Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Her Fearful Symmetry

I go back and forth with how I feel about this book. It was one of those that I couldn't write an articulate review for instantly after reading it. I had to take my time.

The plot for this was immensely interesting. The atmosphere was EVERYTHING I needed in this cold December. It drew me in pretty quickly and I enjoyed the character interactions, but then it got boring.

I do take some issue, overall.

I don't like that Niffenegger seems very drawn to older man with a MUCH younger woman trope (though she did have a relationship between a much older woman and a younger man). One book, fine, I'll deal, but it's in both of the novels I've read by her.
I appreciate the representation of OCD, but it felt very stereotypical. The constant cleaning, the can't leave their house, the paranoia, the counting—yes, that's clinical OCD and isn't inaccurate, but it felt very shaming. As if, this character is only worthwhile when he's on medication and we must literally FORCE him to take meds so he's tolerable. This is inhumane—
he did realize he was on meds and then consented, but the character who forced him didn't realize that and literally plucked out her eyebrows to get meds, which is Trichotillomania, NOT OCD.
.
The character choices are intense in ways that I just don't agree with. It's like some of them forgot they have free will, which I understand comes with trauma, but I just feel a certain character would have thought of OTHER THINGS first before doing what occurred. It just felt like an engine for the longer plot point and I wasn't okay with it.

However! I did really enjoy reading this book. It pulled me in and I liked figuring out the mystery.

Content Warnings

ceallaighsbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Everything is so fragile, and so glorious. He closed his eyes. Here it comes… here’s the future… and here it is again…”

TITLE—Her Fearful Symmetry

AUTHOR—Audrey Niffenegger

PUBLISHED—2009

GENRE—literary fiction

SETTING—Highgate Cemetery, London, Illinois

MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—death, grief, relationships, OCD, ghosts, identity, obsession, cemeteries, sex/sexual attraction

WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BONUS ELEMENT/S—Martin & Marijke’s storyline was my favorite though. ❤️

PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book flooreddd me. I did NOT expect this to be a gorgeous ghost story complete with chilling and beautiful gothic imagery, as well as one of the most eloquent literary exposés on the nature of human complexity that I have ever read.

I think what particularly impressed me was how even though all the characters (apart from Martin—we pretty much all agreed he was the best 😂) were terribly unlikeable, and seemed to make some pretty controversial choices as a result of grief or trauma or other life situations, the way they were presented by the author made their experiences feel so human and real (in spite of all the characters’ extreme privilege 😅) that I actually became very invested and interested in all of their stories.

Niffenegger’s writing style was also gorgeous, subtle, and had one of the most effective modern gothic feels I’ve found in literature.

“Well, that’s just it, you see. I think perhaps if that sort of thing does happen—ghosts—it must be more beautiful, more surprising than all these old tales would have us believe.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW // grief, animal death, suicidal ideation, toxic relationships (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)

Further Reading—

Our Tragic Universe, by Scarlett Thomas
A Tomb With a View, by Peter Ross—TBR
Ghostland, by Edward Parnell—TBR

Content Warnings

More...