Review: The Wax Child

The Wax Child by Olga Ravn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"One of these lonely teeth, a cheek tooth extracted, which over time had traveled through my wax, along the length of my thigh, we shared in not having proper mouths, but despite this deficiency the tooth would often sing the same song from its place in my thigh: I have no power. I have no courage. I saw the lark descend. I will love in vain forever. Hidden in me are her calcium and old blood vessels and nerves. If I could eat a cake made in the shape of her left breast, I would do it. I would lick her from head to toe. If I had a human tongue, I would do it. But I am worth nothing to her. I would do anything to soften her, seduce her and allow her most secret of sighs to escape in my presence. But it will never happen, and it does not hurt. I am a tooth. My craving is my fuel, a journey in another life. My love is not made for happiness, but for longing. I am worth nothing to her."

Ravn's writing and the translation work of Aitken continue to be delicious and utterly mesmerizing. While I personally enjoyed The Employees more, The Wax Child differs from it in ways that I think will make it more palatable as a novel (ex: specific named characters and a clearer storyline) while still retaining the oddities to be found in the writing style.

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