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The Dark
In the deep of winter 1893, a briskly practical physician named Mrs. Mellon arrives at a New York tenement and takes up her duty to care for the aged, the indigent and the dying. Her patient in the garret, she decides, fits all three categories nicely -- that is, before she realizes she is in the presence of a most unusual lost soul: the charismatic Maggie Fox.
Part mystery, part ghost story, part riveting historical fiction, The Dark ushers the reader into the shadowy border between longing and belief as it unfolds the incredible story of the famous and controversial Fox Sisters, Maggie, Katie, and Leah. In their heyday, the sisters purported to communicate with ghosts and inspired the Spiritualist Movement, a quasi-religion complete with mediums and séances and millions of followers.
Now only Maggie is left alive, and Mrs Mellon is her lifeline to the world. Soon, with Mrs Mellon’s gentle prompting, the wry, black-witted, ever-ambivalent Maggie is revealing her family’s secrets. But is Mrs. Mellon her confessor, her saviour, her interrogator -- or the last person upon whom Maggie is working her finely honed art?
Part mystery, part ghost story, part riveting historical fiction, The Dark ushers the reader into the shadowy border between longing and belief as it unfolds the incredible story of the famous and controversial Fox Sisters, Maggie, Katie, and Leah. In their heyday, the sisters purported to communicate with ghosts and inspired the Spiritualist Movement, a quasi-religion complete with mediums and séances and millions of followers.
Now only Maggie is left alive, and Mrs Mellon is her lifeline to the world. Soon, with Mrs Mellon’s gentle prompting, the wry, black-witted, ever-ambivalent Maggie is revealing her family’s secrets. But is Mrs. Mellon her confessor, her saviour, her interrogator -- or the last person upon whom Maggie is working her finely honed art?
517 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2013
12 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 14, 2014
Just couldn't get into this book. It was written in mid-19th century voice and was, honestly, dreary and boring. Just my opinion but life is too short to stick with dull books.
July 2, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. The setting and topic appealed to me, but it was slow moving and just didn't hold my attention and so I set it aside.
August 8, 2013
I read Mulligan's first book The Reckoning of Boston Jim and thought that it was brilliant. This writer seems drawn to historical fiction (at least, based on her two books); this book is set in the same century as was Boston Jim(19th), but it has a different feel because there is something modern about it. Given its subject--the spiritualist movement of the New York-based Fox sisters--it struck me as a remarkable indictment of celebrity, in making a career out of nothing and being lauded. The characters were all famous in their day, but you'd be hard pressed to today to meet someone who recognizes the name Maggie Fox.
The story is great, and the writing is masterful. At its heart, the story is a mystery, and the layers of the "crime" are revealed slowly, bringing in all the characters, even those who don't seem integral, like the father of the girls. The frame of the book and each chapter is Maggie's telling her life story as she is dying to a visiting nurse, a woman who has her own troubles with the past. These two women reveal their stories---the nurse's more briefly, of course, than Maggie's--through a haze of laudanum, both stories deeply affected by the past dead. Once the frame of each chapter is finished, the authorial voice takes over, so there isn't really any question as to whether these memories can be trusted. The characters are real people--foolish, vainglorious, crafty, manipulative, starving for fame yet running from it once they get it, craving respectibility. Especially great is the oldest of the Fox sisters, the ringmaster of the whole circus.
Mulligan obviously did a lot of research and captures the feeling of 19th-century New York, both rural and urban, exceptionally well. This really is a work of literature, not a fast read, but one that left me thinking about both the plot and the characters for a long time. I think this writer is going to have a great future.
The story is great, and the writing is masterful. At its heart, the story is a mystery, and the layers of the "crime" are revealed slowly, bringing in all the characters, even those who don't seem integral, like the father of the girls. The frame of the book and each chapter is Maggie's telling her life story as she is dying to a visiting nurse, a woman who has her own troubles with the past. These two women reveal their stories---the nurse's more briefly, of course, than Maggie's--through a haze of laudanum, both stories deeply affected by the past dead. Once the frame of each chapter is finished, the authorial voice takes over, so there isn't really any question as to whether these memories can be trusted. The characters are real people--foolish, vainglorious, crafty, manipulative, starving for fame yet running from it once they get it, craving respectibility. Especially great is the oldest of the Fox sisters, the ringmaster of the whole circus.
Mulligan obviously did a lot of research and captures the feeling of 19th-century New York, both rural and urban, exceptionally well. This really is a work of literature, not a fast read, but one that left me thinking about both the plot and the characters for a long time. I think this writer is going to have a great future.
August 6, 2023
Intéressante façon de découvrir les débuts du spiritisme. J’ai aimé.
January 27, 2014
I loved this book! It was based on a true story of three sisters who gave momentum to the "psychic/medium" movement of the 1800's.
The story spans the American Civil War to the early 20th century and Mulligan makes an effort to capture the argot of the day, using phrases such as “we can’t be willy nilly anymore” and “chalk and nonsense” and “fuss-it-all.” She also spends much time describing the 19th century development of the Erie Canal and the various expeditions to the Arctic.
She adeptly knits reality with fiction. But this book is very long, over 500 pages, and it needs a sincere commitment from the reader but it was well told. I like it.
The story spans the American Civil War to the early 20th century and Mulligan makes an effort to capture the argot of the day, using phrases such as “we can’t be willy nilly anymore” and “chalk and nonsense” and “fuss-it-all.” She also spends much time describing the 19th century development of the Erie Canal and the various expeditions to the Arctic.
She adeptly knits reality with fiction. But this book is very long, over 500 pages, and it needs a sincere commitment from the reader but it was well told. I like it.
August 23, 2019
This is a long book (over 500 pages) and hard to read. I forced myself to finish although I was tempted to give it up several times. There seemed to be no real tension to much of the story. As other reviewers have commented, there are editing issues and typos throughout which are distracting and annoying. A good editor is needed for the errors as well as to trim the story down. Books like this make me wary of any book that has won an award, as I so often end up being sorely disappointed and wondering what the hype was about. While the historical aspect of the Spiritualist movement was interesting, it really was lacking and I wouldn't recommend it - and I've read some dull tomes!!
July 7, 2013
This book was so, so, SO excellent. Well researched, well-written, very entertaining. Tied up perhaps a little bit too neatly at the end, and I struggled a little with buying into the changes of one character, but these quibbles do not really take away from the book I've most sincerely enjoyed reading in quite some time. I highly recommend it.
June 12, 2013
Claire Mulligan is a brilliant writer and a painstaking researcher. She fictionally solves a real-life mystery in a manner that is as deeply satisfying as reading this 5-star novel.
July 10, 2013
Phenomenal. Meticulously researched, complex, and unflinching. I can't wait to read more of her work.
June 13, 2016
This was a wonderful book....historical fiction about the Fox sisters spiritual seances, but also laced with observations about human nature. The writing was just fantastic!
July 19, 2017
Publié sur le webzine les Méconnus
Claire Mulligan s’attaque à un pan entier de l’histoire du spiritisme en racontant l’histoire des Soeurs Fox, famille véridique du milieu des années 1800 en Nouvelle-Angleterre. Deux des plus jeunes soeurs disent avoir des pouvoirs leur permettant de communiquer avec les morts suite à un déménagement dans une maison dite hantée. Lorsqu’elle entend que quelque chose d’anormal se produit, la plus vieille des soeurs Fox accourt vers sa famille, et comprend le manège des plus jeunes. Elle devient donc l’artisane derrière des soirées de spiritisme qui feront la gloire et la perte de chacune d’entre elles. Même si la plupart des faits sont réels, l’auteure tient à préciser que nous avons affaire à une oeuvre de fiction où, évidemment, elle a dû inventer certains passages afin de combler les lacunes que l’Histoire avait laissées derrière elle.
C’est à son aide médicale que Maggie Fox Kane, seule survivante du clan et délaissée par tous, relate les moments forts de sa vie, et celle-ci, désireuse d’en apprendre plus sur la saga familiale, n’hésite pas à la faire parler et même peut-être à hausser sa dose médicale afin d’approfondir quelques questions. C’est d’ailleurs ce va-et-vient entre les souvenirs de Maggie Fox et sa vie actuelle qui guide la narration, ceci donnant un dynamisme intéressant à l’histoire, mais donnant aussi lieu à un tout autre récit se déroulant en parallèle, celui de la vie de l’aide médicale, madame Mellon.
Mais les Soeurs Fox ont-elles vraiment des pouvoirs surnaturels? Peuvent-elles vraiment entrer en communication avec les esprits? Malgré le fait qu’elles aient dévoilé certaines supercheries afin de laisser croire qu’elles en étaient capables, d’autres indices laissent percevoir le contraire. C’est d’ailleurs ce doute persistant qui reste le moteur du roman jusqu’à la toute fin. Beaucoup plus qu’une saga familiale, Dans le noir s’avère un roman passionnant sur une époque révolue où la magie et le mystère semblaient faire partie du quotidien et où le surnaturel soulevait les foules comme jamais alors. Le travail de recherche phénoménal achevé par l’auteure donne un esprit documentaire au roman, ce qui le rend d’autant plus fort.
Claire Mulligan s’attaque à un pan entier de l’histoire du spiritisme en racontant l’histoire des Soeurs Fox, famille véridique du milieu des années 1800 en Nouvelle-Angleterre. Deux des plus jeunes soeurs disent avoir des pouvoirs leur permettant de communiquer avec les morts suite à un déménagement dans une maison dite hantée. Lorsqu’elle entend que quelque chose d’anormal se produit, la plus vieille des soeurs Fox accourt vers sa famille, et comprend le manège des plus jeunes. Elle devient donc l’artisane derrière des soirées de spiritisme qui feront la gloire et la perte de chacune d’entre elles. Même si la plupart des faits sont réels, l’auteure tient à préciser que nous avons affaire à une oeuvre de fiction où, évidemment, elle a dû inventer certains passages afin de combler les lacunes que l’Histoire avait laissées derrière elle.
C’est à son aide médicale que Maggie Fox Kane, seule survivante du clan et délaissée par tous, relate les moments forts de sa vie, et celle-ci, désireuse d’en apprendre plus sur la saga familiale, n’hésite pas à la faire parler et même peut-être à hausser sa dose médicale afin d’approfondir quelques questions. C’est d’ailleurs ce va-et-vient entre les souvenirs de Maggie Fox et sa vie actuelle qui guide la narration, ceci donnant un dynamisme intéressant à l’histoire, mais donnant aussi lieu à un tout autre récit se déroulant en parallèle, celui de la vie de l’aide médicale, madame Mellon.
Mais les Soeurs Fox ont-elles vraiment des pouvoirs surnaturels? Peuvent-elles vraiment entrer en communication avec les esprits? Malgré le fait qu’elles aient dévoilé certaines supercheries afin de laisser croire qu’elles en étaient capables, d’autres indices laissent percevoir le contraire. C’est d’ailleurs ce doute persistant qui reste le moteur du roman jusqu’à la toute fin. Beaucoup plus qu’une saga familiale, Dans le noir s’avère un roman passionnant sur une époque révolue où la magie et le mystère semblaient faire partie du quotidien et où le surnaturel soulevait les foules comme jamais alors. Le travail de recherche phénoménal achevé par l’auteure donne un esprit documentaire au roman, ce qui le rend d’autant plus fort.
March 31, 2020
I so wanted to like this book, a fictionalized biography of the infamous Fox sisters by a Canadian author. Unfortunately it was difficult to read due to the author's use of words and turns of phrase that felt less authentic to the time and more just uncomfortably overwritten. After a while it just sounded like characters trying to talk like they lived in the 1890s, and generally failing. I loved the beginning, a strange interchange between the elderly Maggie Fox and a mysterious visitor, but the story just got harder and harder to read because of the bizarre vocabulary choices and even more bizarre spellings. By the second chapter I figured the author was obsessed with hyphens since she hyphenated every phrase and compound word unnecessarily. Chitchat became chit-chat. A character had money-all-her-own. This strange affectation so spoiled the book for me that I just skipped to the end where of course I encountered river-calm, death-blow, high-up and far-down in a matter of a few pages. Yes, this is a minor quibble but this kind of stylistic posturing spoiled the authenticity of the setting and dialogue for me. I hope Claire Mulligan has a tougher-minded editor next time around.
December 15, 2019
An interesting idea, but so much exposition off the top. I had hoped this would build into a story where there was a bit of mystery as to whether these girls were real or charlatans, but it's all revealed in the opening pages.
This read like it needed three more go-rounds of writing and editing so the writer could find her way into this story. As it stands, it feels a little too close to the research phase.
A fascinating subject, though.
This read like it needed three more go-rounds of writing and editing so the writer could find her way into this story. As it stands, it feels a little too close to the research phase.
A fascinating subject, though.
January 20, 2022
The Dark follows the true story of the Fox sisters, who accidentally on purpose began the spiritualist movement in the 19th century. The writing is stylistically wry, insightful, and vivid. It’s an immersive read with a complex structure - told in layers. This takes a cynical view of spiritualism, not really a ghost story as some readers might expect, but that’s one reason why I loved it! I read the paperback version, which was free typos. Maybe the other reviewers read a different printing?
June 13, 2017
I'm calling it quits. This book started out highly interesting and creepy! Sadly, it end up being nothing short of a few hundred pages of filler 19th century drivel, uninteresting and boring. I'm disappointed, to say the least.
March 19, 2018
So, so, dull. Also did this book not have an editor? Too long and chock full of typos.
May 27, 2021
DNF after about four chapters. Not sure why I bought this - the topic doesn’t interest me so the writing would have really had to grab me to make it worthwhile, and it definitely didn’t.
June 20, 2023
Slow paced. Great presentation of the historical context. We get attached to the characters pretty easily too.
April 30, 2024
Clearly well researched but Mulligan didn't bring the Fox sisters to life enough for me.
June 5, 2013
4.5 stars if a half star rating was supported. To the reviewer below me, I had the same sense until about 80 pages in; then the story really starts to roar, with each short chapter often unravelling its own mystery while supplying a piece to the overall puzzle. I predict Giller and Writers' Trust nominations for later this year. Will remain under-appreciated and under-exposed for the time being, I guess. :(
April 24, 2014
I'm on a really bad roll. The last few books I've started have been terrible. This one was no exception. The style is forced, awkward and annoying. The characters are ridiculous and the story moreso. I don't believe in wasting time on books that can't make me care within several chapters. Major fail with this waste of time.
January 13, 2015
Un peu lourd, plusieurs passages très longs, mais le travail de recherche derrière ce roman est vraiment impressionnant. L'époque victorienne est très bien décrite et la culture américaine transparait bien. Les amateurs de cette période vont beaucoup apprécier :)
September 2, 2013
Couldn't finish this book - so slow and boring.
October 26, 2013
couldn't finish it, 170 pages and zip has happened. I give up.
March 20, 2014
I found it difficult to get thru at times. It's not really a page turner but elements of the historic time and characters were somewhat interesting. The editing errors were annoying.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews