Her Fearful Symmetry

by Audrey Niffenegger

I was so excited to start this book, mostly because the author's debut novel (The Time Traveler's Wife) is one of my all-time favorite books. Unlike The Time Traveler's Wife, Her Fearful Symmetry follows a straight time line, but tells the story from several characters' points of view. The story revolves around a set of twins, Julia and Valentina, who inherit a flat in London from their unknown aunt (and mom's twin sister) Elspeth. Their relationship falls apart at the seams, as the mystery of the separation between their mother and aunt becomes unraveled. Along the way though, they develop relationships with their upstairs neighbor with OCD, Elspeth's former lover, and even the ghost of their aunt.

The ghost of their aunt, you say? Yes. Now, I am one of those readers who frequently likes to flip ahead in the book and read little snippets of what will be coming up. You may call it reading spoilers, I call it reading motivation. In this case though, reading ahead made me doubtful that I was going to enjoy the story progression. Why? Honestly, because ghost stories scare me. Since I cannot absolutely say that ghosts do not exist in real life, they are one of the supernatural "beings" that leave me on edge and give me nightmares. As we meet the ghost of Elspeth, however, Niffenegger proves that ghosts (at least her ghosts) have substance and depth that makes them almost human. It is not difficult to relate to the separation and loneliness that Elspeth experiences in her afterlife. Though while you feel sympathetic for her plight, it soon becomes apparent that there is an underlying darkness to her actions that creates serious and life-changing consequences for all those involved in the story.

What I liked the most about Her Fearful Symmetry was the way that Niffenegger includes the characters' inner dialogue, along with their conversation. The characters speak very subtly at times, but with so much meaning "between the lines". Also, her exploration of OCD, with the character of the neighbor Martin, was another highlight. Again, she gives a depth to the character, beyond the symptoms of his OCD. While Her Fearful Symmetry is not as high on my list as The Time Traveler's Wife, it is definitely an interesting read that will draw you in and keep you wondering as the twins explore their relationship with eachother, their neighbors, and the afterlife.