Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Canada
ISBN: 978-0-14317-923-8
Pages: 336
Series: None
Source: From publisher for review
Goodreads Synopsis:
An exhilarating new direction for Helen Oyeyemi with a mischievous story of love, lies and inspiration.
It’s an ordinary afternoon in 1938 for the celebrated American novelist St John Fox, hard at work in the study of his suburban home – until his long-absent muse wanders in. Mary Foxe (beautiful, British and 100% imaginary) is in a playfully combative mood. “You’re a villain,” she tells him. ‘A serial killer . . . can you grasp that?”
Mr Fox has a predilection for murdering his heroines. Mary is determined to change his ways. And so she challenges him to join her in stories of their own devising, and the result is an exploration of love like no other.
It isn’t long before Mrs Daphne Fox becomes suspicious, and St John is offered a choice: a life with the girl of his dreams, or a life with an all-too-real woman who delights him more than he cares to admit. Can there be a happy ending this time?
Mr Fox is a magical book, as witty as it is profound in its truths about how we learn to be with one another.
My Review:
Hands down, Mr Fox has got to be the most interesting book I've ever read. The idea of the book caught my attention so I was eager to get it, and start reading it. Though once I started reading it, I wasn't sure what to think. The first 'chapter' of the book starts off great, we meet some characters and kind of have a feel about the book. Then we move on, and the narration changes and the story somewhat changes too, since there are short stories amongst the novel. And this is where things get tricky because I found it a bit hard to tell who was who and where we were going and who was narrating what. The characters are original though, interesting and down right funny. Mary Foxe was an imaginary friend who will make readers chuckle to themselves. And Mr Fox himself is an inventive character who will draw upon your curiosity.
Mr Fox (the book, not the character) reminded me of an abstract painting. The novel was wild, it was different and you really need to stop and think and dig deep to find the meaning behind it. And there will be some people who read it once and love it, and truly get everything out of it, there will be those of us who have to reread it, and really digest it, and there will be some who just wont see and understand the whole picture. But that's okay, this book isn't for everyone.
Helen Oyeyemi's writing is incredible though. She has a way with words and sentences that is truly unique in every way, and that added so much to the story for me. I would be reading Mr Fox and Oyeyemi's voice and words would carry me away from the story and I would honestly have to go back and reread what I just finished because I was lost with the writing but not the story. Helen is a gifted writer and at such a young age, I can see her going far with her gift.
Though this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be, and all in all wasn't for me, I can see this book being thoroughly enjoyed by many others!
About the author
More Blog Tour Stops:
Tales of a Ranting Ginger - Oct 24
Snowdrop Dreams of Books - Oct 25
Just a Lil’ Lost - Oct 26
In the Next Room - Oct 27
Evie Bookish - Oct 28
Florence in Print - Oct 31
A Bookworm’s World - Nov 1
Krystal’s Stellar Book Blog - Nov 2
The Indextrious Reader - Nov 3
Hands and Home - Nov 4
For a short story written by Helen Oyeyemi, you can visit here, or to read an NPR review, feel free to check it out too.
Thanks for stopping by my part of the blog tour, be sure to check out the rest of the list above of the other tour participants!
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