The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells is a novel by Andrew Sean Greer, published in 2014. It tells the story of Greta Wells, a young woman who experiences three different versions of her life when she undergoes electroshock therapy to cope with deep depression. In each iteration of her life, Greta is faced with a unique set of experiences, people and opportunities—sometimes life-altering, sometimes heartbreakingly mundane.

The novel opens in 1985 with Greta, a middle aged woman, struggling with a deep depression caused by the death of her identical twin, Felix. Doctors prescribe electroshock therapy and suddenly Greta finds herself in a different version of her life. In this version, Felix is alive and Greta is a married mother of two children. The shock of this new reality proves too much for Greta and she slips into a second version of her life—one in which she is a single artist living in Greenwich Village in 1918. In this life, Greta is free from the constraints of monogamy and finally finds the fulfillment that eluded her in the first, but Greta's joy is short lived when she learns the tragic details of her new life.

The novel follows Greta as she slips between these three versions of her life and must make difficult decisions about which life to embrace. As she tries to discover her purpose in life, Greta is thrust into a world filled with complicated relationships, difficult decisions, and stunning beauty. Greer poignantly and thoughtfully captures the essence of what it means to live multiple lives and how each moment can lead to profound sadness, joy, and ultimately, strength.

Throughout the novel, Greta contends with the idea of destiny and whether the lives she lives are predetermined or the outcome of her own actions and choices. By the time she reaches the end of the novel, she is cognizant of her ability to astutely shape her own destiny. As she grapples with the idea of destiny, Greta learns to accept the beauty and tragedy of each life she inhabits and discovers that each of them contain impossibly joyful and sorrowful moments.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells is a wonderfully written and moving novel that explores loss, love, and ultimately hope. Written in a beautiful, lyrical style, Greer paints a poignant portrait of how each moment of life carries profound meaning, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. At times, heartbreaking and bittersweet, this novel offers a unique perspective on living multiple lives and gives us a glimpse into the impossible beauty of the human spirit.