Specify Epithetical Books Her Fearful Symmetry
| Title | : | Her Fearful Symmetry |
| Author | : | Audrey Niffenegger |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 406 pages |
| Published | : | September 29th 2009 by Jonathan Cape Ltd |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Fantasy. Paranormal. Mystery. Ghosts. Contemporary. Supernatural |
Audrey Niffenegger
Hardcover | Pages: 406 pages Rating: 3.24 | 85714 Users | 12234 Reviews
Narration As Books Her Fearful Symmetry
Six years after the phenomenal success of The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger has returned with a spectacularly compelling and haunting second novel set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London. When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers--with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another. The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including--perhaps--their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind. Niffenegger weaves a captivating story in Her Fearful Symmetry about love and identity, about secrets and sisterhood, and about the tenacity of life--even after death.Define Books Toward Her Fearful Symmetry
| Original Title: | Her Fearful Symmetry |
| ISBN: | 0224085611 (ISBN13: 9780224085618) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Elspeth Noblin, Edwina Noblin, Julia Poole, Valentina Poole, Robert Fanshawe, Jack Poole, Martin Wells, Marijke Wells, Jessica Bates, James Bates |
| Setting: | London, England |
| Literary Awards: | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Favorite Book & Fiction (2009) |
Rating Epithetical Books Her Fearful Symmetry
Ratings: 3.24 From 85714 Users | 12234 ReviewsPiece Epithetical Books Her Fearful Symmetry
this book is like an episode of the twilight zone on crack combined with a shakespeare tragedy.I read Niffenegger's first novel before the days of Goodreads; and I remembered when I decided to rate it, I wavered between 3 (liked it) and 4 stars (really liked it). I ended up opting for 4 stars, because I did remember so much of it due to its sense of place and its unique storytelling. Her second novel has these same elements -- her strengths are obviously her imaginative story lines, which she roots in concrete reality. But the story, which started out strong, lost its way long before the
Like so many other readers, I was enchanted by The Time Travelers Wife. There was a willing suspension of disbelief on my part (which goes against my skeptical and cynical nature) but the story was sweet and engaging enough to pull it off. Not so much with Her Fearful Symmetry. Again, through at least the first 2/3 of the book, I was willing to suspend disbelief and go with the story. But then it just got ridiculous beyond the point where I enjoyed the story anymore. Essentially a ghost story,
Heres a question: What would you do if you had an overbearing, bossy twin sister whom you needed to get away from??a. Bear with it shes family after all.b. Elope with your middle-aged boyfriend.c. Get your parents involved and have a long family chat.d. Willingly die, and then try to resurrect yourself without her knowledge.??The meek twin in this story... she goes for option d.......This book was full of really absurd people doing really absurd things. The only way I managed to finish this was
Such a disappointment.While I certainly didn't expect this to be a clone of The Time Traveler's Wife (and I hate when authors write the same novels over and over, like, say, Jodi Picoult), this book was exponentially "less than" TTTW.The main characters (Julia and Valentina the twins, Robert Fanshaw, Elspeth) were not likable or warm. I had some sympathy for Valentina and her desire to split from her overbearing twin, but the scheme concocted to acheive this was over the top (even more over the
My initial reaction was that I really disliked this book. On reflection, I still really dislike it but for a different reason than I thought! I think what Niffenegger was trying to do here was present a group of deeply dysfunctional characters & put them in a ghost story & let nature take its course. Why anyone would want to read such a thing is beyond me, but there it is. Elspeth Noblin dies & leaves her London flat, which overlooks Highgate Cemetery, to her nieces, 20-year-old
I've finished this story just now. I can't say that I didn't like it, nor that I did. I am somewhere between them. Too much SF for my taste, and too less humanity. The twist of the sister, everybody knows about it but choses to not say a word - didn't satisfy me. After years, the twin daughters face a separation of view and one of them choses to kill herself- with the hope that somehow she'll return to life (you can find why and how and all the details by reading the book). And the final twist -
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