Wit's End [Hardcover]

Karen Joy Fowler (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 2008

"[A] delightful and eccentric new tale"(The Boston Globe) from the author of the runaway bestseller The Jane Austen Book Club

In Karen Joy Fowler's newest novel, the bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club once again delivers top-notch storytelling, creating characters both oddball and endearing in a voice that is utterly and memorably her own. Wit's End is a clever, playful novel about finally allowing oneself to grow up-with a dash of mystery thrown in.

At loose ends and weary from her recent losses-the deaths of an inventive if at times irritating father and her beloved brother-Rima Lansill comes to Wit's End, the home of her legendary godmother, bestselling mystery writer Addison Early, to regroup...and in search of answers. For starters, why did Addison name one of her characters-a murderer-after Rima's father? But Addison is secretive and feisty, so consumed with protecting her famous fictional detective, Maxwell Lane, from the vagaries of the Internet that-rumor has it- she has writer's block. As one woman searches for truth, the other struggles to control the reality of her fiction.

Rima soon becomes enmeshed in Addison's household of eccentrics: a formerly alcoholic cook and her irksome son, two quirky dog-walkers, a mysterious stalker, the tiny characters that populate Addison's dollhouse crime-scene replicas, and even Maxwell Lane himself. But, wrapped up in a mystery that may or may not be of her own creation, Rima discovers to her surprise that the ultimate solution to this puzzle is the new family she has found at the house called Wit's End.

Playfully exploring the blurred boundaries between reality and virtual reality, fiction and fact, Karen Joy Fowler subverts the whodunit and gives us a thoroughly modern meta-mystery with wit, warmth, and heart.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of this quietly funny, slightly mysterious novel of discovering one's roots from bestseller Fowler (The Jane Austen Book Club), 29-year-old Rima Lanisell visits her estranged godmother, Addison Early, in Addison's house by the sea, Wit's End, in storied Santa Cruz, Calif. Addison, the wildly successful but cautiously private author of the Maxwell Lane mysteries, was once the girlfriend of Rima's recently deceased father, Bim, for whom a character in the series is named. For each novel, Addison first constructs a dollhouse diorama that depicts what will be the principal murder scene, but her upcoming novel and its dollhouse are uncharacteristically delayed. By weeding through decades-old correspondence with eccentric fans and the contemporary channels of online forums, Rima slowly discovers the truth behind Addison's novels and that Rima herself is a topic of interest among Maxwell Lane devotees. As Fowler analyzes our modern-day relationship to novels and writers' relationship to their readers, the line between fiction and reality blurs-real people become characters in another's blog as fictional characters become real to the fans that fetishize them. Author tour. (Apr.)
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Review

"Fowler's understated wit and storytelling skills are in full flower."
-The Boston Globe

"[A] Rubik's cube of a book...this is venturesome work."
-The Seattle Times

"Fowler's subtle humor glides across these pages."
-The Washington Post

"[A] cyber-gothic-mystery-romance (you heard it coined here), and it's a lovely read."
-The Sunday Oregonian

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154752
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154751
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,721,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars At My Wit's End May 19, 2008

By S. Liu

Format:Hardcover

I'm at my wit's end, feeling like a party pooper for writing a negative review of a book I so wanted to like, a book which seems to give other people great enjoyment. But truth be told, this novel just didn't grab me. The critical endorsements on the book jacket all mention the author's narrative voice, which I agree is witty and engaging, what enticed me to read in the first place. And, since I live in Northern California, it's always fun to recognize specific places and types of people, especially the "characters" who hang out in Santa Cruz. But they remained just that- "characters" and not real people with whom I could connect. Other reader comments summarize the plot much better than I can, so I will just try to give an idea of what I expected but failed to find. As a mystery lover, I love a good puzzle, whodunnit and why. But this novel is a case of habeus corpus: where's the body? Where's the mystery? Many possibilities (the protagonist's search for her father's past, the mysterious disappearance of a dollhouse figure, fan mail to a fictional detective, the link between cult communities, both fictional and real), but nothing that even the apathetic protagonist seems compelled to investigate. In fact, she doesn't start seriously searching until 2/3 of the way through the book! Also, for me a clever, humorous narrative voice has to connect to the characters in a meaningful way, not just convey their random thoughts and lack of introspection. At one point the protagonist complains about "sarcasm without wit"; "Wit's End" has the cleverness that goes beyond sarcasm yet still remains on the surface, away from psychological depth. Not "sarcasm without wit," but wit without empathy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, subtle and delightful April 15, 2008

By Darth Breather

Format:Hardcover

As a reader of mysteries, I might be the ideal audience for this book.

The plot that drives the story flows quietly; it's the sparkles and sallies that make this story enchanting. Like the Jane Austen Book Club, this is not a book to be rushed through.

What I liked best about the book - and I liked a lot of things - was the author's voice. The absurdities of the story are the absurdities of everyday life, observed by a master and reported in a deadpan voice; I frequently found myself chuckling. (It's a book that elicits chuckles rather than guffaws.) The characters (dachshunds included) are drawn with affection and an eagle eye. Rima, the protagonist, was good company.

It's got a great sense of place: the beach town of Santa Cruz, the decrepit ranch, the interesting Victorian mansion, Wit's End, and the intricate doll-houses relating to the murder mysteries of A.B. Early.

The mysteries driving the plot are interesting, but aren't the story; which is why it doesn't matter that there is no case. To me, that was about Rima coming to terms with the loss of her father, and even more, of her beloved younger brother. And yet, despite the tragedy at its heart, this is not a tragic book. It's a story of how one goes about surviving: with humor and heart.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Summer Read April 22, 2008

By Ashley Supinski

Format:Hardcover

After the death of her father (expected), Rima Lannisell moves from Cleveland, Ohio to Santa Cruz, California to stay with her godmother, famous mystery author, A.B. Early; a woman whom she hardly knows. During her stay, Rima plans to find out just what the story is behind Addison's relationship with her father.

The majority of the plot focuses on Rima becoming embroiled in her own "Maxwell Lane" mystery, making it sometimes difficult to tell what is "real" and what is fantasy.

During Rima's quest to find out about the relationship between Addison and her deceased father, Rima finds herself becoming a detective with the help of Addison's fictional detective, Maxwell Lane.

Much of the plot centers around letters written during the early times of Addisons career from a woman named Constance Wellington, who lived in Holy City - a transformed cult. The reader soon finds that Addison is quite obsessed with cults.

Most of the time, Rima is a self-pitying woman who continues to mourn the death of her brother, Oliver, who's been dead about four years. Personally, I found Rima the least likable character of the bunch, but it didn't interfere with the reading of the novel.

Fowler interlaces humorous characters (with Addison Early, herself, and other secondary characters) while still making them appear as real as can be. The commentary about online blogs and "everyone being a writer" (through Addison) is hilarious and oh-so true.

The plot ties together neatly at the end, but also wants you to hope for more.