Wit's End (Hardcover)

by Karen Joy Fowler (Author) "Miss Time was seated with her feet on the floor and her head on the table..." (more)
Key Phrases: ice city, woman from the beach, Maxwell Lane, Holy City, Wit's End (more...)

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
“She has a voice like no other, lyrical, shrewd and addictive, with a quiet deadpan humor that underlies almost every sentence.”
—Beth Gutcheon, Newsday

“What strikes one first is the voice: robust, sly, witty, elegant, unexpected and never boring. Here is a novelist who absolutely comprehends the pleasures of imagination and transformation.”
—Margot Livesey, The New York Times Book Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154752
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154751
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #538,308 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Darth Breather "DB" - See all my reviews

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Ashley Supinski (Pennsy. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty!, May 22, 2008

By	Margaret - See all my reviews

Mysteries are my weakness, and the whole idea of the doll-house murder scenes in Wit's End was so delightful to start with that I was drawn right in. Fowler sets off in a voice that is fresh and original, stirring in quirky characters with great names like Scorch - some of whom are "real," some of whom are characters in books within the book, and some of whom are both. The funky Santa Cruz scene and a cult outpost called Holy City are as fascinating on the page as the real Santa Cruz is. And when a mini-murder corps (named Thomas Grand) mysteriously disappears, the fun really begins.

As Rima - one of those characters who both is real and fictional, at least in some fans' minds! - tries to uncover the truth about her family, the reader is treated to wonderfully funny and true insights about human nature and the way we behave online and off. Wit's End is without a doubt one of the freshest, most original books I've read this year!