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A review by alexrafinski
The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This is a brave imagining of what it was like to be a child actor in London around 1600 - it is unlike any historical novel I've read. If I was good at describing what novels were like, I'd use words like 'riotous' and 'chaotic' to describe this one. Whilst the action of a book is often described as fast-paced, even the descriptive parts of this book felt fast-paced (if that even makes sense). The result is that you become completely immersed in a crazy world. The book isn't just about child actors of course - it has a broader theme of rebellion by the lower classes.
Birds play a big part in this book (as the main character has a special affinity with birds generally and with a Gyr falcon in particular) as do animals - but if you don't like the thought of cock-fighting and bear-baiting then this book might not be for you. I do feel that books that feature birds so heavily should be proof-read by a proper birder before being published - one or two references don't really ring true (e.g. Barn Owls don't hoot - that is what Tawny Owls do).
The book would have benefitted from a note about the history behind it, and how much of it was based on fact. I had no idea that the "Blackfriar's Boys" were real (some of the names in the novel are of the real boys) and also no idea that child theatres legally kidnapped children to work in them.
Birds play a big part in this book (as the main character has a special affinity with birds generally and with a Gyr falcon in particular) as do animals - but if you don't like the thought of cock-fighting and bear-baiting then this book might not be for you. I do feel that books that feature birds so heavily should be proof-read by a proper birder before being published - one or two references don't really ring true (e.g. Barn Owls don't hoot - that is what Tawny Owls do).
The book would have benefitted from a note about the history behind it, and how much of it was based on fact. I had no idea that the "Blackfriar's Boys" were real (some of the names in the novel are of the real boys) and also no idea that child theatres legally kidnapped children to work in them.