The Review

In a recent review, I compared the author to being the M. Night Shyamalan of writing. However, I have since changed stance – Alex Michaelides has claimed that mantle with his newest addition, The Fury.

Much like his earlier works, The Fury boasts all the hallmarks of a gripping psychological thriller: an unreliable narrator, an isolated Greek island, and a circle of wealthy friends. While I went into the novel with the best of intentions, I found myself unsurprised when the ending left me dazed and confused.

SPOILERS AHEAD

If you so choose to read The Fury, I highly recommend rereading both The Silent Patient and The Maidens beforehand. Though Michaelides does not classify his novels as a series, it has become unequivocally clear the novels all take place in the same universe (similar to Unbreakable/Split/Glass to tie back to Shyamalan). Unfortunately, because these novels are not advertised as being in the MLU (Michaelides Literary Universe) the true twist will fall flatter than a flounder if the reader chooses the read The Fury before his previous works. Personally, it had been a while since I listened to The Silent Patient and The Maidens on audiobooks, so I also fell victim to the aforementioned issue. As I did not remember the names or previous Michaelides’ characters, I had zero idea why a new character appeared in the epilogue.

Upon finishing, I found myself Googling “The Fury Ending Explained,” as the last 20-30% of the novel turned into a full-on telenovela. I narrated the chaotic ending to a friend while we were snowboarding, and it can best be summarized by the TikTok sound: “I’m alive. I’m dead. I’m watching TV. I’m looking at you. F*** you! I’m dead again. I’m up. I can run faster than a b**** around the house.” Without giving away too many spoilers, I was legitimately confused about who was actually alive and who was dead.

Up until that point, though, I was genuinely enjoying the narrative and wished Michaelides hadn’t tried to make the story larger than it was. Elliot’s sugar baby past with Barbara was an intriguing backstory for a character who has somehow become best friends with the most famous woman in the world, ex-movie star Lana Farrar. The plan concocted with Lana to confront her husband, Jason, about his affair with her best friend, Kate, had merit and a solid foundation for a thriller. I was invested invested in the plot and was intrigued about how it would play out. While I knew Michaelides loved a “Big Twist”, I was not expecting him to be overly ambitious with the meta-ness of the story. Sometimes, less is more, and this was a case where scaling back would have allowed the narrative to truly shine.

In the end, I completely understand why The Fury was not nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award. While the story is rich with suspense and intriguing characters, its convoluted ending detracts from its impact. Michaelides’ ability to weave a tense, atmospheric plot is undeniable, but the overly complex conclusion left the story feeling incomplete and unbalanced. Upon my Google Research (this blog post does a fabulous job proposing multiple theories, un-confirmed by Michaelides), I did find a greater appreciation for the story. However, a great novel should not require the reader to go searching for an explanation – the reader should be able to decipher the implications themselves.

---

Short Review (AKA TLDR)

Though Michaelides does not classify his novels as a series, it has become unequivocally clear the novels all take place in the same universe. Thus, If you so choose to read The Fury, I highly recommend rereading both The Silent Patient and The Maidens beforehand. Without the information provided from the first two novels, the big twist will fall incredibly flat. It personally had been a while since I listened to The Silent Patient and The Maidens on audiobooks, so I also fell victim to the aforementioned issue and was left dazed and confused by the ending.

Without giving away too many spoilers, it can best be summarized by the TikTok sound: “I’m alive. I’m dead. I’m watching TV. I’m looking at you. F*** you! I’m dead again. I’m up. I can run faster than a b**** around the house.”

This is the first time in a psychological thriller, I was left legitimately confused (and I even called the ending to the 6th Sense and Fight Club halfway through both movies). Thus, upon finishing the novel, I found myself Googling “The Fury Ending Explained.” My results did give me greater appreciation for the story. However, a great novel should not require the reader to go searching for an explanation – the reader should be able to decipher the implications themselves.