Mr. Fox

It is very hard to do justice to Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox because the book is so hard to describe. If asked what it is "about," one would say "it is about St. John Fox, a writer, Daphne, his wife, and Mary, his muse." However, it is unclear whether his muse is real or imaginary. In addition, Mary's role does not seem to be to inspire him to write, but to write differently. It soon becomes clear to the reader that Mr. Fox's heroines always die a violent death. Mary interjects herself to alter this. What follows are interwoven stories, whose writers are unclear, sometimes Fox, sometimes Mary, sometimes characters write stories within stories, and perhaps Daphne pens one or two. Some of the stories are partial, leaving the reader wanting more; others reach a more traditional conclusion. Most of these stories are variations of either Bluebeard or the Reynard folktales. This is the second Oyeyemi book that I've read, and I have liked both of them very much. However, as I said in my last review, the books are very post-modern in their construction and their preoccupations. Also, they feel very English. I can see very clearly why Oyeyemi's novels are not everyone's "cup of tea"; however, I enjoy the challenges they offer.