Books: Her Fearful Symmetry

Her Fearful Symmetry

Audrey Niffenegger’s second novel is a ghost story that reads almost like a fairy tale.  Twin sisters Julia and Valentina are left their estranged Aunt’s London flat with the instructions that they have to live there for 1 year and their Mother, their Aunt’s twin sister, mustnt step foot in the flat.  The sisters are spoiled 20 year olds living in Chicago with Mom & Dad looking for the next thing to try and this seems like the perfect adventure.  This is their chance to grow up, and for one sister, she thinks it’s her chance to seperate slowly from her clingy, bossy twin. 

The relationship between the twins is strained with only Valentina feeling the strain as Julia the bossy twin decides their every move and every fashion choice.  They dress alike, they sleep in the same bed, they eat the same meals.  The character’s in their new flat slowly seperate the thoughts between the twins.  Aunt Elspeth is a ghost in their flat and makes herself known to the twins.  Elspeth’s lover Robert lives downstairs and starts an odd relationship with Valentina that makes Elspeth jealous and the upstairs shut in Martin gains relief from his OCD’s in befriending Julia. 

The relationships are well developed and thought out and the Historic Highgate Cemetery that the building overlooks even seems to be it’s own character in the book.  The book is told from many perspectives and the most interesting perspective seems to be when told from that of the ghost of Aunt Elspeth.  Manipulative in person, I believe she magnifies that quality as a ghost trapped in her flat. 

A beautifully haunting tale that I think most people with an open mind to spirits will enjoy.  You won’t think of ghosts in the same way. 

Four out of five milky white ghost like butterflies.

Books: New reviews on their way

i am in the midst of an exciting reading frenzy!  A non-fiction gripping story about a serial killer in Italy and a fiction about a two sisters that are left a house when a long lost Aunt passes…the catch is that they have to move into it for a year before they can sell it.  They move from Chicago to London and move into a house that sits overlooking a cemetary of famous deceased and learn there’s a lot more to the house than thought.

See why I am excited!  I haven’t even gotten to the fiction book because the non-fiction is SO good!  I almost forgot to mention that the fiction is written by Audrey Niffenegger the same genius author behind The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Here are the links if you would like to follow along.

The Monster of Florence - by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi

Her Fearful Symmetry

Books: A Review

Mockingbird by Sean Stewart was referred via a blog entry by the ever magical Verhext and the book was a perfect summer endding read.  The story is about a woman who’s Mother has passed and has left to her visits from her Mother’s personal Gods.  Taking place in Houston, TX this tale is  magical realism revolving around prophecy, pregnancy and voodoo.  It was a wonderfully vivid read about having magic in your life, even unwanted magic that can tear apart or bring together a family in mysterious ways. 

While I am tempted to go read every Sean Stewart book out there, I am instead adding him to a list of authors I like and will return to him at a later date and will instead go back to the original blog entry and see what other gems I might find.  Verhext put together quite a reading list and while I love her blog I think I also love her reading habits and will poke about her entry until I discover another enchanted author.