The Fury by Alex Michaelides
What's It About?
A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder.It’s well known that Alex Michaelides loves Agatha Christie. In fact, many people say that his writing mirrors her style. But in his third novel, The Fury, it becomes clear that his style is all his own. He is the master of the twist, but catches you in his web and plays a game with you first. And just when you think you have things figured out, he hits you with the unexpected and dives into some of the most twisted elements of relationships and human nature.
The Fury takes place on a private Greek island, where a group of seemingly elite friends goes on vacation for the weekend. However, this group of posh adults acts more like a crew of middle schoolers. There are layers and layers of secrets, deceitful actions, and betrayals that plague this group. But after a night of wits, twists, and wind… someone will die. But who, and how?
Vacation Romp Turns to Murderous Plot
Lana Farrar is wealthy, so much so that her husband bought her a private island while they were married. And that is where she takes her friends for Easter weekend to get away.
But Lana has always been taken advantage of, even by the people closest to her. Her current husband Jason and her friend Kate used to date before Jason and Lana got together. And it appears that water was not under the bridge for them, for they started sneaking around and having an affair.
When Lana finds out, she’s naturally distraught and furious and seeks counsel with her friend Elliot. That’s where they hatch this plan to go away for the holiday, to get revenge on Jason and Kate for sneaking around.
We end up in the middle of a Greek tragedy without even understanding that we’re in one. Manipulation is happening at every turn and by every character, and it’s the reader who may be the ultimate victim of this story!
But that’s where the mastery of Alex Michalides comes in. He weaves a web with his stories, that make the reader think they know what’s going on. He makes us think that we have all the details, understand the characters, and have a front-row seat as the curtain goes up and the drama unfolds. Until we realize we don’t have anything right. And I will be the first to admit that he gets me every single time.
The characters are all dislikeable, but our narrator Elliot seems like someone you could have a bottle of wine with over some hot gossip. His storytelling ability is profound, as he is a storyteller (playwright) after all. But it’s hard to trust him from the very first page because he seems so desperate to be heard and to have you, the reader, believe him.
Greek Tragedy For “White Lotus” Fans
What I love about this author is that he writes from his experience. He’s Greek and that shows through his writing.
As a pre-teen, I was obsessed with Greek Mythology so as an adult, reading his books has me excited and hooked from the beginning. He takes something like the wind that plagues the Greek islands and makes it into an entity. A living and breathing thing that takes up space in the whole book. And he creates psychologically challenging stories, yet page-turners. Vicious yet endearing. And he hooks you from the very first line every time.
There is even an evil eye on the cover of The Fury. And for those who don’t know, yes the symbol is popular globally. But in Greece, the evil eye symbolizes “negative energy caused by another’s jealousy”. And that is exactly what this story is all about. The whirlwind of horrible energy, attitudes, behavior, and treatment of people in Lana’s life are ultimately victims of this jealousy. But is she the only one acting this way? I’ll let you come to your conclusions, but I don’t think so. I think all of the characters have some role in this play and they execute flawlessly, whether they realize it or not.
I said this about his last book The Maidens, and I will say it again – I also love Michaelides’ easter eggs for The Silent Patient. I hope that eventually, we get a story that goes deeper into this world he seems to be creating. All I can say is, if you love thrillers and want to be shocked, pick up The Fury. It’s a fast-paced read that will keep you on your toes, and you won’t be able to put it down until you get to the bottom of this mystery.
About Alex Michaelides:
Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.
