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Незримое, или Тайная жизнь Кэт Морли
Это история страсти, обмана, преступления и любви. Линии прошлого и настоящего переплетаются в ней в сложном узоре, как и невидимые нити, связывающие судьбы главных героев.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
125 people are currently reading
4166 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Webb
17 books734 followersI was born in Kent in 1977 and grew up in rural Hampshire before reading History at Durham University. History remains a passion, and I write character-led mystery dramas, often with historical settings. I love to explore the way past events can reverberate in the present, and I'm fascinated by the vast grey areas in human morality and behaviour.
My debut novel 'The Legacy' was voted viewers' choice for Best Summer Read on the Channel 4 TV Book Club in 2010, and was nominated for Best New Writer at the National Book Awards in the same year. Subsequently, 'The Unseen','A Half Forgotten Song' and 'The Misbegotten' were all Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers, and my books have been translated into 24 languages around the world.
My debut novel 'The Legacy' was voted viewers' choice for Best Summer Read on the Channel 4 TV Book Club in 2010, and was nominated for Best New Writer at the National Book Awards in the same year. Subsequently, 'The Unseen','A Half Forgotten Song' and 'The Misbegotten' were all Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers, and my books have been translated into 24 languages around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
April 22, 2012
While there is no time slip element to this novel the author has constructed dual narration set a hundred years apart, the contemporary setting in 2011 and the historical in 1911.
In the present day the body of a WWI soldier has been discovered near Ypres, Belgium. Ryan works for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, he contacts Leah who is a freelance writer thinking she might be able to discover the soldier's identity based on the information in two letters that were found with him. The letters were written by H. Canning and sent from Cold Ash Holt, a little village in Berkshire, England. Leah is intrigued to learn more about the man and begins researching the Cannings of Cold Ash Holt.
In Cold Ash Holt we meet Hester Canning and her husband the vicar Arthur Canning. Hester has taken on a new maid from London, Cat Morely, who was recently released from gaol. Hester knows things about Cat's past that she won't have gossiped about in town, she feels Cat deserves to earn a living and have a chance to regain a place in society. Arthur's passion for nature brings the renown theosophist Robin Durrant into their home.
Readers know from the book jacket that a murder will be committed, we don't know the identity of the victim, the perpetrator or the motive for the crime. We have clues about what's in store for one of the characters but not the details of how events unfold. I realized that one of the characters I was reading about was very likely going to be the victim of murder by the end of the book and while I had hoped it would be a certain someone I began to fear that it was going to be the character I had become most fond of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was disappointed when I realized at page three hundred and ninety-two that I was almost done with it. I thought the author did an excellent job of revealing the events that transpired in the past at the same time the characters in the present were discovering them. Very rarely do I read a novel and not think about the author and why she made the choice she did, whether it be the word choices or the choices she has her characters make. I thought very little about Katherine Webb while reading this novel. Which is how I like it.
I'm so glad that a friend of mine recommended this book to me, without reading her review I would never have chosen it. A big part of the reason I wouldn't have chosen it is because of the cover art. (I know, don't judge a book by its cover...) Now I'm looking forward to reading Katherine Webb's first novel 'The Legacy'.
I think fans of Susanna Kearsley would really enjoy this, it reminded me of 'The Winter Sea'. If you liked that I think you will enjoy this as well.
In the present day the body of a WWI soldier has been discovered near Ypres, Belgium. Ryan works for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, he contacts Leah who is a freelance writer thinking she might be able to discover the soldier's identity based on the information in two letters that were found with him. The letters were written by H. Canning and sent from Cold Ash Holt, a little village in Berkshire, England. Leah is intrigued to learn more about the man and begins researching the Cannings of Cold Ash Holt.
In Cold Ash Holt we meet Hester Canning and her husband the vicar Arthur Canning. Hester has taken on a new maid from London, Cat Morely, who was recently released from gaol. Hester knows things about Cat's past that she won't have gossiped about in town, she feels Cat deserves to earn a living and have a chance to regain a place in society. Arthur's passion for nature brings the renown theosophist Robin Durrant into their home.
Readers know from the book jacket that a murder will be committed, we don't know the identity of the victim, the perpetrator or the motive for the crime. We have clues about what's in store for one of the characters but not the details of how events unfold. I realized that one of the characters I was reading about was very likely going to be the victim of murder by the end of the book and while I had hoped it would be a certain someone I began to fear that it was going to be the character I had become most fond of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was disappointed when I realized at page three hundred and ninety-two that I was almost done with it. I thought the author did an excellent job of revealing the events that transpired in the past at the same time the characters in the present were discovering them. Very rarely do I read a novel and not think about the author and why she made the choice she did, whether it be the word choices or the choices she has her characters make. I thought very little about Katherine Webb while reading this novel. Which is how I like it.
I'm so glad that a friend of mine recommended this book to me, without reading her review I would never have chosen it. A big part of the reason I wouldn't have chosen it is because of the cover art. (I know, don't judge a book by its cover...) Now I'm looking forward to reading Katherine Webb's first novel 'The Legacy'.
I think fans of Susanna Kearsley would really enjoy this, it reminded me of 'The Winter Sea'. If you liked that I think you will enjoy this as well.
April 5, 2012
This is an absolutely fantastic book. I was completely and utterly hooked from page 1. I literally could not put it down. I was exasperated that I had to keep putting it down so I could eat and sleep.
I won't go into the plot of this magnificent story, as other reviewers have covered it, suffice to say that the story is so interwoven between 1911 and 2011 that you never really know what is going to happen next. You are aware that there is a sense of evil building up but as the story twists and turns one is never quite sure who the villain is. The way that Katherine Webb writes is so atmospheric, I could feel the sense of menace building, it was so vividly portrayed. I grew to really like Hester, Cat and Sophie as the plot unfolded.
The only down side to this book is that it had to end. It is truly one book I am so glad I have read, and it will stay with me for a long time. 5 stars is not enough and I highly recommend it.
I am now hungrily devouring The Legacy by the same author. Bliss.
I won't go into the plot of this magnificent story, as other reviewers have covered it, suffice to say that the story is so interwoven between 1911 and 2011 that you never really know what is going to happen next. You are aware that there is a sense of evil building up but as the story twists and turns one is never quite sure who the villain is. The way that Katherine Webb writes is so atmospheric, I could feel the sense of menace building, it was so vividly portrayed. I grew to really like Hester, Cat and Sophie as the plot unfolded.
The only down side to this book is that it had to end. It is truly one book I am so glad I have read, and it will stay with me for a long time. 5 stars is not enough and I highly recommend it.
I am now hungrily devouring The Legacy by the same author. Bliss.
September 5, 2019
Strălucitoare carte!
"- Voiam să spun că întotdeauna ne-a învățat să credem în noi, să cerem ce e mai bun de la noi înșine. O astfel de educație încurajează copilul să exceleze, spune el."
"- Orice poate fi liber. Trebuie doar să găsești o modalitate."
"- Da, mulțumesc. Întotdeauna dorm bine aici. Liniștea de la țară e un toxic excelent pentru trup și minte. Nu găsiți?"
"Săracii sunt prea ocupați să muncească, să își ducă traiul de pe o zi pe alta, ca să-și mai bată capul cum să supraviețuiască după moarte. Se pierd cu miile în fiecare zi, pe veci invizibili pentru generațiile viitoare."
"- Voiam să spun că întotdeauna ne-a învățat să credem în noi, să cerem ce e mai bun de la noi înșine. O astfel de educație încurajează copilul să exceleze, spune el."
"- Orice poate fi liber. Trebuie doar să găsești o modalitate."
"- Da, mulțumesc. Întotdeauna dorm bine aici. Liniștea de la țară e un toxic excelent pentru trup și minte. Nu găsiți?"
"Săracii sunt prea ocupați să muncească, să își ducă traiul de pe o zi pe alta, ca să-și mai bată capul cum să supraviețuiască după moarte. Se pierd cu miile în fiecare zi, pe veci invizibili pentru generațiile viitoare."
August 28, 2025
Emma is allowed to wear a crucifix. Why may we not wear an emblem?” “Emma is devout. Should you wish to wear a cross of Jesus, you also may. I hope you are not comparing our Lord God to Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst?” He smiled. “Certainly not. For if God were a woman, we would certainly not have to fight so hard for basic social justices,” she said.
Através da história da inesquecível Black Cat, Katherine Webb mostra-nos o mundo invisível. À primeira vista, refere-se a uns fenómenos sobrenaturais estudados pelos teosofistas, mas é muito mais do que isso. É também o mundo invisível das mulheres do princípio do século XX, sem voz nem direito de voto, mas já com muitas a lutar por isso, e o mundo invisível dos serviçais, condenados à vassalagem por nascimento e sem direito a libertar-se dessa condição e a desejar mais para si.
Através da história da inesquecível Black Cat, Katherine Webb mostra-nos o mundo invisível. À primeira vista, refere-se a uns fenómenos sobrenaturais estudados pelos teosofistas, mas é muito mais do que isso. É também o mundo invisível das mulheres do princípio do século XX, sem voz nem direito de voto, mas já com muitas a lutar por isso, e o mundo invisível dos serviçais, condenados à vassalagem por nascimento e sem direito a libertar-se dessa condição e a desejar mais para si.
July 19, 2019
Segunda obra que leio desta autora. Sem levantar muito o véu, porque quero gravar o correspondente vídeo de opinião, digo que houve coisas que me empolgaram, como, por exemplo, a personagem Cat Morley, que me conquistou desde que ela veio ter comigo na narrativa, e outras que me desiludiram um pouco, como a narrativa de um dos tempos sobre os quais a obra se debruça.
Opinião completa em vídeo aqui:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csjF9...
Opinião completa em vídeo aqui:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csjF9...
June 13, 2021
A slow burn of a mystery (seems to be a theme with my current choices of reads)
A new arrival causes tensions in a quiet country village. But her arrival is not the most devastating! As the heat of Summer intensifies so do passions.
Well written, kept me guessing (wrongly most of the time) a very good mystery read and I think I'll be seeking out other works by the author.
A new arrival causes tensions in a quiet country village. But her arrival is not the most devastating! As the heat of Summer intensifies so do passions.
Well written, kept me guessing (wrongly most of the time) a very good mystery read and I think I'll be seeking out other works by the author.
May 30, 2012
What is unseen in The Unseen by Katherine Webb ultimately refers to multiple things: spirits/fairies, buried secrets, hidden desires, the truth beneath the lies, all of which add up to a mesmerizing work of fiction with historical bases.
Webb weaves disparate events in early 20th Century England, the suffragette movement, and spiritualism/occultism, to form a constant tension-filled narrative which explodes in one unforgettable and tragic summer. In the back of the book, Webb states that the first inspiration for The Unseen came from the Cottingley Fairies, photographs taken by two young girls in 1917 which seemed to prove the existence of fairies and were widely believed as authentic by many, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Unseen alternates between the present, when Leah, a journalist, investigates the newly found, well-preserved body of a World War I soldier; and the summer of 1911, when an English vicar's household receives two residents - Cat, a mysterious housemaid with a shady past; and Robin, a charismatic theosopist. Of the two, the modern storyline was less compelling, a faint mirror to the strong themes in the past.
Each character in the past has something hidden, threatening to come out, whether they know it or not. Cat has come to the vicarage from prison, unable to work anywhere else. No one knows the reason she has been incarcerated, although murky rumors swirl. Robin appears to believe strongly in the existence of elementals or fairies and has somehow persuaded the Vicar of his beliefs - but is he just a slick con man? The Vicar, too, has secrets unknown to his naive and frustrated wife.
Webb expertly builds up the suspense, revealing little by little each character's hidden motivations and past, until the shocking climax.
I flew through this book, eagerly turning the pages to find out what actually happened during that fateful summer. Although Cat is prickly and hard, I found myself aching for her as her story eventually came out. Hester, the vicar's wife, seemed like such a ninny at first (some of the passages about her made me laugh out loud) but as her full story emerged, she became sad and thwarted figure to me. If you like the plotting and writing in Kate Morton's books, such as The House at Riverton, you'll like The Unseen.
Webb weaves disparate events in early 20th Century England, the suffragette movement, and spiritualism/occultism, to form a constant tension-filled narrative which explodes in one unforgettable and tragic summer. In the back of the book, Webb states that the first inspiration for The Unseen came from the Cottingley Fairies, photographs taken by two young girls in 1917 which seemed to prove the existence of fairies and were widely believed as authentic by many, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Unseen alternates between the present, when Leah, a journalist, investigates the newly found, well-preserved body of a World War I soldier; and the summer of 1911, when an English vicar's household receives two residents - Cat, a mysterious housemaid with a shady past; and Robin, a charismatic theosopist. Of the two, the modern storyline was less compelling, a faint mirror to the strong themes in the past.
Each character in the past has something hidden, threatening to come out, whether they know it or not. Cat has come to the vicarage from prison, unable to work anywhere else. No one knows the reason she has been incarcerated, although murky rumors swirl. Robin appears to believe strongly in the existence of elementals or fairies and has somehow persuaded the Vicar of his beliefs - but is he just a slick con man? The Vicar, too, has secrets unknown to his naive and frustrated wife.
Webb expertly builds up the suspense, revealing little by little each character's hidden motivations and past, until the shocking climax.
I flew through this book, eagerly turning the pages to find out what actually happened during that fateful summer. Although Cat is prickly and hard, I found myself aching for her as her story eventually came out. Hester, the vicar's wife, seemed like such a ninny at first (some of the passages about her made me laugh out loud) but as her full story emerged, she became sad and thwarted figure to me. If you like the plotting and writing in Kate Morton's books, such as The House at Riverton, you'll like The Unseen.
September 10, 2016
I gave 5 stars to Katherine Webb’s first book The Legacy, and had high hopes for this new one. I loved the blurb and the first 100 or so pages, which were full of tantalising hints as to the long-lost secret.
But then it lost my interest. The past storyline spent a long time getting nowhere fast, feeling more like padding than plotting. I enjoyed the reveal, which I’ll admit took me by surprise, but by then it was far too little far too late. I normally love dual-timeline books, but that style just didn’t work here. So little time was spent in the present-day story, that it became completely unnecessary, a pointless interruption to what was already a flat past.
After such a fabulous first book, this was a very disappointing read :-(
But then it lost my interest. The past storyline spent a long time getting nowhere fast, feeling more like padding than plotting. I enjoyed the reveal, which I’ll admit took me by surprise, but by then it was far too little far too late. I normally love dual-timeline books, but that style just didn’t work here. So little time was spent in the present-day story, that it became completely unnecessary, a pointless interruption to what was already a flat past.
After such a fabulous first book, this was a very disappointing read :-(
October 20, 2017
Captivant, dar nu la fel de bun ca "Moștenirea".
December 31, 2011
What a disappointment this book was! The reviews I read of it were promising as was the blurb on the cover. Glad I borrowed this from the library.
The story is slow, very slow, and boring. The only reason I kept reading was in the vain hope that something would happen. It is one of those books that has two inter-woven stories, one set in the past and one in the present day. I have read a few of these recently and they have been well executed and cleverly done - not this one. To my mind it would have been better if the book had been set in the present day with flash backs to the past.
The characters were one dimensional and I felt absolutely nothing for them, they were all dull, dull, dull!
Would not recommend this book to anyone it was that bad!
The story is slow, very slow, and boring. The only reason I kept reading was in the vain hope that something would happen. It is one of those books that has two inter-woven stories, one set in the past and one in the present day. I have read a few of these recently and they have been well executed and cleverly done - not this one. To my mind it would have been better if the book had been set in the present day with flash backs to the past.
The characters were one dimensional and I felt absolutely nothing for them, they were all dull, dull, dull!
Would not recommend this book to anyone it was that bad!
November 26, 2022
3.5 ⭐ = Quite Good.
A really nice writing style and I enjoyed the era, the mystery and the setting. This would have been a 4 star but I didn't enjoy the 'fairy' part of the storyline.
A really nice writing style and I enjoyed the era, the mystery and the setting. This would have been a 4 star but I didn't enjoy the 'fairy' part of the storyline.
October 7, 2014
Um livro de leitura agradável que decorre em 2 momentos, separados por 100 anos. Um mistério que decorre durante esse espaço de tempo e é desvendado quase no final por uma jornalista curiosa. Lê-se bem e deixou-me uma boa sensação quando o terminei, apesar de alguma pena pelo final, já um pouco esperado.
July 23, 2012
Just what is the unseen in this book? Is it the elemental beings - the fairies in the meadow? Is it the hidden past? Or is it the true natures and disguised motives that certain characters are at pains to camouflage? This is an engrossing mystery with a dual time frame set in 2011 and 1911 in an isolated British village. The modern story, which is a much shorter narrative, revolves around identifying the well preserved corpse of a WWI soldier found in Belgium, who had letters sealed in a metal container on his person. If the source of the letters can be identified, then perhaps the family of the long lost soldier could be notified of his remains. Leah, a writer feeling blocked and needing a good subject, is tipped off about the potential story regarding the soldier by her old boyfriend, whom she hasn't gotten over. The real heart of the novel is the 1911 story about the household of Reverend Albert Canning, whose wife Hester takes in a a new maid of all work, Cat, recently released from prison. Soon joining the household is another newcomer, Robin, a handsome and charming theosophical researcher invited by the reverend to investigate his sighting of nature spirits in the river meadow. The author teases out clues about the characters, their pasts and their motives. Though the letter found on the dead soldier mentions a crime, the reader doesn't know until more than halfway through that there is a murder, and who the victim - and the murderer - is until near the end.
The story is set in a fascinating period before WWI and encompasses the suffragette movement, spiritualism, class division, and the clash between stifling Victorian mores and traditional laws and an emerging women's consciousness. The author was influenced by the story of the Cottingley fairies, which is a fascinating topic, and most wonderfully treated in the movie FairyTale: A True Story. Having read some of the theosophical teachings, I felt these were well represented despite the flaws of the character of the theosophist. The roles of the theosophist and the reverend actually illustrate the dangers of a personality's influence in the spiritual and religious spheres, and how the means never justify the ends. And we only have to look at the unmasking of contemporary public and religious figures to realize that those who sanctimoniously preach the loudest against deemed personal failings are often the ones most tempted by, and guilty of, them.
The protagonist of the 1911 story, Cat Morley, is strident, willful, and pugnacious. Yet she is also brave, intelligent, and fierce in her feelings, loves and loyalties. She makes an unusual, yet increasingly sympathetic, heroine. She is contrasted with Hester, the minister's wife, who is the model Victorian woman - chaste, virtuous, kind-hearted, deferential to her husband, concerned with matters of house and home and her husband's flock, and longing for children of her own. At first Hester seems easy to dismiss as too bound by convention, traditional gender roles, and religion, but her character shows some surprising dimension.
The atmosphere of the book is tense and sultry - the build-up before the storm. It is unsettling. There is conflicted desire. And there is a murder. This is not a happy book, and the treatment of women in jail for their civil disobedience is horrifying, as well as the abuses of the servant class. But the resolution is satisfying. It is a story suspensefully told, with an interesting historical background, and an understanding of character.
The story is set in a fascinating period before WWI and encompasses the suffragette movement, spiritualism, class division, and the clash between stifling Victorian mores and traditional laws and an emerging women's consciousness. The author was influenced by the story of the Cottingley fairies, which is a fascinating topic, and most wonderfully treated in the movie FairyTale: A True Story. Having read some of the theosophical teachings, I felt these were well represented despite the flaws of the character of the theosophist. The roles of the theosophist and the reverend actually illustrate the dangers of a personality's influence in the spiritual and religious spheres, and how the means never justify the ends. And we only have to look at the unmasking of contemporary public and religious figures to realize that those who sanctimoniously preach the loudest against deemed personal failings are often the ones most tempted by, and guilty of, them.
The protagonist of the 1911 story, Cat Morley, is strident, willful, and pugnacious. Yet she is also brave, intelligent, and fierce in her feelings, loves and loyalties. She makes an unusual, yet increasingly sympathetic, heroine. She is contrasted with Hester, the minister's wife, who is the model Victorian woman - chaste, virtuous, kind-hearted, deferential to her husband, concerned with matters of house and home and her husband's flock, and longing for children of her own. At first Hester seems easy to dismiss as too bound by convention, traditional gender roles, and religion, but her character shows some surprising dimension.
The atmosphere of the book is tense and sultry - the build-up before the storm. It is unsettling. There is conflicted desire. And there is a murder. This is not a happy book, and the treatment of women in jail for their civil disobedience is horrifying, as well as the abuses of the servant class. But the resolution is satisfying. It is a story suspensefully told, with an interesting historical background, and an understanding of character.
August 30, 2017
1911
Cat Morley is sent to the country to work as a maid in Vicar Canning’s house. Cat is independent, free spirited, former suffragette is having a difficult time to adjust to her life in the village. She is a shadow of her own self, haunted by the guilt of letting her best friend Tess down. Only when she meets and falls in love with George, she gets her will to live back. Cat and George have great plans for their future and independent life.
However, the arrival of a mysterious guest turns everything in Canning house upside down.
Robin Durrant is a spiritualist trying to prove to the world that fairies are more than just stories, they exist and finding them seem more than real to him now. Robin and Albert Canning are willing to do whatever it takes to prove their beliefs even if it’s lying, faking the evidence and even murdering.
2011
Lia is a freelance journalist trying to find a job that would distract her from her heartbreak. So, when a body of an unknown WWI soldier is found in Belgium, she jumps on the opportunity to reveal soldier’s identity. His only belongings are two letters written by Esther Canning, writing about terrible events that happened in her house. Lia is determinate to find out the truth about the secret was kept for a hundred years.
This novel gave me the vibe of classic English literature that I love so much. The quiet and steady village life is disturbed by a mystery and a crime. The book hooked me from page one and five hundred pages flew by as is there was only fifty. And I definitely want more! I loved the characters. Cat Morley is a perfection. Such a strong, independent, free, outspoken, honest, genuine, and true to her beliefs even if she was constantly judged by others. To her contrast were the Cannings, who live the supposed “right” live and know how everybody must act. They play the role of perfect and saint but in fact, they’re just fake and wicked like everybody else.
The author did a great job not only in writing an interesting and captivating plot but also in setting a wonderful mood and atmosphere of one of the most interesting eras. The time when women were uniting, the suffragettes were fighting for their rights, people defending those who weren’t luckily born in noble families and more.
I’m going to read more of Katherine Webb's novels, seriously can’t get enough of that wonderful world she creates.
Cat Morley is sent to the country to work as a maid in Vicar Canning’s house. Cat is independent, free spirited, former suffragette is having a difficult time to adjust to her life in the village. She is a shadow of her own self, haunted by the guilt of letting her best friend Tess down. Only when she meets and falls in love with George, she gets her will to live back. Cat and George have great plans for their future and independent life.
However, the arrival of a mysterious guest turns everything in Canning house upside down.
Robin Durrant is a spiritualist trying to prove to the world that fairies are more than just stories, they exist and finding them seem more than real to him now. Robin and Albert Canning are willing to do whatever it takes to prove their beliefs even if it’s lying, faking the evidence and even murdering.
2011
Lia is a freelance journalist trying to find a job that would distract her from her heartbreak. So, when a body of an unknown WWI soldier is found in Belgium, she jumps on the opportunity to reveal soldier’s identity. His only belongings are two letters written by Esther Canning, writing about terrible events that happened in her house. Lia is determinate to find out the truth about the secret was kept for a hundred years.
This novel gave me the vibe of classic English literature that I love so much. The quiet and steady village life is disturbed by a mystery and a crime. The book hooked me from page one and five hundred pages flew by as is there was only fifty. And I definitely want more! I loved the characters. Cat Morley is a perfection. Such a strong, independent, free, outspoken, honest, genuine, and true to her beliefs even if she was constantly judged by others. To her contrast were the Cannings, who live the supposed “right” live and know how everybody must act. They play the role of perfect and saint but in fact, they’re just fake and wicked like everybody else.
The author did a great job not only in writing an interesting and captivating plot but also in setting a wonderful mood and atmosphere of one of the most interesting eras. The time when women were uniting, the suffragettes were fighting for their rights, people defending those who weren’t luckily born in noble families and more.
I’m going to read more of Katherine Webb's novels, seriously can’t get enough of that wonderful world she creates.
March 12, 2012
I think this has to be my book of the year so far. I enejoyed it so much I really didn't want it to end. I loved her debut novel the Legacy too but this just blew me away.
The main characters are extremely well drawn, real and believeable. Hester recently married to mild mannered Albert Canning, vicar of a sleepy canalside village during a long hot summer in 1911.
Cat, come from London to work as a maid in their household, recently released from Holloway prison, struggling with her inner beliefs and desire for a better life.
We are introduced to Hester in a series of letters she has penned to her married sister and it becomes clear she is struggling to adapt to and understand what is expected of her in her new role as wife, sure any shortcomings are hers and no fault lies with her devoted and gentle young husband.
Cat finds it hard to settle to a life of servitude, bringing from prison a legacy of illness, mistrust of other folk, outspokenness and an overwhelming desire for freedom.
As the scorching summer heat continues, into their lives bursts Robin Durrant - a theosophist guest of Albert whose very presence threatens to affect all of their lives in different ways.
Life will never be the same again once what has remained unseen is revealed.
This is written as a dual time novel as in the present day Leah is researching the story of these characters from some letters found buried, however although its well written and pertinent to the storyline the modern layer of the novel is almost surplus to requirements - the strength and events of the historical part being sufficient to intrigue most readers. (I got the impression that the author felt a dual time story would be more popular and tried to turn it into one for this reason).
It doesn't spoil an excellent book however, the issues covered have been well researched and fall into place beautifully. Victorian beliefs and attitudes regarding spirituality, equality, womens rights and class division, suffragettes, homosexuality all are covered in this lovely novel, which build to a quite shocking climax.
Lovely, lovely, book, beautifully written - I just adored it.
The main characters are extremely well drawn, real and believeable. Hester recently married to mild mannered Albert Canning, vicar of a sleepy canalside village during a long hot summer in 1911.
Cat, come from London to work as a maid in their household, recently released from Holloway prison, struggling with her inner beliefs and desire for a better life.
We are introduced to Hester in a series of letters she has penned to her married sister and it becomes clear she is struggling to adapt to and understand what is expected of her in her new role as wife, sure any shortcomings are hers and no fault lies with her devoted and gentle young husband.
Cat finds it hard to settle to a life of servitude, bringing from prison a legacy of illness, mistrust of other folk, outspokenness and an overwhelming desire for freedom.
As the scorching summer heat continues, into their lives bursts Robin Durrant - a theosophist guest of Albert whose very presence threatens to affect all of their lives in different ways.
Life will never be the same again once what has remained unseen is revealed.
This is written as a dual time novel as in the present day Leah is researching the story of these characters from some letters found buried, however although its well written and pertinent to the storyline the modern layer of the novel is almost surplus to requirements - the strength and events of the historical part being sufficient to intrigue most readers. (I got the impression that the author felt a dual time story would be more popular and tried to turn it into one for this reason).
It doesn't spoil an excellent book however, the issues covered have been well researched and fall into place beautifully. Victorian beliefs and attitudes regarding spirituality, equality, womens rights and class division, suffragettes, homosexuality all are covered in this lovely novel, which build to a quite shocking climax.
Lovely, lovely, book, beautifully written - I just adored it.
May 16, 2012
Numa só palavra: viciante! Este é um daqueles livros que dá vontade de virar a página e saber o que vai acontecer de seguida. Para além da acção ser passada em dois tempos diferentes (1911 e 2011), a autora mostra uma profunda sabedoria sobre o momento certo de mudança de século, deixando o leitor com vontade de saber o que se vai passar a seguir em cada um deles. Ainda não tive oportunidade de ler o outro título da autora lançado pela Asa, “A Herança”, mas já ouvi falar muito bem desse livro também. Parece que Katherine Webb tem o dom da palavra e demonstra isso muito bem através das páginas dos livros. Até ao momento final nunca consegui adivinhar o que ia acontecer, qual das personagens iria morrer. Uma morte era certa, o mais difícil era descobrir qual era! Apesar de tudo se passar num curto espaço de tempo não notei aquela velocidade no decorrer dos acontecimentos que muitas vezes nos deixa decepcionadas por não serem muito desenvolvidos, nesta historia tudo acontece com uma calma enorme e descrições feitas nas alturas certas, deixando qualquer leitor maravilhado com a história que tem na sua frente.
August 6, 2012
Neste mar de novos escritores que vão aparecendo há por vezes pérolas que felizmente se salientam. Escritores que sabem contar histórias. Histórias com substância e personagens com alma. Assim acontece nesta segunda obra da escritora inglesa Katherine Webb. Passada em dois tempos diferentes, 1911 e 2011. Uma centena de anos separam personagens que são trazidas à vida quando o corpo de um soldado da primeira guerra mundial é encontrado enterrado com duas misteriosas cartas. Quem é o soldado e que eventos originaram as cartas encontradas. Uma história apaixonante que nos leva a viajar ao mundo da luta pelo voto das mulheres, ao mundo das fadas, e a uma casa de um pastor numa pequena aldeia inglesa onde tudo aconteceu. Muito Bom. (4,5 em 5, mas como o Goodreads só permite numeros inteiros, avanço para as 5 estrelas). Uma escritora à qual vou ficar atento.
October 24, 2018
An interesting take of a story based on the Cottingley Fairies .
It was rather slow in its telling , but Catherine and Hester were great strong female characters .
Albert Canning was scary in his beliefs and his slow but destructive path that he followed after the meeting of Robin and also the treatment or should I say avoidance of any marital activities with Hester .
It was rather slow in its telling , but Catherine and Hester were great strong female characters .
Albert Canning was scary in his beliefs and his slow but destructive path that he followed after the meeting of Robin and also the treatment or should I say avoidance of any marital activities with Hester .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2016
The story starts in 1911 with Hester writing a letter to her sister saying that she’s looking forward to the new maid, Cat, coming and how she will be her ‘project’.
We are then fast forwarded to the present when Leah, a freelance journalist, has been asked to come to Belgium from England to try and discover the identity of a young WWI soldier who has been found buried in a garden. He had two letters on him from a H. Canning which pique her interest.
This is the intriguing beginning to a compelling drama played out during the long hot summer of 1911 when everyone’s lives would never be the same again after the two additions to the Canning household, who comprised:-
Cat Morley, feisty, unafraid to speak her mind, even to her employer, and had been in prison for her suffragette activities. I really liked her, and, like many servants at that time she was starting to question her status and rights.
Robin Durrant, a theosophist who believed in ethereal beings and was on a quest for wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. Both Cat and Hester didn’t trust him. He was manipulative, smooth, unreadable and a very unlikeable but compelling character.
Hester Canning, naive and nervous wife of the vicar, she is desperate for a child. I felt a lot of sympathy for her, she was a good person who tried to do the right thing but she was too soft.
Albert Canning, the local vicar who invites Durrant to stay, believes everything he says and hangs on his every word, his face alights with excitement welcoming Robin to his house.
In the present, while Leah is trying to identify the soldier, the sender of the letters and the secrets contained therein, we discover the truth about the lies and deception during that ill-fated 1911 summer.
I really liked the dual narrative between past and present.
I loved everything about this book, the time period, the writing, the original plot, the characters who all seemed real and believable to me.
If you’re interested in this time period I would definitely recommend a non-fiction novel called The Perfect Summer: Dancing into Shadow in 1911 by Juliet Nicholson. The backdrop is the long hot summer of 1911 and here are my thoughts on the book.
We are then fast forwarded to the present when Leah, a freelance journalist, has been asked to come to Belgium from England to try and discover the identity of a young WWI soldier who has been found buried in a garden. He had two letters on him from a H. Canning which pique her interest.
This is the intriguing beginning to a compelling drama played out during the long hot summer of 1911 when everyone’s lives would never be the same again after the two additions to the Canning household, who comprised:-
Cat Morley, feisty, unafraid to speak her mind, even to her employer, and had been in prison for her suffragette activities. I really liked her, and, like many servants at that time she was starting to question her status and rights.
Robin Durrant, a theosophist who believed in ethereal beings and was on a quest for wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. Both Cat and Hester didn’t trust him. He was manipulative, smooth, unreadable and a very unlikeable but compelling character.
Hester Canning, naive and nervous wife of the vicar, she is desperate for a child. I felt a lot of sympathy for her, she was a good person who tried to do the right thing but she was too soft.
Albert Canning, the local vicar who invites Durrant to stay, believes everything he says and hangs on his every word, his face alights with excitement welcoming Robin to his house.
In the present, while Leah is trying to identify the soldier, the sender of the letters and the secrets contained therein, we discover the truth about the lies and deception during that ill-fated 1911 summer.
I really liked the dual narrative between past and present.
I loved everything about this book, the time period, the writing, the original plot, the characters who all seemed real and believable to me.
If you’re interested in this time period I would definitely recommend a non-fiction novel called The Perfect Summer: Dancing into Shadow in 1911 by Juliet Nicholson. The backdrop is the long hot summer of 1911 and here are my thoughts on the book.
July 3, 2012
As always, you have to delve deeper into the book, and once you do that, you get bits and pieces to put a whole puzzle together that Ms Webb has made for us. This time we have the past, 1911 and the present 2011. I sure did LOVE the past! Hester was so intriguing. If I was her I would really have a complex. Why wouldn't Bertie sleep with her? What in the hay!
The present wasn't as interesting but I sure did love the way this bit of mystery, thriller and romance came along. At first I really didn't care for Cat, I was thinking yes, something bad has come into your house but the further I got into the story, the more my dislike passed onto Robin Currant. He is a real toad.
Webb draws you into a story, doesn't give everything up front. You have to work for it, each page getting closer and closer to solving the puzzle. I am forever a fan, she hasn't strayed me wrong yet. Looking forward to her new one coming Nov 22, 2012, A Half Forgotten Song. So if you love her books as much as myself, PREORDER it!!!
The present wasn't as interesting but I sure did love the way this bit of mystery, thriller and romance came along. At first I really didn't care for Cat, I was thinking yes, something bad has come into your house but the further I got into the story, the more my dislike passed onto Robin Currant. He is a real toad.
Webb draws you into a story, doesn't give everything up front. You have to work for it, each page getting closer and closer to solving the puzzle. I am forever a fan, she hasn't strayed me wrong yet. Looking forward to her new one coming Nov 22, 2012, A Half Forgotten Song. So if you love her books as much as myself, PREORDER it!!!
November 10, 2014
This book completely failed to hold my attention. Given how little I liked Katherine Webb's last book The Legacy, I honestly have no idea what possessed me to read this one. Except that I heard it was better. It wasn't. If anything, it was worse. I didn't find any of the characters to be compelling or sympathetic. The mystery was lame and in some ways not quite resolved in entirety. It lacked details that make the book believable and the historical setting accessible. The present day character wasn't fleshed out at all, which made her story feel almost pointless to read.
I figured out the ending pretty near the beginning of the book. Then I kept reading to see if I was correct. I was, but I'm not sure reading until the end to find out was worth the effort. Luckily the entire book only took a few hours to read, so I didn't waste too much time on it. Boring boring boring.
I figured out the ending pretty near the beginning of the book. Then I kept reading to see if I was correct. I was, but I'm not sure reading until the end to find out was worth the effort. Luckily the entire book only took a few hours to read, so I didn't waste too much time on it. Boring boring boring.
April 17, 2016
“O Mundo Invisível” é uma bonita história, passada em duas épocas separadas por cem anos (2011 – 1911). No entanto, o fulcro de toda a história está em 1911 onde se movem personagens muito cativantes:
A corajosa “Cat Negra” que vive em luta pela sua liberdade, não aceitando certas condições apenas por ser mulher o que a leva a envolver-se no movimento sufragista; a bondosa e ingénua Hester, apaixonada por um homem que não compreende. As personagens masculinas –Albert e Robin - também são muito interessantes pelo seu carácter misterioso.
É um livro que trata de temas que eram tabu para a época, com ingenuidade e delicadeza, tal como se tivesse sido escrito por alguém que vivesse nesse tempo.
A corajosa “Cat Negra” que vive em luta pela sua liberdade, não aceitando certas condições apenas por ser mulher o que a leva a envolver-se no movimento sufragista; a bondosa e ingénua Hester, apaixonada por um homem que não compreende. As personagens masculinas –Albert e Robin - também são muito interessantes pelo seu carácter misterioso.
É um livro que trata de temas que eram tabu para a época, com ingenuidade e delicadeza, tal como se tivesse sido escrito por alguém que vivesse nesse tempo.
January 5, 2015
Um livro surpreendente. Comprei-o apenas com base numa sinopse que me pareceu interessante e ainda bem que arrisquei!
A prosa de Katherine Webb é simples mas poderosa, não raro deparando-nos com alguns momentos de grande beleza poética que me agradaram particularmente. Para além da escrita equilibrada e cativante, Katherine Webb presenteia o leitor com uma história bem engendrada e desenvolvida a um ritmo acertado, plena de personagens convincentes e sedutoras(A Cat Negra, a Cat Negra...) que nos enredam nas suas vidas, paixões e segredos.
Altamente recomendável.
A prosa de Katherine Webb é simples mas poderosa, não raro deparando-nos com alguns momentos de grande beleza poética que me agradaram particularmente. Para além da escrita equilibrada e cativante, Katherine Webb presenteia o leitor com uma história bem engendrada e desenvolvida a um ritmo acertado, plena de personagens convincentes e sedutoras(A Cat Negra, a Cat Negra...) que nos enredam nas suas vidas, paixões e segredos.
Altamente recomendável.
June 12, 2018
Another wonderful tale by Ms. Webb. As always, told in 2 timelines, with a mystery to solve. I actually preferred the older story, that of Hester, the vicar, and Cat. But of course both stories are woven together and the secrets come to light. Really well done.
May 25, 2023
Knyga buvo daug įdomesnė nei tikėjausi.
Pirmą kartą teko išgirsti apie teosofiją.
Labai patiko aprašytas laikmetis, kai dar tebebuvo laikomasi luomų paskirstymo, bet jau prasidėjo viso to klibimas.
Personažai tinkamai atliko savo vaidmenis- mano akimis, visi puikiai atliko jiems paskirtas roles.
Tikrai rekomenduoju, kam patinka kitokios temos ir laikortarpis prieš pirmąjį pasaulinį karą.
Pirmą kartą teko išgirsti apie teosofiją.
Labai patiko aprašytas laikmetis, kai dar tebebuvo laikomasi luomų paskirstymo, bet jau prasidėjo viso to klibimas.
Personažai tinkamai atliko savo vaidmenis- mano akimis, visi puikiai atliko jiems paskirtas roles.
Tikrai rekomenduoju, kam patinka kitokios temos ir laikortarpis prieš pirmąjį pasaulinį karą.
January 31, 2015
I wanted, so much, to enjoy this book. I had been eager to read it for some time, and when I found the ebook on sale for an excellent price, I snapped it up.
And then I started reading it. The housekeeper...oh my God, the housekeeper. She is fat. No, you don't get it, she's REALLY FAT. With flesh aprons and jowls and wattles and...I don't even know. Think of a grotesquerie and it is used to describe her. In every scene she is in, her fatness is lovingly, ghoulishly detailed. She's also gossipy, small-minded and vicious, but what's really important is that we never forget that, you guys, she's SO FAT. This character at a certain point just becomes a walking "yo' mama" joke. The skinny, antisocial housemaid imagines the chair collapsing under Mrs. Bell and how she would then writhe about like a beetle on its back. And then, very kindly, tells Mrs. Bell what she's been imagining. Because I'm quite sure that Mrs. Bell has not heard often enough in her life that she is fat. My goodness, if I were being narrated thus, I'd be terrible too, just out of spite at the author.
I couldn't finish this book--maybe Mrs. Bell is redeemed into a wonderful, rounded (Rounded, get it? Because she's FAT!) character with whom the reader is inspired to empathize. But I was far too bored and annoyed to read on. Not merely by these descriptions, but also by the underdeveloped, tiresome relationship between the modern day characters who are learning the story that is being narrated. I'm not super fond of that device in general--I found it a flaw in the otherwise estimable Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. But here it felt so grating as to weigh down the narrative intolerably. A freelance writer with, almost zero subjectivity is tempted to rekindle a sexual relationship with her entirely dickish ex-boyfriend because...he still makes her hot. Why on earth should I care? Since there was no apparent answer to that question, and I was beginning to be terrified that before the end I would be forced to witness Mrs. Bell rootling for truffles in the woods, I laid it aside.
And then I started reading it. The housekeeper...oh my God, the housekeeper. She is fat. No, you don't get it, she's REALLY FAT. With flesh aprons and jowls and wattles and...I don't even know. Think of a grotesquerie and it is used to describe her. In every scene she is in, her fatness is lovingly, ghoulishly detailed. She's also gossipy, small-minded and vicious, but what's really important is that we never forget that, you guys, she's SO FAT. This character at a certain point just becomes a walking "yo' mama" joke. The skinny, antisocial housemaid imagines the chair collapsing under Mrs. Bell and how she would then writhe about like a beetle on its back. And then, very kindly, tells Mrs. Bell what she's been imagining. Because I'm quite sure that Mrs. Bell has not heard often enough in her life that she is fat. My goodness, if I were being narrated thus, I'd be terrible too, just out of spite at the author.
I couldn't finish this book--maybe Mrs. Bell is redeemed into a wonderful, rounded (Rounded, get it? Because she's FAT!) character with whom the reader is inspired to empathize. But I was far too bored and annoyed to read on. Not merely by these descriptions, but also by the underdeveloped, tiresome relationship between the modern day characters who are learning the story that is being narrated. I'm not super fond of that device in general--I found it a flaw in the otherwise estimable Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. But here it felt so grating as to weigh down the narrative intolerably. A freelance writer with, almost zero subjectivity is tempted to rekindle a sexual relationship with her entirely dickish ex-boyfriend because...he still makes her hot. Why on earth should I care? Since there was no apparent answer to that question, and I was beginning to be terrified that before the end I would be forced to witness Mrs. Bell rootling for truffles in the woods, I laid it aside.
October 20, 2016
3.75-4
A new breed of historical fiction, deeper and more well rounded. Katherine Webb explains her inspiration for the novel, in a section in the back of the book, The Story Behind the Unseen, was "the case of the Cottingley Fairies, a set of photographs taken by two young girls in 1917 that seemed to prove the existence of fairies." Webb was fascinated that many respected figures of the time were taken in by the hoax. This piece of history isn't the predominant theme in my mind. Webb's home at the time she was writing the book,Thatcham England in Berkshire, was an inspiration due to the "lazy vibrant landscape." Predominant themes are the clash between old world Victorian values and how unsettling it was to grapple with radical new thoughts and ideas: women's rights, the suffragette movement, class inequality, and spiritual beliefs versus Victorian Christianity. This isn't a knock your socks off, or life changing book. It's a steady read until the end where I was anxious to learn the outcome. I enjoyed that despite their position in life, all the characters struggled with their humanity and, "lust, ambition, belief, jealousy, injustice, and righteousness." I considered this book a pleasant and worthwhile read, and intend to read her book The Legacy. I so enjoy the Historical fiction genre, if well written I can enjoy a good story while still learning historical facts
A new breed of historical fiction, deeper and more well rounded. Katherine Webb explains her inspiration for the novel, in a section in the back of the book, The Story Behind the Unseen, was "the case of the Cottingley Fairies, a set of photographs taken by two young girls in 1917 that seemed to prove the existence of fairies." Webb was fascinated that many respected figures of the time were taken in by the hoax. This piece of history isn't the predominant theme in my mind. Webb's home at the time she was writing the book,Thatcham England in Berkshire, was an inspiration due to the "lazy vibrant landscape." Predominant themes are the clash between old world Victorian values and how unsettling it was to grapple with radical new thoughts and ideas: women's rights, the suffragette movement, class inequality, and spiritual beliefs versus Victorian Christianity. This isn't a knock your socks off, or life changing book. It's a steady read until the end where I was anxious to learn the outcome. I enjoyed that despite their position in life, all the characters struggled with their humanity and, "lust, ambition, belief, jealousy, injustice, and righteousness." I considered this book a pleasant and worthwhile read, and intend to read her book The Legacy. I so enjoy the Historical fiction genre, if well written I can enjoy a good story while still learning historical facts
February 3, 2016
Random Musings:
• Don’t you just love when you discover a new author whose writing style you very much enjoy? Yay!
• Everything seems historically accurate.
• Everything adds up at the end, even if the mystery is solved a bit too easily. It is all just a little too convenient for my taste.
• Odd… this is the second book I have read in the past few weeks in which a GPS is called a “satnav”. It must be a British thing. I only remark upon it because I had never heard the term before, and now I’m tripping over it where ever I go.
• I’ve been pondering the title of this book. Who or what is “The Unseen”? I’m still not really sure. My book club has differing opinions.
• This author makes for wonderful reading. Very Kate Morton. (Dare I say better?) If you need a Kate Morton fix, this might do the trick for you.
• I like a dual timeline so long as each story is given enough time to develop before flitting back and forth. This author stays with one storyline long enough to keep my interest in the book.
Read with SBC January 2016
• Don’t you just love when you discover a new author whose writing style you very much enjoy? Yay!
• Everything seems historically accurate.
• Everything adds up at the end, even if the mystery is solved a bit too easily. It is all just a little too convenient for my taste.
• Odd… this is the second book I have read in the past few weeks in which a GPS is called a “satnav”. It must be a British thing. I only remark upon it because I had never heard the term before, and now I’m tripping over it where ever I go.
• I’ve been pondering the title of this book. Who or what is “The Unseen”? I’m still not really sure. My book club has differing opinions.
• This author makes for wonderful reading. Very Kate Morton. (Dare I say better?) If you need a Kate Morton fix, this might do the trick for you.
• I like a dual timeline so long as each story is given enough time to develop before flitting back and forth. This author stays with one storyline long enough to keep my interest in the book.
Read with SBC January 2016
April 23, 2012
A body of a young man is found in Belgium by the War Graves Commission and a young journalist is called in to help identify him. He has two letters, that have been sealed and are still readable and it is these letters that kept me reading, I really wanted to know what was hidden under the floorboards. So back to 1911 we go, to a rectory with a very naive young woman, a maidservant with a past, a cold remote maybe homosexual preacher and a young man who is a theosophist and see fairies in nature. Can't say I really liked any of the characters in the past, but I did like the characters in the present day though one doesn't get to hear that much from them. Think the book would have been better served had it been a bit shorter but it was an interesting atmospheric, rather dark read.
July 1, 2016
Actual rating = 3.5 stars
Interesting and engaging book. It read smoothly without being overly wordy and stiff like many historical novels set in the Edwardian era can be. I liked many of the characters but none of them seemed expertly described so I was left with wanting more character development. Other than that and not caring all too much for the main character set in modern times it was a good book. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book by the same author and give it a try.
Interesting and engaging book. It read smoothly without being overly wordy and stiff like many historical novels set in the Edwardian era can be. I liked many of the characters but none of them seemed expertly described so I was left with wanting more character development. Other than that and not caring all too much for the main character set in modern times it was a good book. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book by the same author and give it a try.
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