Her Fearful Symmetry

I loved this book. Of course, I feel biased because when The Time Traveler's Wife came out, I loved that as well. And the movie. What can I say? Audrey Niffenegger can write a good story!

I didn't know what to expect when I started to read Her Fearful Symmetry. I bought the book strictly because of who wrote it and only knew it was about twin daughters and a flat their aunt had left them.

I did NOT expect to be completely taken over by this book.

The only twins I ever really remember reading about are Jessica and Elizabeth from Sweet Valley High. I still have one book from when I was addicted to the series when I was younger (and I intend on reading it again soon!) and remember thinking how neat it would be to have a twin.

When I started reading Her Fearful Symmetry, I was immediately entranced. The first twins, Edie and Elspeth live an ocean apart from each other. Something had happened in their past that made them never keep in touch with each other. Now Elspeth, who lived in London, has died and left all of her belongings to Edie's twin girls, Julia and Valentina. When they turn 20, they can move into Elspeth's flat and cannot sell it for at least a year.

I was expecting a journey into the deep dark secrets of the first set of twins and I got that, along with a very gothic tale. It wasn't too creepy - just enough to give you goosebumps. I wasn't expecting a ghost story, but it wasn't so scary that I found myself afraid to read in the dark, but it was enough to add an air of mystery to the novel - and some very unexpected twists (one of which I was deeply disappointed with - but it does work.)!

The characters were very well developed and I found myself falling in love with the twins, with Robert, and even with the slightly-off-kilter Martin. Relationships are developed, adding both humour and intimacy to the novel. I love how the twins had so much fun when they first moved to London - wrapping themselves up in the city and the dialect.

I've never been around sets of twins before, but it was a fascinating thing to read about - especially when the girls were described as being "Mirror Twins," which means that their internal structure is opposite of each others (e.g. Valentina's heart is on the opposite side from where Julia's is). This idea helped explain a lot of the differences between the two girls.

Niffenegger is a great writer - she doesn't drone on with useless details, but every word is necessary, and every situation in the book is crucial to the storyline. I could really read this book again!

Definitely recommended if you are a fan of Audrey Niffenegger's work, or if you like modern gothic tales and ghost stories. However, if you're looking for a book like The Time Traveler's Wife, this might not be for you - there's similar magic, but it does cross over to the dark side.

I received this book as a gift from a friend who is an avid reader and eyed it curiously.

A novel by the writer of The Time Traveler's Wife? It sounded inconsequential.

How pleasantly surprised I was to find a whimsical, somewhat eerie story that kept me turning the pages and not wanting it to end.

The first half of this book put me to sleep. Nothing really happened. It was mostly filled with character and location descriptions. I expect that from every story, but it went on too long, filling up the first half of the book. I didn't like any of the characters. I was ready to give up on the whole thing. But then the girls met the ghost and FINALLY it got interesting. The second half of the story saved it for me. Now I can say I enjoyed the book.

I loved the Time Traveller's Wife, and although I knew this book wasn't as 'famous' as that, I expected more from this author. This was a mediocre read at best. Although it kept me entertained, the ending left me wanting and thinking it was a waste of time. Wouldn't recommend it.

I'm finding it very hard to describe what I think about this book. I liked it, but it seemed morbid and very creepy. Throughout half of the novel, I had the "something jumpy is going to happen" feeling you get when you're watching a scary movie. Enjoyable, but I can't see myself reading it again anytime soon.

the story was actually alright though i think it was a little weird.

I picked up this book with a predetermined notion that I was going to love it. I have read the Time Traveller's wife and loved it! However, when I actually sat down to read it I immediately saw the vast differences between this novel and Audrey Niffenegger's first one. Although I commend the author on her attempt to create an original ghost story by tying twins into the plotline as though it may be some sinister, mysterious element that allows the story to appear more frightning, I found this novel to be incomplete and unpolished.

In the beginning, the characters were difficult to get used to but I must admit that I eventually got caught in their intricate web. Valentina and Julia were great although I feel like I did not know them well enough by the end of the book. The beginning was also a bit muddy and slow for me as the twins were introduced. I also did not find it necessary for some characters to indulge in seemingly unecessary sexual acts out of the blue. It neither helped develop their character nor the plotline, it probably actually marred the tone of the story. Anywho, everything was fine up until the ghosts really started haunting. In my opinion the beginning of the end is when the novel began to crash and burn. Valentina's actions seemed to be out of the blue, with no previous indication that she had the desire to do what she did. They were loosely tied by an insignificant explanation which would have never been significant enough in real life. A mistake on the author's part.

I feel as though the last few pages broke the character's in half and set loose Pandora's box on Niffenegger's London. That could have turned out fine if not for the fact that the story seemed to have been torn apart and another story was glued to the end by a kindergarten. It felt rushed, unfinished, without any meaning to the rest of the novel and to tell you the truth completely amateur. This story could have been saved by a few more pages and careful realigning of the previous events, as opposed to have them abruptly thrown into a garbage can. I cannot stress this enough, the ending left me baffled and not in a positive way at all.

Niffenegger should stick to time traveling.

Her Fearful Symmetry started off well, the characters were engrossing and I was sucked into their world. It was a pleasant read, if a little slow, until a third of the way through. Then everything went downhill. The characters behaved in ways that no real person would, doing things that were absolutely ridiculous and out of place. After that, it was a struggle to keeping reading, and it felt like a chore. The book wasn't wrapped up well, loose ends just hanging all about. I count the Time Traveler's Wife among my favourites and was really disappointed with this. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

A grown-up ghost story that redefines the gothic for our time. Niffenegger doesn't give us any easy answers, but her gorgous writing and attention to the details of what makes life worth living --a cup of tea with toast, playing with a kitten, shopping trips to downtown London, picnics with friends in a cemetary, the desire to be free-- pull the novel through darker and slower moments. Maybe this novel isn't as intricate or strong as THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, but it's definitely worth the read and it evokes a good lot of the same aesthetic feeling. Readers are in good hands with NIffenegger.

I picked this up after loving Time Traveler's Wife, despite the poor reviews it had on here.
The characters are rich and individual and Niffenegger did a fabulous job of constructing a wonderfully alive fictional world.
The development of the characters is slow at first, you don't really to come to understand them until the last few chapters, but the journey is marvellous; Niffenegger has a wonderful gift of writing.
The ending was definitely different - but it suited the book exactly. Life isn't always neat and without change and the book shows us that specifically. The characters receive what they need to become who they should.
I definitely recommend reading this. It's almost a modern example of a Gothic Novel.

It took me a little bit to actually get into this book. The descriptions in the book are so well done. The characters are selfish and kind of hard to relate to. There was lots of captivating twists and turns in this book that keeps you reading. However i thought the ending was lacking and just abruptly ends. I'm not quite sure what to think about this book

The beginning of the book had some promise to it, but ended up being one of the worst books I have ever read! Definately not as good as The Time Traveller's Wife! I do NOT recommend this book to anyone!!

I found the heart and soul (ironically) missing from Ms. Neffenegger's second novel. Although, I still liked it very much and enjoyed the journey it took me on immensely. The tale begins very strongly and ends with disappointment. Although I do not intend to say reading this work was unpleasant. It is a beautiful work with intricate and delicate prose capable of evoking extreme emotions from its audience. I would definitely recommend reading this but I suggest you have someone to talk to about it afterwards. This work doesn't even come close to the power and the beauty of the authors debut novel The Time Travellers’ Wife. On its own, Her Fearful Symmetry is an epic achievement of family drama and a gothic love story. The work leaves the reader contemplating the twists and turns long after you finish it. Also I have to acknowledge perhaps the selfish nature of some of the main characters makes the book slightly unsatisfactory to me. I think this is the result of my own bias and having just finished the novel this morning I am hoping with time I will have more affection for the characters. Overall I would probably say that I feel right now the same way I did at the end of reading Jane Eyre. This for a modern author is a magnificent achievement.

...not time traveller's wife good. the author is so great at explaining characters and setting the scene. This book had lots of twists and interesting plots but in the end...it ended. and left me feeling lost and sad. but still a good read by a great author.

I fell in love with The Time Traveler's Wife so I was very excited to see another novel by Niffenegger. Her Fearful Symmetry was a very interesting book and I didn't even want it to end. The ending was unbelievable and it kept me on the edge of my seat! It was also interesting to see the relationship between the identical twins develop and change throughout the book. This book would be a great choice if you're a twin yourself. If you enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife, I think you'll definitely enjoy this one as well!

I love this author and I feel that this very comparable to the time travelers wife.The characters are memorable but the ending was abit werid it kept me guessing

Well...there are really two reviews that I want to give this book...a book that I couldn't put down.

I started out not liking this book at all. I was unable to determine if Niffenegger was trying to write some type of gothic suspense book or if she wanted the setting to be modern...anyway, I was confused about the atmosphere of the book. I stuck with it and quickly found myself caught up with the characters, developing a bond with them all, liking them. Niffenegger managed to write a love story, a tale of deep emotional ties, a chronicle of what could happen when people love each other too much and are afraid to let go. I like the way this book crosses back and forth from reality into a ghost-like world without relying too heavily on the supernatural.

However...the other review I give this book is less forgiving. I'm still giving it four stars and hesitating to find fault with it...and although I raced through it, reading like a mad woman, I have to be honest and say that it failed in one way: one huge part of it felt forced. Without giving anything away I can say that a major aspect of the book was slightly contrived to fit into the plot. It's almost as though Niffenegger wrote the beginning of the book and then the end...and then went back to fill in the middle by moulding it to do what she needed to make it complete. There are other ways to escape love than the method one of the main characters took. And for me, personally, it just didn't make sense.

Okay...I've had my say about this book. I still highly recommend it. It's beautifully written. Full of haunting phrases that make you think about the emotions of love. I suggest that anyone reading it take a few minutes to Google Highgate Cemetery in London...take a look at some of the photos that can be found online. It adds a wonderful dimension to the book.

If you're looking for more of the Time Traveller's Wife, perhaps you should consider browsing a bit further. This book was completely different from Niffinger's last and while it was a quick and interesting read, I did not sympathize with any of the characters. The Gothic atmospheric style was interesting at first, but soon made the story seem weak and petulant. I found it difficult to care how they would resolve their issues, and the resolution itself particularly lacking.
That being said, this book is worth the read for the side story of Martin and Marjike. Their story was captivating and sweetly told. I loved every page dedicated to their complicated love and always wished more time could have been centred on their story. This part of the story captured the beauty of Niffinger`s work I loved so much in the Time Traveller`s Wife.
Overall, it is worth the read - but perhaps with tempered expectations.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with well developed characters and an engrossing plot. However, I did guess the first major twist and I had to check and make sure the ending was actually the ending because it was rather abrupt and unsatisfying. A word of warning to those looking for something similar to the Time Traveler's Wife....this is nothing like it. A complete departure from fantastical love stories into supernatural ghost stories but overall a strong sophomore novel from Ms. Niffenegger

... a twist that's expected, then another twist that's unexpected, followed by an ending that leaves much to be desired.