The Doll Factory
Ratings10
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings10
Average rating4.1
The #1 International Bestseller New York Times Editor’s Choice “A lush, evocative Gothic.” —The New York Times Book Review “This terrifically exciting novel will jolt, thrill, and bewitch readers.” —Booklist, starred review Obsession is an art. In this “sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art, and obsession” (Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train), a beautiful young woman aspires to be an artist, while a man’s dark obsession may destroy her world forever. In 1850s London, the Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and, among the crowd watching the dazzling spectacle, two people meet by happenstance. For Iris, an arrestingly attractive aspiring artist, it is a brief and forgettable moment but for Silas, a curiosity collector enchanted by all things strange and beautiful, the 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 beyond her wildest dreams—but she has no idea that evil is waiting in the shadows. Silas has only thought of one thing since that chance meeting, and his obsession is darkening by the day. “A page-turning psychological thriller” (Essie Fox, author of The Somnambulist) that will haunt you long after you finish it, The Doll Factory is perfect for fans of The Alienist, Drood, and The Historian.
Reviews with the most likes.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, but my opinions are my own. Stop me, ladies, if you've heard this before...A man meets a woman briefly, and feels entitled to her love. A man meets a woman briefly, projects on her a personality that is nothing like she is in actuality, and then gets angry when he finds out she is her own person, with thoughts, ambitions, and dreams of her own.. A man meets a woman and doesn't take no for an answer. A woman expresses concern over the behavior of a man to another man, and the man she confides in doesn't take her seriously. The Doll Factory is about the way when capture women, mold them to their fantasies and desires, assumes of them some fantasy, expects of them not to be fully fleshed out humans. It's set in the Victorian era, and makes me think of [b:The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper 37570548 The Five The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper Hallie Rubenhold https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519263139l/37570548.SY75.jpg 59148767]. Those real women have also been objectified, simplified, and discarded. They too felt the constraints of polite society, and limited choices. Highly recommended. It was fun to look of the artwork mentioned throughout the book, and I could have kept going and researching, easily Googled and Wiki'd for weeks.I do have to mention there's a lot of animal cruelty in the book, which is a tough thing for me, but I believed it served a purpose, and I did skim the a few paragraphs.
+the atmosphere and writing are so beautiful
+historical detail
+quirky places
+Albie, Silas, PRB
+gorgeous cover
-the switching narrative didn't work that well
-the lovestory
-pacing
3,5*
So I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try something new.
The new thing was the Doll Factory. Thriller/suspense, not something I usually read.
I got to admit the first part of the book is alright, but the last few pages had me on my toes.
