Book Review: Her Fearful Symmetry

Her Fearful Symmetry: A Novel
By Audrey Niffenegger
Scribner
Publication Date: September 29, 2009
ISBN: 978-1439165393

If you read Audrey Niffenegger's best-selling novel The Time Traveler's Wife, you know she isn't one for happy endings. And so, going into Her Fearful Symmetry (which I was incredibly excited to read) I was aware of that. I was also aware of her vivid writing and brilliant storytelling; however, where the previous novel was about love, this one was about death.

Her Fearful Symmetry is about Julia and Valentina Poole, American mirror image twins who are inseparable. The girls are sheltered and act as one, often speaking in the "we" form. When the story begins, they inherit a large flat in London after their Aunt Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer. They've never met their Aunt before; they only know that, like them, she was a mirror image twin with their mother. At 21 they move into their Aunt's flat which looks out onto London's Highgate Cemetery where the likes of Karl Marx and George Eliot are buried, along with their Aunt. The girls quickly become acquainted with their building's other residents. There's Martin, an obsessive-compulsive crossword puzzle creator and translator; Marijke, Martin's devoted, yet unhappy wife; and Robert, Elspeth's lover and cemetery guide. As the girls get to know these individuals and watch their lives come apart and piece together, they themselves start breaking apart. Valentina strives to be a singular person, not just a twin, and goes to drastic measures to get what she wants. Julia becomes demanding of her sister. And all the while, they learn that their deceased Aunt might still be around.

The book jacket says it best: "Niffenegger weaves a mesmerizing story...about love and identity, about secrets and sisterhood, and about the tenacity of life - even after death."

Her Fearful Symmetry is part ghost story, part Victorian Gothic novel. If I didn't know it took place in present time, I'd think it was the 1800's with the dark wooden furniture, the metal gates, the flowery dresses, the archaic tomb stones. Niffenegger does an excellent job at setting the scene. London was the perfect backdrop with its dreary skies and chilling weather.

What Niffenegger does best is create characters. The twins, Valentina and Julia, are so vividly drawn. They're delicate girls (thin with short, curly blonde hair) with delicate natures. With their intense bond and love for one another, a love no one could mimic, they're seen as one person. The girls are similar, yet so different and as you start to like one more than the other, the book quickly flip flops, leaving you disoriented. That's actually how the whole book is. A central theme of the book is secrets and just when you think you know what the hidden back story is, you're surprised to find it completely backwards, completely different from what you imagined. One climactic moment actually had me gasp aloud. And I like that; the book keeps you guessing...

...But not about everything. Just like her previous novel, there's a moment where you know what might happen in the end. With every ounce you think "no, no, no things can change," but of course they don't. Because, really, if they did it might cheapen the story. However, as the forever optimist, I hoped the book would end my way. Of course it didn't.

I loved the character of Martin. So crazy and yet so lovable. Watching him suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder was heartbreaking, but incredibly realistic. Everything he did, from washing his hands with bleach to never using the stove was crazy, yet understood. Niffenegger gets you to see things her way. Likewise, she lets you believe in the power of ghosts. As hinted, the Aunt plays a central part within the book, yet not in the fun loving Casper sort of way.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book. Niffenegger proved that she wasn't a one time writer with this incredibly chilling tale that keeps me thinking. Although I didn't love the ending, nor some major plot points, I saw why everything was important. Which brings me to my biggest compliment of the book - everything is extremely significant. Niffenegger has a way of making sure every reference, every tree is important in one way or another.

If you're a fan of her previous novel, you won't be disappointed with this next one. Although it is much darker, exploring the desires we all have, yet hide, it's just as addictive. Do not go into it thinking it will be lighthearted and fun - the cemetery backdrop should be a warning. The book is disturbing at times, yet incredibly thought provoking. It's a haunting tale where girls battle individuality, love, and connection.

Niffenegger's words flow easily, keeping you trapped within the book, not allowing you to come up for air.

Information on the book from Scribner

Article from the Guardian about the book

Article regarding the controversy of the setting

My review of The Time Traveler's Wife