Quirky, a little disjointed but interesting

This is a very complicated fairy tale, based on the story of Bluebeard. Mr. Fox is a writer who kills off his heroines. Mary is his muse who comes to life. I was looking forward to this book after hearing Oyeyemi read excerpts at the Ottawa Writers' Festival. However, although well-written and inventive, it was too complex and I read only half.

The stories jump from narrator to narrator, and setting and time frame, and it often takes a page or two to sort it out and situate yourself in the new tale. While it could have felt disjointed, to me it felt more kaleidoscopic: the stories were shards of the same premise, all tumbling around together in one container, creating different images and patterns with each turn. While it was hard work at times, it was also startling and shocking and beautiful and horrible to read. Oyeyemi's voice is very much her own; this reminded me of her other books yet she's created a wholly new story here. Influenced by the tale of Bluebeard, she puts her own spin on the concept and creates something that shines with her particular brand of brilliance.

full review at Indextrious Reader http://indextrious.blogspot.ca/2011/11/oyeyemis-mr-fox.html

I enjoyed the fact that this book was hard to place in a defined era. It had a great use of language and explored its characters well.