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milomo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
polyphonic_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Sarah Moss is a bit of a hit and miss author for me, but there's something beguiling about her work, to the point that I've almost made my way through her entire back catalogue. Bodies of Light belongs to the genre of what I would call 'female costume drama', a genre dominated by the likes of Sarah Waters, Emma Donoghue, A.S Byatt and Maggie O'Farrell. It is not my favourite genre, but there was something in the cover and the blurb that drew me in. I found Bodies of Light surprisingly compelling. At its heart is a complicated relationship between an abusive mother who tries to live her dreams through her daughters, and her eldest daughter, the more compliant and meek one. The relationship and the character of the mother deserve much more credit that the 'monster' other reviewers branded her as. One of my favourite lines in the novel is 'people who do not spare themselves rarely spare others', which I think brilliantly sums up the tremendous work Moss did in setting up the central conflict and drawing her characters. The mother is abusive and the upbringing is monstrous, but there is much more complexity and nuance to it. Brilliantly written, difficult to put down, would work for those looking for character studies and beautiful prose.
olrite's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katia26's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
milliemary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
lisamf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
susannelucyluisa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
The book opens with a young woman , Elizabeth, getting ready for her wedding to Alfred Mobberley , a renowned Manchester artist and their journey to North Wales for her honeymoon. Elizabeth's mother is a daunting figure and it is clear early on that Elizabeth has been brought up in a strictly religious and abstemious family where service to those less fortunate dominates.
The book skips forward to Elizabeth , pregnant and then after the trauma of birth failing to bond with her baby daughter Alathea (Ally) while Alfred is concerned with light and painting and runs away from confrontation.
It is this opening which is evocatively told that allows us to understand the story of Ally as we follow her over the next 23 years as she struggles to qualify as one of the first women medical doctors in England. Her childhood is dominated by the presence of Elizabeth a mother who seems to lack maternal warmth and in her pursuit of social equality for the poor , destitute, and women forced into prostitution treats her children with a remarkable cruelty ( there are situations which were very sad in this story) . At the same time Alfred , fully aware of his wife's behaviour seems incapable of protecting Ally or her sister May and allowing his friend and colleague to pose the girls in artistic positions which gave cause for concern.
This is a wonderfully told book which had me glued to the pages as I followed Ally's story. Sarah Moss is brilliant at picking a stray historic thread and weaving it into a beautifully told fictional account of a life ( I think of the Tidal zone and Night Waking where she uses the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral and Victorian midwifery on a Scottish Island with such skill). She seems to craft prose and characterisation with subtlety and I felt as if I was sat in the corner of the family's Victorian parlour or kitchen at times an observer in a play happening in front of me as the characters were so alive.
I particularly loved revisiting the feisty character of May (Ally's younger sister) , the midwife in Night Waking , and I am so pleased that Ally's story will continue in Signs for lost children.
Sarah moss is definitely becoming a favourite author and I can't wait for her next book.
The book skips forward to Elizabeth , pregnant and then after the trauma of birth failing to bond with her baby daughter Alathea (Ally) while Alfred is concerned with light and painting and runs away from confrontation.
It is this opening which is evocatively told that allows us to understand the story of Ally as we follow her over the next 23 years as she struggles to qualify as one of the first women medical doctors in England. Her childhood is dominated by the presence of Elizabeth a mother who seems to lack maternal warmth and in her pursuit of social equality for the poor , destitute, and women forced into prostitution treats her children with a remarkable cruelty ( there are situations which were very sad in this story) . At the same time Alfred , fully aware of his wife's behaviour seems incapable of protecting Ally or her sister May and allowing his friend and colleague to pose the girls in artistic positions which gave cause for concern.
This is a wonderfully told book which had me glued to the pages as I followed Ally's story. Sarah Moss is brilliant at picking a stray historic thread and weaving it into a beautifully told fictional account of a life ( I think of the Tidal zone and Night Waking where she uses the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral and Victorian midwifery on a Scottish Island with such skill). She seems to craft prose and characterisation with subtlety and I felt as if I was sat in the corner of the family's Victorian parlour or kitchen at times an observer in a play happening in front of me as the characters were so alive.
I particularly loved revisiting the feisty character of May (Ally's younger sister) , the midwife in Night Waking , and I am so pleased that Ally's story will continue in Signs for lost children.
Sarah moss is definitely becoming a favourite author and I can't wait for her next book.
wendoxford's review against another edition
5.0
What a fabulous book effortlessly combining late nineteenth century art, the place of women overhung by maternal control. As if trying to study medicine as a woman wasn't tough enough, home is ruled with a maternal rod of iron, with no place for joy or family bonding. Masked as moral education, Ally is schooled in deprivation as her mother attends to the poor and fallen of Manchester.
Her father is an artist, a fictitious one who seems to be in the style of William Morris and Burne-Jones. He neither "rescues" her from her mother's discipline nor colludes. Her parents exist in parallel.
I found the history and the story fascinating - this is a hard-working novel of sacrifice on every level and all the richer for it. I was reminded of Dorothy Whipple whose "They Were Sisters" although set later, captures domestic bullying of women, albeit by different means. Fantastic read!
Her father is an artist, a fictitious one who seems to be in the style of William Morris and Burne-Jones. He neither "rescues" her from her mother's discipline nor colludes. Her parents exist in parallel.
I found the history and the story fascinating - this is a hard-working novel of sacrifice on every level and all the richer for it. I was reminded of Dorothy Whipple whose "They Were Sisters" although set later, captures domestic bullying of women, albeit by different means. Fantastic read!