Literary Fiction | Book Chatter

Fox
By Joyce Carol Oates
Hogarth, June 2025, 672pp.

The Short of It:

An exploration of temptation and the need for love.

The Rest of It:

*No Spoilers*

Mr. Fox is quite popular, with a certain group of girls.

Francis Fox, an English teacher at the prestigious Langhorne Academy possesses charm and wit and knows just what to say to a select few. Many of his students hang on his every word and seek his approval whenever they can, often leading to days of misery when not in the radius of his attention.

But when Fox’s car is found submerged in a local nature reserve’s pond, and the unidentified body is strewn about, while Fox is nowhere to be found, detectives begin to ask the tough questions.

Who is Fox? What’s his story? How did he arrive at this sleepy little town? As Detective Horace Zwender and his partner begin questioning school administrators and really anyone who Fox came in contact with, they slowly discover another side to him that begs to be further explored.

I found myself completely enthralled with this book. It speaks to forbidden wants and desires and how they play out between people when the conditions are just right. The tension! Fox’s private life is not so private as each page is turned. Oates creates flawed vulnerable characters that pull you in, even when the subject matter is difficult to digest.

The nuanced writing takes center stage. The tone is subtle while creating tension that will have you reading each word, slowly. It’s mesmerizing and satisfying.

It checked all my boxes:

Imperfect characters
Surprising twists
Highbrow academia setting
Intellectually thoughtful, reflective
Delicate handling of a tough topic

At nearly 700pp, I did not feel its length whatsoever. I flipped those pages in awe because Oates takes you gently by the hand and then as you get further in, you end up running full speed to those final pages.

I didn’t want it to end. My mind got such a workout while spending time with Fox. I guess you could say he charmed me as well.

Highly recommend. Not sure how I missed this book when it was first released.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Vacuum in the Dark
By Jen Beagin
Scribner, January 2020, 240pp.

The Short of It:

This book continually snapped in my face to get my attention. It was unhinged and I kind of loved that about it.

The Rest of It:

Mona cleans houses for a living and she’s seen some things. People who defecate and leave little presents all over their homes for her to find. Soiled sheets (use your imagination). A person can tell a lot about you by the sheets you leave behind. Although she prefers to do her work in an empty house, sometimes her clients show interest or provide additional information to an otherwise confusing personal item.

She knows the bedroom habits of her clients. What’s happening, and what’s not. Her quiet, not adverse reaction to chaos draws people in. Enough so, that clients cross line entering her personal space and become something more. Exactly what, she’s not sure.

Everything has happened to Mona. She’s been raped, more than once but didn’t want to make a big deal of it. She’s been used as a muse for art, exposing her naked body for others to gaze upon and define. She’s had relations with married men and well out in the open. Open relationships should be less confusing. Right?

Although Mona seems to have done it all and doesn’t appear to be the worse for it, she’s suffering from a lack of self-worth and a deep yearning for home, whatever that is. Enter Claire, Mona’s mother who shacked up with some weirdo but has suddenly given up drugs and wants Mona to come for a visit.

Everyone in this novel is flawed beyond belief. They do despicable things and yet, you can’t hate them because of the honest way they just lay it all out. It’s like walking through a door and saying this is who I am, deal with it. Mona and many of these character experience life changing scenarios. Ones that initially confuse but eventually provide clarity.

I’ve been vague about the plot because you have to experience Vacuum in the Dark for yourself. It caught me completely off guard but I loved Beagin’s last book Big Swiss so I dived in.

This was a follow-up to another book but it felt like a standalone.

Read it.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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