A review by andrejt
The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

4.0

A magic realism novel about a downfall of several interconnected rich families living in Princeton at the beginning of the 20th century. It is written in a beautiful prose that more-or-less faithfully mimics the literary language of the era. This essentially balladic story borrows heavily from ancient fairy tales and modern psychoanalysis. However, it is also a powerful social critique of racism, sexism, and classism that characterized the American Gilded Age. You'll see there some very unflattering depictions of Woodrow Wilson, Jack London, and other historical personalities. The critique itself mischievously springs from the unavoidable dissonance between what the characters believe and the contemporary reader's values. Warning: the book is quite lengthy and the extreme naivete of its main characters becomes soon tiresome. Still worth 4 stars, I think!