Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

[ChickensLoveMarmite]

Just finished this. I loved 'The Time Traveller's Wife', but found this one hard going. I just didn't have any sympathy for any of the characters.

It was ok, not a patch on TTW sadly. I thought there were some lovely pieces of writing here and there but that it lacked something - I think you're right about the characters although I did like the guy upstairs with OCD and the older lady that worked at Highgate

Oh, yes, I was glad that the OCD chap had a happy ending. It was the main characters who I found strangely charmless. Particularly the twins.

have to agree .... found the ending a bit of a stretch ...... (that the "mother" would do that to her daughter - if you know what i mean ... dont want to say too much just in ase someone opens it who is reading this book!
Loved the OCD guy though .... it did engage me, but once i was done with it, i didnt think too much about it ... glad i got it from the libary and didnt buy it .....

yes, it was such a shame because I like the idea of the story. Yes, hurrah for Martin - I'm sure I couldn't cope with all his OCDness but I did especially like him when he was having tea/supper with one of the twins and all that smoking (I gave up myself over 7 years ago).

I thought that it would have been much better set in the 30s rather than modern day.

I really enjoyed it, I think AN has a lovely writing style

I found parts of it very moving

it is a very different book from TTW but I don't think that's a bad thing, but TTW was such a massive success that anything following would be in it's shadow

That's interesting, MissWooWoo. It did have an 'olde worlde' vibe, didn't it?

I enjoyed it too and liked the ending as I hadn't figured out that was going to happen.
It was different from TTW but I like her writing

I know what you mean about it being set in a different area - I kept being surprised at contemporary references.

I did like it though, even though not many of the characters were very sympathetic.

i do feel that i want to go to highgate cemetary though!

I just kept seeing Elspeth in my head with a short sharp bob, a lovely mid calf satin and chiffon frock.

Just finished this and I loved it. Agree that the characters weren't "nice" but I doubt they were supposed to be!

I just finished this last night, I really enjoyed it. Not quite as much as TTTW, but I loved the premise and somehow found it oddly believable.

Haven't read this, but looking forward to - I loved The Time Traveller's Wife!!!

I can't make my mind up about this book tbh. I couldn't see where it was going, and then it just...ended. On the other hand it was interesting, and different.

I know what you mean about it being set in the wrong era. Is the writer American? It seemed almost like it was a very stereo-typical view of the english. Because we are all librarians and drink Earl Grey all day...

Oh I loved this books - much more that TTW which I took a little while to get into. I absolutely could not put this one down. I thought it was beautiful and original.

I think the author is American but the stereotypical view did fit in with my (limited) experience of that Highbury type!

I meant Highgate!! Sorry...

Oh I thought it was really obvious what the mother would do iyswim? And why did the twin have to do that rather than just mone out? Totally pants after tttw and i was really disappointed.

I could see it coming too but was still gripped.

Agree with BelleDame, my DH bought me this as pressie as he knew I'd read TTW not realising that I hated the first book, however I love this one. Agree that in Symmetry there are few liekable characters but that made them more realistic. In TTW I felt you were supposed to adore the couple and I didn't. Also in TTW the graphic sex scenes jarred with the romantic theme.

Writer is American, LittlePurple, from Chicago according to blurb in my copy. I felt she knew a lot about London however and writing as a "tourist" made the snippets of info about the graves in Highgate fascinating.

I loved it and thought it created a completely original kind of atmosphere, Jane Eyre crossed with Eastenders, with a touch of Rebecca and those Sweet Valley High books that teenagers used to read! It was nothing at all like The Time Travellers Wife but I wouldn't have wanted it to have been. it is certainly just as original. The only thing I think the two books have in common is that the author manages to make completely absurd scenarios seem perfectly plausible!
It put me in a very gothic frame of mind and made me want to read more about ghosts and graveyards, and I'm now reading 'The little stranger' by Sarah Waters which is FAB, a great follow on from 'Her fearful symmetry' I think. Any ideas on what I should read next?

I finished this last night, and had been really enjoying it....until the end. I agree with someone else who said it "just ended". It felt to me like the author didn't know what to do with the characters by that point, particularly Robert - and so she gave up trying. However, I'd still recommend the book as a whole. I read that the author spent some time working herself as a guide at Highgate cemetery, hence her knowledge of it all.