Reviews

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

mahovina's review against another edition

5.0

This book was such a good read! Definitely a favorite so far in this year, for sure. I got it at The Munich Readery as well as the author's book Boy, Snow, Bird which I will be reading soon.
If you asked me to retell the plot of this book it would be with giving away the magic of it. The author writes beautifully, almost effortlessly and the combination of Mr. Fox's short stories and the overall plot line is so masterfully done.
Some parts really make me want to pick up 'my pen' and start typing away, creating worlds, chaos, stories. (Especially the last story about the grey fox and the girl.) Haven't felt like that in a long time.

Also, I really love the short story titled 'What happens next', it reads almost like a movie scene (therefore I want to screenplay it) and knowing it will end at one point really kept me on my toes.

longingyearning's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

Funny and different… and I did find the characters lovable. Especially Mr and Mrs Fox…. The short stories in between made sense since Mr Fox is a writer. But at times I did feel that they were getting in the way of actually developing the storyline for the main characters. Also, I didn’t understand the end chapter “some foxes”. That could’ve been excluded. 

kay_kay_marie's review against another edition

1.0

I love reading but this book has me dreading picking it up. Slow and confusing to be honest. I regularly wondered what in the world was going on. I'd start to understand and then the next chapter would start and the plot fell firmly out of my grasp again. I finally just gave up on it and didn't finish it (and that has only happened a handful of times in my entire life).

mollykernsclapp's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This night have been too much magical realism for me (something I never thought I’d say)

ccoyle7's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

breadandmushrooms's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

roxtar's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This book is weird, beautiful and complicated. 

avidreadr's review against another edition

2.0

did not finish this one. I literally could not understand what I was reading and felt zero interest in finishing this book. wanted to love it because of the cover.

epigramsfromnowhere's review against another edition

3.75

Beautiful beautiful prose but I’m not sure the concept really works. If this was a short story collection it would be 5 stars but the execution of the conceit mostly fell flat.

saraanneb3's review against another edition

3.0

I really liked what the author was trying to do and her writing is compelling, but like so many other readers, I just had no idea what I was reading. I loved one of her other books, so I'll probably try out more, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.