Her Fearful Symmetry - audio book
I recently listened to an audio book novel for the first time. I am an avid reader, or used to be when I had more free time, and I had a long drive alone to tackle and though this might be the best way to make the time go by quickly and make the trip as enjoyable as possible. After much deliberation at the offerings at Barnes and Noble (as dang those things are expensive and I failed to plan ahead and get one from the library or used book store) I chose Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. I found the experience really wonderful and now I wish I had tried audio books sooner.
Listening to a book being read and reading it myself are two very different experiences for me. I have a tendency to rush and skim when reading because I am anxious to see how the plot unfolds and what is going to happen next, thus I miss out on a lot of texture, subtlety, and the real pleasure of the beauty and art in how the words are woven together by a skillful writer. Kind of like gulping down a meal too fast because you are so hungry that you fail to enjoy the taste, texture and pleasure of the experience. (Which, unfortunately, I am prone to doing as well.) Listening doesn't allow that of course, and this particular book was very well suited for savoring each word and taking the time to picture each character, setting, particular scene, etc.
I had read The Time Traveler's Wife, also by Niffenegger a few years ago and I enjoyed it very much (the movie? - meh). Her Fearful Symmetry is quite different than TTW. It unfolds slowly, the way many English books and movies seem to, and this is something I really enjoy - particularly in movies, they tend to allow the watcher/reader to read between the lines and rely on the actors to accurately portray emotion and move the story forward in more subtle and less obvious "let's spell this all out for you in black and white exposition so your tiny brains won't be confused" ways that Hollywood seems to favor. I don't think Niffenegger is actually English, but she spent a great deal of time working in Highgate Cemetery in London and her detailed descriptions of both makes one feel as if one is right there. The book deals the supernatural in a strangely natural and believable way.
The book involves two generations of identical twins, the older set of twins as aunt and mother, who are estranged and have been for years. The mother of the twins, Edie, lives in America, while the other, Elspeth, lives in London. Elspeth had only ever seen the twins as infants due to the estrangement, the cause of which is a secret. Elspeth dies early in the book and in her will, leaves her flat which overlooks Highgate Cemetery to the younger twins, Valentina and Julia, under certain stipulations, one of which is that they move from their home in Chicago and live in her flat for one year before they can sell it. The first half of the book is especially good as the author carefully crafts the characters personalities and sets the stage. I really felt as if I were right there listening and watching the characters interact. (as I drove through Las Vegas, and then of course the ever lovely Baker, and Barstow, CA, some of you might know what I am talking about)
There are several other characters also, Robert, who lives in the same building as the twins,and is a volunteer tour guide at the cemetery and also Elspeth's grief stricken former lover. Martin, also a neighbor, is a crafter of intricate crossword puzzles and suffers from OCD. His wife Marijke, loves him but after 25 years is understandably exhausted with dealing with his ever growing compulsions. Among the themes of this are the dependencies we all have in relationships, and which are particularly strong in the case of identical twins. Those dependencies twist and turn - desperation to hang on, desperation to escape - shaping the characters and compelling them to commit actions would have never imagined themselves capable of. Also, long buried secrets, and their devastating consequences, and the choices people make in the name of love and self preservation. The first half of the book slowly and deliberately sets up the conflict in a very satisfyingly gothic way, though I guessed several of the climatic plot points well ahead of time some took me completely by surprise. The book seemed to falter a bit in the middle and end. One of the twins, Valentina makes a risky and dire decision that to me seems way out of proportion to the problem she was attempting to solve. She eventually is able to enlist the grudging support of Robert, and another character who may or may not have some fundamentally selfish and downright sinister motives. The ending of this book seems rushed and not nearly as fleshed out as the first, which is disappointing, however, I would still recommend it.
Listening to a book being read and reading it myself are two very different experiences for me. I have a tendency to rush and skim when reading because I am anxious to see how the plot unfolds and what is going to happen next, thus I miss out on a lot of texture, subtlety, and the real pleasure of the beauty and art in how the words are woven together by a skillful writer. Kind of like gulping down a meal too fast because you are so hungry that you fail to enjoy the taste, texture and pleasure of the experience. (Which, unfortunately, I am prone to doing as well.) Listening doesn't allow that of course, and this particular book was very well suited for savoring each word and taking the time to picture each character, setting, particular scene, etc.
I had read The Time Traveler's Wife, also by Niffenegger a few years ago and I enjoyed it very much (the movie? - meh). Her Fearful Symmetry is quite different than TTW. It unfolds slowly, the way many English books and movies seem to, and this is something I really enjoy - particularly in movies, they tend to allow the watcher/reader to read between the lines and rely on the actors to accurately portray emotion and move the story forward in more subtle and less obvious "let's spell this all out for you in black and white exposition so your tiny brains won't be confused" ways that Hollywood seems to favor. I don't think Niffenegger is actually English, but she spent a great deal of time working in Highgate Cemetery in London and her detailed descriptions of both makes one feel as if one is right there. The book deals the supernatural in a strangely natural and believable way.
The book involves two generations of identical twins, the older set of twins as aunt and mother, who are estranged and have been for years. The mother of the twins, Edie, lives in America, while the other, Elspeth, lives in London. Elspeth had only ever seen the twins as infants due to the estrangement, the cause of which is a secret. Elspeth dies early in the book and in her will, leaves her flat which overlooks Highgate Cemetery to the younger twins, Valentina and Julia, under certain stipulations, one of which is that they move from their home in Chicago and live in her flat for one year before they can sell it. The first half of the book is especially good as the author carefully crafts the characters personalities and sets the stage. I really felt as if I were right there listening and watching the characters interact. (as I drove through Las Vegas, and then of course the ever lovely Baker, and Barstow, CA, some of you might know what I am talking about)
There are several other characters also, Robert, who lives in the same building as the twins,and is a volunteer tour guide at the cemetery and also Elspeth's grief stricken former lover. Martin, also a neighbor, is a crafter of intricate crossword puzzles and suffers from OCD. His wife Marijke, loves him but after 25 years is understandably exhausted with dealing with his ever growing compulsions. Among the themes of this are the dependencies we all have in relationships, and which are particularly strong in the case of identical twins. Those dependencies twist and turn - desperation to hang on, desperation to escape - shaping the characters and compelling them to commit actions would have never imagined themselves capable of. Also, long buried secrets, and their devastating consequences, and the choices people make in the name of love and self preservation. The first half of the book slowly and deliberately sets up the conflict in a very satisfyingly gothic way, though I guessed several of the climatic plot points well ahead of time some took me completely by surprise. The book seemed to falter a bit in the middle and end. One of the twins, Valentina makes a risky and dire decision that to me seems way out of proportion to the problem she was attempting to solve. She eventually is able to enlist the grudging support of Robert, and another character who may or may not have some fundamentally selfish and downright sinister motives. The ending of this book seems rushed and not nearly as fleshed out as the first, which is disappointing, however, I would still recommend it.