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A review by lrc52
Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Just fyi--I wouldn't consider this magical realism.
As usual, man falls in love with the idea of perfection-in this case of his own creation. Mr. Fox is a writer of fiction in which the women come to violent ends. (This is mentioned and occasionally there are a few details, but the book is not gory.) He has created a muse--Mary--with whom he falls in love. Not only is she a perfect woman, but he also controls her--though the writing is a bit messy about this because sometimes he controls her (scene where he renders her mute because she is annoying him) and other times she is completely on her own like when she visits his wife and goes to dinner.
Mr. Fox also has a flesh and blood wife--Daphne--that he mostly ignores until he is jealous of another man's attentions to her.
Mary objects to his violent treatment of his female characters and challenges him to a game. They write back and forth. As he writes she answers with her own story with him as the subject. Thus beginning a conversation exploring the casual violence against women so prevalent in the real world. Their stories begin to invade reality--in layered ways. Mary begins to recognize Mr. Fox's same casual (emotional) violence toward his wife and reaches out to her. They turn to each other--each defiant but understanding the other's desperate for the love of Mr. Fox.
What happens next? Not much. Except ultimately there is no refute of violence against women--only a trope of women learning to love the violence.
As usual, man falls in love with the idea of perfection-in this case of his own creation. Mr. Fox is a writer of fiction in which the women come to violent ends. (This is mentioned and occasionally there are a few details, but the book is not gory.) He has created a muse--Mary--with whom he falls in love. Not only is she a perfect woman, but he also controls her--though the writing is a bit messy about this because sometimes he controls her (scene where he renders her mute because she is annoying him) and other times she is completely on her own like when she visits his wife and goes to dinner.
Mr. Fox also has a flesh and blood wife--Daphne--that he mostly ignores until he is jealous of another man's attentions to her.
Mary objects to his violent treatment of his female characters and challenges him to a game. They write back and forth. As he writes she answers with her own story with him as the subject. Thus beginning a conversation exploring the casual violence against women so prevalent in the real world. Their stories begin to invade reality--in layered ways. Mary begins to recognize Mr. Fox's same casual (emotional) violence toward his wife and reaches out to her. They turn to each other--each defiant but understanding the other's desperate for the love of Mr. Fox.
What happens next? Not much. Except ultimately there is no refute of violence against women--only a trope of women learning to love the violence.