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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This book just wasn’t for me. Other reviews to into the details but suffice to say, it was dark and the characters weren’t enough to elevate the darkness for me.
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is a wonderful atmospheric and historical story that will take you on a journey. I read this novel back in December and the characters have stayed with me the past few months. I was hooked on this story from the start and didnt want it to end. Set in London in 1850, Silas meets Iris amongst the crowd observing the great exhibition being erected. Silas is a collector of beautiful things - and he wants Iris.
Elizabeth Macneal deserves every success! 4 stars
Elizabeth Macneal deserves every success! 4 stars
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
A well-put together historical fiction that plays out in London's slums and features some of the real-life (and somewhat annoying) characters of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. While elements of the sexual and class politics jar somewhat (I'm not certain that I ever believed the speed with which Iris ascends), the story moved along nicely.
I wasn't sure at the start, not being a great fan of historical fiction, but I ordered copies from the library of every book in BLK's June/July Book Pool challenge (apart from the 2 that the library didn't have), thinking that I'd get the book, have a look at it, and then decide whether to try it or not. I'll do the statistics at the end of the month but so far I'm pleased with this approach. For example, I got totally drawn into this book, which I probably would otherwise have passed on by. It's another set around the seedier side of Victorian London (I read [b:The Crimson Petal and the White|40200|The Crimson Petal and the White|Michel Faber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408937589l/40200._SY75_.jpg|1210026] at the end of last year), and another that surprised me.
I love the way MacNeal's fictional characters of Iris and Louis are written into the world of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (the publishers have an excellent article written about them by MacNeal - here). I've always been interested in art and in the lives of artists in the past, and this is thoroughly researched for this book. The lives of the urchin Albie (and his sister), and of Iris and Rose (apprenticed in the soul-destroying Mrs Salter's Doll Emporium) are also experienced fully by the reader. And then there's the obsessive Silas . . . (I was wondering if he was named after [b:Silas Marner|54539|Silas Marner|George Eliot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347323528l/54539._SY75_.jpg|3049535], which I've never read, but a quick look at the plot and I think not), and the Great Exhibition as an important facet in the plot. Fascinating stuff!
I love the way MacNeal's fictional characters of Iris and Louis are written into the world of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (the publishers have an excellent article written about them by MacNeal - here). I've always been interested in art and in the lives of artists in the past, and this is thoroughly researched for this book. The lives of the urchin Albie (and his sister), and of Iris and Rose (apprenticed in the soul-destroying Mrs Salter's Doll Emporium) are also experienced fully by the reader. And then there's the obsessive Silas . . . (I was wondering if he was named after [b:Silas Marner|54539|Silas Marner|George Eliot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347323528l/54539._SY75_.jpg|3049535], which I've never read, but a quick look at the plot and I think not), and the Great Exhibition as an important facet in the plot. Fascinating stuff!
Rather creepy but addictive tale of Victorian London, and the title is rather telling. Although you can take it as a darned good read, I think there's a lot to reflect on in regards to how women are treated and viewed - hence the Doll Factory (society churning out dolls (ie women) some better than others) - in the 1800s, but some of it has been relevant throughout time.
The book follows a number of characters. There are twins Iris and Rose who work in a doll shop, painting up dolls to resemble actual children, either as gifts or as keepsakes of now-dead children. Iris, who I suppose is the main character, has painterly ambitions, and when the attention of Louis Frost, an imaginary member of the PRB is caught and she becomes a model for his painting, she can escape how her life has been planned out for her, and realise her own dreams to become an artist. There is also taxidermist Silas Reed, who has a complete inability to understand people or form actual friendships and relationships. Something is wired wrong in him shall we say. And the typical Dickensian one-toothed urchin, Albie, with a heart of gold, who knows both Iris and Silas. All set to the back drop of the Great Exhibition.
In the painting Iris poses for, a queen is in captivity waiting for her true love to rescue her. All in the idealised world of courtley love and beauty, where bodily functions don't happen - the captivity we see later on is not the pretty picture Louis imagines when he paints. But neither is the rescue. A little nod to the power of women there at the end.
To a greater or lesser degree, all the women are viewed and controlled by men, who only think of their needs and lives, because quite frankly, dolls don't have lives and so you wouldn't need to worry about them. Women's rights were not exactly fabulous back then. Louis, who is our hero, is all very alternative and modern and doesn't believe in marriage, but is happy to have an affair with Iris. This affair might raise a couple of eyebrows on his reputation, but it ruins her's - something that simply doesn't cross his mind when he delights in declaring he doesn't believe in marriage. He has the luxury of his gender that he can make such sweeping gestures.
Iris and Rose's parents have control over their daughters' lives and preach on the right and proper behaviour. They decided that the girls will work as virtual slaves at Mrs Salter's Doll shop and give a large amount of their wage back to them. They would like the girls to make respectable marriages in the end. The actual wants and personalities of their daughters are irrelevant, and when Iris dares to make a choice for herself they essentially disown her.
Even Rose suffers. She had smallpox earlier, which has permanently scarred her skin and blinded her in one eye, so she is now a faulty doll, being "ugly" to look at. She's swiftly dumped by her secret suitor, who was quite happy to nip round and have his way when she was pretty but not to stand by her in sickness and health.
Then there's the London prostitutes, right at the bottom of the heap, who get into debt with their pimps and can't get out of the life, and are at the mercy of every messed up mysogynist who happens to be the next (and possibly the last) customer.
Silas Reed is the creepy villain of the piece. He's a fantasist - look at all the imagined conversations he has with Iris which he then banks into his understanding of his personality and their history together. He is convinced he loves her and yet he's never really spoken to her and has no idea who she is as a human being. This still goes on today, women just objectified as something pretty to look at, and who should be eternally grateful if a man shows her attentions. And even now every now and then it comes out in the news about another dungeon master who has locked up some poor woman for years like a doll in the cupboard.
And yet are the other men any better? Well, yes, because they don't act on deluded impulse and imprison people against their will and murder them. But Louis comes to Iris just looking at her through the shop window, as if making a purchase, and entices her into his life purely for looks as a model for his picture. How their relationship would affect her life or future doesn't cross his mind. And going away from this book, it's actually so often in literature that you see men making proposals to women, having looked at them, watched them, heard about them and deciding it would be a good match, but never really thinking that the woman might have an opinion, might want to get to know them first... I suppose Silas is just taking this inequality to its nastiest conclusion possible.
The book follows a number of characters. There are twins Iris and Rose who work in a doll shop, painting up dolls to resemble actual children, either as gifts or as keepsakes of now-dead children. Iris, who I suppose is the main character, has painterly ambitions, and when the attention of Louis Frost, an imaginary member of the PRB is caught and she becomes a model for his painting, she can escape how her life has been planned out for her, and realise her own dreams to become an artist. There is also taxidermist Silas Reed, who has a complete inability to understand people or form actual friendships and relationships. Something is wired wrong in him shall we say. And the typical Dickensian one-toothed urchin, Albie, with a heart of gold, who knows both Iris and Silas. All set to the back drop of the Great Exhibition.
In the painting Iris poses for, a queen is in captivity waiting for her true love to rescue her. All in the idealised world of courtley love and beauty, where bodily functions don't happen - the captivity we see later on is not the pretty picture Louis imagines when he paints. But neither is the rescue. A little nod to the power of women there at the end.
To a greater or lesser degree, all the women are viewed and controlled by men, who only think of their needs and lives, because quite frankly, dolls don't have lives and so you wouldn't need to worry about them. Women's rights were not exactly fabulous back then. Louis, who is our hero, is all very alternative and modern and doesn't believe in marriage, but is happy to have an affair with Iris. This affair might raise a couple of eyebrows on his reputation, but it ruins her's - something that simply doesn't cross his mind when he delights in declaring he doesn't believe in marriage. He has the luxury of his gender that he can make such sweeping gestures.
Iris and Rose's parents have control over their daughters' lives and preach on the right and proper behaviour. They decided that the girls will work as virtual slaves at Mrs Salter's Doll shop and give a large amount of their wage back to them. They would like the girls to make respectable marriages in the end. The actual wants and personalities of their daughters are irrelevant, and when Iris dares to make a choice for herself they essentially disown her.
Even Rose suffers. She had smallpox earlier, which has permanently scarred her skin and blinded her in one eye, so she is now a faulty doll, being "ugly" to look at. She's swiftly dumped by her secret suitor, who was quite happy to nip round and have his way when she was pretty but not to stand by her in sickness and health.
Then there's the London prostitutes, right at the bottom of the heap, who get into debt with their pimps and can't get out of the life, and are at the mercy of every messed up mysogynist who happens to be the next (and possibly the last) customer.
Silas Reed is the creepy villain of the piece. He's a fantasist - look at all the imagined conversations he has with Iris which he then banks into his understanding of his personality and their history together. He is convinced he loves her and yet he's never really spoken to her and has no idea who she is as a human being. This still goes on today, women just objectified as something pretty to look at, and who should be eternally grateful if a man shows her attentions. And even now every now and then it comes out in the news about another dungeon master who has locked up some poor woman for years like a doll in the cupboard.
And yet are the other men any better? Well, yes, because they don't act on deluded impulse and imprison people against their will and murder them. But Louis comes to Iris just looking at her through the shop window, as if making a purchase, and entices her into his life purely for looks as a model for his picture. How their relationship would affect her life or future doesn't cross his mind. And going away from this book, it's actually so often in literature that you see men making proposals to women, having looked at them, watched them, heard about them and deciding it would be a good match, but never really thinking that the woman might have an opinion, might want to get to know them first... I suppose Silas is just taking this inequality to its nastiest conclusion possible.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am over the psychopath stalking, torturing and usually killing vulnerable women in any context - historical included. Having said that, this is a well written story and evocative of the times.