Super Short Summary

Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates is a magical realist novel that follows the enigmatic Bellefleur family living in a fantastical mansion on the shores of fictional Lake Noir in Upstate New York. The narrative unfolds through eighty short chapters, exploring the lives and histories of various Bellefleur family members amidst eerie curses, mystical occurrences, and supernatural beings. Throughout the novel, the characters grapple with otherworldly forces, tragedies, and the relentless Bellefleur curse that shadows their existence. The book includes sensitive themes of violence, rape, death, and infidelity.