Title: The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish
Author: Katya Apekina
First published September 18, 2018
353 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9781937512750 (ISBN10: 1937512754)
Rating: 4.08
Overview
The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish tells the story of two sisters, Edie and Mae, who are forced to face the harsh realities of life after their mother attempts suicide. With their mother in a mental hospital, the girls are uprooted from their Louisiana home to live with their estranged father in New York.
As they struggle to come to terms with their mother’s illness and their new surroundings, the sisters find themselves drifting apart. Edie remains convinced that their father is to blame for their mother’s downfall, while Mae feels pulled towards him.
Tensions rise and the family fractures further as secrets from their parents’ past are revealed. Written with a sinister sense of humor and told through a selection of first-person accounts, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish is a captivating debut that explores the complexities of family dynamics and the blurred lines between love and obsession.
About the Author
Katya Apekina is an accomplished writer with published works in various literary journals such as The Iowa Review, Santa Monica Review, West Branch, Joyland, and PANK. Her talent has been recognized by being placed on the Notable List of Best American Nonrequired Reading 2013.
In addition to her writing, she has translated poetry and prose for Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky, which was shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award. Apekina also co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film New Orleans, Mon Amour, which premiered at SXSW in 2008.
Originally from Moscow, she currently resides in Los Angeles.
Editoral Review
Katya Apekina’s debut novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, is a haunting and beautifully written work of fiction that explores the intricacies of family, grief, and mental illness. Apekina exhibits masterful control over her characters and elegantly weaves together multiple perspectives to create a story that is both poetic and visceral.
Set in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the novel tells the story of two sisters, Edie and Mae, who are forced to live with their estranged father in New York City after their mother is institutionalized. Edie, the younger sister, is fiercely protective of Mae, who suffers from a severe mental illness.
As the two girls navigate their new lives in the company of their father’s new family, secrets begin to unravel, and the precarious balance of their delicate family dynamic threatens to unravel completely. Apekina’s prose is luminous and often philosophical, making poetic observations about the nature of love, loss, and family.
Her writing is both evocative and raw, with vivid descriptions of New York City’s hustle and bustle contrasting with the atmospheric, almost swamp-like quality of Louisiana. The novel’s themes of alienation, grief, and mental illness are handled with sensitivity and nuance, and Apekina never shies away from depicting the difficult realities of these experiences.
At its core, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish is a story about the complicated, often messy nature of family relationships. Apekina’s characters are all flawed and multifaceted, and she explores each of them with unflinching honesty.
The novel is also an examination of the lengths that people will go to protect the ones they love, even when that protection comes at a great personal cost. While the book does have some narrative elements that may be challenging for some readers, such as its nonlinear structure and fragmented timeline, the overall effect is both rewarding and thought-provoking.
This is a novel that demands active engagement from its readers, but the payoff is a deeply affecting and emotionally resonant story that lingers long after the final page has been turned. In conclusion, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish is a stunning debut from a talented new voice in fiction.
Fans of literary fiction and those interested in exploring complex family dynamics will find much to love in this book. It is a haunting, raw, and unforgettable work that deserves to be read and discussed.
Highly recommended.
