House of Sight and Shadow

by Nicholas Griffin

In a city still recovering from the ravages of plague and fire, two doctors crisscross the boundaries of morality. It is a challenge that leads Sir Edmund Calcraft, an eminent and notorious anatomist, and Joseph Bendix, his ambitious young student, into playing a dark game with the growing criminal underworld. At the heart of the book lies a haunting love story that both drives and threatens to destroy their quest.

In gallows and madhouses, in anatomical laboratories and a "Frost Fair" set on the frozen Thames, the two men engage in a competition involving both head and heart. Mixing history, myth, medicine, and fiction, "The House of Sight and Shadow" is a compelling tale about the fallibility of both love and reason.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, British Literature

Unbound

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

NIcholas Griffin is the author of seven books. He has written for film, TV, newspapers and magazines. He currently has two works, Ping Pong Diplomacy and The Year of Dangerous Days, under option for film and television. A soccer addict, a carnivore of books, Griffin lives in Miami Beach with his wife and two children. And his dog. The dog is very important.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE HOUSE OF SIGHT AND SHADOW, by Nicholas Griffin was a mix of "historical fiction" combined with elements of how doctors operated (and their reasonings for the methods), along with a romance between the apprentice and his master's "sickly" young daughter.

Although this was a very well written novel--and the operations described were fascinating to learn about--the pacing was so slow that I had a difficult time forcing myself to finish it. As I'm not into the "romance" angle at all, that part simply bored me.

On a positive note, the final few chapters were very interesting and contained more than a touch of irony. Overall, a very strong writing style, just not fluid enough for my personal tastes.

[Jen Alien-Spouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the only book that I have ever thrown in the rubbish bin the moment I'd finished reading it. Hated it and I'm only noting the title here, so I don't accidentally read it again.

Mainly I disliked the central protagonist, but I also found the dubious science, sloppy history and twisted romantic interest irritating bordering on offensive.

[Jelena · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought I wouldn't finish it, because it wasn't as captivating as the books I've read lately, but as I was reading the story became more and more interesting. The characters are as realistic as they could be, and it really was the only thing that kept me going through the first quarter of the book, because the development is pretty slow and incoherent (It might be the translation to Serbian). But after that part it gets better and better. I myself am fascinated by the placebo effect, so that part was my cup of tea. I would've given it four stars if the ending was different. It's worth the try, but don't give up if you don't like the beginning.

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story goes at a slow pace because it is written in the style in which it is set, the 1700's, and so the writing consists of numerous descriptive sentences. It isn't exactly a thrilling adventure but there is an interesting aspect because of the medical themes and the investigation into anatomy that was generated at that time. I was glad to finish it though because it was rather dull.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little background on the book, and then my review...

This book is set in 18th century London, and follows a few months in the life of an apprentice physician, who at his stage of life should not still be an apprentice, but he made some foolish love choices in the past which held back his learning & progress. The book begins as he is returning to London from Paris, searching out a new mentor, and trying to forget his past lover, who left him when he no could longer fit into her social circle because he was destitute - having been cut off from his wealthy family; i.e. he is utterly alone and lonely.

He finds his mentor, moves into his home, and begins to take part in illegal 'body snatching'- not to examine the anatomy, but rather to use the body as means to an end... And there is a love interest (that doesn't appear until about halfway through the book) that is central to the use of these bodies. Intrigued yet?

I love good historical fiction, and I took a special interest in this book because it was not only historical fiction but medical historical fiction as well! As far as the author's writing goes, I felt the book was slow moving at first, and didn't really start to hold my attention until the love interest 'appeared' in the story. As far as the content of the book, I was enthralled. It becomes easy to see how in the absence of evidence based medicine the doctors get rather carried away with their ideas of how to cure & save lives. That is also what makes the book so disturbing, because no one in todays time would ever dream of doing the things detailed in this book. It rather reminded me of believers in homeopathic medicine or other alternative medicine therapies, because when you are desperate enough you will sometimes believe anything to get better. Although I admit, at least homeopathy is SAFE! ****PLEASE NOTE - homeopathy is NOT the same as natural medicine. please look up homeopathic medicine on wikipedia if you do not know what homeopathy is, it is very interesting****

I loved reading the crazy ideas mentor & apprentice had about how to cure people, and it made me think about how it was necessary to go through the 'dark ages' of medicine before we got to where we are today. Someone had to do the first transfusion, and lots more, before they got it right, and someone had to do the first operation, and lots more, before they got that right, and so on. And knowing what even the common person knows about medicine today, this book can be rather frightening! Let's just say they weren't exactly knowledgeable about being, oh sterile? that is actually a gross understatement, but I will not say anymore! Enjoy the book!

[Marguerite Kaye]

I should have liked this one, but I couldn't finish it. Got about half way, and was so bored that I gave up, which is very rare for me - usually I flick through to the end. It had all the ingredients I thought I would like - Georgian London, Defoe, the real underworld of Jonathon Wilde and Jack Shepard, doctors etc. But it simply didn't work for me. I'm not sure why. I disliked the main protagonist, and I was a bit appalled by the way the surgeon treated his daughter, but I think mostly it was the style in which it was written - very passive, very dry, and somehow, despite the descriptive passages, lacking in colour. Oh well, you win some...

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had all the makings of a story I should have really loved: medieval medicine and mystery. Somehow, though, I just could not relate to the writing style and the story just didn't hold my attention. It improved somewhat in the last couple chapters but, overall, I was quite disappointed.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the writing style. It was very well written and you can tell the author did a lot of research on the time period. The thriller aspect of the story was more like layers being peeled back instead of being on the edge of your seat. I felt like the love story aspect could have been developed more. I also felt like the “twist” at the end was kind of ruined by all of the foreshadowing. When I got to the end it wasn’t a bwar moment. It was a “huh, so that’s why he kept mentioning that” moment. Overall it was ok. A good one timer, but not something I would ever read again.

[Maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, I so wanted to love this story. The premise was really intriguing, but the book itself fell flat for me. I'm not sure what it was exactly that made it a bit of a chore & kind of choppy for me. I did, however, enjoy the last few chapters. I'm happy with the way things ended for the characters.

[Tandy Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel certainly covers a range of content from resurrectionists in the 1850's, Daniel Defoe and a blind woman who merges as a key character (no spoilers). I found it was not easy to feel involved in the plot and therefore for me was rather a turgid read.

[Madhatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicholas Green has a real knack for creating believable and empathetic characters, and he is a master of this era of historical fiction.

[sheofseidhr · Rating 1 out of 5]

This books is 290 pages long excluding the interview with the author and the interesting bit starts at the last paragraph of page 273. That is all I'm going to say.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a 3.5. Interesting setting, characters, and plot. The end wasn't bad but it seemed a bit forced as it was written.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very intriguing.

[omilojevic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sama ideja nije loša, ali je priča isuviše razvučena, jedva sam završila knjigu.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is so well written, with awesome gothic feels...but my only disappointment lies in- the ending of the story, it's very sad.

[Jeffrey Jutai · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very dull read. The author went out of his way to avoid concluding his chapters in any way that might entice the reader to turn the page.

[Alex Telander · Rating 3 out of 5]

The era is the eighteenth century, London, and the time is when medicine is little more than a fancy form of alchemy, consisting mainly of remedies that vary from physician to apothecary. But in these pages lies a haunting love story that can only end in one way.

Our main character is a Mr. Joseph Bendix. After some years of wasting his father’s money at medical school, while spending his time with a countess, he retreats to London where he becomes the apprentice of a once-renowned doctor, Sir Edmund Calcraft, who has not really ventured from his home in ten years. In time, Bendix discovers Calcraft’s true intention: to cure his daughter of her illness (she is unable to venture out into sunlight or bright light, otherwise her skin will blister and she will go blind). An inevitable relationship takes place between Bendix and Calcraft’s daughter, Amelia. Problems now arise for Bendix as he tries to control his loving urges for Amelia, and at the same time fighting with the doctor to find a cure for her disease; meanwhile in the back of his mind hangs the issue of how he is going to tell Calcraft of his love for his daughter.

The House of Sight and Shadow is a novel that does not do the time period justice. The reader is not thrust into eighteenth century London, but there are merely characteristics here and there that signify the time. Nevertheless the novel is filled with strong, interesting characters, as well as the likes of the infamous Jonathan Wilds and esteemed author Daniel Defoe.

Originally published on October 29th 2001.

For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.

[Fiona Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up from a Dr. friend. It was a surprisingly good read.
It's the story of a young doctor in early eighteenth-century London, who has left Paris following heartbreak and come to London to learn from a master doctor. He disavows love and dedicates himself to the pursuit of physiological knowledge through the means that were standard in the day. That is stealing recently hanged bodies from fresh graves and dissecting them in the basement. I read this book with considerable skepticism, not quite believing that this guy was for real. I don't mind the body snatching or the dissecting, but I kept expecting him to turn out to be a cynical jerk. In fact the story takes an intriguing twist with a love interest and eventually is resolved in a truly romantic fashion. I never fully warmed to the protagonist, perhaps it was the style of the writing that was a bit stiff in keeping with the period, but I have to admit that it's very well written, appears to me (an ignoramus) to be historically accurate, and interesting for its glimpses into the norms of the pursuit of biomedical knowledge in a very different time.
Best line in this book (p224): "Bendix felt as if he lived in a world of ifs and maybes, a world of such loose possibilities that it made a man's head throb to follow the thread of a single thought through his trail of subjects."
So that part of scientific research hasn't changed.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Joseph Bendix returns to England after losing his fortune and heart in Paris. Bendix is an ambitious medical student interested in testing his unconventional theories. He is able to secure a position studying with Sir Edmund Calcraft and helps the elderly anatomist in the testing of his own unorthodox theories in rather unconventional ways. Both men are driven to cure the same patient, Calcraft's young and beautiful daughter. Each is willing to do anything to free her from her affliction.

This is a strange and dark story. The writing is sparse, dry and difficult, the pacing is slow especially for the first one hundred and fifty pages. I found the writing style almost stingy. It was often difficult for me to discern what was said. In fact the first time I picked this up to read it I put it back down because I had such a difficult time with the dialogue.

Not one of my favorites but certainly an interesting, yet disturbing, story. I did like the ending. This reminds me a bit of Stuart O'Nan's Prayer For The Dying. If you liked that you might like this as well.

[João M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final part of the book though not specifly my cup of tea was very interesting and had a good grip on the reader but let me just say the first 100 pages were tuff.
I know the beggining is reserved for character introductions and ambiance set up, however, it was unneccesarly long. If it was shortened a bit i would probbabbly give 4 stars.
Said this, i just want to add that the writting style is more on the formal side, overall very good, not too complex, not to poor and it matched the ambience, the characters and the plot which develops around 1870 very well.

So in conclusion ,even though i just gave it 3 stars ( i am picky sry :) ) i still recommend the book specially if u are interested in sciences and medical developments or the life in london during the period the story takes place. Not a bad book by any means

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Griffin's other two novels before this one I wasn't expecting to be as impressed as I was (having disliked 'The Requiem Shark' and been disappointed by 'The Masquerade;). While the story of a young medical student seeking to learn from a famous anatomist may not sound adventurous, Griffin has succeeded in creating a suspense, dark tale of obsession. When viewed through the lens of the 21st century, the flaws in their medical and philosophical theories seem enormous, but for their time these two doctors were advanced beyond their companions. Even the ending, while not what some readers may hope for, lived up to the tone of the novel.

[Cassienerdgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was absolutely a "judged by its cover" buy from a book sale: and a good one. Two doctors with competing medical theories in 18th century London, when bleeding & taking mercury were common cures.
It was very dark, lots of dissection, crime, and disease. Very "underbelly of society". Interesting how the two doctors sought to cure a woman they loved, but never completely selflessly, always wishing to be proved right.
The most interesting characters were outside the main trio, including the writer Daniel Defoe.
I wouldn't move the book to the top of your to-read pile. But I would say its interesting enough to keep it on the list.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. I enjoyed some things about it: the historic setting and descriptions, the bizarre character relationships, the writing. But, there were some very strange/bad things as well, that really threw me off. The pace of the story and the ending in particular were very confusing. I'm not sure what else to call it. When I put down the book for the last time last night, I just thought "huh...". I guess that's not the kind of reaction I would hope for in a good book.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disturbing. Not exactly one of those that you just can't put down.. Thus, the low rating. Interesting as a historical fiction accout of early medicine. It's set in London, also of little interest to me. I actually noticed a couple of errors in the type. Maybe this was fixed in later editions. I have a former library edition.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cool book that takes place in 18th century London about a young apprentice learning medicine. Especially cool because I just returned from a trip to the UK and learned about body snatching, which was very much a part of this book.

Intriguing characters, gruesome surgeries and of course, a love story. The ending is bittersweet I would say, in true romantic fashion.

[Rosina Lippi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very disturbing novel, set in London in late 17th century, early 18th. A young doctor is apprenticed to an established scientist with unusual theories about illness and infection. His attraction to a young woman of good family and the darker aspects of London's underclass work together in complex ways.

There is no happy ending here, but a realistic one.

[R.B. Harkess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bit confusing as the blurb on the back cover actually refers to a different book, and there's not description of what this book actually is about. For some reason, I thought it was steampunk, but it was actually a period work about a doctor in the days when surgery was one step away from butchery. Probably very interesting to somebody interested in the field, but didn't appeal to me.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the medical development displayed of the time period. The stealing/selling of bodies for medical advancement. To my knowledge some of the events are pretty accurate including the church and superstitious beliefs of the time.

[Kate North · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not crazy about this one. It was ok, and some of the aspects were good, but it just didn't really appeal, despite being the sort of thing I normally like (historical fiction, made up characters interspersed with real historical people). I read about two thirds and skimmed the rest...