Fox

A Novel

De: Joyce Carol Oates

Narrado por: Max Meyers, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Kirsten Potter, Fred Berman, Matt Godfrey, Gail Shalan, Rebecca Lowman, Rachel L. Jacobs, Eunice Wong, Ina Barrón

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An “enthralling” (Los Angeles Times) and “remarkably engrossing” (The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice) novel of literary and psychological suspense about the dark secrets that surface after the shocking disappearance of a charismatic, mercurial teacher at an elite boarding school—by legendary author Joyce Carol Oates

“Eerie, shocking, provoking, and beautifully written.”—Gillian Flynn
“I found it mesmerizing front to back.”—Michael Connelly
“I can’t remember the last time I read something so (darkly, disconcertingly) addictive.”—Rebecca Makkai
“An extraordinary novel . . . unlike any other mystery I’ve read.”—Joseph Finder
“Tom Ripley, eat your heart out.”—NPR
“A classic psychological suspense.”—People
“A dark, daring plunge into literary suspense . . . Oates dissects the predator-prey dynamic with merciless precision.”—The Seattle Times

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Seattle Times, Vulture, Esquire, Publishers Weekly, Lit Hub, AV Club, AARP

Who is Francis Fox? A charming English teacher new to the idyllic Langhorne Academy, Fox beguiles many of his students, their parents, and his colleagues at the elite boarding school, while leaving others wondering where he came from and why his biography is so enigmatic. When two brothers discover Fox’s car half-submerged in a pond in a local nature preserve and parts of an unidentified body strewn about the nearby woods, the entire community, including Detective Horace Zwender and his deputy, begins to ask disturbing questions about Francis Fox and who he might really be.

A hypnotic, galloping tale of crime and complicity, revenge and restitution, victim vs. predator, Joyce Carol Oates’s Fox illuminates the darkest corners of the human psyche while asking profound moral questions about justice and the response evil demands. A character as magnetically diabolical as Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley and Vladimir Nabokov’s Humbert Humbert, Francis Fox enchants and manipulates nearly everyone around him, until at last he meets someone he can’t outfox. Written in Oates’s trademark intimate, sweeping style, and interweaving multiple points of view, Fox is a triumph of craftsmanship and artistry, a novel as profound as it is propulsive, as moving as it is full of mystery.

Ugh

This was so incredibly hard to listen to, for several reasons. Of course, it is well written that is beyond reproach, but the subject matter alone made it incredibly difficult. Also, the repetition, the endless repetition! And the non-resolution, which I’m sure mirrors real life, but it just frustrated me to no end. Go into this with your eyes wide open. You will not feel good at the end.

"Terrible beauty"

The subject, the molestation of prepubescent girls is difficult to say the least. To portray the

Disturbing, yet well worth the listen

FOX will not be for everyone because of the disturbing nature of this complex novel. I found it repulsive at first because Mr. Fox is a disgusting and reprehensible character. However, Joyce Carol Oats does a masterful job of weaving together the many characters and relevant modern social issues that the listener will be confronted with throughout the book. Not only is it a very detailed and critical view into modern society, it’s an excellent mystery and detective novel.

Tough Subject Matter!!!

Be warned that there are some parts that are just graphic enough to be quite disturbing and are there for the reader/listener to specifically imagine what is happening… As much as I appreciated this story and its educating us about child predators within our communities, not to ignore who they might be because of their positions, I really had a difficult time getting through several sections of the book. As for the actual narration, each of these performers did an amazing job of bringing their characters to life… The story will hit you hard and definitely make you think, long after you’ve finished the novel.

so dark but so good

Brutal to listen to as a parent of a child the age of the victims but crafted so well

Oscar-worthy narration performances

Narration was acting in this case. Splendid. The content (often painful) was enhanced and even revealed by the performances.

Fantastic FOX

A very compelling novel. All the characters were fully developed . I loathed MrFox, but could not stop listening to.
I thought all her characters were very realistic. I figured out who done it fairly early on. But, I still doubted myself somewhat. Lots of twists and turns.
Really well narrated too.
I highly recommend JCO FOX.

It ends well

Very difficult read about a pedophile. Quite disturbing. I was ready to quit when the detective section started so I finished, but I would not recommend.

Dazzling writing and performances

Wow. Chagrined to admit this was my first JCO but it certainly won’t be my last. Not a false note in this page turning psychological horror tale. Creepy subject matted to be sure, but leavened by a subtle thread of very dark humor. And this is one of those instances where the audio version really adds an extra dimension — the narrators were all fantastic, each one perfect for the part they were chosen for. Highly recommended.

Trigger Warning

This is not a novel for the faint of heart. J.C.O. creates distinct characters with psychological depth while weaving a story that will keep you guessing, The novel exposes, in a raw and realistic way, the underbelly of human nature.