The Mystery of Things

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Summary: The Mystery of Things
Review: The Mystery of Things is a jolt to the minds of those of us forever mourning the death of the epic in modern literature. Debra Murphy's outstanding sense of the heroic plays on the best of our mythic sensibilities, producing a complex, multilayered story with classic echoes. A literary jamboree, the plot is riddled with salutes to the "greats" of western literature. However, the author does not stop at mere exultation of a form many call obsolete. Her profound awareness of the anxieties of modern life, coupled with excellent use of irony and humor, make The Mystery of Things that extremely rare text that bridges the daunting gap of old vs. new. While celebrating the beauty inherent in religion, a clear disdain for fundamentalism made the text palatable even to this heathen skeptic. The mystery compels, driven by genuine suspense and a feeling of horror Nabokov would appreciate. The love story is realistic and harrowing, challenging the limits of both the protagonists' and the reader's hearts. Characters are intricate and convincing, struggling with issues central to human existence: Love, Death, Faith, etc. The Mystery of Things is a refreshing revival of our most ancient forms that remains highly relevant to the modern reader.

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Summary: Literary Mystery - to be enjoyed by all
Review: This is one of those novels that at first glance may be off putting - or at least it was for me. I'm not a Shakespeare scholar in the least and thought all of the literary references and Shakespearian quotes would go right over my head and I'd be lost. As soon as I started reading my apprehensions quickly evaporated. While it does abound with literary references and graduate students and their studies play a large part in in the book, the references only wet your appetite to read more of Shakespeare and those who influenced him. It truly is a mystery novel, but it is a lot more then your typical "who-did-it" variety. It is very well written and the descriptions and conversations bring the story and characters to life. While it is a mystery novel and the plot does move along pretty quickly, I really took my time reading it - enjoying each paragraph and savoring the writing and the story as it developed. I highly recommend this novel.