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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not expect to love this book so much, but wow. It was SO good. Every character was layered and complex, none more than Grace and Charles. Grace was so frustrating but in a way that was perfectly written—both a victim of her circumstances and frequently the architect of her own misfortune. But when she did stupid things you could only be like "oh, GRACE" and root for her harder. The way Grace's career as a forger was intertwined with the mystery of the ''forgery" of her cousin was absolutely brilliant, as was how every time you were certain about the man's identity one way or another, something would come up to cast doubt. And in the end how it's not a surprise at all, but still feels like a novel revelation. Grace & Charles' queerness was integral to their characters and not at all tacked on, which I also greatly appreciated. I adored the Truths about Copyists and Copies sprinkled throughout the novel, and the meditations on art. Just completely obsessed with this book in a way I haven't been captured by a novel in a while.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting if not original premise backed up by well drawn main characters and a solid plot. Good writing makes the difference.
This story begins in the late 1800s in the English countryside when Grace's wealthy aunt and uncle take her into their home after institutionalizing her parents for madness.
For the first time, without her parents' guidance, Grace's face blindness becomes a significant limitation that hinders her connection with others.
In her loneliness, she attempts to recreate a painting of a late relative and discovers her innate talent for creating copies that can't be discerned from their originals.
Grace uses this as an opportunity to make her own money and find autonomy in a world where women—especially queer women—don't have much freedom.
As she paints these copies, she sees her own desire in Courbet's painting of two women lying together, she sees what's expected of her in van Eyck's depiction of a pregnant woman standing beside her husband, and she sees her own reflection in Velázquez's "Venus at Her Mirror."
Grace is suddenly faced with a new challenge when her cousin Charles returns home after being presumed dead for the past decade. Chaos ensues as the household tries to determine whether he's the real Charles or an imposter looking to inherit the family estate.
Grace can't summon memories of her cousin's likeness, but she attempts to recall whether people ever commented on the mole on his face or his unusually large head.
I felt so protective of Grace's mission to venture out on her own. I held my breath each time her generosity created obstacles and prevented her from amassing the funds she needed. I wanted to assuage her guilt when she doubted her right to the money she earned. And I wanted to hug her when she recognized the injustice of people going hungry when others had more than necessary.
I felt so protective of Grace's mission to venture out on her own. I held my breath each time her generosity created obstacles and prevented her from amassing the funds she needed. I wanted to assuage her guilt when she doubted her right to the money she earned. And I wanted to hug her when she recognized the injustice of people going hungry when others had more than necessary.
TL;DR: A copyist with face blindness tries to determine whether a person is authentic (her cousin) or a fake (like her paintings).
Grace can’t recognize faces, but she can make perfect copies of paintings. Her cousin Charles disappeared for 13 years and is back to claim his inheritance, but he may be a forgery. And she may have the rightful claim to his inheritance if he is indeed not the original Charles.
The premise of this novel is highly captivating, with all the social sensibilities and Gothic flair of a Victorian novel along with a queer heroine and a delightfully intricate and suspenseful plot that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved this book the way I love the Brontës and Daphne du Maurier— it’s atmospheric, engrossing, full of dread and passion. The Original feels like a fully-fledged beloved classic that came out of nowhere.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the opportunity to be an early reader of this title, available now!
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Original is a multi layered, multi genre novel by a brilliant writer who is coming into her style. This is the story of Grace, one of the most endearing main characters ever. Most of the story is told through Grace's self doubting, sideways glance observations. Grace is stagnating in a a country estate the late 1800's, she came to live their when both her parents were committed to insane asylums. Always worrying that she too is insane, Grace looks inwards and examines each of her flaws and wonders if it is she that is odd or her mean hearted relatives whom she lives with are. Grace has face blindness, social awkwardness and a strange talent for painting copies. Grace's story is complicated when her complicated cousin Charles comes back into her life. Thought to be lost at sea he reappears and causes chaos- inheritances, relations and sexualities are questioned.
The Original is part coming of age as Grace finds her way in the world, part family saga, part romance, part historical mystery. Nell Stevens details the novel with wonderful descriptions of paintings, food, clothing and seaside escapes. The way Grace experiences and describes women's bodies is queerly wonderful and readers will want to look up each painting to witness them through Graces eyes.
This is for fans of Maggie O'Farrell, Ali Smith and Sarah Waters. It has hints of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and it feels rich and colourful like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. I want to see this on film, I want to listen to the soundtrack.
The Original is part coming of age as Grace finds her way in the world, part family saga, part romance, part historical mystery. Nell Stevens details the novel with wonderful descriptions of paintings, food, clothing and seaside escapes. The way Grace experiences and describes women's bodies is queerly wonderful and readers will want to look up each painting to witness them through Graces eyes.
This is for fans of Maggie O'Farrell, Ali Smith and Sarah Waters. It has hints of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and it feels rich and colourful like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. I want to see this on film, I want to listen to the soundtrack.