own following. So, I read it with much gusto!

It is about divorce and what happens when two people who are very strong will go through this process and how each of them processes it. But it also goes beyond just divorce, and it covers things that aren't usually talked about in divorce. It covers love, what marriage really entails, and how divorce is very different between men and women, especially during the time the book was written. I enjoyed slow, subtle books, and this one was very much to my liking. Can't wait to watch the modern movie!
Thank you, Netgalley and Zando, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I don't even know where to start with this one. Meet Jonathan and Barbara Rose - on the surface, they seem like they have it all until a major health scare makes Barbara realize she wants a divorce. While no divorce proceeding is easy, the Roses really amp up the spite as they figure out who gets what in this messy story.

As others have mentioned, chaotic is the only word I can use to describe this one! The description stated "dark humor" but I only saw two spoiled people doing spoiled people things - I didn't particularly care for either character, but maybe that was the point? As soon as I thought someone had SOME sort of redeeming moment, something else would come crashing down. Perhaps that was all intentional and part of the purpose, but it missed the mark for me.

The War of the Roses by Warren Adler was really good.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

I’m a third of the way into this novel and have yet to see any of the promised dark humor. It’s mostly an angsty story of two petty and spoiled people getting pettier as the novel proceeds. I’ve never seen the movie, but I know how it ends, and the journey to get there is less fun than I expected. I’m sure others will enjoy it, but I’m not a fan of domestic suspense, and this book is not for me. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Reading "The War of the Roses" is like watching a champagne flute shatter in slow motion while two people argue about who paid for it. It starts with a couple that looks straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog, antiques, gourmet dreams, adorable kids, and a Ferrari in the garage just to scream “wealth, but make it unrelatable.” But then Jonathan clutches his chest, thinks he’s dying, and Barbara has the deeply unfiltered thought, “God, I wish he had.” And from that moment, we are officially off the rails.

What follows is not a story of mutual heartbreak or emotional growth. No no. This is the literary version of a demolition derby set inside a marriage. Jonathan and Barbara both want the house. That’s it. That’s the plot. And the house becomes this unhinged battleground of pettiness, sabotage, gaslighting, and good old-fashioned psychological warfare. The blender gets it. The chandelier gets it. The cat and dog... yeah, don’t get attached. If you’re sensitive to animal harm, I’m telling you right now, this is not the cozy chaos you’re looking for. These two are so deep in their vengeance spiral, they treat the pets like collateral damage in a home decor-themed war zone. It’s not played for laughs. It’s just brutal.

This book is pure vintage chaos. Like if "Marriage Story" and "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" had a baby and left it unattended with power tools and divorce paperwork. The writing is razor-sharp, the pacing relentless, and the characters are so well drawn you want to scream into a throw pillow because you know people like this. These two are fueled entirely by ego and contempt and 1980s-style consumerism, and it is honestly impressive how long they sustain the madness. You think it’ll cool down. It does not.

And yet, it feels a little dated now. The satire hits, but it hits like a VHS tape in a streaming world. There’s some stuff here that makes you squint and go, “Yikes, Barbara deserves better” before immediately retracting that thought because she just poisoned the pâté. Again. The gender dynamics are very "Mad Men" and by the end, everyone’s so exhausted by their own hate spiral that even the dark comedy starts to feel a little like psychological sandpaper.

But if you like your domestic drama dipped in venom with a side of antique dishware being hurled across the room, this still holds up. It’s not a subtle book. It’s not a kind book. It’s a brutal little tale about pride and pettiness, and how we’d rather burn everything to the ground than admit we were ever in love. And you know what? Sometimes that’s exactly the kind of story that slaps, even if it also makes you want to break up with your furniture.

3.5 stars. I admired the madness, even when it made me want to scream into a decorative pillow.

Huge thanks to Zando and NetGalley for the early access to the re-release. I finished this and immediately started making sure none of my kitchen appliances could be weaponized. Just in case.

War of the Roses has long been a favourite film for me and so I was delighted to receive an advance review copy of thus re-released novel in time for the new film adaptation. Plus I've never read the book and was interested in how much it differed from the original movie from 1989.

Jonathan and Barbara Rose appear to have it all. He's a successful lawyer and she runs the home and the children and is just about to spread her wings by starting a catering business. But all is not well in the Rose household - not that Jonathan knows it until he falls ill.

Almost the whole novel is taken up with what happens after Barbara decides she wants out. And its a terrifying descent into what can happen in a split when you're both stubborn, highly motivated and want the same thing. It's a salutary tale about marriage and divorce - and for a change it's not the lawyers making things worse.

There are lots of differences between the novel and the 89 film. I loved the film and the novel is just as good. In fact, I'd say the end is far superior in the novel - much more chilling.

A great read. Recommend.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Zando Projects for the advance review copy.

What the flipping heck was that? The synopsis hooked me but man, the novel is dark and dreary and exhausting. Barbara and Jonathan met at an antiques auction. They married and the Roses filled their lovely house with antiques and had children. After Jonathan has a health scare, Barbara realizes she wished the outcome would have been different. Her switch is flipped and so started a destructive downward spiral of the pair who both refused to leave the house and contents. The divorce proceedings are messy to say the least. They were full up to here with spite and confronted each other with notes, booby traps, sabotage and deviousness. Poor choices were made and stress levels climbed dangerously.

So much frustrated me including despicable characters (though admittedly well characterized), the immaturity level is breathtaking and the contempt just so awful and sad. And there were kids involved. I did not find a single thing funny about this and the toxicity is over the top. I don't mind dark reads but this is so...disconcerting and not in a good way. I kept reading to the end, hoping it would magically improve. The ending is fitting. This novel is well written to be sure. It's more of the content and extreme angst which didn't work for me. It did stir emotions, though, mainly anger and infuriation. This novel may be just what other readers crave and enjoy. It's highly individual.

the story of a disastrous divorce. could have been fun but the humour wasn't my style and i had trouble getting into the book
but otherwise an enjoyable read

I requested to read this after seeing the movie trailer and boy am I glad I did. What an absolute treat this book was! It's zany, entertaining and full of heart.

Zando Projects provided a galley for review.

I remember fondly the 1989 film version starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. So, getting a chance to read the original novel upon which it was based was an exciting prospect. I found it quite exhilarating to jump back to a classic, one that holds up extremely well after over forty years. The story had quite a bit of details that were different than the film, so it was a fresher, darker take on an already dark story.

The material things that make up the Rose's home are just as much a character as the couple themselves. That starts right from the opening chapter where Jonathan and Barbara meet at an auction. The whole theme of materialism is one that was prominent in the 80's when the story first came to be, and it still resonates today.

I was not aware that there was also a sequel written by Adler in 2013 called The Children of the Roses. His estate will be releasing another (previously unpublished work as the author passed in 2019) in the series The Curse of the Roses late in 2025 or early 2026.

Wow. This book was so entertaining. I was so eager to finish this to find out how it ends. I cannot believe everything Barbara and Jonathan did over a house...This was quite possibly the nastiest divorce in history. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this because after having read reviews I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one.

The story starts off by showing you the Roses as the picture perfect family. Their cookie cutter image almost immediately goes south when Barbara decided that she wants out and not only does she want the house, but she wants everything. Things become more sinister when both spouses decide they can't part with the house.

I could sympathize with both characters because they put a lot of love, time, and effort into their home. It was kinda crazy that they were treating it as if it were a living breathing person though. The divorce lawyers weren't helping either.

I have to give high praise to Warren for his writing of these characters. It was truly phenomenal. Barbara was the most insufferable heroine that I have ever read. I truly could not stand her constant whining and whole woe is me schtick. Do you understand how good at writing you have to be to make me hate a fictional person? She blew up her family out of the blue on a random day because she made poor choices in her life, She really wanted everyone to suffer and was so unreasonable.

I was siding with Jonathan throughout the entire divorce, but make no mistake, he was toxic too. His misogyny coupled with his incessant need to get back at Barbara didn't help matters. He even tries to manipulate the nanny to get his way.

These two were so ridiculous and just the right amount of annoying that if made me hungry to finish the story and kept my interest the entire time. This book is not long, but it felt like I was reading it forever. It's fun in that it feels like you're watching a reality tv show about two people who just keeping doing petty things to make the other one mad. This book heavily explores themes of greed. Overall, I recommend this. This was the perfect book to cure me of my book slump.

There's a new movie adaptation of this one coming out and I probably won't get to see it until it hits streaming, so I did what I frequently do and got my hands on the book. Originally published in 1981, this is a dark, wild ride that's (in my opinion) aged well. Jonathan and Barbara rose both want new lives away from their marriage -- but they both refuse to give up their house and the trappings of the life they've build together. Their rapidly escalating battle is extremely entertaining and had me wondering just how far they'd go as their actions got worse and worse.

I remember seeing the 1980s movie version of this (and my mom joking about the snoring scene for years after) so I jumped to read the book. It starts with such a seemingly sweet couple, but goes off the rails when the wife, Barbara realizes she doesn’t care about her husband anymore and wants her own life. I totally can understand her reasoning but they both sort of spiral into a battle of will over their house & antiques. It’s such a wild and unhinged journey but doesn’t really have the humor hit like the movie did. It’s more just sad that the need for the possessions take over their divorce and they forget about their kids (and pets, be aware of the animal welfare issues if you have triggers). It was a good book but mostly just sad. Also, the nanny being obsessed with the husband, Jonathan was an unnecessary plot point to me.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read and review this book.

The ultimate marital meltdown is back, just in time for a brand-new film adaptation starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman!

The War of the Roses claws its way out of the ’80s and onto your must-read list.

Jonathan and Barbara Rose look like the perfect couple. One day Barbara decides she's had enough and wants out but, why? A civilised divorce spirals into a battle royale between two ex-lovers who once promised to love each other in sickness and in health.

An absolute page-turner with a wild ending!

This 1980s classic is back just in time for a major new film adaptation starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

Originally published in 1981 and famously adapted into the 1989 film with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito, The War of the Roses is a black comedy that shocked readers back then... and still hits hard now.

Jonathan and Barbara Rose seem like the perfect couple. Their love story begins like a fairy tale, and Adler draws you in with charm and elegance until the day Barbara decides she wants out. That’s when the fairy tale turns into an all-out war.

What follows is a vicious, jaw-dropping domestic battle that will have you gasping and flipping pages just to see how far these two will go. It’s outrageous, sharp, and uncomfortably perfect for today's cutthroat world.

A must-read for fans of dark humor, marital thrillers, and stories where civility breaks down spectacularly.
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