The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

 

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Picador; Main Market edition (2 May 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1529002397
• ISBN-13: 978-1529002393

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

London. 1850. The greatest spectacle the city has ever seen is being built in Hyde Park, and among the crowd watching two people meet. For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment – forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning.

When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of art and love.

But Silas has only thought of one thing since their meeting, and his obsession is darkening . . .

 

Review

The Doll Factory is the stunning debut novel from Elizabeth Macneal.  Set in the mid nineteenth century this is a story of art, love and obsession set against the Great Exhibition of 1850.  The chapters are narrated by the main characters Iris, an apprentice who has the chance to be an artist, Silas a taxidermist and collector of unusual items and Albie who runs errands and is the link between Iris and Silas.  Dark and gothic in style with a sinister thread running throughout, this is an exceptional debut novel.

As I was reading The Doll Factory I felt a touch of something familiar and realised this book has a Dickensian feel to it, in its setting in the more salubrious areas of  London and in the wonderful characters created by Elizabeth Macneal.  Iris is the central character around which the story is based.  She and her twin sister Rose are apprenticed to Mrs Salter’s Doll Emporium where they paint and dress the dolls.  In a chance encounter with with Louis Frost, a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Iris has the chance to leave her position and follow her dream to be an artist.  However if she follows this path her family and sister will cut her off as being a painters model and artist has certain connotations, but it is a risk worth taking, even if it draws unwanted attention.  The villain of this story is Silas Reed, a taxidermist with dreams of opening a museum of curiosities.  He is a loner with no family or friends and there is an air of malevolence about him, especially in his obsession with Iris, who reminds him of a girl he knew when he was younger.  My favourite character was Albie, a young boy orphaned and living with his sister who is a prostitute, who makes money by running errands and finding things to sell.  Even in these awful circumstances he is protective over Iris as he is the one who introduced her to Silas and still has his hopes and dreams to keep him going.  As well as these three wonderful main characters, there is a memorable supporting cast that include artists, prostitutes, and a wombat called Guinivere.

Elizabeth Maneal is a beautiful writer whose use of language is evocative and rich in detail.  She vividly bings to life London of the 1850’s, with the building of the Crystal Palace which is at odds with the murkier side of the tap houses, brothels and dark, stinking alleyways where some of the plot is set; an everything in between. Her characters are worthy of Dickens; Iris and her twisted collarbone, her sister Rose with her pock marked skin who are apprenticed to the awful and laudanum reliant Mrs Salter; the dark and despicable Silas with his shop in a dark alleyway and walks with a limp and the orphaned Albie who lives in a hovel with his sister who earns her money by  prostitution. This book looks at the challenges faced by women in that era as well as the class system, the fear of difference and challenges in the art world.  All of these components, with a sense of malevolence, make for a fantastic and intelligent read.

The Doll Factory is an amazing debut and I am not surprised there is so much buzz about it; it has already been picked up by a TV company.  I found this to be an original and intelligent read that combines a love story with one of obsession and a dark gothic thriller.  The characters are fascinating and the plot breathtaking and very addictive.  Elizabeth Macneal writes with such detail and knowledge which make this such an engaging and outstanding read.  A sensational and stunning read!!

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I really appreciate all likes, follows and shares the help me grow my blog.

I would like to thank Pan Macmillan for my copy of The Doll Factory in return for an honest review.