Rating: 
Summary: Astounding
Review: A hauntingly beautiful love story... A must for any lover of prose. Kitsune's love for a human leading her to become human herself is a wonderful and at some times heartbreaking fairy tale...
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: I had given up on reading most things labeled fantasy until a friend recommended to me Kij Johnson's The Fox Woman.
Kij gives us the best of literary fiction without the self-indulgent drivel, and the best of fantasy without inflicting upon us the constant repetition that is the staple of lesser authors.
Set in a fantastical medieval Japan, The Fox Woman tells a tale of self-transformation, of dream-chasing, of love both romantic and unconditional, of falls from grace and redemption, of sacrifice, and above all of human emotion and interaction, on a level that hits us deep in the gut and makes us shout, "Yes! I know that feeling!"
Although a fantasy, few stories are more true or more real than this.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Book, Must Read for Furry Fans and Everyone Else
Review: I love this book. I really do. To the point of it possibly being unhealthy. When I first read this book, I ended up reading it four times in a row over the next two days. It really is that good. Now, you may disagree with my stunning praise of it, but you will still enjoy reading this uniquely written tale of a young fox who wants to be... more.-AF
Rating: 
Summary: A Poetic Novel, a Novel of Poetry
Review: In Kij Johnson's fantasy novel, The Fox Woman, she blends Japanese folklore with a style of poetry that is both traditional and clearly her own. The story, one of a nobleman and his family who move to the country, is told in three voices: Yoshifuji (the husband), Shikujo (the wife), and Kitsune (a fox). Making these voices more intimate is the fact that they are from three diaries, making them honest, strong, and beautiful. When Kaya No Yoshifuji and his family move to the capital, it upsets two sets of lives, those of his family and those of the family of foxes that have been living underneath the unused country house. Kitsune, the fox, looks on these strangers with a sense of longing and wonder, unable to understand their human ways. Soon her obsession reflects in Yoshifuji, who becomes obsessed with the foxes living near his home. As Kitsune's obsession grows, she falls in love with Yoshifuji and seeks to use fox-magic to transform herself into a woman to obtain his love. Woven into the story is a wonderful collection of poetry. Yoshifuji and his wife trade poems in a custom that is difficult for Kitsune to understand. So it may also be for the readers of fantasy who are not well-versed in reading poetry. Yet, readers should neither ignore nor underestimate these lines. The simple words are beautiful, as the poem that Yoshifuji writes on the surface of a fan his wife left behind: "The spider's web can catch the moonlight, / but cannot keep it." The poetry is an intricate part of the novel, not only for its beauty but also for its importance within the story. Yet, it is not only the poetry within the novel that keeps the reader entranced, but the poetry of the novel. The lives of the characters are reflected in the seasons, their surroundings, and even in the spider web that Yoshifuji refuses to have swept away from his room. The novel reminds the reader of the poetry of life, and the beauty that exists in all things. Kij Johnson does a masterful job of writing a fantasy story that is a love story, a fable, and a poem. As her first novel, it is a wonderful promise of things to come.
Rating:
Summary: The Fox Woman
Review: Kij Johnson's The Fox Woman transports you into the heart of Heian Japan, and the hearts of some of the most engaging characters ever written. It tells the story of a man, a woman, and a young fox discovering their intertwined destinies in the real world, and in a magical world of wonderful illusion where a den in the earth can be a lovely country estate, and a fox transfixed by love can be a beautiful woman. The settings are historically accurate and (more important) so real you can reach out and touch them. The prose is exquisite -- there's no better word, and the author's masterful sense of story will immerse you in her world as few writers are able to do. This book will break your heart, and you'll be glad for it, I promise you.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't even finish it.
Review: The beginning of this book was promising, with elegant prose and an interesting premise, but it quickly went downhill. By the time Kitsune began weaving her deception I was no longer interested in the characters, who were all either flat, self-serving, stupid, or some combination thereof. As it progressed from there, it became a chore to read. I usually don't write reviews of books I haven't finished, but I've never given up on a book with such vehemence.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy, Literary, Enchanting: Both Style and Story
Review: The pillowbooks of Kitsune--the vixen, who desires to be a woman because she has fallen in love with the Japanese nobleman--of Shijuko his wife and of Yoshifuji, the object of the Kitsune's passion; form an enchanting fantasy, a fable of human and animal existence, posing the eternal existential questions: what it is to love? to be a woman? to be a man? to be a fox or a dog? This fantasy drew me into its wonderful web for a number of reasons: the language was exquisite, the fine poetry in the oriental manner was delicately woven into the story (a sure way to my reader's heart) and the underlying commentary upon the human condition wrought in contrast to that of the family of foxes who live under the Japanese country house achieved a rare novel with both style and story. Yes, animals, be they foxes, cats or dogs do weave their own commentary on the comings and goings of humans. I am not knowledgeable about medieval Japanese culture or literature, but it suspended my disbelief and drew me into an oriental world. I felt I was there in the Japanese countryside. I saw the robes, the fans, the paper walls. Those who would quibble with the Japan Kij Johnson creates should turn to the history books. This is literary fiction. I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Kitsune, love, and magic...
Review: This is a wonderfully poetic novel that is told in diary format from three sources; the fox girl, the man she loves, and his wife. All three have their own lives outside of each other, and that shows in the way that they deal with others. But at the same time they are inexplicably tied together, and the way that Kij Johnson handled this is superb. She doesn't rush into the triangle, but glides into it,a nd before long you are at that point without realizing it. The characters undergo drastic changes through the course of the story, though some changes are more noticeable than others. The fox starts out as a just a fox, but gradually she not only physically morphs into a human, but becomes one mentally and emotionally. This transformation threatens to destroy her small family as she pulls them into her fantasy. The man has a fascination with the foxes that is sending him further and further away from his wife. When he meets the fox-girl, he is overwhelmed by her spell and falls for her. His wife has to deal with his increasing interest in the foxes and his waning interest with her, and this eventually sends her away from their country home and back to the city. This is a story of love, magic, and in many ways, of loss. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in some of the lesser known stories of Japan (upon which this is somewhat based), and to all who enjoy a good love story!
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, poetic allegory.
Review: This lyrical allegory is a must for anyone who has ever tried to be someone they are not in order to gain love, for anyone who has had to choose between two loves, for anyone who has had to fight to save their love. Written in a beautiful, poetic style reminiscent of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, "The Fox Woman" captures the reader from the moment it begins.
Kij Johnson tells this love story entirely through the diary entries of the three main characters; each with their own unique perspective and voice. One would think that by doing this she would risk redundancy, and yet the overlaps are few and natural, serving only to connect the characters to each other and to the storyline.
Besides the unique, mystical vehicle she has chosen to deliver this allegory, Johnson's strength lies in her imagistic detail. Here is an example: "The rain has stopped, but the eaves still drip. Overhead, the spiderweb glistens in the moonlight that filters through the eave openings. The gossamer lines are almost too fine to see as anything but a lightening of the darkness."
Her language is exquisitely beautiful and yet also accessible. This strength, combined with the universality of the topic, is what makes it possible for the reader to leave their world and enter fully into the story; and in making that possible, Johnson weaves a fox magic of her own.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, like a clear winter?s day
Review: When I picked up Fox Woman I had no idea what to expect from it. I had seen it on a friend's bookshelf and curiosity led me to order it. Inside I found a deep and beautiful story full of truth and pain. Before I finished the story I was drawn in by the incredible characterization and the simplicity using the different perspectives in diary format to define alternate views. While reading this book, I misplaced my copy and was so engrossed that I purchased another in order to finish it. While reading I feared how she was going to be able to end the book so as to not oversimplify, make it saccharine, or trite. All may fears were allayed and in the end I was satisfied that this book did not conclude so much as chose to stop sharing its story. It is one that should not be missed
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