Every time I think that I may have Helen Oyeyemi figured out she hits me with another blast of wild magic.
She often deals in the inner workings of fairy tales, but this time she has taken on a fairy tale of a city: Prague.
We’ve all heard of the (super played out trope) of “New York City IS a character!”, but Prague is in charge here. Prague may be driving the theoretical bus, but Thea, Hero, and a cast of bizarre folks including a golem and a boutique ice cream vendor are all wrapped up in a mystery:
What is the book Paradoxical Undressing, and how come every time it gets put down or passed on to another person it tells a completely different story? It’s recommended by many, passed around by many more, and apparently it’s a required identification document if you want to leave the city- but what is it about? Some people see spy novels, some see Taxi Dancers in WWII, some see depraved romances, and others see a peek behind the Iron Curtain- but no one sees the same thing and no one can convince anyone else that yes, they know Paradoxical Undressing, and yes- they know what it’s all about (honestly, though- who does know what “it” is all about? Certainly not us, but possibly Helen Oyeyemi).
No one writes like Oyeyemi. There’s nothing I can say here to better describe her fantastic voice- you just need to dive in and trust her wild current. You may feel like you’re drowning, but not in a bad way. Near death experiences can bring on a manic euphoria!