Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Recommend: Mr. Fox

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi is a really fun read. It's fast-paced and clever, with unexpected twists along the way. It will definitely keep you guessing as fiction and reality are woven together intricately by the main characters.

Mr. Fox is an author who likes to kill off his female characters. His muse, Mary Foxe, is one of his fictional creations - or is she? She takes a step into reality when she challenges him to cease this murderous habit. Thus begins a madcap rush through stories written by Mr. Fox - or is it Mary writing? The tales unfold one after the other, each fox trying to outsmart the other.

Within this patchwork of "lessons" on how a story can have a significant impact (positive or negative) are doses of reality. We meet Mr. Fox's wife, Daphne, and her concern for her husband who seems to be losing his mind... or is he cheating on her? Who is this Mary he keeps comparing her to? And imagine their surprise when Daphne finds herself a player in their little writing game!

As I said, this is a really fun book. I'll definitely be reading it again - the complexity of the novel warrants further study. That isn't to say it's a difficult book though. It's very entertaining and easy to read and will surely capture your imagination!   

1 comment:

Nicole's Homemade Treats...The Blog said...

Sounds interesting!! I shall have to add that to my list!