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A review by nickartrip102
Fox: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Tonight on Dateline, Oates does Lolita
Who's afraid of Joyce Carol Oates? Me, of course. I read the novel Blonde over the course of a few months after several attempts at diving into it. It was beautifully written, but also forcefully, and necessarily, depressing. When I saw her latest novel, Fox , on NetGalley I instantly requested it and was pleased when I was approved to read it. Who is Francis Fox? A charming new teacher who beguiles his students, their parents, and his colleagues. Mr. Fox is less taken with his new community, but then he's always had his favorites: those prepubescent girls brought up in fatherless homes. When two brothers discover parts of his body strewn about the woods the community must begin to ask exactly who Francis Fox was and what might have happened to him
Like with much of her other work, Oates’ writing in Fox is alluring, exacting, and quite repetitive. I found that I didn’t necessarily mind the repetition in some sections, because it felt like it served a thematic purpose and in some instances presented an alternative perspective of some events in the novel. Francis Fox (our Humbert Humbert) is both seductive and utterly repellant. I was entranced as the spotlight shifted between characters and how they relate to one another on the page. Oates masterfully crafts several character sketches and I was often excited to explore a particular point of view. Middle-aged detectives, spinsterish administrators and twelve-year-old girls are all convincingly written and imbued the story with some humanity, something that is desperately needed after sharing space with a character like Fox.
At over 600 pages, this novel was one I circled several times before finally committing to reading it. The length is certainly navigable, but sometimes Oates’ prose can be daunting, jarring to adjust to as she makes revelations that land like gut punches in her distinct style. The content of the novel, as you can imagine from the synopsis, is quite dark but Fox is difficult to put down. I think because of the apprehensive way that I have approached some of Oates’ other works I wasn’t entirely expecting this book to be the page turner that it ended up being. Yes, there is a central mystery to the novel that held me captive, but Fox shines equally bright when it is exploring complicated family dynamics, trauma, and the morally ambiguous decision making driving its characters.
Who's afraid of Joyce Carol Oates? Me, of course. I read the novel Blonde over the course of a few months after several attempts at diving into it. It was beautifully written, but also forcefully, and necessarily, depressing. When I saw her latest novel, Fox , on NetGalley I instantly requested it and was pleased when I was approved to read it. Who is Francis Fox? A charming new teacher who beguiles his students, their parents, and his colleagues. Mr. Fox is less taken with his new community, but then he's always had his favorites: those prepubescent girls brought up in fatherless homes. When two brothers discover parts of his body strewn about the woods the community must begin to ask exactly who Francis Fox was and what might have happened to him
Like with much of her other work, Oates’ writing in Fox is alluring, exacting, and quite repetitive. I found that I didn’t necessarily mind the repetition in some sections, because it felt like it served a thematic purpose and in some instances presented an alternative perspective of some events in the novel. Francis Fox (our Humbert Humbert) is both seductive and utterly repellant. I was entranced as the spotlight shifted between characters and how they relate to one another on the page. Oates masterfully crafts several character sketches and I was often excited to explore a particular point of view. Middle-aged detectives, spinsterish administrators and twelve-year-old girls are all convincingly written and imbued the story with some humanity, something that is desperately needed after sharing space with a character like Fox.
At over 600 pages, this novel was one I circled several times before finally committing to reading it. The length is certainly navigable, but sometimes Oates’ prose can be daunting, jarring to adjust to as she makes revelations that land like gut punches in her distinct style. The content of the novel, as you can imagine from the synopsis, is quite dark but Fox is difficult to put down. I think because of the apprehensive way that I have approached some of Oates’ other works I wasn’t entirely expecting this book to be the page turner that it ended up being. Yes, there is a central mystery to the novel that held me captive, but Fox shines equally bright when it is exploring complicated family dynamics, trauma, and the morally ambiguous decision making driving its characters.