![]() ![]() ![]() They can act as a symbol of commitment or a powerful sort of voodoo doll. In the Oyeyemi’s stories, keys unlock history and open doors that change relationships and preconceived notions. In this universe, too, keys are important, and not in the simple way that you need them to secure and access your apartment. Major characters from earlier stories pop into later tales, providing extra glimpses into their lives, and minor characters return to have their personalities fleshed out. What’s more interesting is how the world’s inhabitants move through it, navigating everything from collegiate flirting to appeasing a hungry creature in the woods. In this world, it’s unclear whether there’s anything sinister about sentient puppets or a hotel from which you can never check out, and it’s almost beside the point. Many of them exist in the same universe - one mostly grounded in reality, but with moderate doses of the surreal. Oyeyemi, who at 31 already has five novels to her name, wrote these stories to go together. It’s an apt visualization for the short story collection - particularly if you imagine the author locking and unlocking doors on a whim. In Helen Oyeyemi’s “What is Not Yours is Not Yours,” there is a house in which none of the doors close unless you lock them. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |