Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives

**** As a committed fan of Desperate Housewives, I enjoyed this collection of 17 fun essays probing various ideas, opinions, and critiques about DH. The topics were diverse and thought provoking. For example, one essay was entirely about DH homes, called "Oh Give Me a Home: Deconstructing the Houses of Desperate Housewives". Another essay was "Why I Hate Lynette and Why That Could Be a Compliment"; yet another was identifying with Lynette. It was indeed a type of psychoanalysis of the characters, the episodes, the themes, etc. But for a fan, this type of analysis is far from dull. The writing style is interesting, often tongue-in-cheek, with about half of the writers having previously been attorneys, and the other half professional writers. I would call the writing style in between an academic tome and a fan book---for me a perfect, thought-provoking, intelligent adventure of a book. Recommended. ****

If the intention of "Welcome to Wisteria Lane" was to capitalize on the (now waning) popularity of Desperate Housewives, they could have produced another fact book; full of pictures, biographies, timelines, and really nothing the average regularly-viewing fan didn't already know. How "Welcome to Wisteria Lane" differs from this kind of "quick buck" is that it is comprised of thoughtful essays that go beyond Bree is So Uptight! and GASP, Gabby's Sleeping With Her Gardener. The writing techniques of the various contributors vary. Some (mostly near the beginning of the book) relate their own lives to that of the Desperate Houswife they feel most closely resembles them. While the first few essays are admittedly of the standard variety (Go Lynette, the only "real" housewife! and the like), drawing parallels between the lives of the housewives and the lives of the authors is a valid method of exploring and relating to the show. Part of Desperate Housewives appeal lies in the title: there are many housewives, and quite a few of them are desperate. Affairs with gardeners, vehicular homicide and suicides aside, the reason many viewers tune in to Desperate Housewives is to try and catch glimpses of their own lives in that of Susan, Bree, Lynette, and Gabrielle's experiences. An author exploring their own relation to the show is no more self-serving than any viewer who sits in front of their television screen and reacts approvingly or disapprovingly to the housewives' decisions. In the middle of the book, the collection begins to pick up steam, with essays exploring sex in the suburban settings of classic television shows in relation to it's use in Desperate Houswives. Another delves into Edie Britt's role as the outsider perspective on Wisteria Lane that the show's narrative tropes and character-building revolves around. Yet another interprets the show as a morality play, with each character representing a traditional vice. If a potential buyer is interested in another factbook on Desperate Housewives, or an expose on the backstage secrets of the show, or a simple recap of the plot to date, this is not the book for you. If the potential buyer is interested in a decent collection of scholarly essays exploring topics both directly and indirectly related to the show, "Welcome to Wisteria Lane" is worth the purchase.