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avgarner's review against another edition
1.0
Don't bother with this book. It was confusing, gross and weird. I couldn't get through the whole thing. I never did figure out what was going on.
jessefron's review against another edition
3.0
Set mainly in a sinister London apothecary in the early 18th century, this was impressively researched. Unusual amounts of detail in the day-to-day descriptions, in an interesting way. The protagonist is a bit vague, in turns headstrong/independent and very passive. I wish there had been as much detail about her... I just didn't feel a spark, overall.
bookescape200's review against another edition
4.0
Victorian mores, medicine, daily life, philosophy/religion, and mystery! woo-hoo! like her first book, also graphic in descriptions of bodily functions.
kdhembree's review against another edition
May come back to this or this authors other work another time, it was simply not what I was looking for now.
krista225's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The title is very fitting.
Young Eliza believes herself to be on the righteous path when she marries the manor lord's son. It's only when she finds herself with child that she discovers her husband has never considered himself truly wed to her. He scoffs at their "marriage" and insists it was never legal. Her mother, who had overseen the wedding herself, goes off to have words with the boy's family. When she returns, she informs Eliza that the marriage was a scam and Eliza is being sent to live with a London apothecary who will oversee the termination of the pregnancy.
The story really starts when Eliza arrives at her destination. Installed as a housemaid, she works for the reclusive apothecary, his live-in apprentice, and his not-so-nice wife. The only other help in the household is a young woman with what I assume to be Down's Syndrome based on her physical description and personality.
Eliza and Mary, the other young woman, find themselves at the mercy of their employers. This extends beyond being expected to cook and clean. The apothecary has his own demons, most of which center around his perception of women and how he believes their bodies work. Determined to prove his thesis, he felt no compunction using Eliza and Mary in his studies.
Years ago, I read a very disturbing book called The Trotula. It was written during the Middle Ages by men who believed they also understood human anatomy and biology. As I read this novel, I wondered if the author had also stumbled across the Trotula because the depth and breadth of misunderstanding about how women's bodies work in this fictional world was reminiscent of the very real medical treatise I had read so long ago.
Back to the novel. Eliza is a difficult character to love. She's rather crass and often lacks compassion for others. However, she does grow throughout the book, and by the end, she is a much more mature and likable character.
Young Eliza believes herself to be on the righteous path when she marries the manor lord's son. It's only when she finds herself with child that she discovers her husband has never considered himself truly wed to her. He scoffs at their "marriage" and insists it was never legal. Her mother, who had overseen the wedding herself, goes off to have words with the boy's family. When she returns, she informs Eliza that the marriage was a scam and Eliza is being sent to live with a London apothecary who will oversee the termination of the pregnancy.
The story really starts when Eliza arrives at her destination. Installed as a housemaid, she works for the reclusive apothecary, his live-in apprentice, and his not-so-nice wife. The only other help in the household is a young woman with what I assume to be Down's Syndrome based on her physical description and personality.
Eliza and Mary, the other young woman, find themselves at the mercy of their employers. This extends beyond being expected to cook and clean. The apothecary has his own demons, most of which center around his perception of women and how he believes their bodies work. Determined to prove his thesis, he felt no compunction using Eliza and Mary in his studies.
Years ago, I read a very disturbing book called The Trotula. It was written during the Middle Ages by men who believed they also understood human anatomy and biology. As I read this novel, I wondered if the author had also stumbled across the Trotula because the depth and breadth of misunderstanding about how women's bodies work in this fictional world was reminiscent of the very real medical treatise I had read so long ago.
Back to the novel. Eliza is a difficult character to love. She's rather crass and often lacks compassion for others. However, she does grow throughout the book, and by the end, she is a much more mature and likable character.
cherylph's review against another edition
3.0
This is like taking a deep breath of London, stinky, 17th century, lack-of-plumbing London. The detail is exquisite and quite possibly one of my favorites of all time. There's something so rank at times, that you'd almost have a hard time breathing. Nothing is prettified, so this makes it less Jane Austen and more... zombie horror. You know, without the zombies.
heatherispissed's review against another edition
1.0
As much as I hate to do it, sometimes you've just got to cut your losses, skip to the end, and move on. Lots of 1 and 2 star reviews. Heed them.
kmboyett's review against another edition
2.0
I am a fan of historical fiction and although not one of my favorites, this was far from the worst I've read.
The pros: the story was an interesting one, not something I have encountered often; the descriptions were colorful, although tended to be a bit longwinded and exhaustive
the cons: while it started quickly and the ending was a whirlwind, the middle of the story dragged unendingly, with one miserable event piled upon another
The pros: the story was an interesting one, not something I have encountered often; the descriptions were colorful, although tended to be a bit longwinded and exhaustive
the cons: while it started quickly and the ending was a whirlwind, the middle of the story dragged unendingly, with one miserable event piled upon another
juushika's review against another edition
3.0
In 1718 England, sixteen-year-old Eliza is recently married, but when she conceives her husband renounces her. She is sent to London to work for an apothecary, Mr. Black, that she believes will rid her of her burden--but Black has other plans. He is writing a treatise on the effect of female imagination on unborn children, and he intends pregnant Eliza to be his first case study. Taking place deep within the dark and dirty underbelly of 18th Century London, The Nature of Monsters is almost so gritty that it's unpleasant to read, and an excess of narration makes some of the plot developments predictable, but Eliza's slow character development are both skillful and realistic. While not particularly memorable, this is a well written, non-romanticized view of historical London. I moderately recommend it.
Midway through The Nature on Monsters, piled beneath misogyny and ill-conceived science, London's poverty and its stinking streets, and bitter characters who refuse to extend a helping hand to anyone, I stopped to wonder: just why was I continuing to read a book that was so gritty and realistic that it failed to be enjoyable? In its premise, the book appears to offer a dark insight into the worst of human nature--the sort of story which is intriguing primarily because it is so discomforting--but the story itself lacks intrigue. Eliza discovers things as she goes along, but her narration is interspersed with pages from Black's writing which reveal plot points to the reader long before Eliza realizes them, removing any sense of mystery. And there is nothing wickedly romantic about the darkness within the book. Historical, dry, and so deep within the underbelly of London that there is almost no beauty left, The Nature of Monsters quickly becomes unpleasant to read and maintains this level of disgust and dirt for the vast majority of the book.
I continued reading because I hate to leave a book unfinished, and in time the book redeems itself. Slowly, realistically, Eliza evolves to become a character that the reader likes and admires--and respects even because of the setting from which she rises. Such realistic character development is rare and it shows great skill. London herself is never quite redeemed in the same way (indeed, the only solution to its ills seems to be to escape them), but the dark setting nevertheless has a purpose: to act as background and foil for a very real character. Other characters are not quite so realistic, there are some loose ends remaining at the conclusion, but Clark's writing is well-researched and moves at a smooth, even pace.
In short, there is enough meaning in Eliza's character growth to make the book worthwhile if the reader has the patience (and stomach) for the dark and dirty content which proceeds it. The Nature of Monsters is not particularly memorable, and it pales in comparison to other examples of historical fiction that focuses on the underbelly of London (such as the films From Hell and The Libertine), but it is aptly written, well researched, and a strong example of meaningful and realistic character growth in the protagonist. I moderately recommend it.
Midway through The Nature on Monsters, piled beneath misogyny and ill-conceived science, London's poverty and its stinking streets, and bitter characters who refuse to extend a helping hand to anyone, I stopped to wonder: just why was I continuing to read a book that was so gritty and realistic that it failed to be enjoyable? In its premise, the book appears to offer a dark insight into the worst of human nature--the sort of story which is intriguing primarily because it is so discomforting--but the story itself lacks intrigue. Eliza discovers things as she goes along, but her narration is interspersed with pages from Black's writing which reveal plot points to the reader long before Eliza realizes them, removing any sense of mystery. And there is nothing wickedly romantic about the darkness within the book. Historical, dry, and so deep within the underbelly of London that there is almost no beauty left, The Nature of Monsters quickly becomes unpleasant to read and maintains this level of disgust and dirt for the vast majority of the book.
I continued reading because I hate to leave a book unfinished, and in time the book redeems itself. Slowly, realistically, Eliza evolves to become a character that the reader likes and admires--and respects even because of the setting from which she rises. Such realistic character development is rare and it shows great skill. London herself is never quite redeemed in the same way (indeed, the only solution to its ills seems to be to escape them), but the dark setting nevertheless has a purpose: to act as background and foil for a very real character. Other characters are not quite so realistic, there are some loose ends remaining at the conclusion, but Clark's writing is well-researched and moves at a smooth, even pace.
In short, there is enough meaning in Eliza's character growth to make the book worthwhile if the reader has the patience (and stomach) for the dark and dirty content which proceeds it. The Nature of Monsters is not particularly memorable, and it pales in comparison to other examples of historical fiction that focuses on the underbelly of London (such as the films From Hell and The Libertine), but it is aptly written, well researched, and a strong example of meaningful and realistic character growth in the protagonist. I moderately recommend it.
lesleylou's review against another edition
2.0
Slow beginning. Rushed ending. Many questions left unanswered. Well-written, though, with a couple of very well-developed characters.