Reviewed by Christy
Miranda Silver has pica,
an eating disorder where the victim feels compelled to eat nonedible items –
such as chalk or plastic bits from a spatula, both favorites of Miranda’s.
After her mother dies when she is only sixteen, Miranda’s condition worsens and
neither her father nor her twin brother can help her. So she is sent away to
get better. When she returns (not fully recovered), her family welcomes her
home as does the house itself. The house is conscious and favors the women of
the Silver family, although it does not take kindly to any strangers within its
walls . . . and it has ways of making its displeasure known.
This
book has been on my to-read list for a few years, and after finally tackling it,
I have to say I’m a little disappointed. The prose itself is lovely, and I can
see why people enjoy Oyeyemi’s work. It has a very dreamy, fairy tale-like
feel. But I think the style is just a little too abstract for me. The story
meanders along without much happening, and it became a struggle to read at
times. Points of view switch frequently but there is never any indication of
whom is speaking so the reader must rely on context clues. Which for me meant
going back and reading the passage from the beginning once I knew who was
narrating. It was tedious. I never really became invested in the characters,
and I felt as if I was being kept at a distance the whole time.
There are
bright spots, however. The horror elements and anytime the narrative switches
to the point of view of the house are especially well done. I think the unusual
prose really lends itself to those moments and shines. Overall, it may just
come down to personal taste but I like my stories just a little more straight
forward. There is no denying, however, that Oyeyemi writes beautiful prose.
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