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The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“But in the places where it isn’t faded and where the sun is just so—I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about behind that silly and conspicuous front design.” First published in 1892 The Yellow Wallpaper is a disquieting short story that has become a seminal piece of…
1880s, 1890s, 19TH CENTURY, 4 STARS, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, CLASSICS, doctors, epistolary, female authors, feverish, GOTHIC, hallucinations, HISTORICAL FICTION, illness, madness, mental health, NOVELLA/SHORT STORY, published in 1892, read in 2020, short stories, The Yellow Wallpaper, VICTORIAN, victorian madness -
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
MILD-SPOILERS At first I thought that The Shape of Darkness was going to be a spoof of Gothic novels. The dialogues were corny, the two main characters are exceedingly frail, and the ‘murder mystery’ storyline struck me as somewhat theatrical (or perhaps I should say more suited to a film than a book). But I…
1850s, 19TH CENTURY, 2 STARS, 3rd pov, bad love, bath, drama, england, female authors, ghosts/spirits, GOTHIC, HISTORICAL FICTION, illness, Laura Purcell, murder mystery, MYSTERY, netgalley, PARANORMAL, published in 2021, read in 2020, seances, SISTERS, spiritualism, The Shape of Darkness, VICTORIAN -
No Name by Wilkie Collins
I love Wilkie Collins’ humour, the quirkiness and mannerisms of his characters, and the intricate plots of his novels. No Name focuses on a rather unconventional heroine, Magdalen Vanstone, who in a short amount of time finds herself orphaned and – due to an idiotic a legality – penniless. Her rightful inheritance lands in the…
1840s, 1850s, 19TH CENTURY, 3rd pov, 4.5 STARS, Adult, adventure, British author, british classics, CLASSICS, drama, england, family, favourite authors, GOTHIC, HISTORICAL FICTION, HUMOR, LONDON, male authors, MYSTERY, No Name, published in 1862, read in 2018, sensation fiction, SISTERS, suffolk, VICTORIAN, WILKIE COLLINS, york -
Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon — book review
Lady Audley’s Secret is a pretty entertaining sensation novel. The story is centred around Lady Audley who, surprise surprise, has a secret. Like most other sensation novels, Lady Audley’s Secret combines melodrama with an investigation of sorts. Robert Audley, the nephew of Sir Michael, is suspicious of his uncle’s new wife, the beautiful and young…
1850s, 19TH CENTURY, 3 STARS, big books, BOOK REVIEW, British author, british classics, CLASSICS, drama, england, female authors, GOTHIC, HISTORICAL FICTION, Lady Audley’s Secret, MARRIAGE, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, MELODRAMA, MURDER, MYSTERY, published in 1862, read in 2020, sensation fiction, VICTORIAN -
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley — book review
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow is a somewhat disappointing followup to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Having really enjoyed The Watchmaker of Filigree Street I was really looking forward to be reunited with Thaniel and Mori. Within the first chapters I had a slight sense of deja vu. The main difference between this sequel and…
1880s, 19TH CENTURY, 2 STARS, 3rd pov, alternate history, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, British author, confusing for the sake of being confusing, cultural dissonance, drama, england, female authors, HISTORICAL FICTION, japan, lgbtq+, LONDON, m/m, MAGICAL REALISM, MEMORY, MYSTERY, Natasha Pulley, plot over character, published in 2020, read in 2020, STEAMPUNK, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, VICTORIAN -
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley — book review
“Under the gas lamps, mist pawed at the windows of the closed shops, which became steadily shabbier nearer home. It was such a smooth ruination that he could have been walking forward through time, watching the same buildings age five years with every step, all still as a museum”. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street mostly…
1880s, 19TH CENTURY, 3rd pov, adventure, age gap, alternate history, British author, cultural dissonance, drama, england, female authors, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, HISTORICAL FICTION, japan, Keita Mori, lgbtq+, LONDON, loneliness, m/m, MAGICAL REALISM, MEMORY, MYSTERY, Natasha Pulley, published in 2015, queer, read in 2020, SPECULATIVE FICTION, STEAMPUNK, Thaniel Steepleton, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, VICTORIAN -
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë — book review
“Who blames me? Many, no doubt; and I shall be called discontented. I could not help it: the restlessness was in my nature; it agitated me to pain sometimes.” Jane Eyre is not only considered a classic (if not the classic) in feminist literature, but an exemplary piece of Romantic Gothic literature. Personally, I view…
1830s, 1840s, 1st pov, 3.75 stars, age gap, beautiful prose, bildungsroman, boarding/private school, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, British author, british classics, CHARLOTTE BRONTË, CHILDHOOD, class, CLASSICS, england, favourite authors, female authors, friendships, GOTHIC, growing up, HISTORICAL FICTION, identity, illness, introspective, jane eyre, madness, manor/big house, Mr. Rochester, orphans, psychological, published in 1847, READ IN 2019, Religion, sitter/au pair/governess, St. John Eyre Rivers, Thornfield, VICTORIAN, victorian madness -
Bleak House by Charles Dickens — book review
While the first few chapters of Bleak House are rather entertaining, the fifty chapters that follow? Not so much. There is a lot of ‘jumble and jargon’ going on in Bleak House. Having genuinely loved Great Expectations I am rather disappointment by this novel. The humour present in Bleak House consists mostly in the narrative…
1840s, 1850s, 19TH CENTURY, 3 STARS, big books, Bleak House, bombastic style, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, British author, british classics, CHARLES DICKENS, class, CLASSICS, courtroom drama, DEATH, DETECTIVE, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), drama, england, HISTORICAL FICTION, HUMOR, illness, LONDON, male authors, MELODRAMA, orphans, playful style, READ IN 2019, satire, sensation fiction, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, VICTORIAN -
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz — book review
For the most part The House of Silk was an entertaining read. Horowitz captures the essence of the dynamic between Sherlock Holmes and Watson so that readers will find his portrayal of these two famous characters to be all too familiar. As per usual Horowitz also cleverly combines more than one mystery together, throwing in…
1890s, 19TH CENTURY, 1st pov, 3.25 stars, abuse, Adult, Anthony Horowitz, BOOK REVIEW, British author, CRIME, DETECTIVE, england, HISTORICAL FICTION, HOLMES AND WATSON, LONDON, male authors, murder mystery, mystery puzzle, private investigator, published in 2011, READ IN 2019, RETELLINGS, sherlock holmes, sherlockiana, the house of silk, VICTORIAN, whodunnit -
Things in Jars : Book Review
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd ★★★✰✰ 3 stars Throughout Things in Jars Jess Kidd showcases her creativity. This novel imbues its mystery with an intriguing mixture of fantasy and science. Kidd’s main character is a tour de force. Bridie Devine is an experienced detective. Her strength, her resilience, and her sharp-wit, made her…
luce [is reading] 