The Fig Eater - Jody Shields

It took me FOREVER to finish this book. For a couple reasons. First, I broke my rule about being distracted by TV. Fall previews completely sucked me in (love Revenge and New Girl). Also, TV is easy to do with sitting chores like folding laundry.

Part of the problem was it was really difficult for me to get into this story. Even with a murder victim within the first few pages. The characters are methodical - the Inspector is always urging his assistant to slow down and listen, to observe - and the writing reflects that, almost to the point of plodding. None of the characters are particularly endearing either. The interpersonal relationships portrayed in the novel made me very uncomfortable; they are vindictive, obsessive, and possessive. Both the Inspector and his wife have apprentices and enjoy the level of control they have over them. There is a whole motif of a cold and impersonal world. Even sex is described in that way. When the Inspector is looking at his naked wife, he sees a silent and still statue.

The novel is intricate but the plot simple. It waits to be revealed. The characters obscure themselves as well - with veils, masquerade, hiding. One even believes himself to be a werewolf. Everyone is full of deception, and fire functions in the novel to reveal the truth. Unfortunately this fire burns.

I found the descriptions of Vienna at the turn of the century to be fascinating, from criminal investigation techniques to medical exploration. The author wonderfully juxtaposes mysticism with "modern" logic, and this, for me, was the most successful aspect of the novel.

Overall, I felt very dissatisfied at the end. I had unanswered questions and did not understand the motivation behind the denouement. I told my mom, who recommended the book and said it was a "fast read", that I hadn't really cared for the story. She said she hadn't either, so I asked her why she recommended it. Her response was, "It has such a great cover".

Rating: 4

Next up: The Zookeeper's Wife - Diane Ackerman. Because I love stories about WWII. See also The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.

The Third Angel - Alice Hoffman

I've always really like Alice Hoffman (with the exception of The Story Sisters). To me, her writing is textural and beautiful and warm. Kind of like biting into a perfectly ripened peach. Her characters and their stories are interesting, quirky, and slightly supernatural. The Third Angel did not disappoint in this respect. The interwoven stories of the main characters are engaging. The portraits of life and love were poignant.
I didn't feel like the main metaphors strung together very well, though. There is the Third Angel, the angel who walks amongst us. The other two angels are the Angels of Life and Death. They require no explanation. The Third Angel is an angel who appears to need our help, but in helping him we are helping ourselves. An interesting concept, but then it is also mixed in with this blue heron. The blue heron, and really the color blue in general, is laced throughout the stories to coincide with love and the choices love forces us to make. Everyone just does the best they know how, and sometimes in love people get hurt. Don't get me wrong, both the imagerial themes were lovely and moving, but both were dominant which I thought made it seem like doing too much.
And then one of the characters meets who I inferred was a young John Lennon on a train. I thought that seemed trite in an otherwise gorgeously imagined book.

Rating: 6

Want to buy: The Red Garden