As usual, I am one of the last people I know that has yet to read The Time Traveler's Wife (which is on the top 10 list of half the book blogging population). Therefore, I had no expectations when I ordered Niffenegger's new novel, Her Fearful Symmetry. People were all over the place with the reviews. Some loved it, some said it was just plain weird, some didn't like it much at all. EW gave it a C+!!! Still, I am nothing if not a lover of weird literature, so I went for it.
I hesitate to summarize, as it has been done ad nauseum. But for those who haven't heard, I will try to lay it out briefly. Twenty-year-old twins, Julia and Valentina, living in Chicago, are informed that they have inherited the London flat of their mother's (Edie) recently deceased twin Elspeth. Apparently, things have been dicey between Edie and Elspeth for years, so this all come as quite a shock to the girls. Against the better judgement of their parents, Julia and Valentina fly off to London on a new adventure, to take possession of their newly acquired real estate. They become acquainted with Robert, Elspeth's lover, and their upstairs neighbor, Martin, who is severely OCD and can't leave his flat. They also meet the ghost of Elspeth, who just happens to be hanging around the flat, watching the girls. The famous Highgate Cemetery is outside their back door, adding a bit more atmosphere to the tale as well.
Things start to get a little interesting when Elspeth begins to develop a close friendship with Valentina at the same time Robert starts to date her. In Elspeth's experimentation as a ghost, she comes across a revelation of sorts. One that is terrifyingly creepy and possibly deadly.
I'll just lay this out on the table up front. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed its uniqueness, its weirdness and its unpredictability.
Let's start with Julia and Valentina's relationship. They are inseparable, but almost to the point of it being inappropriate. They dress alike, they sleep together, and always hold hands. At the age of twenty, this is a tad bit strange. (Does anyone know twins like this? Most twins I know are pretty normal!) However, this does not bother me a bit. One of my first horror novels was a book called Whispers by Dean Koontz, where one twin keeps his dead twin brother with him, and makes out with his disintegrating body. Now THAT is weird.
I was filled with fascination at the character development of Martin, the upstairs neighbor with OCD. I guess I knew what OCD was, but have never really understood its implications. Now I do. I was also fascinated at Niffenegger's portrayal of Elspeth's ghost, how she developed into a spirit that can influence her surroundings, her thoughts, frustrations, and regrets. The events that unfold as a result of Elspeth's ghost completely freaked me out. My heart pounded for the last quarter of the book. The night after I finished the book, I had dreams about dead kittens. I kid you not.
I will admit, there were some faults with the book. You don't become all that invested in the characters. The twins are immature and slightly indulgent. Robert is strung out. I never quite trust Elspeth. And there is tremendous amount of detail about The Highgate Cemetery...all you ever wanted to know and more. Those quibbles aside, the book is the furthest thing from predictable. I pride myself in figuring out plots in advance, but Niffenegger had me with this one. My advice? Give it a shot...you might be surprised!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Please join me in welcoming Molly from The Bumbles. She has very graciously agreed to do this guest post for me while I am traveling. I've been reading and following Molly and Andy's blog for about six months now, and I can honestly say the day is not complete unless I have been entertained by them in some way. You may recognize their blog name because they are the host of the Monday Movie Meme that you see on my blog each week. They are also the world's biggest Red Sox fans, they are prolific readers, excellent photographers, music lovers, they love to travel (Molly writes for a travel blog)...Molly was even so kind to recommend the world's most comfortable shoe, which I promptly went out and purchased for my Poland trip. If you have not experienced their blog, please do so. Tell them I sent you! So on with the review...heeeeere's Molly!
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Clare Abshire has an interesting way of finding a husband. She meets him in a meadow at her childhood home when she is 6 years old….and he is 36. Except they are really only 8 years apart, so not as creepy as it sounds. This is all due to the wonders of time travel - something that Clare’s husband, Henry DeTamble, is afflicted with.
If you are willing to treat The Time Traveler’s Wife like an episode of Lost, where you suspend all disbelief, stop trying to make sense of time travel guidelines, and let author Audrey Niffenegger take you along for the ride, you will discover a very passionate tale about the destiny of these soul mates and the strength that love can provide through all kinds of obstacles.
Not being a big fan of romance, or fantasy, I was leery of this book. However, it is not a mushy love story hidden beneath some sci-fi jargon as I had feared. The introductions to Henry & Clare are a bit awkward, but once the book gets going Niffenegger engages the reader so strongly with each of them individually that you watch them grow into a unit you can’t bear to see divided.
The book is told entirely from Henry & Clare’s individual perspectives, alternating back and forth between them and giving us the date and their ages at each point along the way. They are told in short sections which makes it easy to read in brief intervals. Niffenegger writes the male perspective equally as well as the female which always makes it easier to relate to the characters on their own terms. The time travel storyline works creatively to move the plot along by weaving pieces into the overall picture to fill in the blanks. And the separation that Henry’s time traveling causes highlights the conviction of their relationship - which is the true message of the book.
Henry & Clare do their best to create a normal life with their friends, their careers, and their family as Henry is constantly disappearing from their present. Sometimes he is gone for a few moments. Other times he is gone for days. They never know where time will bring him or for how long. But often he is visiting Clare in the past - her past - for his presence in it only becomes known to him in his future. Knowing that Henry has left her as she is now to be with her as she remembers him from her childhood is of some comfort to her. But their relationship could give separation anxiety a whole new meaning.
Through all the challenges time presents them, they never lose their passion for each other to the core. They know each other’s thoughts, feelings, actions, and needs so seamlessly. In fact, comparing your own relationship to that of Henry & Clare’s could make you feel very inferior. But then again, you probably haven’t known your significant other in their past, their present and their future, all at the same time. Sometimes that knowledge is dangerous, but Clare & Henry do whatever they can to persevere. After all, it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
4 out of 5 stars
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As usual, I am one of the last people I know that has yet to read The Time Traveler's Wife (which is on the top 10 list of half the book blogging population). Therefore, I had no expectations when I ordered Niffenegger's new novel, Her Fearful Symmetry. People were all over the place with the reviews. Some loved it, some said it was just plain weird, some didn't like it much at all. EW gave it a C+!!! Still, I am nothing if not a lover of weird literature, so I went for it. 
