BBC TV Bookclub Blurb
The debut novel from Essie Fox, The Somnambulist follows seventeen year-old Phoebe Turner as she visits Wilton's Music Hall to watch her Aunt Cissy performing on stage, risking the wrath of her mother, Maud, in the process. Maud marches with the Hallelujah Army, who are campaigning for all London theatres to close. At the show, Phoebe is drawn to the enigmatic Nathaniel Samuels, a man who heralds dramatic changes in the lives of all three women. When offered the position of companion to his wife, Phoebe leaves London for Dinwood Court in Herefordshire, a house that could well be haunted and that holds the darkest of truths. A darkly stunning gothic novel that transports the reader right back into Victorian times.
My Review
I heard of this book via the BBC TV Bookclub, and was intrigued by the story line. Must confess to my ignorance I did not know what Somnambulist meant (sleepwalker). Now a new word added to my vocabulary. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel of 405 pages, I read it so quickly it didn't seem that long at all. A Gothic (although not heavily so) novel set in Victorian London and Herefordshire, mainly from the viewpoint of the primary protagonist Phoebe. Very atmospheric and descriptive, full of twists and turns some of which you can predict and some that catch you unawares. A good strong story with great characters.
The debut novel from Essie Fox, The Somnambulist follows seventeen year-old Phoebe Turner as she visits Wilton's Music Hall to watch her Aunt Cissy performing on stage, risking the wrath of her mother, Maud, in the process. Maud marches with the Hallelujah Army, who are campaigning for all London theatres to close. At the show, Phoebe is drawn to the enigmatic Nathaniel Samuels, a man who heralds dramatic changes in the lives of all three women. When offered the position of companion to his wife, Phoebe leaves London for Dinwood Court in Herefordshire, a house that could well be haunted and that holds the darkest of truths. A darkly stunning gothic novel that transports the reader right back into Victorian times.
My Review
I heard of this book via the BBC TV Bookclub, and was intrigued by the story line. Must confess to my ignorance I did not know what Somnambulist meant (sleepwalker). Now a new word added to my vocabulary. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel of 405 pages, I read it so quickly it didn't seem that long at all. A Gothic (although not heavily so) novel set in Victorian London and Herefordshire, mainly from the viewpoint of the primary protagonist Phoebe. Very atmospheric and descriptive, full of twists and turns some of which you can predict and some that catch you unawares. A good strong story with great characters.
Recommended.
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