Reflecting on the Unique Experience that is Reading an Oyeyemi Novel [Review]

Format/source: ARC/Netgalley
Published: 5 March 2019
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Literary fiction
★★★★  

Perdita Lee may appear your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there’s the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it’s very popular in Druhástrana, the far away (or, according to many sources, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee’s early youth. The world’s truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread, however, is Harriet’s charismatic childhood friend Gretela–a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.

Decades later, when teenage Perdita’s search for her mother’s long-lost friend prompts a new telling of Harriet’s story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value.

Here is my most anticipated read of 2019 – a new novel from Helen Oyeyemi! Her previous release was a short story collection, which of course was delightful in its own way, but distinct from a novel. I first read White is for Witching nearly ten years ago. I remember being astonished when I learnt Oyeyemi was only 24 years old at time of its publication. It’s been a delight to follow the writing career of one so young who has lots of room to grow and share many more stories!

I don’t believe a Helen Oyeyemi novel can be adequately after a single read. It took me many rereads of White is for Witching for me to fully grasp what that story was about. How much of Gingerbread did I fully understand? Perhaps 30%? But I could probably just throw any number out there – understanding the story on the first read is not the goal for me. I admit there was a moment around 57% where my pleasant bewilderedness evolved into “okay seriously what is going on now” (however, around 80%, I was completely absorbed again). I know that rereading this book will reveal more every time I do so – on the first read, I can revel in the prose and idiosyncrasies without fretting about ‘not getting it’. Perhaps other readers will understand Gingerbread better than I did on a first read, but that’s no matter. I still enjoyed it!

One had more patience, and the other had more resolve, and they were about even when it came to daring, so their love established possibilities and impossibilities without keeping score.

I cannot think of an author I’ve read whose style compares to Oyeyemi’s. This is why I enjoy her writing so much. I reread sentences. I read them slowly for the delight of it – that first time encounter with a brand new story. Reading this book is a very different experience, in many ways, than reading Seanan McGuire (the only other whose new release I am similarly excited about) but what really stands out to me is the cadence of Oyeyemi’s writing.

When someone accidentally speaks to her, she just shakes her head. If they still won’t take the hint, she’ll add, “No, I’m not there,” in a gentle way rather than a snippy one.

This has turned into one of those reviews where I don’t discuss the book at all and I just talk about my experience reading it. I guess I should re-title this post, lol. *changes title to include word ‘reflection’* Anyway, I’ve just learnt that Oyeyemi narrates this audiobook herself. :O It may have to become the first audiobook I listen to…

The Bottom Line

Don’t pick this up for the plot, pick it up for the experience of reading. Gingerbread will be a treat for those who carefully choose the words they read.

Further Reading

• Interview @ Goodreads
• Review @ Time
• Review @ The Washington Post