White is for Witching - Haunted and Empty Am I
This is a disarming and somewhat difficult read. You need to pay attention and cannot let your mind wander at all, or you will be lost, which ends up being a metaphor for the house in which this tale takes place.
I love Oyeyemi's writing. It is unique, arresting, and defiant in its creativity. Reading the descriptions were so interesting because they were presented to me with comparisons I would have never thought to make myself. This made me want to be a better writer, to be weirder, more eccentric. I admire Oyeyemi for this unparalleled style. “Grey eyes convince so well, burying the person they look at in truth like flung pebbles.”
This story is told from various perspectives, with a lack of distinction between who the narrator is. There is usually a break in the page, sometimes using a kind of anadiplosis (in this case, it's using the last word of the previous paragraph as an actual break in the page, and then starting the next paragraph using that same word). However, the voices can be so similar at times that it takes a while to figure out whose mind you're in. The scariest parts are when you are in the mind of the house, which can't be separated from the minds of the dead. The personification of the house is stirring, "And there was a slip of paper, or a photograph gone astray. She wasn't sure if she could reach it, but Miranda reached an arm under the counter. If her fingers touched the photograph it was hers. If it was out of her reach then it belonged to the room."
The main character, Miranda, also sometimes seems to mix herself up with her dead mother, at least that's how I read it. There is also the details about her dead grandmother and great grandmother and how they supernaturally pertain to the house and Miranda. It seems they all suffered from pica disorder where they craved and ate inanimate objects (chalk, plastic spoons, etc.) and that was a very intriguing and sad aspect of this story. There is a duality, even a plurality, to all of the women in this story and the difficulty between distinguishing themselves from the others is truly vital to this story. Ex. "Miranda nodded and her reflection nodded, so that was twice."
I felt so saddened by the imagery of Miranda wasting away due to pica and her not feeling able to eat normal and nourishing foods. The pica is often mentioned, but it's a side point and not actually the focus, which seems almost alarming considering the effects it was having on her body and mind. "I'm trying to think of next year and there's no place for me in it. Isn't that strange?"
Some beautiful imagery is present in this story. Quiet, haunting, lovely. One of my favorite parts was when Miranda found a dress she fell in love with, "It didn't look like anything she already had, the skirt flared wonderfully, and there was the sweet ribbon bow at the waist. It was a dress to be worn by the sort of girl who'd check that no one was looking, then skip down a quiet street instead of walking, just so the fun of it was hers alone."
I truly enjoyed reading this novel. It will stay with me. I definitely had a few confused moments, but as I dedicated my full attention to every word and page, I found myself enjoying the chaos. I walked away haunted, empty, and hungry for more.
Don’t want to miss anything on the site? Sign up for our newsletter HERE
Want more spooky reads? Just search below.
