I cannot believe that I am posting this picture of my dirty laundry .
I was always told that one shouldn't air your dirty laundry in public.
However, here it is, my bed this morning after finishing Elijah's Mermaid by Essie Fox.
A book that had me so engrossed and desperate to reach the end that I didn't care that the cat had walked all his mud over the bed whilst I devoured the pages to find out what happened.
By the way, the cat is called Angel and if you have read the book the symbolisim is perfect.
What a read, fiction yes, but set in Victorian England it is awash with Pre-Raphaelite references and historical detail. Painting, photography, female madness and malady mixed with philanthropy, medicine and disease and the seamier side of life-Victorian prostitution are just some of the themes. I really cared about Lily, Elijah and Pearl. I have also visited many of the places referenced and now I have more for my list.
It is an atmospheric book, dark and broody but told with fairytale qualities that linger.
For the reader who is interested in Victorian England it is a delight and a stepping stone into the darker side of the Victorian age of enlightenment.
You can read more about Essie Fox Here
And Here
Meanwhile I am off to strip the bed and then sit down with a pot of tea and read The Wives of England: Their Relative Duties, Domestic Influence, and Social Obligations, published in 1843 to find out more about Victorian Women. When I have learnt some more I will then pick up The Somnambulist by Essie Fox .
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