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An Untimely Frost
In the novel An Untimely Frost, or The Authoress, set in 1830s London, American author Jefferson Wheelwright seeks out the reclusive English novelist Margaret T. Haeley, creator of Dunkelraum's monster and widow of the poet Stephen Haeley. The story is inspired by Washington Irving's rumored courtship of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. The book also includes the author's essay "Researching the Rhythms of Voice" and discussion questions.
362 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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About the author
Ted Morrissey
23 books15 followersTed Morrissey is the author of two books of scholarship and five books of fiction—Crowsong for the Stricken, Weeping with an Ancient God, An Untimely Frost, Figures in Blue, and Men of Winter. Chicago Book Review listed Weeping with an Ancient God as a Best Book of 2015. His stories and novel excerpts have appeared in more than fifty journals, among them Glimmer Train, ink&coda, and Southern Humanities Review. His novel Mrs Saville has been serially published at Strands Lit Sphere. In addition to teaching high school English, he also teaches in the MFA in Writing program (online) for Lindenwood University. He and his wife Melissa, an educator and children’s author, have five children and two rescue dogs. Ted is also the founding publisher of Twelve Winters Press, which he based on Leonard and Virginia Woolf’s Hogarth Press.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 31, 2022
"Death lies on her, like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field." ~Shakespeare
Bravo, bravo, bravo... I am obsessed with this book. If you are a fan of old chilling historical classics in the manner of Mary Shelley or Hardy, then this is the book for you. From the very first line, I felt transported back in time, as if Mr Morrissey conjured the aura of literary classicists from long ago and spilled the words from his fingertips onto the page. I am reminded of another dark moody classic – “By Gaslight” by Steven Price, but even more succulent in the speech as the writer later tells us that in his research he delved into the letters of Washington Irving, the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to learn the style of Victorian writing and speaking. And, boy, did he succeed in a most resplendent way. This is a book I will read again and again.
Immediately the delicious smell of books old and new wafted over me. The musky scent of aged paper, the tartness of inks, the rich tanning of leather-bound tomes... I took in a robust breath as I gladly shut the door on the world-not-of-the-printed-word. Books filled the room, which had an arched ceiling, and they were all crisply arranged. Tall shelves lined the walls of the long and seemingly narrow room, and volumes of varying hues set touching one to the next with almost martial order. Either a very, very long table or several of the exact height set end to end ran through the center of the room, creating uniform aisles on either side, and these tables were covered with books as well, each precisely set. Daylight filtered in through a series of narrow windows running above the shelves and along the ceiling just before the walls began to curve in service of the arch. It was an impressive display, in quantity and arrangement – more so even than Manhattan's venerable Nightingale & Co.
See, what I mean?
As for the story line, if readers like tales about books within books, or struggles of other authors, then the main character has all the fleshed-out characteristics for a first-rate protagonist – someone the reader can truly connect with as you sink into the lush prose.
American writer, Jefferson Wheelwright begins his tour of Europe with the goal of meeting the famous authoress, Margaret Haeley, during his stay in London. After an unsuccessful first attempt, the writer is later embedded in the events surrounding Margaret, first and foremost in the woman's mind is the loss of her husband in a boating accident seventeen years previous. Now, her grip on reality is slipping, and soon after Jefferson struggles with not only finishing his own book, but with his love for Margaret.
To keep comparing this book to other legendary writers is the only way to truly let the reader know what a masterpiece this truly is as you are immersed in 1830s London, walking through lanes reminiscent of “Jekyll and Hyde” and you expect at any moment to arrive on the doorstep at 221B Baker Street. An Untimely Frost is based on the rumored courtship between Irving and Mary Shelley, and is so Victorian in every sense of the word. Full of literary quotes and homages to other great writers throughout the book – Byron, Shakespeare, etc. - it is obvious to the reader how much research and care Morrissey took with each and every chosen word and line throughout the narrative. This book grabbed hold of me and did not let go until the last page, the moment when I could finally catch my breath... not so much from the fast pace, as this is a very Victorian read (if you take my meaning – think 'Frankenstein' combined with 'The Shadow of the Wind') – but from holding my breath until I finished the last exquisite word. A cup of tea while snuggling up on the couch with the rain slashing against the windows is a perfect backdrop for reading this book straight through; and you will finish by holding the book against your chest as you sit amazed that this is actually a modern day writer who accomplished this eloquent feat.
Haunting. Beautiful. Captivating. Mr Morrissey gives us a lesson on how to write historical literary.
Before I closed the book I noticed a spot of something on the final page; then another appeared. They were teardrops. I was weeping, my salt tears mixing with the sea and the dead maiden, connecting the real and the unreal... and revealing it to be all the same anyway. I wiped my face with the sleeve of my dressing gown. Grief lay on my chest like a malignant goblin come to possess me. It was leaden there, suffocating me, forcing me down into despair. Yet I knew for all its emotional girth, it was but one word. A word I had promised to never say again as if never uttering it in the world would keep it from being a part of the world; it would reside in the past with all the pricking, piercing barbs, its crown-of-thorns-ness potential unrealized. (Done with the pretence of the glass, I drank directly from the bottle.) I fought to keep from uttering the word but my survival demanded it: it was the ponderous goblin crushing the life from me, and the only way to expel him and his malignancy was to say the terrible word. (The lamps in my room still glowed, I knew, but I was in a darker place. My eyes were insensible to the light.).....
And he says the word, which I will keep out of this review as this is a mere enticement for you to read this book forthwith. As for me, I am beginning it again this weekend to drink in the words and savor this “classic-in-the-making”.
*****
“An Untimely Frost” by Ted Morrissey receives five stars and the “Highly Recommended” award from The Historical Fiction Company
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field." ~Shakespeare
Bravo, bravo, bravo... I am obsessed with this book. If you are a fan of old chilling historical classics in the manner of Mary Shelley or Hardy, then this is the book for you. From the very first line, I felt transported back in time, as if Mr Morrissey conjured the aura of literary classicists from long ago and spilled the words from his fingertips onto the page. I am reminded of another dark moody classic – “By Gaslight” by Steven Price, but even more succulent in the speech as the writer later tells us that in his research he delved into the letters of Washington Irving, the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to learn the style of Victorian writing and speaking. And, boy, did he succeed in a most resplendent way. This is a book I will read again and again.
Immediately the delicious smell of books old and new wafted over me. The musky scent of aged paper, the tartness of inks, the rich tanning of leather-bound tomes... I took in a robust breath as I gladly shut the door on the world-not-of-the-printed-word. Books filled the room, which had an arched ceiling, and they were all crisply arranged. Tall shelves lined the walls of the long and seemingly narrow room, and volumes of varying hues set touching one to the next with almost martial order. Either a very, very long table or several of the exact height set end to end ran through the center of the room, creating uniform aisles on either side, and these tables were covered with books as well, each precisely set. Daylight filtered in through a series of narrow windows running above the shelves and along the ceiling just before the walls began to curve in service of the arch. It was an impressive display, in quantity and arrangement – more so even than Manhattan's venerable Nightingale & Co.
See, what I mean?
As for the story line, if readers like tales about books within books, or struggles of other authors, then the main character has all the fleshed-out characteristics for a first-rate protagonist – someone the reader can truly connect with as you sink into the lush prose.
American writer, Jefferson Wheelwright begins his tour of Europe with the goal of meeting the famous authoress, Margaret Haeley, during his stay in London. After an unsuccessful first attempt, the writer is later embedded in the events surrounding Margaret, first and foremost in the woman's mind is the loss of her husband in a boating accident seventeen years previous. Now, her grip on reality is slipping, and soon after Jefferson struggles with not only finishing his own book, but with his love for Margaret.
To keep comparing this book to other legendary writers is the only way to truly let the reader know what a masterpiece this truly is as you are immersed in 1830s London, walking through lanes reminiscent of “Jekyll and Hyde” and you expect at any moment to arrive on the doorstep at 221B Baker Street. An Untimely Frost is based on the rumored courtship between Irving and Mary Shelley, and is so Victorian in every sense of the word. Full of literary quotes and homages to other great writers throughout the book – Byron, Shakespeare, etc. - it is obvious to the reader how much research and care Morrissey took with each and every chosen word and line throughout the narrative. This book grabbed hold of me and did not let go until the last page, the moment when I could finally catch my breath... not so much from the fast pace, as this is a very Victorian read (if you take my meaning – think 'Frankenstein' combined with 'The Shadow of the Wind') – but from holding my breath until I finished the last exquisite word. A cup of tea while snuggling up on the couch with the rain slashing against the windows is a perfect backdrop for reading this book straight through; and you will finish by holding the book against your chest as you sit amazed that this is actually a modern day writer who accomplished this eloquent feat.
Haunting. Beautiful. Captivating. Mr Morrissey gives us a lesson on how to write historical literary.
Before I closed the book I noticed a spot of something on the final page; then another appeared. They were teardrops. I was weeping, my salt tears mixing with the sea and the dead maiden, connecting the real and the unreal... and revealing it to be all the same anyway. I wiped my face with the sleeve of my dressing gown. Grief lay on my chest like a malignant goblin come to possess me. It was leaden there, suffocating me, forcing me down into despair. Yet I knew for all its emotional girth, it was but one word. A word I had promised to never say again as if never uttering it in the world would keep it from being a part of the world; it would reside in the past with all the pricking, piercing barbs, its crown-of-thorns-ness potential unrealized. (Done with the pretence of the glass, I drank directly from the bottle.) I fought to keep from uttering the word but my survival demanded it: it was the ponderous goblin crushing the life from me, and the only way to expel him and his malignancy was to say the terrible word. (The lamps in my room still glowed, I knew, but I was in a darker place. My eyes were insensible to the light.).....
And he says the word, which I will keep out of this review as this is a mere enticement for you to read this book forthwith. As for me, I am beginning it again this weekend to drink in the words and savor this “classic-in-the-making”.
*****
“An Untimely Frost” by Ted Morrissey receives five stars and the “Highly Recommended” award from The Historical Fiction Company
July 16, 2016
An Untimely Frost
Penny Richards
ISBN: 978-1-4967-0602-7
Kensington Publishing
Actress Lilly Warner arrives home from the theater in time to catch her husband beating her friend Rose and demanding money. With heart-rending abruptness, Lilly learns that her marriage to Tim is a sham and it’s good riddance when he leaves her in the lurch. His perfidy bolsters her own toughness. At one point she inquires at the Pinkerton Detective agency hoping they can find him and get her money back. And then another idea occurs to her. Since Pinkertons is looking to hire a female detective, why not apply? She’s smart and getting tougher by the day. Once she knows the ins and outs of detecting, she can find Tim and bring him to justice on her own.
Its not as easy as she thought it would be to get a job with Pinkerton’s. Lilly’s shenanigans in getting hired is one of my favorite parts of the book. I won’t spoil it by going into her struggles. Suffice it to say she’s hired and soon assigned her first job. A woman wants to buy a property that’s been shut up for years. The catch? The owner doesn’t want to sell. Lilly’s job is to discover why not, and persuade him otherwise.
Off she goes to a small Illinois town to begin her inquiries, only to find the citizens of Vandalia are curiously reticent concerning the people who own the house, which Lilly has found to be quite the mansion, though sadly run-down. An inspection shows even the dirty sheets are still on the beds, everything untouched for many years. She learns the rusty spots on the sheets is not rust, but blood, and that murder has been done. Still the secrets of the town are closely held. It takes Lilly days to get to the bottom of this mystery, and then, scarily enough, she draws a wrong conclusion. Fortunately, a mysterious young man, whom Lilly profoundly distrusts after her experience with Tim, shows up at just the right time to save her bacon.
I loved this book, even though I found the idea of a long abandoned house in an untouched condition unlikely. The characters, especially the main characters, are everything an interesting protagonist should be; flawed, funny, and entirely human. The antagonists are suitably creepy and evil by turns. The writing is good, the setting able to put the reader into the story, and the plot proceeds apace. An Untimely Frost earns both thumbs up from me.
Penny Richards
ISBN: 978-1-4967-0602-7
Kensington Publishing
Actress Lilly Warner arrives home from the theater in time to catch her husband beating her friend Rose and demanding money. With heart-rending abruptness, Lilly learns that her marriage to Tim is a sham and it’s good riddance when he leaves her in the lurch. His perfidy bolsters her own toughness. At one point she inquires at the Pinkerton Detective agency hoping they can find him and get her money back. And then another idea occurs to her. Since Pinkertons is looking to hire a female detective, why not apply? She’s smart and getting tougher by the day. Once she knows the ins and outs of detecting, she can find Tim and bring him to justice on her own.
Its not as easy as she thought it would be to get a job with Pinkerton’s. Lilly’s shenanigans in getting hired is one of my favorite parts of the book. I won’t spoil it by going into her struggles. Suffice it to say she’s hired and soon assigned her first job. A woman wants to buy a property that’s been shut up for years. The catch? The owner doesn’t want to sell. Lilly’s job is to discover why not, and persuade him otherwise.
Off she goes to a small Illinois town to begin her inquiries, only to find the citizens of Vandalia are curiously reticent concerning the people who own the house, which Lilly has found to be quite the mansion, though sadly run-down. An inspection shows even the dirty sheets are still on the beds, everything untouched for many years. She learns the rusty spots on the sheets is not rust, but blood, and that murder has been done. Still the secrets of the town are closely held. It takes Lilly days to get to the bottom of this mystery, and then, scarily enough, she draws a wrong conclusion. Fortunately, a mysterious young man, whom Lilly profoundly distrusts after her experience with Tim, shows up at just the right time to save her bacon.
I loved this book, even though I found the idea of a long abandoned house in an untouched condition unlikely. The characters, especially the main characters, are everything an interesting protagonist should be; flawed, funny, and entirely human. The antagonists are suitably creepy and evil by turns. The writing is good, the setting able to put the reader into the story, and the plot proceeds apace. An Untimely Frost earns both thumbs up from me.
October 10, 2014
Jefferson Wheelwright, an American author in a tour of Europe, hopes to meet the famous authoress Margaret Haeley while in London. His first attempt is unsuccessful but he eventually befriends her after rescuing her servant, Thursday, who broke his leg. However, Jefferson quickly discovers that Margaret has been removed from the world since the drowning of her husband in a boating accident 17 years earlier. In fact, she seems to be suffering from a mental illness as she is losing her grasp of reality. Soon, Jefferson realizes that he is falling in love with her. At the same time, he is struggling to finish his book, Andersen’s Romance.
Set in 1830s London, An Untimely Frost is inspired by Washington Irving’s rumored courtship of Mary Shelley when he was touring England. The writing is beautiful and elaborate, and is a testament to the research Ted Morrissey has conducted for this book. In order to be true to the way of writing and speaking of this period, the author read letters written by Washington Irving to get a sense of the language used at the time. As a result, the book feels like a Victorian novel. There are also a lot of literary references from Wordsworth to Byron and Shakespeare. However, I found the novel to be very slow going at times. It was also depressing and dark. In addition , the use of stories within a story was sometimes confusing, their purpose not always clear. In conclusion, An Untimely Frost will appeal to readers who like historical novels with a bleak mood.
An Untimely Frost was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
To read the full review, please go to my blog (Cecile Sune - Book Obsessed).
Set in 1830s London, An Untimely Frost is inspired by Washington Irving’s rumored courtship of Mary Shelley when he was touring England. The writing is beautiful and elaborate, and is a testament to the research Ted Morrissey has conducted for this book. In order to be true to the way of writing and speaking of this period, the author read letters written by Washington Irving to get a sense of the language used at the time. As a result, the book feels like a Victorian novel. There are also a lot of literary references from Wordsworth to Byron and Shakespeare. However, I found the novel to be very slow going at times. It was also depressing and dark. In addition , the use of stories within a story was sometimes confusing, their purpose not always clear. In conclusion, An Untimely Frost will appeal to readers who like historical novels with a bleak mood.
An Untimely Frost was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
To read the full review, please go to my blog (Cecile Sune - Book Obsessed).
September 4, 2014
This book had me gripped from the very first page – I absolutely love Ted Morrisey’s use of descriptive language. Everything he writes is so vivid, I could picture it in my head. The plot and characters are wonderful and charming – a must read for….pretty much everyone! 5/5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews