It was a brilliant stroke of marketing to release Her Fearful Symmetry on the heels of the release of the film adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife. While Audrey Niffenegger in no way fell into the "second-novel slump" I still found Wife to have a different "it" factor as opposed to Symmetry.
The book opens with Elspeth Noblin leaving her estate to the twin daughters of her own (estranged) twin sister. Her will states that should the twins (Julia and Valentina) choose to accept her London apartment they must first live there for a year before selling and that their parents can never set foot in the apartment.
While I believe the message of this book has to do with finding one's identity and love persevering after death, I couldn't help but be depressed (and at times- creep ed out) throughout the course of reading this book. Every character was just so tormented! I've never been frightened of the idea of ghosts or spirits, but something about adult twins who still dress alike gives me the heeby-jeebies.
Niffenegger's ability to write the elusive literary page-turner is still very much in tact, however Her Fearful Symmetry did not leave me with hope and a full heart as Niffenegger's debut did.
B-
No comments:
Post a Comment