Poor Deer - Claire Oshetsky - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Claire Oshetsky

GENRE: Literary Fiction, Magical Realism

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A dark and quirky literary fiction about a poor dear who is haunted by a “Poor Deer”. Grief and hope intermingled with magical realism and atmospheric writing. If all this intrigues you, this book is for you.

Story Synopsis:

Margaret’s first memory is of the day the local school ground flooded. This was also the day when four-year-old Margaret’s life changed forever. With a burden too great for her little shoulders to bear, she turned to fairy tales, both on paper and in her mind, to escape her loneliness.

Now at sixteen, Margaret is penning her confession, goaded by Poor Deer, a strange creature who seems to have great power over Margaret, as she knows her too well.

How much of the confession is true? Is Margaret able to differentiate between fact and fiction in her mind? Who is Poor Deer and why does she have such a hold over Margaret?

Most of the plot comes to us through the frame story of Margaret writing her 'confession' about the past from the contemporary time.

I had first experienced Claire Oshetsky’s writing when I read her debut novel, Chouette – a one-of-a-kind work. It was so visceral an experience that I was mesmerized by its prose though I didn't grasp the allegorical writing in its entirety. (I read the whole book front to back twice!) Chouette is the only book that I've advocated to my friends despite rating it just 3.25 stars. So when I saw Oshetsky’s second book on NetGalley, I didn't hesitate before opting for it.

In almost all ways, this has been a better reading experience than Chouette, not because the writing has improved (it was already excellent!), but because the reality level of this book is more my cup of tea. The surrealism is much toned down, the metaphors are more grounded (my brain can't process too much of 'abstract'), and the pacing is steadier (though not faster, which is expected in literary fiction.)

Where the author truly shines is in her creation of the setting. She has an unbelievable style of writing that helps us regenerate every scene in our minds clearly. At the same time, the descriptions don't go overboard in such a way that you feel drowned under the strain of pure atmosphere with no core content. The text balances plot and prose beautifully.

I liked the decision of presenting this innovative plot as a frame story, and also the style of presentation. The present time is written in Margaret’s first person voice, but she writes about her past using the third person syntax for herself. It is almost as if Margaret of the present wants to distance herself from four-year-old Margaret and the crime she committed.

The basic plot could have been rooted in reality, but the author imbues her lead character with a fanciful creative faculty. Margaret is an unreliable narrator, but not in the way you would imagine. She misguides not to trick you but to present a better picture of herself and to put to paper what she wanted than what she got. Margaret thus has the habit of interweaving facts and fantasy in such a way that you won't be able to spot the seam in between. ”Poor Deer” (I loved the origin of this nomenclature – the unintentionally hilarious creation of a child’s mind!) is the best example of how bizarre her mind gets, and yet, Poor Deer is compelling enough to be considered a tangible part of the storyline. Keeping in mind that contemporary Margaret is just a teenager is vital, as her writing indicates her self-absorption, with her wishful redemption being the nucleus of her confession.

The characters are also memorable, though it is very tough to connect with all of them completely. Margaret's character development is excellent. Her flashback begins when she is four years old, and as is common with adult narrators talking of their childhood, the memories are inaccurate. However, while the typical tone of such writing is nostalgic, Margaret's are varnished with the tint of haunting loss, focussing on the grief and hurts that she tries to offset with her wild imagination. Right from her creative prayers to her habit of seeking escape in books to her chats with “Poor Deer”, she makes for an intriguing lead – an unusual combination of vulnerable yet strong.

The supporting cast is also sturdy, though their roles are much limited as the narration is Margaret’s and she focusses mostly on herself. Her mom Florence and her aunt Dolly have a substantial and impressive presence. Some of the minor characters such as young Agnes, the school teacher Mr. Blunt, and the kindergarten teacher Mrs. Rudnicki leave their marks within the little page space they get. That said, I wanted to know much more about Penny and Glo – their arcs seemed rootless, though not pointless.

Why I didn’t go higher in my rating is mainly because of the final quarter or so. Somehow, the climactic scenes didn’t satisfy me the way I expected them to, though they made sense in the flow of the plot. I wanted something more hardhitting but the ending felt quite tame compared to the brilliance of the rest of the story.

If you want something typical or rooted in reality, this isn’t the book for you. But if you are the kind of reader willing to explore the furthest realms of the mind without crossing into the surreal, if you can go with the flow and accept what’s told while grasping what’s untold, if you enjoy character-driven fiction even when the character who drives the story isn’t driving straight - please try this book. This isn't just a novel. It's storytelling!

My thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for the DRC of “Poor Deer”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.