I love Joyce Carol Oates! And with the subject matter of this novel I knew (thought) I would be in for another Oates woman rising from the muck to live out a twisted adult fairy tale, and I got that. But I also was left somewhat unsatisfied. The novel begins in the usual Oates fashion, pulling you down into the depths of a deeply damaged character, who you root for, and or at the same time admire, feel empathy for, and become engrossed in their journey. But in the end I was left unsatisfied because I felt although mudwoman had no idea who and what she was...either did I. I felt after her breakdown I was going to get to know, and I identified with some of her "motivations", her lack of really wanting to know the "truth" about herself, but as a reader I wanted to at least understand her.
In the novel, The Falls, I really didn't understand the motivations of the wife, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment and satisfaction at the conclusion. The Tattooed Girl, I didn't really identify with the main character, but I rooted for her because I understood her. This didn't happen for me with MR, and although I enjoyed the majority of the novel, I was left feeling empty at the end. For anyone who has read Oates before, this is a novel worth reading, her use of language to create emotion and atmosphere..is all still there. (And anyone who has read her knows her vocabulary is vast, so her continual use of the words rebuke and prevail, I knew where intentional and effective... I suppose this partly added to my feeling of dissatisfaction at the end). So if you have read Oates I say read this one too, and if you haven't I say find another novel of hers to begin your Oates journey of the dark twisted adult fairy tale.