Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
This novel was a awesome! A nice change to the usual love story books I tend to read. Don't get me wrong, there is a love story (or two) in this book...but it also involves ghosts, a cemetery, and all sorts of interesting plots! I highly recommend you read! I will however say, that this book took a couple of chapters for me to get into it...so stick with it if you start to disengage.
"Amazon Best of the Month, September 2009: Following her breakout bestseller, The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger returns with Her Fearful Symmetry, a haunting tale about the complications of love, identity, and sibling rivalry. The novel opens with the death of Elspeth Noblin, who bequeaths her London flat and its contents to the twin daughters of her estranged twin sister back in Chicago. These 20-year-old dilettantes, Julie and Valentina, move to London, eager to try on a new experience like one of their obsessively matched outfits. Historic Highgate Cemetery, which borders Elspeth's home, serves as an inspired setting as the twins become entwined in the lives of their neighbors: Elspeth's former lover, Robert; Martin, an agoraphobic crossword-puzzle creator; and the ethereal Elspeth herself, struggling to adjust to the afterlife. Niffenegger brings these quirky, troubled characters to marvelous life, but readers may need their own supernatural suspension of disbelief as the story winds to its twisty conclusion. --Brad Thomas Parsons"
Reading about London's Highgate Cemetery got me interested in the history of the place so I did some googling. Was interesting to be able to picture the setting of the book as I read. Here is what I found....
A HOUSE built in the cemetery. WHO would want to live here? Cool house...creepy neighbors.
who doesn't dream of having this view from their bed?! hmmm!
- House in Highgate Cemetery, London, by Eldridge Smerin Architects
- Set next to Highgate Cemetery, London’s greatest Victorian cemetery, the house was designed by the architects Nick Eldridge and Piers Smerin.
- Its generous proportion of living to bedroom space includes terraces and balconies, and a sizable sliding glass rooflight enabling the top floor to become an openair court.
- The project won a Royal Institute of British Architects Award in 2009
- More pictures can be found HERE.
Have you all ever visited this cemetery? London is on my short-list of places to visit...may have to check out Highgate.
7 comments:
I've had Her Fearful Symmetry on my "to-read" list for ages. I think it's finally time to get to it. Thanks for the review!
I read this novel last summer - really liked it, although I thought The Time Traveler's Wife was the better of the two.
I think I will add this to my library list today!
I have not visited that cemetery, but I find old cemeteries fascinating and strangely pretty. There are some here in Memphis and the markers are pieces of art!
Def adding to my summer reading list! Sounds awesome.
Ya know, I didn't love Time Traveler's Wife as much as everybody else did - but I am a sucker for books set in London so I might have to check this one out. Thanks for the review!
i just started reading this book last night! i am excited to see where this adventure will take me! :)
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Ohhhh sounds a wee bit too scary for me! Hah. London is on my short-list as well, but I think I'll skip out on Highgate!
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