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caitlinemccann's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book is more of a 2.5-star read for me, but I'm rounding up because while it wasn't for me, I don't think it was inherently bad either. In fact, Helen Oyeyemi is an interesting writer with prose that manages to be both spare and melodic. I just didn't get her book.
This premise captivated me early on--a writer confronted by his (real? imagined?) muse for repeatedly killing his heroines. There was such strong potential for commentary in that premise that I don't feel was fully realized. However, Mr. Fox feels like a book I would read in a college course. It feels like it's supposed to be Important Literature. There are clear recurring motifs and symbolism galore, but I struggled to stay engaged.
The characters and their respective arcs always stayed a little out of reach, and I didn't know who or what I was rooting for. Though the book is initially set in the 1930s (I think) it also dallies in other timelines that aren't clearly addressed within the narrative. I walked away feeling like I missed something or wasn't clever enough for the myriad of Foxes in this book.
This premise captivated me early on--a writer confronted by his (real? imagined?) muse for repeatedly killing his heroines. There was such strong potential for commentary in that premise that I don't feel was fully realized. However, Mr. Fox feels like a book I would read in a college course. It feels like it's supposed to be Important Literature. There are clear recurring motifs and symbolism galore, but I struggled to stay engaged.
The characters and their respective arcs always stayed a little out of reach, and I didn't know who or what I was rooting for. Though the book is initially set in the 1930s (I think) it also dallies in other timelines that aren't clearly addressed within the narrative. I walked away feeling like I missed something or wasn't clever enough for the myriad of Foxes in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Classism
jayisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
Oyeyemi is such a fantastic writer, but I don't know if I actually got the point of Mr. Fox. It may very well be that I wasn't in the headspace to read something particularly clever, but even then, I think Oyeyemi may have tried a little too hard to push for a meta narrative and I just… didn't get it. There were some fascinating stories woven into this novel, and I think it would have made for a far more engaging short stories collection than anything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Incest and Sexual assault
emory's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
4.0
Vexing in the best and most satisying way possible. In love with everything I've read from Helen Oyeyemi.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Murder
Minor: Incest
mygallaget's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
surelyinthefountain's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I rated this a bit more optimistically than I felt while reading, which was maybe half a star lower. Usually I love this sort of novel, but I just wasn't in quite the right mood to enjoy it as much as I might have. Maybe I'll revisit it in the future.
You can really approach "Mr. Fox" very much like you would a book of short stories. While there's an overarching story, a lot of what's going on with the main characters is shrouded in metaphor, and you have to read between the lines somewhat on some of the things that are going on there. There's a lot of interesting stuff happening thematically with how this plays with the Bluebeard story and other fairy tales/folklore, esp. with regards to gender; I also really like the queer subtext that builds up throughout the novel, both in terms of narrative structure and story happenings.The obvious reading is that St. John is gay or bisexual, based on the story of the two boys in school who were in love but later married women, hid themselves behind masks and never spoke to one another again. He's shown to be pretty uncomfortable in the company of other men, and when he thinks Daphne is having an affair, he just...massively overestimates how attractive the other guy is, to the point that Daphne finds it kind of ludicrous. Personally, though, I kind of find a trans reading of St. John more interesting and convincing. While you can read Mary to be his "muse" and idealized woman, I think you can also interpret her as much more a part of him and who he is than anything, especially from some of the stuff in that closing story. "Please change me. Change me, change me, change me...not fox anymore" is pretty blatant. But I dunno; my thoughts are not super developed on this!
That's not super necessary to get into, though, to enjoy yourself. Book is fun; light in tone, though often more in the vein of dark humor. The short stories themselves are fun and interesting enough on their own that you can kind of also just go along for the ride.
You can really approach "Mr. Fox" very much like you would a book of short stories. While there's an overarching story, a lot of what's going on with the main characters is shrouded in metaphor, and you have to read between the lines somewhat on some of the things that are going on there. There's a lot of interesting stuff happening thematically with how this plays with the Bluebeard story and other fairy tales/folklore, esp. with regards to gender; I also really like the queer subtext that builds up throughout the novel, both in terms of narrative structure and story happenings.
That's not super necessary to get into, though, to enjoy yourself. Book is fun; light in tone, though often more in the vein of dark humor. The short stories themselves are fun and interesting enough on their own that you can kind of also just go along for the ride.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Murder