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medievaljuliana's review against another edition
I'm not sure who decided to label this a "novel," to be honest. There's definitely a common thread, but it remains quite elusive (one could say fox-like?) beyond the I-narrator who seems to be the same throughout the whole volume. Even the titular fox becomes more assumed than present most of the time, unless you consider all main character-topics of each chapter to be a fox-like figure in the Isaiah Berlin sense (which Ugresic herself brings to the text).
All of the chapters feel a little dream-like, in part because of the fragmentary take on the narrative, but also because of how real places become undefined, almost fuzzy around the edges. I guess I would see this as a series of fictionalized memoirs? essay-like fictions?
Despite this categorization difficulty, or perhaps because of it, I recommend it for anyone interested in story-telling and migration (voluntary and forced), and how time and place move through us.
And it got me curious to read more of her work, which is always a plus.
All of the chapters feel a little dream-like, in part because of the fragmentary take on the narrative, but also because of how real places become undefined, almost fuzzy around the edges. I guess I would see this as a series of fictionalized memoirs? essay-like fictions?
Despite this categorization difficulty, or perhaps because of it, I recommend it for anyone interested in story-telling and migration (voluntary and forced), and how time and place move through us.
And it got me curious to read more of her work, which is always a plus.
lenawadera's review
5.0
Kocham, kocham, kocham. Ta książka została napisana dla mnie, nie mam co do tego najmniejszych wątpliwości. Fakt ten potęguje magiczność, z jakim „Lis” zjawiła się w moich ramionach – zleciała na mnie z półki ukochanego antykwariatu i literalnie walnęła mnie w czubek głowy. Tyle dobra, tyle refleksji, tyle krytyki literackiej i czułostek w stronę słów poprzetykanych między wierszami – w pewnym momencie poczułam autentyczny lęk, że tego w sobie nie zmieszczę. Uczucie, jakbym wróciła do domu. Do swoich słów. Pomieszanie z poplątaniem, ale nie umiem o takich książkach logicznie i według strukturki. Tak po prostu – moja rzecz.
scarletohhara's review against another edition
4.0
More like a 3.5.
I struggled to finish this book, but it is because of the plot or the lack of it thereof. I enjoyed reading a few essays and a few others were too hard to comprehend on the first read.
I love this author and her subjects, though.
I struggled to finish this book, but it is because of the plot or the lack of it thereof. I enjoyed reading a few essays and a few others were too hard to comprehend on the first read.
I love this author and her subjects, though.
pearloz's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting blend of fiction and non-fiction here, a trope I've been reading and enjoying a lot lately. There's no real overarching plot here but rather six vaguely related parts; there are sections about real authors and their fictionalized lives (an author who died in real life is depicted to have faked his death), about mine hunters, about Nabokov's butterfly collecting hobby (in particular focusing on one of his students who went on a butterfly hunting road trip w/ N and his wife). So the novel seems to be about larger stories' footnotes/side or background characters with the theme of the "Fox" woven throughout. It's actually very hard to talk about this book, but I will seek more of her books out.
larisichica's review
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
zebraglia's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gorecki's review against another edition
2.0
Reading Fox by Dubravka Ugrešić felt both like a very rewarding intellectual treat and a very tiring attempt to make sense of a pile of notes that got mixed up together. It was like hard work with glimpses of enjoyment here and there. Like being proud for finishing a challenging task but not really knowing what it actually was once you finish it.
Fox is apparently a “historiographic metafiction” which combines historical facts, autobiography and fiction. That sounds as complicated as it actually is. In many ways it reminded me of Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights - fragmented writing consisting of many different episodes, some of which connected, others - not. In a sense it reads like the beginnings of several separate literary works meshed into one minus the endings. Many of these pieces were exquisitely well written observations on politics, culture, war, literature, writing and reading, home, immigration and emigration, seeking refuge. Whole passages and pages of the book were full of brutal honesty which in an age of sugar-coating everything felt very liberating and refreshing. But as much as I loved these parts, I did quite quickly become frustrated that they don’t really add up to a coherent whole, unless it’s a whole that’s too hard for me to grasp (which I believe might be the case).
Nevertheless, I’m very glad I read it, both because of Ugrešić’s inspirational observations and for our chats with a friend which peaked at the beginning and became shorter and farther between as we progressed through the book. When I first finished the book I was a bit harsh with my rating, but I have to admit that a week later I think much better of it.
I’ll finish off with a quote on literary festivals and the modern reader. Make of it what you will:
“Today literary festivals are not so different from medieval country fairs, where the fair-goers stroll from tent to tent, from fire-eaters to jugglers. Writers today no longer burden their audience with a reading, they “perform”. The audience, whose standards for reception have been honed by television and the internet, are more and more ignorant about literature, what they want is fast, unambiguous entertainment…”
Fox is apparently a “historiographic metafiction” which combines historical facts, autobiography and fiction. That sounds as complicated as it actually is. In many ways it reminded me of Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights - fragmented writing consisting of many different episodes, some of which connected, others - not. In a sense it reads like the beginnings of several separate literary works meshed into one minus the endings. Many of these pieces were exquisitely well written observations on politics, culture, war, literature, writing and reading, home, immigration and emigration, seeking refuge. Whole passages and pages of the book were full of brutal honesty which in an age of sugar-coating everything felt very liberating and refreshing. But as much as I loved these parts, I did quite quickly become frustrated that they don’t really add up to a coherent whole, unless it’s a whole that’s too hard for me to grasp (which I believe might be the case).
Nevertheless, I’m very glad I read it, both because of Ugrešić’s inspirational observations and for our chats with a friend which peaked at the beginning and became shorter and farther between as we progressed through the book. When I first finished the book I was a bit harsh with my rating, but I have to admit that a week later I think much better of it.
I’ll finish off with a quote on literary festivals and the modern reader. Make of it what you will:
“Today literary festivals are not so different from medieval country fairs, where the fair-goers stroll from tent to tent, from fire-eaters to jugglers. Writers today no longer burden their audience with a reading, they “perform”. The audience, whose standards for reception have been honed by television and the internet, are more and more ignorant about literature, what they want is fast, unambiguous entertainment…”
lili_geek's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
whatadutchgirlreads's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5