Briefly Noted Book Reviews | The New Yorker
Peaces , by Helen Oyeyemi (Riverhead). Otto, the hypnotist narrator of this dreamlike novel, sets off on a sleeper train to an unknown place, for a ânon-honeymoon honeymoonâ with his partner, Xavier, and their pet mongoose. At first, there seems to be just one other passenger, a woman who may need their help, if they can find her in a maze of train cars personally crafted for them. Enchantment shifts to unease as their journey turns inward, becoming an emotional reflection on the influence of Xavierâs ex-boyfriend. A dread-soaked dénouement is purposefully ill-fitting, sugge...