#35.  Lady Into Fox.  David Garnett.  Fiction.  4.0 stars

This is a fascinating little reprint from an original 1922 book by McSweeney’s – The Collins Library Division.   I wasn’t sure what to expect when reading this book and picked it up largely based on my devotion to McSweeney’s, the intriguing title and the gorgeous nature of the reprint, which includes the original woodcut illustrations.

I was happily surprised when I finally sat down with this little gem.  It is shocking how much you end up feeling for the main character Mr. Tebrick, husband of Mrs Silvia Tebrick who does quite quickly in the story literally turn into a fox.  By page 5 Silvia is a fox and I found myself wondering how on earth Garnett was going to keep this interesting.

Boy was a I wrong.  The real story is the mental breakdown of the heartbroken Mr. Tebrick as he tries at all costs to keep his wife, now a fox, in his life.  Initially it is easy for him (really for them both) and he dotes on her and she on him and their love remains chastely alive, but the longer she remains a fox the more wild she becomes and the more of her humanity her husbands sees (and feels) slip away, until it is like she is caged unwillingly and he her captor.

It is quite a heartbreaking story and leaving the “fable aspect” of her actually being a fox aside, it speaks volumes about relationships and what happens when a partner moves on and grows in a way that the other cannot follow.  How the bonds of love are often not enough to keep two people, changing in different directions and at different rates, together.  I was immersed in this world and shockingly found myself near tears on occasion.  A great story.  4 stars.