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donnaburtwistle 's review for:
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
by Alice Hoffman
I continue to be blown away by Alice Hoffman. She writes the most beautiful novels--each sentence is gorgeous.
This story is definitely unsettling, however. Set in 1910 in New York City, we are introduced to The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a theatrical carnival-like-business run by the "Professor". The professor's daughter, Coralee, is one of the star attractions, as a hand deformity has allowed the Professor to present her as a mermaid of sorts. Having grown up in isolation, only surrounded by other "freaks of nature" and a domestic servant named Maureen, Coralee has come to believe that she is not entirely human.
The other part of the story lies with Eddie Cohen, a young Jewish man who has broken with his faith and his father, and become a part of the seedy underbelly of the city.
However, both Coralee and Eddie are profoundly changed when they are exposed to the natural world. For Eddie, his connection with a nature photographer opens his eyes to the beauty of the trees and river. For Coralee, it is her exposure to the Hudson River that makes her feel beautiful and alive. When their paths cross, their intense attraction to each other propels them into a journey of violence, fear and finally, realization.
This story is definitely unsettling, however. Set in 1910 in New York City, we are introduced to The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a theatrical carnival-like-business run by the "Professor". The professor's daughter, Coralee, is one of the star attractions, as a hand deformity has allowed the Professor to present her as a mermaid of sorts. Having grown up in isolation, only surrounded by other "freaks of nature" and a domestic servant named Maureen, Coralee has come to believe that she is not entirely human.
The other part of the story lies with Eddie Cohen, a young Jewish man who has broken with his faith and his father, and become a part of the seedy underbelly of the city.
However, both Coralee and Eddie are profoundly changed when they are exposed to the natural world. For Eddie, his connection with a nature photographer opens his eyes to the beauty of the trees and river. For Coralee, it is her exposure to the Hudson River that makes her feel beautiful and alive. When their paths cross, their intense attraction to each other propels them into a journey of violence, fear and finally, realization.