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Set in Stone
When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at their majestic home, little does he expect to come across such a web of secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as chalk and cheese - the beautiful younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, oddly sensible and controlled. Assisted by their elusive governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly why Marianne is so emotionally fragile. But his discoveries lead to revenge and betrayal - and lives all around are turned upside down as life and death combat each other for supremacy. Linda Newbery has written a novel in diary style, combining different voices and a different century with her usual brilliance and ease. These are characters full of the same passions as our own today, while living in a less familiar and fascinating time.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2006
20 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Linda Newbery
84 books53 followersLinda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING. She has published widely for readers of all ages, and is a Costa Prize category winner with SET IN STONE, a young adult Victorian mystery. She has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, with THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND.
With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.
Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.
She lives in rural Oxfordshire.
With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.
Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.
She lives in rural Oxfordshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
July 30, 2015
This was a frustrating book. What started out as a fine pastiche to Victorian sensation fic (i.e., threads of insanity, improper sexual conduct, & gothic innocence-in-peril) slid downhill under the weight of an extremely long-winded final act.
The story centers around the hero's time at Fourwinds, a picturesque English estate. Young 20-something Samuel arrives late for a tutoring job & meets a teenage girl on the moonlit driveway -- after which he's rescued by the second narrator, Charlotte, the governess/companion. Through their parallel (and contradictory) turns at telling the tale, we get to know both daughters. Marianne, the younger, has a flouncy, carefree attitude that's occasionally marred by mental instability & knowledge of sexual matters beyond her teenage years; the older, Juliana, is shy & reserved, while quick to deny interest in anything remotely sensual. Presiding over all these characters is the girls' father, who carries an overbearing air & a great sense of injustice re: his dead wife's failure to produce a son.
As you'd expect, Samuel & Charlotte gradually uncover the source of Fourwinds' sinister secrets -- and it's a bad one, capped by a (deserved) scene of retribution on behalf of the victims.
So why the 3 stars? What should have been a fine pastiche is turned into an overly-long literary fiction. Instead of trimming the book to a taut Victorian-style novella, the author yanks & pulls until the story is stretched beyond its limit. Even after the dramatic confrontation, there's 50+ pages of closure that smothers the impact of a violent climax. It also includes an (extremely) unnecessary epilogue that bogs down the story with overdone Literary Fiction blahness. In short:
Anyhow, not only is this epilogue dull & annoying, but it wrecks the isolated horror of Fourwinds -- while simultaneously scattering any connection with the (supposed) YA audience. No teen reader cares about a 40-something small-time artist as yammers about life & death in terms of fiery past loves, contentment in calm moderation, & the Lost Generation's gaping hole in English society. WTF IS THIS?? Plotless Literary Fiction & contemplation of crumpled society are NOT the same thing as literary Victorian pastiche, guys. Please stop trying to mash them into the same book. (This means YOU, A.S. Byatt...aka She Who Must Have Greatly Influenced This Author, as the spluttering psychological horror & existential navel-gazing dullness stank of Morpho Eugenia, albeit for a younger audience.)
The story centers around the hero's time at Fourwinds, a picturesque English estate. Young 20-something Samuel arrives late for a tutoring job & meets a teenage girl on the moonlit driveway -- after which he's rescued by the second narrator, Charlotte, the governess/companion. Through their parallel (and contradictory) turns at telling the tale, we get to know both daughters. Marianne, the younger, has a flouncy, carefree attitude that's occasionally marred by mental instability & knowledge of sexual matters beyond her teenage years; the older, Juliana, is shy & reserved, while quick to deny interest in anything remotely sensual. Presiding over all these characters is the girls' father, who carries an overbearing air & a great sense of injustice re: his dead wife's failure to produce a son.
As you'd expect, Samuel & Charlotte gradually uncover the source of Fourwinds' sinister secrets -- and it's a bad one, capped by a (deserved) scene of retribution on behalf of the victims.
So why the 3 stars? What should have been a fine pastiche is turned into an overly-long literary fiction. Instead of trimming the book to a taut Victorian-style novella, the author yanks & pulls until the story is stretched beyond its limit. Even after the dramatic confrontation, there's 50+ pages of closure that smothers the impact of a violent climax. It also includes an (extremely) unnecessary epilogue that bogs down the story with overdone Literary Fiction blahness. In short:
Anyhow, not only is this epilogue dull & annoying, but it wrecks the isolated horror of Fourwinds -- while simultaneously scattering any connection with the (supposed) YA audience. No teen reader cares about a 40-something small-time artist as yammers about life & death in terms of fiery past loves, contentment in calm moderation, & the Lost Generation's gaping hole in English society. WTF IS THIS?? Plotless Literary Fiction & contemplation of crumpled society are NOT the same thing as literary Victorian pastiche, guys. Please stop trying to mash them into the same book. (This means YOU, A.S. Byatt...aka She Who Must Have Greatly Influenced This Author, as the spluttering psychological horror & existential navel-gazing dullness stank of Morpho Eugenia, albeit for a younger audience.)
December 18, 2019
Am ales sa ii dau 3⭐️, intrucat spre final a reusit sa ma surprinda putin. Initial, am inceput s-o citesc in urma cu cativa ani, insa am abandonat-o, nu mai stiu exact motivul. Acum ca am citit-o, am realizat ca mare lucru nu am pierdut, nu a fost o lectura care sa ma dea pe spate si nici nu am simtit vreo emotie citind-o, din pacate.
Ma bucura doar faptul ca am cu o carte mai putin de citit din biblioteca...😐
Ma bucura doar faptul ca am cu o carte mai putin de citit din biblioteca...😐
March 5, 2015
A pastiche of a Victorian sensation novel, written for younger reader, and wrapped in a lovely cover was such an enticing proposition. I raced through the opening chapter, part of a framing story, set in an art gallery some years after the events at the heart of the book, eager to reach the story proper.
I was drawn into that story by gorgeous writing, and I saw echoes of wonderful writers of the gothic, the sensational, the romantic. Wilkie Collins, the Bronte sisters, Mrs Radcliffe ....
In 1898, aspiring young artist Samuel Godwin is hired by a Mr Farrow as tutor for his daughters, Juliana and Marianne, at their country house home, Fourwinds.
He found the two sisters to be very different: Marianne was a passionate free spirit while Juliana was quiet, demure, and clearing clinging to secrets that troubled her. And he found that Juliana had reasons to be unhappy. The girls' mother had died in a tragic accident, their father was cold and remote, and their beloved governess had been taken away from them. But he believed that there was something else.
Maybe that something was the young sculptor who Mr Farrow had commissioned to create statues of the four winds, one for each side of his house. There were just thee glorious statues, somehow both pagan and classical, because the sculptor had been sent away before his work was complete.
Or maybe there was an even darker secret at Fourwinds.
The story is told, in alternate chapters, but Samuel and by Charlotte, who has been hired as governess/companion to the two sisters. She is attentive to her charges, she is clearly fond of them, but she will say nothing at all of her family or her history.
The storytelling is effective and evocative, the plotting is intricate and clever, and the suspense is lovely.
But that falls away as the story advances. I saw where the story was going, and it became a little too predictable.
Of course I could say that this story is written for younger readers, and that I worked things out because I have read a great many gothic romances over the years. But that brings me to another concern. The dark secret concerns incest. It isn't explicit, and it happens 'off stage' before this story begins. But it is clear what happened, and of course the consequences can be seen.
It doesn't sit well on a book written for young adults; there were other paths that the author could have - I think should have - taken.
I loved the art, and the artists fascination with and hunt for the sculptor. But when he is found suspense is lost, the story loses its impetus, there was a very obvious and unlikely contrivance, and it takes far too long to play out to its conclusion.
There are some really lovely and clever touches, there are moments of high drama, but it wasn't quite enough.
An overlong - and improbable, maybe even fantastical - conclusion to the framing story was the final straw.
It was such a pity, because Linda Newbery writes very well, and there were any good things on this book.
If only it had been a little leaner, a little less obviously written for young readers, it could have been so special.
As it stands I'm sorry to say that it was a disappointment, and I think I must be much more selective when I pick up literary pastiches in the future.
I was drawn into that story by gorgeous writing, and I saw echoes of wonderful writers of the gothic, the sensational, the romantic. Wilkie Collins, the Bronte sisters, Mrs Radcliffe ....
In 1898, aspiring young artist Samuel Godwin is hired by a Mr Farrow as tutor for his daughters, Juliana and Marianne, at their country house home, Fourwinds.
He found the two sisters to be very different: Marianne was a passionate free spirit while Juliana was quiet, demure, and clearing clinging to secrets that troubled her. And he found that Juliana had reasons to be unhappy. The girls' mother had died in a tragic accident, their father was cold and remote, and their beloved governess had been taken away from them. But he believed that there was something else.
Maybe that something was the young sculptor who Mr Farrow had commissioned to create statues of the four winds, one for each side of his house. There were just thee glorious statues, somehow both pagan and classical, because the sculptor had been sent away before his work was complete.
Or maybe there was an even darker secret at Fourwinds.
The story is told, in alternate chapters, but Samuel and by Charlotte, who has been hired as governess/companion to the two sisters. She is attentive to her charges, she is clearly fond of them, but she will say nothing at all of her family or her history.
The storytelling is effective and evocative, the plotting is intricate and clever, and the suspense is lovely.
But that falls away as the story advances. I saw where the story was going, and it became a little too predictable.
Of course I could say that this story is written for younger readers, and that I worked things out because I have read a great many gothic romances over the years. But that brings me to another concern. The dark secret concerns incest. It isn't explicit, and it happens 'off stage' before this story begins. But it is clear what happened, and of course the consequences can be seen.
It doesn't sit well on a book written for young adults; there were other paths that the author could have - I think should have - taken.
I loved the art, and the artists fascination with and hunt for the sculptor. But when he is found suspense is lost, the story loses its impetus, there was a very obvious and unlikely contrivance, and it takes far too long to play out to its conclusion.
There are some really lovely and clever touches, there are moments of high drama, but it wasn't quite enough.
An overlong - and improbable, maybe even fantastical - conclusion to the framing story was the final straw.
It was such a pity, because Linda Newbery writes very well, and there were any good things on this book.
If only it had been a little leaner, a little less obviously written for young readers, it could have been so special.
As it stands I'm sorry to say that it was a disappointment, and I think I must be much more selective when I pick up literary pastiches in the future.
January 13, 2013
Set in Stone is an amazing book.
Written in a beautiful and enchanting prose, it weaves together events, plot-twists, and ideas to ultimately come to a conclusion that nobody would've expected.
The narrators are Samuel Godwin, a young artist who is working as an art tutor at a country mansion named Fourwinds, and Charlotte Agnew, the governess of the two girls who live there. The girls are sisters, Juliana and Marianne, and through them, a fascinating and dark mystery is woven.
I can often predict the outcome of a mystery, but in this case, not so much. Linda Newbery is a wonderful author, and this book made me want to read her other novels.
Written in a beautiful and enchanting prose, it weaves together events, plot-twists, and ideas to ultimately come to a conclusion that nobody would've expected.
The narrators are Samuel Godwin, a young artist who is working as an art tutor at a country mansion named Fourwinds, and Charlotte Agnew, the governess of the two girls who live there. The girls are sisters, Juliana and Marianne, and through them, a fascinating and dark mystery is woven.
I can often predict the outcome of a mystery, but in this case, not so much. Linda Newbery is a wonderful author, and this book made me want to read her other novels.
July 14, 2012
Set in Stone is a big book. Astutely written with a fine eye for period detail (it's set on the edge of the twentieth century), it's a complex and exhausting page turner full of emotion, turmoil and psychological revelations.
Written very much in a style reminiscent of Wilkie Collins, it is the tale of Samuel Godwin, an artist on his way to accept a new position. He is to be the tutor to Juliana and Marianne, daughters of a wealthy man, Ernest Farrow, and live with the family in their fine home Fourwinds.
Fourwinds holds secrets. It's not long until Samuel finds himself obsessed with figuring out what they may be. This journey of discovery is joined by the governess to the sisters, Charlotte, who is also resident at Fourwinds and also has secrets of her own.
This is a very big book. The scope of what it covers is huge and it reminded me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. There's a similarly high sense of melodrama, gothic horror and psychologically devastating revelations throughout both texts.
Set In Stone is full of secrets. Dense, twisting, life-wrecking secrets and many of these are of a very adult nature. It's complicated and occasionally hard to read if you're not familiar with this style (I struggled at points and needed to reread a few sections in order to catch up).
Ultimately Set In Stone is one of those books that it's very hard to tear yourself away from. You're left with the strange, near-voyeuristic, sensation that it wasn't just Charlotte and Samuel who grew obsessed with discovering the secrets held in this family and building, it was you as well. It's a curious and discomforting way to finish a book and one, that I think, is a mark of its dark allure.
Written very much in a style reminiscent of Wilkie Collins, it is the tale of Samuel Godwin, an artist on his way to accept a new position. He is to be the tutor to Juliana and Marianne, daughters of a wealthy man, Ernest Farrow, and live with the family in their fine home Fourwinds.
Fourwinds holds secrets. It's not long until Samuel finds himself obsessed with figuring out what they may be. This journey of discovery is joined by the governess to the sisters, Charlotte, who is also resident at Fourwinds and also has secrets of her own.
This is a very big book. The scope of what it covers is huge and it reminded me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. There's a similarly high sense of melodrama, gothic horror and psychologically devastating revelations throughout both texts.
Set In Stone is full of secrets. Dense, twisting, life-wrecking secrets and many of these are of a very adult nature. It's complicated and occasionally hard to read if you're not familiar with this style (I struggled at points and needed to reread a few sections in order to catch up).
Ultimately Set In Stone is one of those books that it's very hard to tear yourself away from. You're left with the strange, near-voyeuristic, sensation that it wasn't just Charlotte and Samuel who grew obsessed with discovering the secrets held in this family and building, it was you as well. It's a curious and discomforting way to finish a book and one, that I think, is a mark of its dark allure.
March 1, 2018
Fata sălbatică este titlul unuia din tablourile unei expoziții private a pictorului Samuel Godwin, organizată la Londra, în 1920. Artistul, personaj în carte, este întrebat cine este ea, fata sălbatică. Iar răspunsul său devine punct de plecare al acțiunii cărții, marcând începutul poveștii pe care o descoperim între coperțile cărții.
”Este ea însăși, îi răspund și, îndepărtându-mă, adaug: Este o persoană pe care am cunoscut-o acum mulți ani.”
Și gândurile îl duc înapoi, în vara anului 1898, pe când era un tânăr artist, student la Școala de Arte Plastice din Londra...
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/fat...
”Este ea însăși, îi răspund și, îndepărtându-mă, adaug: Este o persoană pe care am cunoscut-o acum mulți ani.”
Și gândurile îl duc înapoi, în vara anului 1898, pe când era un tânăr artist, student la Școala de Arte Plastice din Londra...
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/fat...
February 22, 2009
Make yourself a mug of hot chocolate. Build a roaring fire and pull up a comfy chair. Grab your cat, settle her in your lap, and read this book (by candlelight, if possible). Anne Radcliffe meets Charlotte Brontë. This was a really fun read. It borrows a bit too heavily, at times, from "Jane Eyre," but that can be forgiven. This would be a great book to suggest for teens who are interested in Gothic historical fiction, but who aren't ready or willing to tackle the Brontës.
October 6, 2008
I thought this was a fantasy, but just a pretty predictable book with no fantasy elements.
January 26, 2025
3 stars--I liked the book. Content warning (major spoiler) for .
This book starts like a traditional gothic, with lots of homage to The Turn of the Screw in particular: shamed previous employees, hints at possible supernatural happenings, and family secrets. But then it took a dark turn which I did not expect. It really caught me off guard! The ending managed to be quite lovely, though.
This book starts like a traditional gothic, with lots of homage to The Turn of the Screw in particular: shamed previous employees, hints at possible supernatural happenings, and family secrets. But then it took a dark turn which I did not expect. It really caught me off guard! The ending managed to be quite lovely, though.
November 29, 2019
Der Rahmen hat es einen Stern angehoben :)
July 20, 2019
Interesting story and I quite liked the style but for me, the plot twists were a bit overdone as was the ending.
January 26, 2016
This book is set at the end of the 19th century in England, and it tells the story of the Farrows, a rich and apparently quiet family, who hide some terrible and unspeakable secrets. Their story is told by young painter, Samuel Godwin, who is hired by Mr Farrow to be the art tutor of his two young daughters, Juliana and Marianne. And by their governess and companion Charlotte Agnew.
The stunningly beautiful mansion in the countryside where the Farrows live is named Fourwinds, after the sculptures of the four winds that Mr Farrow commissioned for the house. Only three, though, were actually put in place, leaving the fate of the West Wind to be one of the mysteries of this story.
At first Samuel Godwin thinks his life is sorted. He is living in a wonderful place, surrounded by nature, peace and harmony. His duties as a tutor only take him few hours of his evenings, leaving him the rest of day free to paint and to contemplate his lucky fate. He was hired to tutor mostly the older and quieter Juliana, but his attentions are drawn to the young and wild Marianne. Although he is aware of the age difference (he 19s 21 and she only 16), he can 19t help being completely fascinated and almost obsessed by her beauty and her untamed nature.
But as the time passes and he becomes more and more part of the family, he starts to realise that maybe things are not as uncomplicated as they look.
Together with Charlotte, the governess, he starts to unveil some truths about Farrow 19s past that will change their lives completely.
The writing was beautiful and completely suited for the times of the story. It almost felt like it was written in the 19th century.
The stunningly beautiful mansion in the countryside where the Farrows live is named Fourwinds, after the sculptures of the four winds that Mr Farrow commissioned for the house. Only three, though, were actually put in place, leaving the fate of the West Wind to be one of the mysteries of this story.
At first Samuel Godwin thinks his life is sorted. He is living in a wonderful place, surrounded by nature, peace and harmony. His duties as a tutor only take him few hours of his evenings, leaving him the rest of day free to paint and to contemplate his lucky fate. He was hired to tutor mostly the older and quieter Juliana, but his attentions are drawn to the young and wild Marianne. Although he is aware of the age difference (he 19s 21 and she only 16), he can 19t help being completely fascinated and almost obsessed by her beauty and her untamed nature.
But as the time passes and he becomes more and more part of the family, he starts to realise that maybe things are not as uncomplicated as they look.
Together with Charlotte, the governess, he starts to unveil some truths about Farrow 19s past that will change their lives completely.
The writing was beautiful and completely suited for the times of the story. It almost felt like it was written in the 19th century.
April 19, 2021
9/10
Nie dość, że autorka wykreowała tak różnorodne postacie to jeszcze praktycznie do końca książki zadziwiała tajemnicami. Kiedy nastawiło się na jakiś nadany przez autorkę tor i na jej tok myślenia kilka rozdziałów dalej okazuje się, że jest zupełnie inaczej. Bardzo dynamiczna powieść praktycznie cały czas coś się dzieje. Postać Charlotte choć bardzo przyziemna była dla mnie bardzo ciekawa. Całkowicie oddana pracy, wręcz identyfikująca się z nią, małomówna, kryjąca tajemnice. Juliana poważna i spokojna, nie jest taka z wyboru, nosi na swoich barkach ogromną tajemnice. Marianne specyficzna i pewna siebie, na pozór jak dla mnie szalona ale mająca w swoim szaleństwie cel. Ernest Farrow, ojciec dziewczynek, to świetny manipulator, który wcale nie jest taki jakby się nam wydawało. Poznając postacie zaczynamy odkrywać tajemnice Fourwinds, okropne tajemnice, które nigdy nie miały zostać odkryte. Książka do końca nie zwalnia i trzyma poziom.
Nie dość, że autorka wykreowała tak różnorodne postacie to jeszcze praktycznie do końca książki zadziwiała tajemnicami. Kiedy nastawiło się na jakiś nadany przez autorkę tor i na jej tok myślenia kilka rozdziałów dalej okazuje się, że jest zupełnie inaczej. Bardzo dynamiczna powieść praktycznie cały czas coś się dzieje. Postać Charlotte choć bardzo przyziemna była dla mnie bardzo ciekawa. Całkowicie oddana pracy, wręcz identyfikująca się z nią, małomówna, kryjąca tajemnice. Juliana poważna i spokojna, nie jest taka z wyboru, nosi na swoich barkach ogromną tajemnice. Marianne specyficzna i pewna siebie, na pozór jak dla mnie szalona ale mająca w swoim szaleństwie cel. Ernest Farrow, ojciec dziewczynek, to świetny manipulator, który wcale nie jest taki jakby się nam wydawało. Poznając postacie zaczynamy odkrywać tajemnice Fourwinds, okropne tajemnice, które nigdy nie miały zostać odkryte. Książka do końca nie zwalnia i trzyma poziom.
March 8, 2012
I'm conflicted - this book became a bit of a chore to me at some point - dragging along. Then the end came and smacked me in the face. I give it 3 stars to signal my confusion.
February 23, 2014
Nopedy nopenope
Read
May 7, 2020I really want to give this two stars HOWEVER I am not the target audience and I acknowledge that had I read this at age thirteen I would have been enthralled.
October 22, 2024
I only have one word...boring.
June 13, 2019
4.5 stars!
I originally read Set in Stone back in High School and aside from the big reveal all I could remember was that I really enjoyed it. Cut to a few years later in which I'm purging my shelves I come across my old copy of Set in Stone for the purposes of re-reading it, seeing how I like it, and determining whether it gets to stay on my shelves.
Needless to say, it certainly does. I enjoyed it immensely on my second journey.
I have seen a number complaints about this book, particularly about how this book is too slow and boring. I disagree. I think that Set in Stone often gets mis-genred, or that people go into this novel expecting something else. I was shocked to learn that this book won the Costa Children's Book of the Year Prize for 2006, not because it didn't deserve it, it certainly did. However, I would not consider this a middle grade, YA at best. But honestly, I found this book in the general fiction section with all the other adult books and I agree that is where it belongs due to some deeply disturbing revelations in this book.
If you go into this book thinking that this is a dark fantasy or in the vein of your other typical YA novel then you will be disappointed. Set in Stone is very much a dark gothic mystery very very reminiscent of Wilkie Collins' work like The Woman in White. Therefore there are moments of self reflection and monologue, and if you aren't accustomed to the pacing and flow of a lot of classics, one would naturally find the pacing to be slow.
This book was enthralling this second go round. With a somber and a eerie atmosphere, Linda Newberry has constructed a tight and well crafted out plot with twists and reveals that got me again! I must admit before rereading this book I forgot most of the details except for the main reveal and I found myself shocked with one sub plot reveal that I honestly did not see coming. The only gripe I happen to have is that Samuel's musings and even Charlotte's can get a bit "too much", but this was sparingly.
It was a pleasure to go back to this read and I'm glad I did so. This has definitely deserved its spot on the shelf!
I originally read Set in Stone back in High School and aside from the big reveal all I could remember was that I really enjoyed it. Cut to a few years later in which I'm purging my shelves I come across my old copy of Set in Stone for the purposes of re-reading it, seeing how I like it, and determining whether it gets to stay on my shelves.
Needless to say, it certainly does. I enjoyed it immensely on my second journey.
I have seen a number complaints about this book, particularly about how this book is too slow and boring. I disagree. I think that Set in Stone often gets mis-genred, or that people go into this novel expecting something else. I was shocked to learn that this book won the Costa Children's Book of the Year Prize for 2006, not because it didn't deserve it, it certainly did. However, I would not consider this a middle grade, YA at best. But honestly, I found this book in the general fiction section with all the other adult books and I agree that is where it belongs due to some deeply disturbing revelations in this book.
If you go into this book thinking that this is a dark fantasy or in the vein of your other typical YA novel then you will be disappointed. Set in Stone is very much a dark gothic mystery very very reminiscent of Wilkie Collins' work like The Woman in White. Therefore there are moments of self reflection and monologue, and if you aren't accustomed to the pacing and flow of a lot of classics, one would naturally find the pacing to be slow.
This book was enthralling this second go round. With a somber and a eerie atmosphere, Linda Newberry has constructed a tight and well crafted out plot with twists and reveals that got me again! I must admit before rereading this book I forgot most of the details except for the main reveal and I found myself shocked with one sub plot reveal that I honestly did not see coming. The only gripe I happen to have is that Samuel's musings and even Charlotte's can get a bit "too much", but this was sparingly.
It was a pleasure to go back to this read and I'm glad I did so. This has definitely deserved its spot on the shelf!
April 1, 2021
🎨 Este o carte frumoasă, cu un stil de scriere elegant, specific literaturii englezești , scrisă la persoana I , alternativ, din perspectiva lui Samuel și Charlotte, personajele centrale . O poveste ce atrage încă de la primele pagini, datorită intrigii dar și a descrierilor pline de culoare fără a fi plictisitoare.
🎨 Acțiunea începe in anul 1920 la o expozitie privată unde pictorul Samuel Goldwin își expune picturile. ,,Fata sălbatică " este titlul unuia dintre tablourile expuse, acesta atrăgând cel mai mult atenția invitaților. Intrebat ,,Cine este fata sălbatică " Samuel dă un raspuns incitant și provocator: ,,este ea însăși ......este o persoană pe care am cunoscut-o acum mulți ani".
🎨 Din acest moment acțiunea se mută în trecut, în anul 1898 , când Samuel, tânăr student la Scoala de Arte Plastice din Londra, este nevoit să renunțe la studii și să se angajeze ca profesor de desen pentru fiicele unui domn înstărit, Ernest Farow, la conacul său ,,Cele patru vanturi".
🎨Aici, Samuel face cunoștință cu cele două surori, Marianne si Juliane, două copile complet diferite, dar și cu Charlotte, însoțitoare acestora . Între ei se va lega, treptat, o relație de prietenie aparte ce se va dovedi de bun augur în timp.
🎨 Încă din clipa sosirii sale pe mosie, Samuel își dă seama că multe lucruri nu sunt în regulă , că Marianne are un comportament instabil, că Juliane pare a se afunda pe zi ce trece în tăcere fără a spune motivele, că sunt aspecte ce trezesc multe suspiciuni, dar raspunsurile nu sunt satisfacatoare.
🎨 O intrigă bine construită, ce captivează cu fiecare fila citită , cu personaje ce evoluează într-o directie surprinzătoare , mister ce se adâncește tot mai mult.
🎨 Acțiunea începe in anul 1920 la o expozitie privată unde pictorul Samuel Goldwin își expune picturile. ,,Fata sălbatică " este titlul unuia dintre tablourile expuse, acesta atrăgând cel mai mult atenția invitaților. Intrebat ,,Cine este fata sălbatică " Samuel dă un raspuns incitant și provocator: ,,este ea însăși ......este o persoană pe care am cunoscut-o acum mulți ani".
🎨 Din acest moment acțiunea se mută în trecut, în anul 1898 , când Samuel, tânăr student la Scoala de Arte Plastice din Londra, este nevoit să renunțe la studii și să se angajeze ca profesor de desen pentru fiicele unui domn înstărit, Ernest Farow, la conacul său ,,Cele patru vanturi".
🎨Aici, Samuel face cunoștință cu cele două surori, Marianne si Juliane, două copile complet diferite, dar și cu Charlotte, însoțitoare acestora . Între ei se va lega, treptat, o relație de prietenie aparte ce se va dovedi de bun augur în timp.
🎨 Încă din clipa sosirii sale pe mosie, Samuel își dă seama că multe lucruri nu sunt în regulă , că Marianne are un comportament instabil, că Juliane pare a se afunda pe zi ce trece în tăcere fără a spune motivele, că sunt aspecte ce trezesc multe suspiciuni, dar raspunsurile nu sunt satisfacatoare.
🎨 O intrigă bine construită, ce captivează cu fiecare fila citită , cu personaje ce evoluează într-o directie surprinzătoare , mister ce se adâncește tot mai mult.
January 20, 2025
When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at their majestic home, little does he expect to come across a place containing such secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as can be--younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, sensible and controlled. Helped by their governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly why Marianne is so emotionally fragile, and in doing so uncovers a web of intrigue. But his discoveries lead to revenge and betrayal--and lives all around are turned upside down.
Typical tale of a rambling old house with a family who have secrets. Samuel Goodwin soon finds himself wrapped up in the house and its secrets. It wasn’t rocket science to figure out the secret especially with there being a child involved.
The book was full of lovely descriptions which I really enjoyed, especially the descriptions of the three winds and the missing fourth. The story is told in turn by Samuel and Charlotte both giving their own points of view.
A sweet read but I felt that the ending was very sugary and was pulled together nice and neat. A book with no swearing and no sex scenes so for a change a nice cosy read on a winters afternoon.
Would I recommend this book, yes I would although there won’t be no surprises and you will probably will have read other books very similar.
Typical tale of a rambling old house with a family who have secrets. Samuel Goodwin soon finds himself wrapped up in the house and its secrets. It wasn’t rocket science to figure out the secret especially with there being a child involved.
The book was full of lovely descriptions which I really enjoyed, especially the descriptions of the three winds and the missing fourth. The story is told in turn by Samuel and Charlotte both giving their own points of view.
A sweet read but I felt that the ending was very sugary and was pulled together nice and neat. A book with no swearing and no sex scenes so for a change a nice cosy read on a winters afternoon.
Would I recommend this book, yes I would although there won’t be no surprises and you will probably will have read other books very similar.
March 1, 2019
This was the second time I've read this book. I reread it to give an accurate review, here, because this book deserves it. A wonderfully written, poignant discovery story of extraordinary circumstances. This book was really interesting to read, especially because it was a few smaller mysteries that added up to one large mystery at the end This did not, however, feel like a mystery book and does not belong on the mystery shelf, because it strays too far into historical fiction and contemporary to do that. The characters were multi-dimensional and detailed, and the plot, while far-fetched, came together in a way that ended up being very realistic. This was not a book of coincidences lining up to have a plot. This was a solid, well-written plot through and through. While this book is a little depraved b the end, and I would not say its for anyone under 13(at least) it was incredible and I would recommend it to everyone.
May 25, 2022
Found on a free library shelf.
Very pretty writing, and a nice concept - that of an artist, who in later life is much admired, and has many enquiries over the subject of his most famous painting, Wild Girl. Leads into a flashback story of how the painting came to be.
While the language was beautiful and the setting & imagery also, I found the pacing in this story difficult to work through. It jumped between a lot of povs, and was generally slow in leading up to any revelations. It also had a peculiar habit of having two separate investigators discover the same piece of information from two different sources, which made the whole of it drag a little.
The ending also doesn't seem to support the original question ("Who is the mysterious Wild Girl?" ).
So in the end it was fine, but I skimmed a lot of it and was a bit underwhelmed. Lovely writing, though.
Very pretty writing, and a nice concept - that of an artist, who in later life is much admired, and has many enquiries over the subject of his most famous painting, Wild Girl. Leads into a flashback story of how the painting came to be.
While the language was beautiful and the setting & imagery also, I found the pacing in this story difficult to work through. It jumped between a lot of povs, and was generally slow in leading up to any revelations. It also had a peculiar habit of having two separate investigators discover the same piece of information from two different sources, which made the whole of it drag a little.
The ending also doesn't seem to support the original question ("Who is the mysterious Wild Girl?" ).
So in the end it was fine, but I skimmed a lot of it and was a bit underwhelmed. Lovely writing, though.
October 13, 2021
I'm somewhere between two and three stars on this one, but I'll probably be generous, because it's not actually badly written. The language is perfectly lovely, there are some wonderful descriptions of the English countryside, and I found the resolution quietly refreshing.
But it was boring. For something that leans so heavily (in the advertising, at least) on the great traditions of Gothic Literature, family secrets, and lonely mansions, nothing really happens for most of the book. And when things do happen, they end up feeling small and a bit sordid. The terrible family secrets are awful, yes, but not entirely unexpected. The house is nicely described, but never really comes to life, and after the first chapter, there's very little of the Gothic about it.
But it was boring. For something that leans so heavily (in the advertising, at least) on the great traditions of Gothic Literature, family secrets, and lonely mansions, nothing really happens for most of the book. And when things do happen, they end up feeling small and a bit sordid. The terrible family secrets are awful, yes, but not entirely unexpected. The house is nicely described, but never really comes to life, and after the first chapter, there's very little of the Gothic about it.
May 11, 2020
I was a bit sceptical at first, expecting it to be a bit boring and predictable but it did surprise me. First I was annoyed because I couldn't understand Charlotte and one hardly knew why she acted that way although half of the story is narrated by her. It held more surprises than I imagined and I did like most of the ending, too. A lot of the loose threads were connected in the end which is nice. And also showing in the end that people (especially women) can be happy in pursuing their own dreams and not only when married. I thought the moment after the funeral when they all came together as friends was just such a powerful moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2021
Having to read this book for class, my view on it is quite mixed. This narrative mostly set at a country estate inhabited principally by a father, his two daughters, their governess, and their painting tutor, is filled with mystery and the traditional ways of Victorian literature, naturally shown from a neo-Victorian point of view. The mysteries were quite good, some better told than others, but what stuck with me the most is how unsympathetic pretty much all of the characters are. The narrators, the governess Charlotte and the tutor Samuel, are both somewhat interesting yet failed to gain my appreciation. Overall not the worst nor the best book I have ever had to read for a class.
February 27, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I went in unsure what to expect, especially with the confusion caused because this is apparently a childrens' book. In my mind it most decidedly is not, unless the publisher means YA.
The plot seems fairly simple but soon descends into darkness. There are a number of twists, the ones closer to the end were the most unexpected. I felt the characters are well rounded, and the conclusion to each of their stories is satisfying.
A quick, enjoyable read.
The plot seems fairly simple but soon descends into darkness. There are a number of twists, the ones closer to the end were the most unexpected. I felt the characters are well rounded, and the conclusion to each of their stories is satisfying.
A quick, enjoyable read.
April 6, 2023
Not a bad read, though they were some captivating and interesting moments in this book I did find myself getting a little bored towards the end. I was shocked at the the turn of events in regards to Mr. Farrow and Julianne as I was not expecting that huge turn of events. It was well written and has some twists and turns that I did not expect. I give it 3 stars because like I said I felt like I had to power through at the end but that's just my opinion.
February 15, 2018
If you like Wilkie Collins, you'll most likely enjoy this. A good, solid Victorian pastiche - written for young people (a Costa Award winner in that category) though it doesn't really show. Wikipedia classes it as a fantasy, but I don't see why - it's simply a melodrama in the Collins tradition, without any supernatural elements.
September 29, 2020
This was surprisingly good. At first it seems really old fashioned but as we dive further it gets really interested. I loved how the mystery slowly unravelled itself and how I had a completely different opinions on each character by the end. This is a great book, keep going with it at the start and it will be amazing!
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August 31, 2019I think it’s pretty clear I DNF’ed this one. No more incest because you can’t think of anything spooky and Victorian, writers. Do a little research please
The Victorians took pictures with dead people. They are creep masters
The Victorians took pictures with dead people. They are creep masters
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