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The Illusionists
From the bestselling author of the phenomenally successful The Kashmir Shawl
London 1885As a turbulent and change-filled century draws to a close, there has never been a better time to alter your fortune. But for a beautiful young woman of limited means, Eliza’s choices appear to lie between the stifling domesticity of marriage or a downwards spiral to the streets – no matter how determined she is to forge her own path.
One night at a run-down theatre, she meets the charismatic Devil Wix – showman, master of illusion, fickle friend. Drawn into his circle, Eliza becomes the catalyst of change for his colleagues – a dwarf, an eccentric engineer, and an artist – as well as Devil himself. And as Eliza embarks on a dangerous adventure, she must decide which path to choose, and how far she should go when she holds all their lives in her hands.
London 1885As a turbulent and change-filled century draws to a close, there has never been a better time to alter your fortune. But for a beautiful young woman of limited means, Eliza’s choices appear to lie between the stifling domesticity of marriage or a downwards spiral to the streets – no matter how determined she is to forge her own path.
One night at a run-down theatre, she meets the charismatic Devil Wix – showman, master of illusion, fickle friend. Drawn into his circle, Eliza becomes the catalyst of change for his colleagues – a dwarf, an eccentric engineer, and an artist – as well as Devil himself. And as Eliza embarks on a dangerous adventure, she must decide which path to choose, and how far she should go when she holds all their lives in her hands.
529 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
71 people are currently reading
2065 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Thomas
72 books317 followersJaney King, née Morris was born on 1947 in Denbigh, Wales, and also grew up in North Wales. She read English at Oxford, and after a spell in journalism and publishing began writing fiction after the birth of her first child. Published since 1982 as Rosie Thomas, she has written fourteen best-selling novels, deal with the common themes of love and loss. She is one of only a few authors to have won twice the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association, in 1985 with Sunrise, and in 2007 with Iris and Ruby.
Janey is an adventurer and once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She currently lives in London.
Janey is an adventurer and once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She currently lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
May 31, 2015
Apart from the danger of choosing a book based on its cover, we should all be aware of the dangers of basing one's choice on a book's synopsis. We read one thing, buy the book because that thing sounded great, but then the actual story is a bit different.
This was what happened to me with 'The Illusionists'. I saw it was about a young woman called Eliza who was a bit too far ahead for her time, and who decides to join a theatre company after meeting one of its charismatic performers, a man who went by the name of Devil Wix. Against a Victorian London background, I was promised "a dangerous adventure", and thus I decided to buy this book.
Don't get me wrong, there was danger. But the book starts off with Devil Wix meeting a dwarf who calls himself Carlo Boldoni and the two of them managing to get a job at the decrepit theatre Palmyra, run by the execrable Jacko Grady. All great, but where was Eliza, the young woman who decides to make her own path in life in 1885, from my book's synopsis? She didn't appear until page 64. By then I had already understood that 'The Illusionists' was not about a woman going against society's conventions, but about a whole lot of different things.
There was Devil and Jasper's background, managing the theatre and coming up with new tricks, four men in love with the same woman, that woman in love with one of those four men, and what else can I say? This is a book with a lot of things, and comprises some different genres. There's romance, historical fiction, a bit of fantasy.
There was also quite a large cast of characters but, very positively, they weren't difficult to memorize and led to no confusions.
The tricks were probably the best of this book. Not only were they described in the stage, but we were also told how everything worked. The setting of the story in London, at the end of the nineteenth century, add an interest to it.
So why the three stars? Why not four?
For me Thomas's 'The Illusionists' is a clear example of a story with a lot of potential and poor execution. The book is more than five hundred pages long and it is not just the telling of a group of people trying to strive in order to bring back from the ashes a ruined theatre. Devil gets the the Palmyra from Grady and becomes its manager. And then we have the entire story of managing the theatre, looking out for ways of bringing in money. In the midst of this, there was also Devil's relationship with Eliza, which was very interesting to follow in the beginning, but turned out to be one of this book's disappointments for me.
Remember the young woman from the synopsis who didn't want to settle and live the life society intended for her? Well, in the end she does.
There was also the matter with Heinrich Bayer, the awkward Swiss engineer who build automata. Even though his end was one of the most enthusiastic, if creepy, parts of the book, I couldn't quite agree with it. I didn't like Carlo's end as well. I understood, but felt it was shame, especially considering the fact that he "disappears" for some parts in the middle, after making up most of beginning of the story.
What I mean is that I felt that the characters, and the book in general, had a lot of potential, but Rosie Thomas felt the need to write a long, slow, book, full of descriptions that became, most of the times, boring. Then, because it was a long story, she had to put a lot of characters; obviously something (in this case a lot of 'somethings') had to be missing.
All in all, I was expecting more. In content and quality, not in length.
I had never read anything by Rosie Thomas. I didn't even knew she existed. Apparently there's going to be a sequel to this book, with the Palmyra still making an appearance. I don't think I will read it.
This was what happened to me with 'The Illusionists'. I saw it was about a young woman called Eliza who was a bit too far ahead for her time, and who decides to join a theatre company after meeting one of its charismatic performers, a man who went by the name of Devil Wix. Against a Victorian London background, I was promised "a dangerous adventure", and thus I decided to buy this book.
Don't get me wrong, there was danger. But the book starts off with Devil Wix meeting a dwarf who calls himself Carlo Boldoni and the two of them managing to get a job at the decrepit theatre Palmyra, run by the execrable Jacko Grady. All great, but where was Eliza, the young woman who decides to make her own path in life in 1885, from my book's synopsis? She didn't appear until page 64. By then I had already understood that 'The Illusionists' was not about a woman going against society's conventions, but about a whole lot of different things.
There was Devil and Jasper's background, managing the theatre and coming up with new tricks, four men in love with the same woman, that woman in love with one of those four men, and what else can I say? This is a book with a lot of things, and comprises some different genres. There's romance, historical fiction, a bit of fantasy.
There was also quite a large cast of characters but, very positively, they weren't difficult to memorize and led to no confusions.
The tricks were probably the best of this book. Not only were they described in the stage, but we were also told how everything worked. The setting of the story in London, at the end of the nineteenth century, add an interest to it.
So why the three stars? Why not four?
For me Thomas's 'The Illusionists' is a clear example of a story with a lot of potential and poor execution. The book is more than five hundred pages long and it is not just the telling of a group of people trying to strive in order to bring back from the ashes a ruined theatre. Devil gets the the Palmyra from Grady and becomes its manager. And then we have the entire story of managing the theatre, looking out for ways of bringing in money. In the midst of this, there was also Devil's relationship with Eliza, which was very interesting to follow in the beginning, but turned out to be one of this book's disappointments for me.
Remember the young woman from the synopsis who didn't want to settle and live the life society intended for her? Well, in the end she does.
There was also the matter with Heinrich Bayer, the awkward Swiss engineer who build automata. Even though his end was one of the most enthusiastic, if creepy, parts of the book, I couldn't quite agree with it. I didn't like Carlo's end as well. I understood, but felt it was shame, especially considering the fact that he "disappears" for some parts in the middle, after making up most of beginning of the story.
What I mean is that I felt that the characters, and the book in general, had a lot of potential, but Rosie Thomas felt the need to write a long, slow, book, full of descriptions that became, most of the times, boring. Then, because it was a long story, she had to put a lot of characters; obviously something (in this case a lot of 'somethings') had to be missing.
All in all, I was expecting more. In content and quality, not in length.
I had never read anything by Rosie Thomas. I didn't even knew she existed. Apparently there's going to be a sequel to this book, with the Palmyra still making an appearance. I don't think I will read it.
August 5, 2017
3.5 ⭐️
Stared off really stong and pulled me into its world instantly but it started to lag. I really enjoyed the characters and the world but something was just missing.
Stared off really stong and pulled me into its world instantly but it started to lag. I really enjoyed the characters and the world but something was just missing.
October 27, 2017
***DNF***
This is one of the books that I DNF'ed this year (which is very rare!! and it might be 2nd or 3rd one this year).
The story revolves around a set of people with different backgrounds who join together to run a theatre which gives shows with illusions and very intelligent props.
Good Points:
1. Lovely Victorian Setting.
2. Good strong characters.
3. Above average narration.
Bad Points:
1. No strong Plot.
2. Blurb doesn't match with the content.
3. Part 2 is a collection of words that makes sentences that makes paras that makes chapters and story ends in.... Oh I did not finish it, so I don't know.
This book had so much potential to get reader's attention that It pains me to see how it turned out. Even if the author rewrites it, I am ready to read it, Just for the sake of knowing that this story turned out well.
Happy Reading!!!
This is one of the books that I DNF'ed this year (which is very rare!! and it might be 2nd or 3rd one this year).
The story revolves around a set of people with different backgrounds who join together to run a theatre which gives shows with illusions and very intelligent props.
Good Points:
1. Lovely Victorian Setting.
2. Good strong characters.
3. Above average narration.
Bad Points:
1. No strong Plot.
2. Blurb doesn't match with the content.
3. Part 2 is a collection of words that makes sentences that makes paras that makes chapters and story ends in.... Oh I did not finish it, so I don't know.
This book had so much potential to get reader's attention that It pains me to see how it turned out. Even if the author rewrites it, I am ready to read it, Just for the sake of knowing that this story turned out well.
Happy Reading!!!
July 31, 2014
This engaging and evocative novel presents a different side of Victorian England than we're used to seeing - one where charlatans and hucksters vie to make a living by peddling magic tricks to a gullible and impoverished public.
Though THE ILLUSIONISTS can feel a bit crowded at moments plot-wise, its characters are riveting, especially the unreliable and conniving protagonist, Devil, whose ambition to open his own theater sweeps up a variety of characters into a maelstrom, including pick-pocketing dwarf Carlo Bonomi; Heinrich Bayer and his eerie automaton, Lucie; and Jasper, an artist who helps pull off the illusions and is romantically drawn to enigmatic Eliza, a young woman who dreams of personal emancipation.
Eliza appears late in the story but her relationship with Devil forms the heart of the novel, as she leads him on his own merry dance fueled by her fight to control her destiny. Ms Thomas excels in portraying their oft-contrary partnership, while spinnig a web of deceit that eventually catches up with them. However, several plot threads seem to come and go without much dramatic denouement and it becomes challenging to decide whether Devil is an otherwise decent man trapped by the misogyny and corruption of his era or merely an irredeemable rogue. The ambiance alone, however, makes the effort worthwhile, as Ms Thomas paints in expert colors a portrait of the seedy desperation and volatility of England as it struggles under rigid sovereignty and the horrifying chasm between wealth and destitution.
Though THE ILLUSIONISTS can feel a bit crowded at moments plot-wise, its characters are riveting, especially the unreliable and conniving protagonist, Devil, whose ambition to open his own theater sweeps up a variety of characters into a maelstrom, including pick-pocketing dwarf Carlo Bonomi; Heinrich Bayer and his eerie automaton, Lucie; and Jasper, an artist who helps pull off the illusions and is romantically drawn to enigmatic Eliza, a young woman who dreams of personal emancipation.
Eliza appears late in the story but her relationship with Devil forms the heart of the novel, as she leads him on his own merry dance fueled by her fight to control her destiny. Ms Thomas excels in portraying their oft-contrary partnership, while spinnig a web of deceit that eventually catches up with them. However, several plot threads seem to come and go without much dramatic denouement and it becomes challenging to decide whether Devil is an otherwise decent man trapped by the misogyny and corruption of his era or merely an irredeemable rogue. The ambiance alone, however, makes the effort worthwhile, as Ms Thomas paints in expert colors a portrait of the seedy desperation and volatility of England as it struggles under rigid sovereignty and the horrifying chasm between wealth and destitution.
November 14, 2014
A big old no. Hey, guess what? Saying I could have you anyways and her resistance excited him is, uh, about rape. Not sexy. not good. Pretty goddamned bad. Also, there were several other instances that were just a big old pile of shit, and on top of that, not that interesting. Booooooo. Do not want or like or anything like it.
May 18, 2014
Full review here: http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.co.uk...
My book of the year so far!
Every once in a while you find a book that hooks you from the very first page, and doesn't let go until long after you've finished it. The Illusionists is one of those books.
From the minute that I read the blurb for this novel I knew I was going to love it, and I was not disappointed. From the very first page you find yourself completely immersed in Victorian London; the sights, sounds and smells so well described you feel as if you are there walking alongside Devil as he goes about his daily life. The novel also provides a fascinating insight into the world of Victorian magic and illusion, revealing the amount of work behind the scenes that was necessary to make a show a success. From the guillotine to the famous bullet trick, you'll never look at magic in the same way again.
Devil Wix is a character worth a paragraph of his own. A brilliant showman, he is also witty and loveable, and I found myself willing him to succeed. Haunted by bad memories from his childhood, he is a man determined to prove his worth in the world, and along with his band of misfits he sets out to put on a show like no other.
The story moves at a relatively slow pace, and at just under five hundred pages it's a hefty novel, but one that is well worth taking your time over. The characters are compelling, darkly so at times, and I found myself looking forward to immersing myself in their world for an hour or so each evening. It's been a while since I've been so eager to find out how a book ends, yet at the same time so reluctant to say goodbye to the characters and the world that they inhabit.
Told in third person primarily from the perspectives of Devil and Eliza, it is clear from the start that this is their story, and you get the feeling that had the narrative reflected a different point of view, Carlos' or Jasper's in particular, we as readers would have a completely different perception of Devil. There are moments in the novel that you ought to hate him, yet you instantly forgive him, just as Eliza does.
As the Palmyra blossoms under Devil's ownership, the man himself undergoes a transformation from an opportunist showman into a husband, and eventually a father. I found myself falling more in love with him as the novel progressed - and the ending image of Devil with his son on his shoulders is purposely a million miles away from the Devil that we met on the first page. All of the characters mature and grow as the novel takes place over the span of twelve years, a long time to cover but so expertly managed that it never feels drawn out and all makes perfect sense.
The story is not unlike Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants in its themes of love triangles, misfits and showmanship, but at the same time it is entirely different from anything I have ever read before.The only predictable part of this novel was Devil and Eliza's relationship, but even this doesn't run smoothly, and as events begin to take a darker turn you find yourself wondering which characters will actually make it to the end.
5/5 stars: So much more than a love story, The Illusionists is a story of friendship and fellowship, of magic and illusion, of life and death. It is the most absorbing and atmospheric book that I have read this year by a mile! Read it and you won't be disappointed.
My book of the year so far!
Every once in a while you find a book that hooks you from the very first page, and doesn't let go until long after you've finished it. The Illusionists is one of those books.
From the minute that I read the blurb for this novel I knew I was going to love it, and I was not disappointed. From the very first page you find yourself completely immersed in Victorian London; the sights, sounds and smells so well described you feel as if you are there walking alongside Devil as he goes about his daily life. The novel also provides a fascinating insight into the world of Victorian magic and illusion, revealing the amount of work behind the scenes that was necessary to make a show a success. From the guillotine to the famous bullet trick, you'll never look at magic in the same way again.
Devil Wix is a character worth a paragraph of his own. A brilliant showman, he is also witty and loveable, and I found myself willing him to succeed. Haunted by bad memories from his childhood, he is a man determined to prove his worth in the world, and along with his band of misfits he sets out to put on a show like no other.
The story moves at a relatively slow pace, and at just under five hundred pages it's a hefty novel, but one that is well worth taking your time over. The characters are compelling, darkly so at times, and I found myself looking forward to immersing myself in their world for an hour or so each evening. It's been a while since I've been so eager to find out how a book ends, yet at the same time so reluctant to say goodbye to the characters and the world that they inhabit.
Told in third person primarily from the perspectives of Devil and Eliza, it is clear from the start that this is their story, and you get the feeling that had the narrative reflected a different point of view, Carlos' or Jasper's in particular, we as readers would have a completely different perception of Devil. There are moments in the novel that you ought to hate him, yet you instantly forgive him, just as Eliza does.
As the Palmyra blossoms under Devil's ownership, the man himself undergoes a transformation from an opportunist showman into a husband, and eventually a father. I found myself falling more in love with him as the novel progressed - and the ending image of Devil with his son on his shoulders is purposely a million miles away from the Devil that we met on the first page. All of the characters mature and grow as the novel takes place over the span of twelve years, a long time to cover but so expertly managed that it never feels drawn out and all makes perfect sense.
The story is not unlike Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants in its themes of love triangles, misfits and showmanship, but at the same time it is entirely different from anything I have ever read before.The only predictable part of this novel was Devil and Eliza's relationship, but even this doesn't run smoothly, and as events begin to take a darker turn you find yourself wondering which characters will actually make it to the end.
5/5 stars: So much more than a love story, The Illusionists is a story of friendship and fellowship, of magic and illusion, of life and death. It is the most absorbing and atmospheric book that I have read this year by a mile! Read it and you won't be disappointed.
September 9, 2014
I liked this book. It was way on the darker side than I expected. Which is a nice present. Sometimes the magical world can come off as just that "magical", The author did a good job of portraying the other side of this profession. Not the one as an audience member sees as all fun and illusions but the daily grind of this work and the people who live it. Kind of like carnie people at a carnival.
Don't let the name Devil confuse you as he turned out to be a complex character but also a likable character. In fact, all of the characters were good. Don't get me wrong. It is just that the pacing of the story was slow. Which I would not have had a problem with if I had fully embraced the characters and the story itself. I felt that there was a lot of dialect and at times that was all there was was talking. Overall, a good book. So if you are looking for a book about magic with the old English/Victorian feel to it than you might check this book out.
Don't let the name Devil confuse you as he turned out to be a complex character but also a likable character. In fact, all of the characters were good. Don't get me wrong. It is just that the pacing of the story was slow. Which I would not have had a problem with if I had fully embraced the characters and the story itself. I felt that there was a lot of dialect and at times that was all there was was talking. Overall, a good book. So if you are looking for a book about magic with the old English/Victorian feel to it than you might check this book out.
October 15, 2014
Did not finish. Probably should have been edited to 50% of it's actual length. Got tired of waiting for something to happen, though part of me wishes I'd had the fortitude to stick with it.
August 13, 2019
An interesting book about Victorian Theatre. A mixed bunch of characters - mainly connected to the theatre in some way. From the unscrupulous theatre manager to Eliza the ultimate heroine, they were all so well portrayed and believable.
I have read several Rosie Thomas books and for me, this isn't one of her best, but interesting all the same.
I have read several Rosie Thomas books and for me, this isn't one of her best, but interesting all the same.
August 24, 2015
It’s quite fitting that The Illusionists, just like an actual illusion, is entirely not what it seems.
Unfortunately, while illusions and magic acts are generally enjoyable in their unpredictability and twisting of reality, Rosie Thomas’s novel is not.
I picked up The Illusionists expecting to read a thrilling and eccentric novel surrounding a modern woman’s intrigue with the London’s theatrical world in the late 1800s. “A dangerous adventure” of a young woman’s journey towards emancipation through art. That’s what the novel’s synopsis implied, after all. Instead, I got two emotionally distraught male performers, a wax-modeler (also male), a psychotic engineer (guess what? Male) and a run-down theatre. Oh, and featuring as the love interest of every single one of the afore-mentioned characters is Eliza – a middle-class woman who poses as a life model on Tuesdays, and considers herself “forward-thinking” (she’s not).
Eliza was infuriating – and even more infuriating was the author’s evident conviction that Eliza was a woman of her own means. Sure, Eliza did things that were not technically societally acceptable for her class, but let’s have a little more girl power! If you’re going to have a strong female protagonist and write about her journey towards emancipation, then don’t only introduce her on page 66! Don’t let her slip backwards into conformity just as she’s finally getting somewhere! Don’t let the men always overshadow her! Don’t let her become a damsel in distress just to showcase the courageous virtues of your male characters!
(And yes, I am putting Eliza’s actions into the context that she was a woman in London in 1885. Come on. Loosen your corset a little, at least, Miss Eliza.)
On top of all of this, I was also astounded to note that Thomas switched perceptions between her characters as if even she didn’t know who she was supposed to be writing about. One moment I would be in Eliza’s head, but then the next moment Devil’s outlook would take over without warning. That’s the danger with writing in third-person perspective – you have to be so careful about switching between characters and throwing the reader all over the place. And Thomas fell right into that trap.
Around two-thirds of the way through, I couldn’t take it any more.
But I persevered, because I’d already struggled through 380 pages. I could handle two hundred more. (I’d just like to point out that a novel this long-winded could definitely have been cut down by at least two hundred pages.)
Then I got to page 454, and my face did this:
At which point I decided Eliza was not worth my efforts (I’d screamed at her for just about the entire novel), and that my hope for humanity had diminished by a further eighty percent or so.
What a waste of good ideas. The Illusionists had so much potential, and it really was quite upsetting to see it spiral towards inadequacy, then below that to distastefulness. Additionally, Thomas has a truly beautiful style. It’s a pity she threw it away.
Rating: A very generous 2/5 because it started off relatively well.
This review was also posted on All Things Amy.
Unfortunately, while illusions and magic acts are generally enjoyable in their unpredictability and twisting of reality, Rosie Thomas’s novel is not.
I picked up The Illusionists expecting to read a thrilling and eccentric novel surrounding a modern woman’s intrigue with the London’s theatrical world in the late 1800s. “A dangerous adventure” of a young woman’s journey towards emancipation through art. That’s what the novel’s synopsis implied, after all. Instead, I got two emotionally distraught male performers, a wax-modeler (also male), a psychotic engineer (guess what? Male) and a run-down theatre. Oh, and featuring as the love interest of every single one of the afore-mentioned characters is Eliza – a middle-class woman who poses as a life model on Tuesdays, and considers herself “forward-thinking” (she’s not).
Eliza was infuriating – and even more infuriating was the author’s evident conviction that Eliza was a woman of her own means. Sure, Eliza did things that were not technically societally acceptable for her class, but let’s have a little more girl power! If you’re going to have a strong female protagonist and write about her journey towards emancipation, then don’t only introduce her on page 66! Don’t let her slip backwards into conformity just as she’s finally getting somewhere! Don’t let the men always overshadow her! Don’t let her become a damsel in distress just to showcase the courageous virtues of your male characters!
(And yes, I am putting Eliza’s actions into the context that she was a woman in London in 1885. Come on. Loosen your corset a little, at least, Miss Eliza.)
On top of all of this, I was also astounded to note that Thomas switched perceptions between her characters as if even she didn’t know who she was supposed to be writing about. One moment I would be in Eliza’s head, but then the next moment Devil’s outlook would take over without warning. That’s the danger with writing in third-person perspective – you have to be so careful about switching between characters and throwing the reader all over the place. And Thomas fell right into that trap.
Around two-thirds of the way through, I couldn’t take it any more.
But I persevered, because I’d already struggled through 380 pages. I could handle two hundred more. (I’d just like to point out that a novel this long-winded could definitely have been cut down by at least two hundred pages.)
Then I got to page 454, and my face did this:
At which point I decided Eliza was not worth my efforts (I’d screamed at her for just about the entire novel), and that my hope for humanity had diminished by a further eighty percent or so.
What a waste of good ideas. The Illusionists had so much potential, and it really was quite upsetting to see it spiral towards inadequacy, then below that to distastefulness. Additionally, Thomas has a truly beautiful style. It’s a pity she threw it away.
Rating: A very generous 2/5 because it started off relatively well.
This review was also posted on All Things Amy.
April 18, 2015
I like him well enough, as it happens. I only can't stand the bloody sight of him, with his grin and his yard-long legs and the damned ooze of his pleasure in being himself.
There was a moment when I thought, "What exactly is this book about?" It seemed a little confused as to whether it was a thriller, a mystery, or a romance. It went one way, then it switched directions and went a different way, and the blurb was misleading, to say the least. In the end, I decided it was the story of a relationship, and I didn't mind so much because I love character-driven fiction, and this had a cast of fascinating characters, and their growth, especially that of Devil was believable. I thought about how much he had changed from the beginning of the book to the end, and I loved the story just for that. I think this would have a been a stronger book had the plot been tightened up, but the historical detail was wonderful; the author described many of the stage acts in vivid detail, and there were several unpredictable twists that gave the book a certain, fleeting tension. If you liked other historical fiction about performers; e.g. The Magician's Lie or Water for Elephants, you might like this.
February 5, 2015
I very much enjoy the magician/illusionist genre. But this book is really, at heart, a romance. There seems to be a lot of books published in the last year or so set in London in the late 1800s, but that might be simply because I choose and read books in this fascinating era. All of the main characters are involved in a theatre dedicated to illusion, but the story is basically about a rather liberated (for the time) woman, Eliza, who is attracted to Devil, a man who wants his very own performance theatre. I do recommend this for people who are looking for a good historical romance with a dash of magic on the side. The author, Rosie Thomas, appears to be rather prolific and her short biography on the book jacket indicates a life dedicated to grand adventures.
January 18, 2020
Just as the title says! An enjoyable storyline
January 6, 2016
“Love, seduction, magic and illusion collide as Rosie Thomas takes us on a spellbinding journey through an extremely shadowy world.” �Daily Express
An enchanting, Dickensian tale of desire, magic, and the Victorian theatre, perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, The Night Circus, and Water for Elephants�from the beloved and bestselling author of The Kashmir Shawl
London, 1885�a challenging place for a young, beautiful woman of limited means. But Eliza is modern before her time. Not for her the stifling, if respectable, conventionality of marriage, children, domestic drudgery. She longs for more. Through her work as an artist’s model, she meets the magnetic and irascible Devil Wix�a born showman whose dream is to run his own theatre company.
Devil’s right-hand man is the improbably-named Carlo Bonomi, an ill-tempered dwarf who is a gifted magician and illusionist. Carlo and Devil clash at every turn and it falls to Eliza to broker an uneasy peace between them. And then there is Jasper Button: mild-mannered, and a family man at heart, it is his gift as an artist which makes him the unlikely final member of the motley crew. With self-styled impresario Devil at the helm of the Palmyra Theatre, acrobats and illusionists astonish audiences with their death-defying stunts and the magic of mysterious new inventions�like electricity. Backstage, secret romances, box-office dramas, and power struggles inevitably simmer, and intermittently boil over.
Framed by Rosie Thomas’s rich portrayal of the rapidly changing world of late-Victorian England, The Illusionists takes readers on an unforgettable journey with a cast of passionate, larger-than-life figures who are inextricably linked through their shared love of the stage and the theatre, and who will make you laugh and break your heart. And as Eliza is drawn into their seductive, precarious, and exciting bohemian world, she risks not only her heart, but also her life…
--My thoughts. Not what the blurb says. The cast is set, that is about it. Seems like a lot of books are set in London these days. That is the rage. Don't get me wrong, this book is good, just not what I thought it would be. Romance, historical fiction? Where does it lie? Not sure.. Devil is a character I grew to like... something about him. I enjoyed the journey, liked the behind the scenes. It isn't as glamorous as we all think. It is all indeed smoke and mirrors so to speak.
Will I read the next one? I am not sure. I might, just to see where they are now... Maybe it will get better.. ;)
An enchanting, Dickensian tale of desire, magic, and the Victorian theatre, perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, The Night Circus, and Water for Elephants�from the beloved and bestselling author of The Kashmir Shawl
London, 1885�a challenging place for a young, beautiful woman of limited means. But Eliza is modern before her time. Not for her the stifling, if respectable, conventionality of marriage, children, domestic drudgery. She longs for more. Through her work as an artist’s model, she meets the magnetic and irascible Devil Wix�a born showman whose dream is to run his own theatre company.
Devil’s right-hand man is the improbably-named Carlo Bonomi, an ill-tempered dwarf who is a gifted magician and illusionist. Carlo and Devil clash at every turn and it falls to Eliza to broker an uneasy peace between them. And then there is Jasper Button: mild-mannered, and a family man at heart, it is his gift as an artist which makes him the unlikely final member of the motley crew. With self-styled impresario Devil at the helm of the Palmyra Theatre, acrobats and illusionists astonish audiences with their death-defying stunts and the magic of mysterious new inventions�like electricity. Backstage, secret romances, box-office dramas, and power struggles inevitably simmer, and intermittently boil over.
Framed by Rosie Thomas’s rich portrayal of the rapidly changing world of late-Victorian England, The Illusionists takes readers on an unforgettable journey with a cast of passionate, larger-than-life figures who are inextricably linked through their shared love of the stage and the theatre, and who will make you laugh and break your heart. And as Eliza is drawn into their seductive, precarious, and exciting bohemian world, she risks not only her heart, but also her life…
--My thoughts. Not what the blurb says. The cast is set, that is about it. Seems like a lot of books are set in London these days. That is the rage. Don't get me wrong, this book is good, just not what I thought it would be. Romance, historical fiction? Where does it lie? Not sure.. Devil is a character I grew to like... something about him. I enjoyed the journey, liked the behind the scenes. It isn't as glamorous as we all think. It is all indeed smoke and mirrors so to speak.
Will I read the next one? I am not sure. I might, just to see where they are now... Maybe it will get better.. ;)
July 7, 2014
The Illusionists invites comparisons to the two magician films that came out ten years ago, The Prestige and The Illusionist. Like those films, this book delves into the behind-the-scenes lives and competitions between magicians and maintains an air of mysterious romance. From the beginning, the author finds magic and wonder in the sooty, hungry streets of Victorian London.
The descriptions for this book tend to focus on Eliza. However, Eliza is not the first character we meet. It takes quite a few pages to get to her, and she remains aloof for some time. This story is really an ensemble piece, with each character as unusual and well developed as the others. It's not long before the performing dwarf Carlo and the haunted magician Devil fall in love with Eliza. She's already being pursued by Devil's childhood friend Jasper, but the triangle is treated so subtly, it doesn't get stale. Perhaps the saving grace is that Eliza clearly favors Devil, but doesn't veer from her stubborn intention to take care of herself.
The reader roots for Devil's schemes and Eliza's goals and boos the bad guys off the stage. The author has done her research and has a talent for evocative detail. This is sure to be a favorite for any reader with a passing interest in Victorian England or the golden age of magicians.
As the book went on, the stakes got higher and higher. I was disappointed in the ending, and that may be because I had grown so fond of the characters that I just wanted it to keep going.
The descriptions for this book tend to focus on Eliza. However, Eliza is not the first character we meet. It takes quite a few pages to get to her, and she remains aloof for some time. This story is really an ensemble piece, with each character as unusual and well developed as the others. It's not long before the performing dwarf Carlo and the haunted magician Devil fall in love with Eliza. She's already being pursued by Devil's childhood friend Jasper, but the triangle is treated so subtly, it doesn't get stale. Perhaps the saving grace is that Eliza clearly favors Devil, but doesn't veer from her stubborn intention to take care of herself.
The reader roots for Devil's schemes and Eliza's goals and boos the bad guys off the stage. The author has done her research and has a talent for evocative detail. This is sure to be a favorite for any reader with a passing interest in Victorian England or the golden age of magicians.
As the book went on, the stakes got higher and higher. I was disappointed in the ending, and that may be because I had grown so fond of the characters that I just wanted it to keep going.
September 18, 2014
“The Illusionists” has a premise that should be great: set in 1885 London, a group of people-stage magicians, a scientist who makes life sized mechanical dolls, an independent woman who leaves her middle class home to become an artist’s model, an artist who makes amazing wax models and props. Add in a highly competitive theater owner and a lot of sexual tension between, well, nearly everyone and it should be a story that one couldn’t put down. Sadly, while the book is okay- I enjoyed it- I can’t call it great.
While the characters are interesting- Devil Wix the fast talking stage magician; his new partner Carol Boldoni, a dwarf who is a world class contortionist and illusionist; Jasper Button the artist and childhood friend of Wix’s; Heinrich Bayer the introverted engineer who adores his mechanical dancer; and Eliza Dunlop, who has a very modern outlook for someone of her class and time and seems a bit of a Mary Sue- none of them has much depth. We get backstory on Devil and Eliza, and a bit on Button, but nothing on Boldoni or Bayer. The setting is wonderful; the decaying theater brought back to life and the hustle of the behind the scenes work- I loved the descriptions of the magical illusions. The pace is odd, though. There are a couple of events of great tension and excitement that would seem to be the climax of the story, but they don’t resolve anything. The first one, around the middle of the book, just happens with no explanation. Why the character does what he did there and what his goal was are never explored. The violence at the end upsets everyone, but it changes no one; they just go on about their lives.
I enjoyed the book but it could have used a good editor to help with the pacing and characters.
While the characters are interesting- Devil Wix the fast talking stage magician; his new partner Carol Boldoni, a dwarf who is a world class contortionist and illusionist; Jasper Button the artist and childhood friend of Wix’s; Heinrich Bayer the introverted engineer who adores his mechanical dancer; and Eliza Dunlop, who has a very modern outlook for someone of her class and time and seems a bit of a Mary Sue- none of them has much depth. We get backstory on Devil and Eliza, and a bit on Button, but nothing on Boldoni or Bayer. The setting is wonderful; the decaying theater brought back to life and the hustle of the behind the scenes work- I loved the descriptions of the magical illusions. The pace is odd, though. There are a couple of events of great tension and excitement that would seem to be the climax of the story, but they don’t resolve anything. The first one, around the middle of the book, just happens with no explanation. Why the character does what he did there and what his goal was are never explored. The violence at the end upsets everyone, but it changes no one; they just go on about their lives.
I enjoyed the book but it could have used a good editor to help with the pacing and characters.
April 28, 2019
This is one of those books I vividly remember being shit but I liked it anyway. Been searching for this sucker for years. Don’t ask me about the plot because I remember literally nothing. Don’t ask me about the characters because all I know is that Devil Nix was the protagonist and the girl in the synopsis isn’t. But I remember liking this, probably because it came in a time where I really liked reading books about magic set in the 19th century. So in that case it was enjoyable, better than 1984 (hate that shit book).
December 31, 2018
An incredibly evocative book set within the world of theatre and illusion in Victorian England. Some good, strong characters and an interesting plot.
Spoilt by the fact that the book was far too long (472 pages) and there was also far too much filler for my liking. I was really tempted to give up at page 100 as the book was more descriptive than plot based then. I’m pleased I persevered as the second half of the book was a lot more gripping and I started to enjoy it.
Spoilt by the fact that the book was far too long (472 pages) and there was also far too much filler for my liking. I was really tempted to give up at page 100 as the book was more descriptive than plot based then. I’m pleased I persevered as the second half of the book was a lot more gripping and I started to enjoy it.
August 13, 2017
I gave this 3.5 stars or 7/10.
Whilst I did enjoy this bittersweet story, I felt it wasn't one of the best that I've read by her. You really do need to check out this authors back catalogue as she has written some amazing stories that have stayed with me.
This is a gothic tale, that I found to be a slow burner about Eliza and how she becomes the linchpin to how this story evolves ~ she is drawn in by the enigmatic Illusionist Devil Wix and his performing friends. She appears to have them all eating out of the palm of her hand, but as her future becomes uncertain who will become her saviour. The story is mainly set around a theatre were they all perform their different acts. With lots of infighting between one another as to whose performances bring in the biggest audiences, Devil wields his cunning and soon manipulates things in his favour.
Sad to say I found this a little over long and lacking, I found myself with my mind wandering at times yet I still was invested in the story enough to find out how everything panned out.
Whilst I did enjoy this bittersweet story, I felt it wasn't one of the best that I've read by her. You really do need to check out this authors back catalogue as she has written some amazing stories that have stayed with me.
This is a gothic tale, that I found to be a slow burner about Eliza and how she becomes the linchpin to how this story evolves ~ she is drawn in by the enigmatic Illusionist Devil Wix and his performing friends. She appears to have them all eating out of the palm of her hand, but as her future becomes uncertain who will become her saviour. The story is mainly set around a theatre were they all perform their different acts. With lots of infighting between one another as to whose performances bring in the biggest audiences, Devil wields his cunning and soon manipulates things in his favour.
Sad to say I found this a little over long and lacking, I found myself with my mind wandering at times yet I still was invested in the story enough to find out how everything panned out.
May 29, 2015
Booktrail of the Ilusionists
Take a magical mystery tour around Victorian London and to the characters who perform each night at the Palmyra theatre. Everything and everyone has a dark side – even magic.
Story in a tophat
London 1885
Along the Strand in the centre of London stands a small theatre called the Palmyra. It’s run down, has little success and should really probably close but then that’s before the illusionists take the stage.
Devil Wix is a master of illusion and drama, running as he is from a dark and secret past. Ideal for his tricks of contortion, he joins forces with Carlo Boldoni, a dwarf, and together their act becomes one of legend.
Drawing in the crowds can cause its own set of problems however as as they become more noted, so too do their enemies.
And then one day, young miss Eliza comes to see the show and her fate becomes entangled with the illusion and darkness of all that she sees in front of her.
The world of the illusionists awaits…..
The world of the illusionists is a dark stage and the workings behind the scenes normally out of bounds. But this novel takes you backstage, along the corridors, beneath the trapdoor and really gets you involved with how the world of magic is a tricky and difficult one. I had no idea of how magicians fought to get their acts headlining at certain theatres etc or the work and pain involved with perfecting their act, but this novel really took me there!
It really does have a dark side and the underbelly of London and the magic scene is definitely a major character. The book is a long one and although I think it could have been shorter, the ambience it immerses you in is another world entirely. It’s an historical romance with a difference too although for me it was the setting and the illusion of it all which makes the book’s premise so intriguing.
We’ve been to Kashmir and now behind the stage in London – wonder what Rosie Thomas’ next trick is going to be?
Take a magical mystery tour around Victorian London and to the characters who perform each night at the Palmyra theatre. Everything and everyone has a dark side – even magic.
Story in a tophat
London 1885
Along the Strand in the centre of London stands a small theatre called the Palmyra. It’s run down, has little success and should really probably close but then that’s before the illusionists take the stage.
Devil Wix is a master of illusion and drama, running as he is from a dark and secret past. Ideal for his tricks of contortion, he joins forces with Carlo Boldoni, a dwarf, and together their act becomes one of legend.
Drawing in the crowds can cause its own set of problems however as as they become more noted, so too do their enemies.
And then one day, young miss Eliza comes to see the show and her fate becomes entangled with the illusion and darkness of all that she sees in front of her.
The world of the illusionists awaits…..
The world of the illusionists is a dark stage and the workings behind the scenes normally out of bounds. But this novel takes you backstage, along the corridors, beneath the trapdoor and really gets you involved with how the world of magic is a tricky and difficult one. I had no idea of how magicians fought to get their acts headlining at certain theatres etc or the work and pain involved with perfecting their act, but this novel really took me there!
It really does have a dark side and the underbelly of London and the magic scene is definitely a major character. The book is a long one and although I think it could have been shorter, the ambience it immerses you in is another world entirely. It’s an historical romance with a difference too although for me it was the setting and the illusion of it all which makes the book’s premise so intriguing.
We’ve been to Kashmir and now behind the stage in London – wonder what Rosie Thomas’ next trick is going to be?
March 24, 2020
CW: Suicide
WHERE do I begin?
Firstly, don't buy books based on their covers. I thought this book was going to be hugely different than it was based entirely on the cover. I thought it would have elements of historical fantasy, not just be pure historical fiction.
The plot drags. It takes forever for anything of significance to happen and then the book keeps going even when it's over. It falls somewhere between a single generation saga (i.e. Devil opening the theater, running the theater, passing the torch) and a single plot historical novel and does not successfully accomplish either.
Personally, I thought the book would have been more successful if only the events of the second act were the main plot. But even that is somewhat disjointed - suddenly, murder! Suddenly, kidnapping! All with little to no build up.
I also really disliked the characters... For several reasons.
Devil:
1. Don't nickname yourself Devil. It's stupid and I can't take you seriously.
2.
3.
Carlo:
1. Did you even bring anything to the plot?? You literally did nothing aside from
Eliza:
1. Oh I'm so special, I'm not like other women! Oh look, time to get married and have two children!
2. Why is every man in love with her????
3. She is really not that interesting.
In conclusion, it was partly my own fault for my expectations coming in, but the synopsis does not accurately represent the plot. It could have been 150 pages shorter and the plot would have been more cohesive. Instead of a slow burn, it's more of a slow fizzle.
WHERE do I begin?
Firstly, don't buy books based on their covers. I thought this book was going to be hugely different than it was based entirely on the cover. I thought it would have elements of historical fantasy, not just be pure historical fiction.
The plot drags. It takes forever for anything of significance to happen and then the book keeps going even when it's over. It falls somewhere between a single generation saga (i.e. Devil opening the theater, running the theater, passing the torch) and a single plot historical novel and does not successfully accomplish either.
Personally, I thought the book would have been more successful if only the events of the second act were the main plot. But even that is somewhat disjointed - suddenly, murder! Suddenly, kidnapping! All with little to no build up.
I also really disliked the characters... For several reasons.
Devil:
1. Don't nickname yourself Devil. It's stupid and I can't take you seriously.
2.
3.
Carlo:
1. Did you even bring anything to the plot?? You literally did nothing aside from
Eliza:
1. Oh I'm so special, I'm not like other women! Oh look, time to get married and have two children!
2. Why is every man in love with her????
3. She is really not that interesting.
In conclusion, it was partly my own fault for my expectations coming in, but the synopsis does not accurately represent the plot. It could have been 150 pages shorter and the plot would have been more cohesive. Instead of a slow burn, it's more of a slow fizzle.
June 21, 2021
While I prefer books with a strong plot as opposed to character studies, I still find the latter (which this novel seems to fall under) enjoyable when done right -- the wild thing about The Illusionists is that aside from a distinct lack of narrative, the characters manage to be flat and bland too.
The leading man is a certified vaudeville-edition Bad Boy with a tragic backstory, literally nicknamed Devil, that's so good looking a female coworker sleeps with him after exchanging a single look. He's a philanderer until he meets the object of his childhood best friend's affection, Eliza, with whom he shares an Instant Connection. Eliza is Not Like Other Girls because she's "modern," and for the first third of the book her whole personality seems to be boiled down to disagreeing with the status quo and the men around her to prove as much. She's also so Beautiful and Different that at any given time there are 3-4 characters in love with her. Their relationship is largely dry and predictable, but somehow also includes surprises like
The supporting cast is rarely better, with everybody an amalgamation of established, tired tropes and 1-2 character traits they're rarely allowed to deviate from or grow out of. The only side character I found both original & interesting (if not still a little one-note and exaggerated) is later shoehorned into the implication that he's ??
Part Two is measurably better than Parts One or Three, but still drags. The writing itself is mediocre, but regardless of the faults, the fullness of the theatre and the world depicted within it deserves its own star.
The leading man is a certified vaudeville-edition Bad Boy with a tragic backstory, literally nicknamed Devil, that's so good looking a female coworker sleeps with him after exchanging a single look. He's a philanderer until he meets the object of his childhood best friend's affection, Eliza, with whom he shares an Instant Connection. Eliza is Not Like Other Girls because she's "modern," and for the first third of the book her whole personality seems to be boiled down to disagreeing with the status quo and the men around her to prove as much. She's also so Beautiful and Different that at any given time there are 3-4 characters in love with her. Their relationship is largely dry and predictable, but somehow also includes surprises like
The supporting cast is rarely better, with everybody an amalgamation of established, tired tropes and 1-2 character traits they're rarely allowed to deviate from or grow out of. The only side character I found both original & interesting (if not still a little one-note and exaggerated) is later shoehorned into the implication that he's ??
Part Two is measurably better than Parts One or Three, but still drags. The writing itself is mediocre, but regardless of the faults, the fullness of the theatre and the world depicted within it deserves its own star.
November 3, 2014
Based on my enjoyment of The Night Circus and similar books, I grabbed up The Illusionists. My reading was broken up quite a bit by outside distractions, but I discovered that I enjoy reading Romantic Historical Fiction. The narrative concerns several oddly matched partners who bring a great deal of baggage into their theatrical production fellowship. Each has their own particular agenda to plan, and the overlapping schemes create some memorable situations. I was taken by how each character seemed to find ways to thrive from honing their focus on their work and blindly pushing forward against pretty steep odds. An equal character in the story is the London of the late Victorian era as it moves slowly into the modern era. The author admirably depicts the grit, polluted air and brooding sense of potential criminality that must have been ever present in the Industrial city at the pinnacle of Empire. She skillfully weaves news snippets of the nightly dismemberment going on in Whitechapel into the tale, which sets just the perfect, grisly counterpoint to the main story of skillful entertainment, and the creation of "wonder" from well-engineered trapdoors, mirrors and other devices of confusion. The mood is perfect and the story well-told. The last scene is especially engraved on my memory. If you need a fast-paced story throughout, this would probably not be your first choice, but if you enjoy the ability to remain focused, this will be a very memorable story.
May 19, 2016
There is something rather bold about naming your Victorian protagonist Devil, and that sets the tone for the premise of Rosie Thomas’s novel, The Illusionists. Add to the mix a bad-tempered dwarf called Carlo Bonomi, a Swiss inventor named Heinrich who becomes obsessed with his creations of automata — mechanical women with rubber skin — and you’ve got yourself the beginnings of quite a tale. But The Illusionists falls short of the magic it promises and readers may struggle to sit through Devil’s performance.
We first meet Devil roaming the streets in want of a drink and a job. Instead, he finds a dwarf, dressed as a child and picking pockets with more skill than Devil has ever seen. The dwarf is Carlo Bonomi, a fellow illusionist and showman. Devil persuades Carlo to embark on a gory double-act with him, and the pair are... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
We first meet Devil roaming the streets in want of a drink and a job. Instead, he finds a dwarf, dressed as a child and picking pockets with more skill than Devil has ever seen. The dwarf is Carlo Bonomi, a fellow illusionist and showman. Devil persuades Carlo to embark on a gory double-act with him, and the pair are... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
August 2, 2014
I won this on Bookreporter.com. I was dismayed that they want a review within 30 days because it was such a thick book (472 pages – hardback). I travel a lot and this is not a book I would ever travel with because if its heft. No worries there! I devoured it in 1.5 days! I was so pleased that it was an easy read. From the beginning, it just flowed. There was nothing earth-shattering that happened in the book, but the pages just melted away. I will miss all of the characters now that I have finished it. I recommend this to anyone who likes strong characters. It’s about a group of individuals – each unique in their own way – who band together to form a theater troupe in 19th century London.
June 18, 2017
*possible spoilers* I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was cleverly written. There isn't a majorly dramatic plot, a lot of the story is the day to day running of the theatre, and the story comes from the interplay between the characters. I really loved Devil, probably more than I should because he is cast as the bad guy. I actually thought he was a sweetie and acted worse than he was. That said, I could understand how he grated on the other characters and I loved how Carlo hated him and those issues were constantly developed throughout the book and never resolved. The story was beautifully written. I like that there aren't answers for everything yet it can all be explained. Of course it helped that the backdrop was Victorian London.
March 5, 2024
This book purports to follow Eliza Dunlop—who wants to seize her independence and dodge marriage and bearing children—and she thinks she’s found her chance in the theatre alongside the illusionist Devil Wix. The book’s premise isn’t what we get, though.
I detest Eliza. She’s a modern woman; she would never condescend to marry or have children and live a boring life like her sister so she casts off Jasper, a man she’s courting who desires that life to…marry and have children with Devil. And, of course, every single main man in the story wants to have sex with her and even random side characters want to have sex with her. And she is rude and always gets her own way which as the book says early on is “the usual course of events”. Bonus points to the scene where she goes to Devil on a bender and stares at his penis and they end up having sex. MADAM WHAT. I KNOW he tastes foul and she seemingly didn’t even reach climax 💀 What a prize!
This woman seems to be perfect and thus impossible to connect with or root for. She’s an artist! Which, of course, means she can write a play and also act with skill, apparently! It’s due to HER telling students she posed for nude that anyone attended the original theatre performances which allowed Devil the opportunity to acquire ownership. The theatre audiences ebb and are lacklustre because he doesn’t immediately jump up to marry her which is…ok sure if you say so. Whenever she’s missing from the theatre, the audience response is lacklustre. Everyone is somehow charmed by her snapping and “temper”. Everyone wants to be with her. Where are her flaws? What is there for me to be like ‘go Eliza get it!’ It would be a waste of breath because she naturally succeeds at everything, it seems.
She continuously speaks of how she doesn’t want to settle down in marriage and raise children then constantly dreams of doing that with Devil, having a physical ache over the desire to have a child immediately after sleeping with him. But she won’t be like OTHER wives. She’ll be in equal partnership. A “pioneering wife”. And then sets about trying to coerce Devil into not only giving her half the managing business but marry her to boot. “Women desired marriage, men were less inclined; the ensuing gavotte was hardly more than a formality, she believed” would have more potency if she didn’t keep telling everyone and herself how much she didn’t want marriage. She withholds sex to strong-arm him into it—wow, how romantic. He’s forced into agreeing to marriage under the threat of murder from Jas—wow, how romantic.
Neither character seems to actually love the other; they don’t even seem to really like each other very much. We’re not given much interaction between them even though the book clocks in just shy of 500 pages, they don’t flirt, they’re not soft, and there’s not much touching. And for being such a powerful woman and the focal point of the book being on her and her unconventionality, she doesn’t appear until page 59(?)—so more than 10% of the way through the book—and then she sort of just fades out of the picture, especially after the second act. He cheats on her, she assaults and threatens him, and the end result is they have the “most passionate sex” they’ve ever had.
Devil dismisses her concerns and fears (like with Heinrich), and they don’t even speak or interact for most of the book. There’s no yearning, no slowburn, no spark, no sizzle, nothing—just a void. When she’s missing (kidnapped by Heinrich), he insists they put on their show without her, even though he evidently recognises the trouble when summoning up four other “strong men” to confront Heinrich. Somehow he turns his lack of concern to a show of his trust in her ability to navigate freely and she agrees with it. Eliza is stupid/naive as hell and Devil is self-serving and greedy. I guess they deserve each other because they’re both perfectly awful and use people to get what they want.
This book is a lengthy one—mine comes in at 472 pages and I felt every one of them—but nothing really happens? I liked the circle, how Devil largely started the novel overthrowing a theatre and then at the end a coup was attempted on him; it might have boosted my rating a little. But it just feels very hollow somehow. I think that’s in part due to the above-mentioned lack of interactions of Eliza and Devil throughout the entirety of the book, and how everyone is there to slaver over Eliza.
This is an addendum but I abhorred how every description of Jacko Grady makes sure to underline how fat he is to the point he “had to compress his flesh with a corset of two hands as his knees folded” into a booth. Characters talk of his fatness or call him solely by the moniker of fat and if he’s in a scene his fatness will be described multiple times. It’s obvious his fatness is supposed to be equated to his greed and thus his villainry. Such a great thing to read over and over and over and over and over and OVER. One scene alone described the above as well as “loss of light as a large shape imposed itself”, “reddish pumpkin face”, “fat arse”, “a roll of fat clothes in greasy waistcoat overflowed the board”, “sausage fingers”, “The fat man shrugged, setting up a ripple of flesh”, “The fat man shook with laughter. He compressed his belly with two hands and began the process of standing up. Once he had broken free of the booth…” this was in the span of THREE PAGES. No one else is as vividly described or as often except perhaps Maria Hayes, who also (surprise!) is fat and unpleasant. Who’d have thought.
I detest Eliza. She’s a modern woman; she would never condescend to marry or have children and live a boring life like her sister so she casts off Jasper, a man she’s courting who desires that life to…marry and have children with Devil. And, of course, every single main man in the story wants to have sex with her and even random side characters want to have sex with her. And she is rude and always gets her own way which as the book says early on is “the usual course of events”. Bonus points to the scene where she goes to Devil on a bender and stares at his penis and they end up having sex. MADAM WHAT. I KNOW he tastes foul and she seemingly didn’t even reach climax 💀 What a prize!
This woman seems to be perfect and thus impossible to connect with or root for. She’s an artist! Which, of course, means she can write a play and also act with skill, apparently! It’s due to HER telling students she posed for nude that anyone attended the original theatre performances which allowed Devil the opportunity to acquire ownership. The theatre audiences ebb and are lacklustre because he doesn’t immediately jump up to marry her which is…ok sure if you say so. Whenever she’s missing from the theatre, the audience response is lacklustre. Everyone is somehow charmed by her snapping and “temper”. Everyone wants to be with her. Where are her flaws? What is there for me to be like ‘go Eliza get it!’ It would be a waste of breath because she naturally succeeds at everything, it seems.
She continuously speaks of how she doesn’t want to settle down in marriage and raise children then constantly dreams of doing that with Devil, having a physical ache over the desire to have a child immediately after sleeping with him. But she won’t be like OTHER wives. She’ll be in equal partnership. A “pioneering wife”. And then sets about trying to coerce Devil into not only giving her half the managing business but marry her to boot. “Women desired marriage, men were less inclined; the ensuing gavotte was hardly more than a formality, she believed” would have more potency if she didn’t keep telling everyone and herself how much she didn’t want marriage. She withholds sex to strong-arm him into it—wow, how romantic. He’s forced into agreeing to marriage under the threat of murder from Jas—wow, how romantic.
Neither character seems to actually love the other; they don’t even seem to really like each other very much. We’re not given much interaction between them even though the book clocks in just shy of 500 pages, they don’t flirt, they’re not soft, and there’s not much touching. And for being such a powerful woman and the focal point of the book being on her and her unconventionality, she doesn’t appear until page 59(?)—so more than 10% of the way through the book—and then she sort of just fades out of the picture, especially after the second act. He cheats on her, she assaults and threatens him, and the end result is they have the “most passionate sex” they’ve ever had.
Devil dismisses her concerns and fears (like with Heinrich), and they don’t even speak or interact for most of the book. There’s no yearning, no slowburn, no spark, no sizzle, nothing—just a void. When she’s missing (kidnapped by Heinrich), he insists they put on their show without her, even though he evidently recognises the trouble when summoning up four other “strong men” to confront Heinrich. Somehow he turns his lack of concern to a show of his trust in her ability to navigate freely and she agrees with it. Eliza is stupid/naive as hell and Devil is self-serving and greedy. I guess they deserve each other because they’re both perfectly awful and use people to get what they want.
This book is a lengthy one—mine comes in at 472 pages and I felt every one of them—but nothing really happens? I liked the circle, how Devil largely started the novel overthrowing a theatre and then at the end a coup was attempted on him; it might have boosted my rating a little. But it just feels very hollow somehow. I think that’s in part due to the above-mentioned lack of interactions of Eliza and Devil throughout the entirety of the book, and how everyone is there to slaver over Eliza.
This is an addendum but I abhorred how every description of Jacko Grady makes sure to underline how fat he is to the point he “had to compress his flesh with a corset of two hands as his knees folded” into a booth. Characters talk of his fatness or call him solely by the moniker of fat and if he’s in a scene his fatness will be described multiple times. It’s obvious his fatness is supposed to be equated to his greed and thus his villainry. Such a great thing to read over and over and over and over and over and OVER. One scene alone described the above as well as “loss of light as a large shape imposed itself”, “reddish pumpkin face”, “fat arse”, “a roll of fat clothes in greasy waistcoat overflowed the board”, “sausage fingers”, “The fat man shrugged, setting up a ripple of flesh”, “The fat man shook with laughter. He compressed his belly with two hands and began the process of standing up. Once he had broken free of the booth…” this was in the span of THREE PAGES. No one else is as vividly described or as often except perhaps Maria Hayes, who also (surprise!) is fat and unpleasant. Who’d have thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2014
It took me forever to finish it, but not because it was boring; I just received many books from my Public Library. So, at first it took me a while to get into it because if I wasn't careful I would get confused easily (language and me, jumping lines when I was reading), however I became quickly enthralled by the story; some parts made me sad, other where I wanted to punch Devil Wix. I am looking forward to read the sequel!
January 19, 2019
Overall a good read but a bit long winded and not quite what I was expecting at all.
Some parts were overly long and drawn out and it spoilt it somewhat.
A story about a theatre company and the people involved in building it up.
Filled with love, friendship, conflict, jealousies, illusions, fighting against the social norms and intrigue. It’s an interesting read but would have benefited by being more succinct in places.
Some parts were overly long and drawn out and it spoilt it somewhat.
A story about a theatre company and the people involved in building it up.
Filled with love, friendship, conflict, jealousies, illusions, fighting against the social norms and intrigue. It’s an interesting read but would have benefited by being more succinct in places.
May 28, 2014
I enjoyed the setting of this book and the subject matter of theatre and all that is involved with running one in 1870's London. I thought I would love this but I did not feel connected to the characters and I did not lose myself in the story.
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