Lady Into Fox

This book is astonishing, and I do not believe I've ever read anything quite like it. By some strange accident, Mr. Tebrick's beloved wife is transformed into a fox, yet with her intelligence and personality intact. Garnett depicts the reactions of husband and wife to this event with incredible psychological depth and realism. The husband is beside himself, but is primarily concerned for his wife's safety, shooting his furious dogs and sending away the servants. His wife is heartbroken, and desperately tries to avoid walking on all fours or appearing unclothed, and the couple attempt to live their lives as normally as possible; the husband plays waltzes for his vixen, they take tea together, and even play cards! As time passes, Mrs. Tebrick becomes more at home in the body and mind of a fox, and her husband's whole concept of the boundaries between man and nature is repeatedly shattered as his beloved wife devours her pet dove, runs and plays like a normal fox, and yearns to kiss him with her muzzle still stained with blood from a "savagely" killed small animal. Mr. Tebrick is trapped in an excruciating tug of war between the world of men and nature as he confronts his wife's "adultery" and "bestiality" with a dog-fox, yet finds his greatest happiness in playing with his wife's kits, and his wife, who delights in his company and his attention to her offspring, even though she now prefers to chew playing cards rather than use then in human fashion. Sadly, Mr. Tebrick's unshakable love for his wife and his litter of godchildren causes even greater suffering, since as a human he is hideously aware of the dangers that await his family during the coming hunting season, and how tenuous their short moments of happiness are. Truly a remarkable study of the close kinship we have with animals, and the ways our abstract intelligence and imagination will always keep us at a distance from their world. It is also an incredibly moving love story.

Lady Into Fox, by David Garnett, harkens back to the early Twentieth Century when book covers (one of the best things about this book) were deliciously simple and the real treat was contained in the pagese between them. Also enchanting are the wood engravings that illustrate the book. Originally published in 1922 and out of print since 1966, McSweeney's brings this classic tale of transformation and unrecognizable self back to the forefront of literature. This opulent tale will surely be talked about and enjoyed for years to come. This is a great gift.