Her Fearful Symmetry...

Her Fearful Symmetry

 

The dust jacket says:

 

“An unnerving, unforgettable, and enchating ghost story, a novel about love and identity, secrets and sisterhood and the tenacity of life—even after death.”  I must vehemently disagree.

 

I have to say that I absolutely LOVED the first two-thirds of this book.  I found all the characters engaging, to various degrees.  I read with anticipation, waiting to see where the story led me. 

 

Then the novel suddenly turned one-hundred-and-eighty-degrees and became a ghoulish nightmare, where many of the characters were not the quirky-but-nice folks that I thought they were.  They were cruel, selfish, uncaring monsters.

 

SPOILER ALERT:  plot points exposed…

 

A mother who gives up her children at nine months old and walks away, never to have anything to do with them (while she is alive) again. 

 

A twin who wants to separate herself from her sister but who is too emotionally weak that she cannot, kills herself…never thinking of the pain she will cause her family.  Never ONCE thinking of anyone but herself.

 

A mother who helps her daughter to kill herself and then ghoulishly takes her body so that she can live again.

 

A man that realizes that his ex-lover has participated in the daughter’s death and taken her body, but that lives with her again anyway.

 

A couple that have deceived each other, and their children, with unforgiveable lies.

 

This was NOT the enchanting, quirky, romantic book that The Time Traveler’s Wife was, this is a horror novel.  I HATE horror novels, movies, whatever…

 

I wish I had been forewarned, as I would never have read this book.  And now, I’m actually sorry that I did.

 

Audrey Niffenigger, I am so disappointed.  I will no longer automatically read whatever it is you write. 

 

Horrible.  Horrible.  Horrible.

Comments

[shawn]

There is nothing more worse than enjoying a book and then it taking a completely different turn. That's cruel in its ownself. I bet you really felt like you were taken for a ride... :O( and, i'm so glad I don't read that many books, because I would hate this to happen to me. Thanks for the heads up.

[Margaret]

I only like horror stories if that's what I know I'm getting and am prepared. You got blind sided on this one! I LOVED TTW, but will take a pass on this one.

[tinker]

I used to read horror stories, but I really don't enjoy reading the genre, anymore. I loved the Time Traveler's Wife so much, I'd been looking forward to this one too...Thanks for the warning.

[Stephanie of CreatureBug]

I have this book in my library que, but perhaps I'll have to reconsider it. I was really hoping it was sort of romantic gothic (ala Jane Eyre). Sounds decidedly NOT like that. Bummer!