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A review by alba_marie
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While I loved Purcell's most famous book, <i>The Silent Companions</i>, I have to say that her other works haven't exactly lived up to my expectations.
This one was at least better than <i>The Corset</i> which disgusted me to my core.
I was intrigued to read <i>The Shape of Darkness</i> for three reasons: because it was Victorian, gothic, and set in Bath – a place I once lived and where I ultimately decided that I wanted to permanently live in Europe. Needless to say, it's one of the places I hold dearest to my heart.
While I loved the start in Sydney Gardens and across Pultney Bridge, I was a bit disappointed that Bath itself hardly featured after the first few scenes despite being the perfect setting for such a novel. To me, it seems like the author missed a trick here.
At the core of the novel, we have Agnes, a middle-aged spinster still recovering physically from an illness and emotionally from past family drama; as well as Pearl, an albino child trafficked by her step-sister as a spirit medium.
In this book, the spirits come alive with a vengeance. They – often violently – speak through Pearl to her paying clients. They haunt Agnes through the silhouette cutouts of long dead people. They haunt Pearl for the seemingly simple crime of being born. And now they are haunting Bath itself with people dropping like flies upon interacting with Agnes.
The twist at the end was unexpected that her nephew and mum are actually long dead and she's either been hallucinating or seeing ghosts for years but though that worked well, the book struggled to grab me and hold my interest. I think it was Agnes and Pearl themselves... I just didn't like either one.
So in the end, not a bad book, and a fascinating dive into the forgotten art of silhouettes, but not one that will stay with me in the long run.
This one was at least better than <i>The Corset</i> which disgusted me to my core.
I was intrigued to read <i>The Shape of Darkness</i> for three reasons: because it was Victorian, gothic, and set in Bath – a place I once lived and where I ultimately decided that I wanted to permanently live in Europe. Needless to say, it's one of the places I hold dearest to my heart.
While I loved the start in Sydney Gardens and across Pultney Bridge, I was a bit disappointed that Bath itself hardly featured after the first few scenes despite being the perfect setting for such a novel. To me, it seems like the author missed a trick here.
At the core of the novel, we have Agnes, a middle-aged spinster still recovering physically from an illness and emotionally from past family drama; as well as Pearl, an albino child trafficked by her step-sister as a spirit medium.
In this book, the spirits come alive with a vengeance. They – often violently – speak through Pearl to her paying clients. They haunt Agnes through the silhouette cutouts of long dead people. They haunt Pearl for the seemingly simple crime of being born. And now they are haunting Bath itself with people dropping like flies upon interacting with Agnes.
The twist at the end was unexpected
So in the end, not a bad book, and a fascinating dive into the forgotten art of silhouettes, but not one that will stay with me in the long run.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Mental illness