The Fury isn’t the first book I’ve read by Alex Michaelides – and, unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite.
What’s The Fury about?
This thriller is about a supposedly close-knit group of friends on a lavish vacation together on a private Greek island – and one up them ends up dead. The story is told through the eyes of one of the friends, Elliot Chase, who narrates the The Fury.
And, who is super annoying.
There’s basically two stories within this novel. There’s the main, present-day drama unfolding about Hollywood darling Lana Farrar and her friends, and then there’s Elliot’s many, many interjections about his relationships and friendships, about his traumatic childhood and young adult life when he met Lana & Co., and his repeated insistences on telling “the truth.”
What I liked about The Fury
The escapist aspect of The Fury is great. I loved Michaelides’ descriptions of Aura, the remote island on which everyone stays. You can practically feel the grains of sand between your toes, see the turquoise waters, taste the fresh seafood and vegetables from the Greek island. Staying there seems like a dream (murders aside), and it’s easy to get lost in the grandeur of being the guest of an insanely rich movie star on a private island.
There’s also some intense drama that unfolds – betrayal, friendship, unrequited love, and ambition are all driving factors that lead us toward the eventual murder. Tension runs high throughout the novel, and although Elliot’s narration is 100% annoyingAF, the story about Lana, her husband James, her best friend Kate, and her son Leo is what kept me flipping pages.
I’d like to say that Elliot gets easier to deal with over time, but nope. He only gets worse. I pushed through the first few chapters to make my 50-page rule, and eventually I just focused on what was happening with Lana & Co and did my best to tune out Elliot’s narration – until I couldn’t.
Because, unfortunately, Elliot becomes a really big part of the The Fury.
What I (really, really) didn’t like about The Fury
I couldn’t stand Elliot’s conversational, overly familiar, and slightly condescending tone in Chapter 1, and I almost put The Fury down right then and there. Elliot’s constantly addressing the reader with a wink and a nod as if we’re all old friends, which some may find charming but I found completely irritating. His asides eventually devolve into long-winded tangents about his personal history, and each time that happened, all I could think was whine, whine, whine.
By the time you get halfway through the book, you understand why Elliot’s personal story is so important. But, really, I didn’t give two (Greek) figs about Elliot. I just wanted to read more about Lana and the drama unfolding on the island.
For all you Bridget Jones’ Diary fans out there: Elliot reminds me of Bridget’s friend Tom. Specifically, Tom in that scene when he says, “Yes, it was me. No current plans to record anything else” to the old man who’s just trying to explain that Tom’s chair is on someone’s coat. Elliot exudes that obnoxious level of self-aggrandizing delusion, humble-bragging, and eye-rolling pomposity ALL. THE. TIME.
I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to find Elliot annoying, so, hats off to Michaelides for brilliantly writing such an unlikeable character. I just really wish Elliot were a little more likeable so my reading experience was more enjoyable.
Should you read The Fury?
Ugh. Should you read The Fury? I honestly don’t know. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to anyone, but I won’t say you should stay away from it, either. This thriller simply wasn’t my cup of tea, particularly when it came to the ending. The Fury keeps you guessing, but not in a good way. More of an “omg, can we just get to the friggin’ point already?” kind of way. Can there be too many twists and turns in a novel? I think so.
But, I’m sure many people will like The Fury, if Goodreads reviews are anything to go by. Long-time Michaelides fans will want to read this book (it includes some fun Easter eggs The Maidens and The Silent Patient), and you might like this book if you’re into Agatha Christie-type “whodunnits”. Fans of The Guest List by Lucy Foley and anything with unreliable narrators will also appreciate this novel.
Bottom line: I say give The Fury a whirl if you’re looking for a light, fast-paced thriller. But, if Elliot annoys you from the get-go and you’re wondering if it’s worth putting up with him to find out what happens – close the book, Google some spoilers, and move on with your life. You’re not missing a thing.
The Fury by Alex Michaelides will be available for sale on January 16, 2024 from Celadon Books. Although I received a complimentary advance copy of this book, all opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
