The Reader’s Corner

Have you ever read a book and been so absorbed in the language, style, and place of it, you found yourself thinking in the same style? That happened to me with The Weird Sisters. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book had a very unique narrative voice. It was told from the combined perspective of 3 sisters, but more as though it were being told by the sisterhood itself. I have heard it said that a marriage is like a third person in a relationship, and here the sisterhood took on a persona as though it were a fourth individual in the family. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but soon I came to really enjoy it. I also really enjoyed the language of this book - it was lyrical and beautiful without being overly wordy or flowery. It really drew me in and made me feel as though I was surrounded by this family and town, and I longed for the lazy feel and the homeyness of somewhere similar.

Although the plot of this book was not exactly what I expected (honestly, I was drawn in by the title & cover and didn’t really read what it was about), and when I first started it I was a bit unsure of if I would enjoy it (the title refers to the 3 witches of Macbeth, because the father in the story is a scholar of Shakespearean literature, and he, as well as other characters, quote Shakespeare often, which I found a bit contrived), I am very glad I read it through to the end.

I am going to include a passage that I particularly loved the feel of, though I fear it may turn some off to this book. I will add that the reason I loved this bit (and other similar ones), was because the whole book wasn’t like this. There were these moments of quiet lulls that were relayed so well, but the book itself did not move this slow or quietly. In fact, there was a restless feel to the characters and story that worked amazingly well, especially when interspersed with these moments of calm clarity.

“Sunday morning, thunderheads loomed above, thick and rich with rain. Cordy had been up before us all making pancake batter with blueberries purloined from the neighbor’s bushes, their delicate bodies splitting against the wooden spoon, staining the batter with violent violet.”

It was just magically descriptive without being tedious - dripping with the feeling of the moment as opposed to the details. I guess that’s as well as I can explain it - I really encourage you to read it for yourself and get to know these 3 sisters and their lives.