Friday, May 18, 2012

New-ish Release: The Somnambulist

The Somnambulist by Millais (1871)
It's a bit strange for me to be reading a lot of Victorian fiction in the spring but after The Solitary House, I was in the mood for more so I grabbed The Somnambulist by Essie Fox as my next read. This is one that I was looking forward to and I really enjoyed it. The only way that it suffered in my super-picky mind was because I was expecting a neo-Victorian novel of the variety written by Michael Cox (his books could almost have been actual Victorian novels) whereas this one had some decidedly modern topics and scenes.


Told from the point of view of Phoebe Turner, a young lady of modest means, this is a tale of devotion, deception and redemption. In a household torn in two between the performing arts and religion, between aunt and mother, Phoebe isn't entirely sure who she is or who she wants to become -- and a number of things will push her in many different ways before she becomes a woman with her own mind and heart.

Though I was never entirely sympathetic to Phoebe, her story was compelling and I enjoyed this story. As I said before, I was a bit surprised by some hot and steamy scenes but only because of my own expectations for this novel. There's also a strong thread of anti-Semitism through the novel, something that readers of Victorian novels will be familiar with, though perhaps not to the extent that it is explored in this book. There is also a bit of the supernatural in the story -- just enough to add some flavor and to cause the reader to question Phoebe's reliability as a narrator (and her mental health). All of these elements are put together very well and I hope that Essie Fox has another book in the works.

Wide awake,
K

9 comments:

  1. Interesting. I have The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes (which I haven't read), but haven't heard of this one. It might be fun to read them back to back and compare them!

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  2. That would be hilarious but kind of pointless, Tasha, because those two novels couldn't be farther apart! I loved Barnes' book but it's totally a crazy sensationalist novel. I mean, it starts with the words "Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever." It totally goes into freaky weird territory and makes the supernatural elements of this one seem tame indeed. Now I want to reread the Barnes one since you mentioned it. ;)

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  3. I haven't heard of this one but the feel of it reminds me a bit of Sarah Waters. Remind me if you've read anything by her? Seems you have but I'm drawing a blank as to what. I'm also not familiar with Michael Cox!

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  4. Trish - It's funny that you say Sarah Waters because I didn't think of her AT ALL while reading this one. (I've read all her books now.) I wonder what it was about this one that was so different when from the description it definitely seems similar. I'll have to think about that now! And Michael Cox is an all time super favorite of mine. The Meaning of Night is one of the best books ever!

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  5. Surprised to hear it was a bit hot and steamy. You don't usually see those words and "Victorian" together! ; )

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  6. Jenners - It was a bit of a surprise but it certainly makes the book stand out. :)

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  7. Sounds fun! I'm kinda feeling the historical fiction recently so this would be a good one to add to the list. :D

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  8. So glad you enjoyed the book, Kristen. I absolutely loved The Meaning of night. Have you read The Quincunx by Palliser...quite brilliant. Some critics said he out Dickensed Dickens.

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  9. Jenny - It was really entertaining and I think you would like it!

    Essie - Thanks for stopping by! I have read The Quincunx and it was phenomenal if a bit heart-rending to read. Quite a work of art! I was disappointed that Palliser's The Unburied wasn't as good. Now I want to reread The Quincunx AND The Meaning of Night though. Thank you!

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