This Classical Life

The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht may have been the most anticipated debut novel in years. In no small part because Obreht was named by the New Yorker last year as one of the Top 20 writers under 40, at the tender age of 24 (a list they will probably publish again long before she hits 40.) And so when I received an advanced reading copy of The Tiger’s Wife, I wondered if I would be saving it for my grandchildren and bragging about my first look at such an important piece of literary fiction.

Narrating the story is a young doctor named Natalia, who learns of her grandfather’s death while on a humanitarian mission to vaccinate children in an orphanage now across the border from her home and tend to any pressing medical needs. Her nation has just suffered a bloody civil war and her memories of her grandfather and the war intermix with her story of dealing with the aftermath.

The novel is filled with the spirit of such authors as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Salman Rushdie with lovely folklore and magical realism. Like others who write in the genre, the style is wandering and occasionally confusing. I had to really concentrate to comprehend what was going on in parts.

The writing is lovely and there are moments of true cohesion where everything is working together and it almost took my breath away. But then there are large parts where I felt like I was enduring to get to another good part. Maybe it’s a little too broad, a little too wandering, a little too literary.

The Tiger’s Wife is receiving the praise that many projected years before publication, and Téa Obreht became the youngest author to receive the Orange Prize this June. She is an exciting young writer and I hope she continues to grow and develop and improve upon this solid beginning.

4 of 5 stars. [I received a review copy of the book from its publisher, which in no way influenced my opinion.]