Her Fearful Symmetry

by Audrey Niffenegger
Her Fearful Symmetry cover
Good Books rating 3.5
Gothic
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Paperback • £9.99–£10.99
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Technical
  • ID: 7715
  • Added: 2025-12-16
  • Updated: 2025-12-31
  • ISBN: 9780224085618
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2009-01-01
  • Formats: 2
  • Reviews: 3

When Julia and Valentina, twin sisters from America, inherit their aunt Elspeth's flat in London, they expect eccentric neighbors and a change of scenery. What they don't expect is to be haunted by their aunt's lingering presence. The flat, situated next to the infamous Highgate Cemetery, holds more secrets than the sisters bargained for. As they delve deeper into their aunt's mysterious life and death, they uncover a web of supernatural intrigue that blurs the line between the living and the dead. /n/n The sisters must confront their own fears and the unsettling truth about their aunt's past. With each passing day, the boundaries between reality and the supernatural grow increasingly blurred, leading them to question their sanity and the very nature of existence. As the hauntings intensify, Julia and Valentina must find a way to put their aunt's spirit to rest before it's too late.

Reviews
Food in Books · 2018-06-04
beautiful 4.00

The book is beautifully written and explores themes of life, love, and death with a unique brand of magical realism. The reviewer suggests reading it for its poignant and haunting narrative.

This reviewer highly recommends the book for its beautiful and poignant writing. They appreciate Niffenegger's exploration of life, love, and death through a unique brand of magical realism. The narrative is haunting and thought-provoking, making it a worthwhile read. The reviewer finds the book to be a compelling and moving story that stays with the reader long after finishing it.

Quick quotes

    Niffenegger writes so beautifully and poignantly about life, love, death, and her brand of magical realism.

    The writing itself is lovely and haunting.

    This is not a bad novel by any means, but rather a disappointing one.

The Guardian · 2009-10-09
disappointing 2.00

The book attempts to tell a haunting ghost story about immortality and history with metaphysical overtones, but falls short of its ambitions. The reviewer finds the story to be more theosophy than a compelling narrative.

This reviewer was critical of the book's execution, feeling that it failed to live up to its ambitious goals. They found the attempt to tell a haunting ghost story about immortality and history to be more like theosophy than a compelling narrative. The reviewer suggests that the book's metaphysical overtones detract from its potential impact, making it less engaging than it could have been.

Quick quotes

    Attempting to tell a haunting ghost story about immortality and history with metaphysical overtones, all she manages is theosophy.

    The biggest disappointment isn't what the novel does wrong, but rather what it fails to do right.

    It was not the engulfing, emotional story that The Time Traveler's Wife was, but it was quirky and imaginative.

Book Snob · 2009-09-15
moving 4.50

The book is a ghost story that is both supernatural and deeply human, exploring relationships in a moving and real way. The writing is haunting and poignant, capturing life, love, and death with a unique brand of magical realism.

This reviewer found the book to be a compelling ghost story that transcends the supernatural to delve into very human experiences. The exploration of relationships is particularly moving, and the writing style is haunting and poignant. They appreciate Niffenegger's ability to blend magical realism with profound themes of life, love, and death. The story is both moving and real, making it a standout in the genre.

Quick quotes

    It is a ghost story and it is supernatural, but it is also very human, very moving, and very real in the way it describes relationships.

    Niffenegger writes so beautifully and poignantly about life, love, death, and her brand of magical realism.

    The writing itself is lovely and haunting.

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