White is for Witching

Posted on | June 8, 2010 | 25 Comments

White is for witching, a colour to be worn so that all other colours can enter you, so that you may use them. At a pinch, cream will do.

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi is a novel difficult to categorise; it is experimental with multiple narrative styles and viewpoints, often switching perspectives mid-paragraph. It is confusing and involves close concentration to follow but it is an accomplished novel and one with a lot of literary merit. White is for Witching is challenging and time-consuming but ultimately rewarding in its uniqueness alone.

Oyeyemi has crafted a complex -one that could be considered overly- tale that does exhibit her literary prowess but where it does prove her talent as a writer, the story itself is unsatisfying. Originality is a plus point but not when it is at the expense of a cohesive and resolved storyline and White is for Witching lacks one.

It would be belittling to classify White is for Witching as a haunted house story but the evil house at its centre is personified into one of the novel’s four narrators. The house in Dover manifests itself into the narrative, the power it holds over the characters seeping into the text itself, manipulating the reader. It is an admirable and creative use of literary device but it is at the cost of substance. White is for Witching possesses many elements of the Gothic and fantastic, incorporating African folklore into a modern context; the novel tackles large themes of mental illness, race, sexuality, incest, grief, and medical disorder surrounded by the supernatural. With its supernatural elements, the novel is reminiscent of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson but its modern concerns and ambition it comes across as attempting too much and suffers for lack of focus.

Miri and Eliot are teenage twins, whose mother has died; Miri suffers from pica, a mental disorder characterised by eating largely inedible items, and is a troubled girl. Miri is most definitely an unreliable narrator as are her fellow storytellers -her family home, her twin, and the friend she makes at university, whose preoccupation with the folklore of her African heritage introduces the soucouyant element into the novel. A soucouyant is a folkloric supernatural creature, similar to a vampire, that sucks the soul from you and it is the force that drives the events in White is for Witching. The folklore is interesting and there is a pervasive, powerful force that propels the novel forward and sucks the reader in but it starts better than it ends; the plot could have been resolved more solidly and satisfyingly. This is a good novel but it could have been a great one and, towards the end, the enjoyment is sucked from the text and the husk of structure remains; however, for those who prefer style over substance, it is a joy technically.

Category: Book Reviews, Challenges
Tags: Helen Oyeyemi

Comments

25 Responses to “White is for Witching”

Verity
June 8th, 2010 @ 11:52 am

I keep seeing this around but haven’t yet picked it up – some of it sounds compelling but I’m still not sure whether I’d like it.
Juxtabook
June 8th, 2010 @ 11:54 am

I could not get beyond the first 50 pages. Nothing wrong with her writing at micro level, macro speaking it was technically interesting as you say, but utterly boring. I rarely fail to finish a book, less than a dozen times in my adult reading life, and this is one of that sorry bunch.

Your review entirely nails the impression I got from that first 50 pages and I am glad I gave up!
Nadia
June 8th, 2010 @ 12:13 pm

I’m thinking I’ll pass on this one. It sounds like there were some interesting things about it, but overall it just doesn’t sound like it would have left an impression on me – other then, “Why did I read this?”. Oh well. Thanks for saving me from reading a bad book. Cheers!
Jenny
June 8th, 2010 @ 12:43 pm

Sorry you didn’t enjoy this more! I liked it a lot, but I enjoy a lot of ambiguity and hinting in my haunted house-type books – I always think it gives them more atmosphere when you never find out exactly what’s going on there. I can see what you mean about there being too many elements in this book, though. I’m looking forward to reading Oyeyemi’s next; perhaps that one will be more organized.
vivienne
June 8th, 2010 @ 12:51 pm

I really didn’t enjoy this one at all. I loved The Icarus Girl, but this one felt too experimental for my liking and needed far too much concentration for me.
Mrs.B.
June 8th, 2010 @ 12:56 pm

I love that cover though I’m sorry it wasn’t great. I might give this one a miss and it seems from the above comments that other people didn’t enjoy it so much either.
Amy
June 8th, 2010 @ 1:31 pm

I have this on the Kindle to read at some point this month for my month-long Nigerian challenge (if you’re interested, I’d love to have you link this review!). It sounds interesting, but not as good as I was expecting after having loved The Icarus Girl when it first came out.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
June 8th, 2010 @ 1:38 pm

This is right at the top of my TBR pile. I am interested to see what it will be like, but it is good to know that it will require a lot of concentration. I hope I enjoy it, despite my preference for substance over style
Amanda
June 8th, 2010 @ 1:52 pm

I’m a little trepidatious about this one, though I really do want to read The Icarus Girl by Oyeyemi, which I have on my shelf.
Steph
June 8th, 2010 @ 3:33 pm

I saw this one at the library a few trips ago, and for whatever reason, I hesitated to pick it up and decided against it. Based on your reviews, there are some elements in it that I would probably enjoy, but I’m thinking I might end up frustrated with it by the end…
Annabel (gaskella)
June 8th, 2010 @ 4:32 pm

I found it confusing to decide whether the main theme of the novel was Miri, her mental health and coming of age as she goes to university, or whether the house was the real star – not wanting to let go of its line of women owners. Concentrating on one of these could have made a much stronger novel. The house and its spirits merely made its occupants uncomfortable rather than inducing any real terror.
Miri is a rather unsympathetic character, which makes it difficult to care about her state of mind and incipient anorexia. Eliot was underused; more could have been made of them being twins.
The multiple viewpoints of the beginning did gradually coalesce into one voice, and I thought the book’s second half was better but did struggle with the first.
There were many good elements to this story, but they were only assembled into an average novel.
Simon T
June 8th, 2010 @ 5:25 pm

I was impressed by The Icarus Girl, so was keen to give this a go too, but was utterly baffled by it… had no idea what was going on for most of the time.
Brenna
June 8th, 2010 @ 9:00 pm

Thanks for a great review. I’ve never read this book, but I feel the same way about Bel Canto – in terms of style it was great but the story line was lacking.
softdrink
June 8th, 2010 @ 9:27 pm

I’ve been trying to read this one for the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, it’s on my nook, which is NOT a good format for an experimaental novel. It’s too hard to flip back in the book when I get confused. And the mysterious narrator is driving me bonkers!
Dominique
June 9th, 2010 @ 7:55 am

Finally another person who has given this book a review other than a rave! I found the writing really evocative and I found it a difficult book to put down but I don’t think I actually ENJOYED it. My review is here http://coffeestainedpages.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/white-is-for-witching-by-helen-oyeyemi/
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi « Coffee Stained Pages
June 9th, 2010 @ 8:00 am

[...] at A Striped Armchair/Paperback Reader/Jenny’s Books/Bird Brain(ed) Book [...]
Simon (Savidge Reads)
June 9th, 2010 @ 8:01 am

I have been really looking forward to reading this one as have heard so much about it. I simply haven’t gotten around to it yet which is a poor show from me. Having seen some of the comments though am not sure if I will love it or loathe it, I will just have to find out!
Dot
June 9th, 2010 @ 9:54 am

This sounds rather intriguing! The cover is brilliant, thanks for the review.
Jo
June 9th, 2010 @ 9:28 pm

I really wanted to love this! But unfortunately gave up half way through. But I think the concentration thing was an issue for me at the time, so maybe i’ll pick it back up in a better frame of mind.
anothercookiecrumbles
June 10th, 2010 @ 7:54 pm

I’ve been wanting to read this for some time now, simply because I love the name of the book. Also read some really positive reviews about it.

However, after reading your review and some of the subsequent comments, I’m not so sure.
Paperback Reader
June 12th, 2010 @ 2:52 pm

Verity, I don’t think you would like it; it sounded perfect for me and I’m not sure that I liked it at all.

Catherine, part of me wishes I had given up also as it was a struggle. Technically interesting is all fine and good but I do require a plot that I can follow at least in part!

Nadia, there are reviews out there by bloggers who loved the book but sadly I wasn’t one of them! It’s a pity as I did expect to love it.

Jenny, there is a definite progression in her oeuvre so I shall be very interested in reading her next book – hopefully there will be less themes throwns in and a more honed focus.

Vivienne, I felt likewise. With hindsight the experience of reading it wasn’t pleasant, was more like a chore, and far too time-consuming for my liking.

Astrid, it’s a book that has readers divided but I agree that the cover is stunning! Very similar in that respect to An Elegy for Easterly that I reviewed earlier this year.

Ooh Amy, your Nigerian challenge sounds like something I would love. I must check out your posts. This was very different from The Icarus Girl.

Jackie, I’m interested in how you will find this although I suspect that, like me, you won’t be impressed!

Amanda, I enjoyed The Icarus Girl although there has been a definite improvement in writing between that one and this; Oyeyemi has talent, there is no question of that.

Steph, I agree that you would probably enjoy the same elements as I did but ultimately it was too frustrating and not enjoyable.
Paperback Reader
June 12th, 2010 @ 3:02 pm

Annabel, the novel had so much promise and potential but was weakened by too many elements and under-use of others. I found the house unsettling too rather than terror-inducing.

Simon, it had that affect on me in some parts too; I ended up not really caring what was going on and just wanting to finish it so I could move on.

Brenna, I haven’t read Bel Canto although it is on the never-ending TBR somewhere… Sometimes style over substance works but here it was simply frustrating.

Jill, I read it over a long period too and ended up blitzing the remainder in one sitting to have it over!

Hi Dominique, thank you for commenting on my blog for the first time. Yes, I didn’t particularly enjoy it either – off to read your review!

Simon, what is certain is that you probably will either love it or love it – definitely a marmite book! It took me a while to get around to reading and reviewing the book as I started it in March, finished reading it at the end of April and didn’t review it until June!

Dot, glad you found it intriguing! I love the cover too.

Jo, concentration was a huge factor for me – it simply required too much and I wasn’t immersed in at all not to notice. Good luck if you do pick it up again!

Pri, you may well love it; I look forward to your thoughts as always.
Black European Authors « Diversify Your Reading
June 16th, 2010 @ 12:23 am

[...] Oyeyemi, Helen (born in Nigeria, currently living in UK. Wikipedia) The Icarus Girl: Reviewed at Jenny’s Books The Opposite House: Reviewed at Jenny’s Books White is for Witching: Reviewed at Gaskella, Jenny’s Books, and Paperback Reader [...]
Recap: Nigerian Mini-Challenge and June Reading « Amy Reads
June 30th, 2010 @ 12:04 pm

[...] of Paperback Reader posted a thoughtful review of Helen Oyeyemi’s White is for Witching. After starting this book myself I am so impressed by the fact that she was able to get such a [...]
Bookshelves: The Kindle TBR Edition « Amy Reads
August 8th, 2010 @ 12:05 pm

[...] for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi – picked up after this review by Eva at A Striped Armchair and this review by Paperback Reader. While the second was not overly positive, I loved the other Oyeyemi book I read so wanted to try [...]