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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