What do you think?
Rate this book
Wildish: A Story Concerning Different Kinds of Love
An epic, romantic comedy set in the libidinous world of 18th Century London. Mystery, intrigue and wicked humour - historical fiction at its sparking best! England 1745. Poet and Master Wig Maker to the great and the good of London society, Wildish is a man whose ambition is to enjoy life to the full. Yet already events beyond his control have begun to impinge upon his dissolute life. The heart of the nation is beating to the drums of war, and thousands of vengeful Jacobite soldiers from Scotland and France are about to converge upon the capital.
There is also the presence of Johanna: mysterious, enigmatic and vulnerable, a woman unlike any other he has ever known, and the inconvenient and yet increasingly agreeable sensation that he might be falling in love for the very first time. A magical journey into the outrageous, libidinous world of Georgian England where reality and fantasy, romance and the occult combine in a story of epic intensity and poetic beauty.
There is also the presence of Johanna: mysterious, enigmatic and vulnerable, a woman unlike any other he has ever known, and the inconvenient and yet increasingly agreeable sensation that he might be falling in love for the very first time. A magical journey into the outrageous, libidinous world of Georgian England where reality and fantasy, romance and the occult combine in a story of epic intensity and poetic beauty.
Unknown Binding
2 people are currently reading
1390 people want to read
About the author
Robert Stephen Parry
22 books148 followersRobert Stephen Parry is a UK writer of adult historical fiction, bringing you stories from a wide range of time periods - from Tudor & Elizabethan, through 18th-century Georgian, right up to the era of Victorian England and the Belle Époque. Well-researched and vivid historical settings combine with unusual elements of mystery, humour and romance.
On a lighter note, he has also worked with the distinguished Avian writer A.Robin, Esq. in providing illustrations for the book 'The Magnificent British Garden Robin' and, more recently, 'The Robin Almanac' and 'A Robin's Book of Garden Verse'.
For more, visit: robertstephenparry.com
Publications to date:
2019 QUEEN VICTORIA - and the Men who Loved Her
2016 THE TESTAMENT OF SOPHIE DAWES - The Queen of Chantilly and a Scandal at the Heart of Victorian Society
2015 THE HOURS BEFORE - A Story of Mystery and Suspense from the Belle Époque
2014 ELIZABETH - The Virgin Queen and the Men who Loved Her
2013 WILDISH- A story Concerning Different Kinds of Love
2011 THE ARROW CHEST - A Victorian Mystery
2009 VIRGIN AND THE CRAB - Sketches, Fables and Mysteries from the Early Life of John Dee and Elizabeth Tudor
Web: https://robertstephenparry.com
Also, various articles and blogposts by Robert Stephen Parry can be found at https://robertstephenparry.com/endymion/
On a lighter note, he has also worked with the distinguished Avian writer A.Robin, Esq. in providing illustrations for the book 'The Magnificent British Garden Robin' and, more recently, 'The Robin Almanac' and 'A Robin's Book of Garden Verse'.
For more, visit: robertstephenparry.com
Publications to date:
2019 QUEEN VICTORIA - and the Men who Loved Her
2016 THE TESTAMENT OF SOPHIE DAWES - The Queen of Chantilly and a Scandal at the Heart of Victorian Society
2015 THE HOURS BEFORE - A Story of Mystery and Suspense from the Belle Époque
2014 ELIZABETH - The Virgin Queen and the Men who Loved Her
2013 WILDISH- A story Concerning Different Kinds of Love
2011 THE ARROW CHEST - A Victorian Mystery
2009 VIRGIN AND THE CRAB - Sketches, Fables and Mysteries from the Early Life of John Dee and Elizabeth Tudor
Web: https://robertstephenparry.com
Also, various articles and blogposts by Robert Stephen Parry can be found at https://robertstephenparry.com/endymion/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 15, 2013
Robert Parry's latest historical novel, Wildish, is set in the 18th century, in Georgian England, a period I have never studied in depth. This made me slightly wary of reading it because I like to have enough knowledge to be able to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. However, my worries were unfounded because this novel concentrates on a fictitious character, and his friends, rather than a real historical character. There are real characters and events in it, for example, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite uprising, but the focus is on the character and his quest "to be transported to the heavens themselves" by a harem of women.
Matthew Wildish is a poet and Master Wig-maker on a mission. He enjoys life to the full, but wants more. He has had many women in his life, and has feelings for his best friend's wife, but he is convinced that he can reach a higher plane with his plan. He must try and build his harem while avoiding the man-eating Lady Snatchal, whose fall from a horse, she explains, has made her have an insatiable sexual appetite, and while repairing a very special wig for Lord Snatchal. All that, while being a good friend to Sam, helping damsels in distress and gathering intelligence for the King - phew! By the end of the novel, Wildish has had an incredible journey fraught with danger and has discovered the true meaning of love. The tag line of the novel is "A story concerning different kinds of love" and that is spot on. The story covers friendship, sex, the love one has for one's country, family love and true love. The story is also rather 'saucy' at times and has some rather humorous moments. Wildish does get himself into some tricky situations!
I was intrigued by the start of the book, when Wildish starts planning his quest for love, and I loved his character, but I must admit to struggling with the middle of the book. I got a bit lost with the history and wondered where the story was going, but then it picked up and grabbed me once more. I was hooked by the last third and although I wanted to know what would happen to Wildish and his friends I also didn't want the magic to end. If you do get bogged down in the middle, keep reading, it's worth it!
As the 18th century is not my area of expertise, I would have liked a brief timeline of the historical events, just so that I could see where the fictional story fitted in with real events. I was a bit disorientated at times. The novel did, however, include a map showing places mentioned in the story and a brief guide to "Matthew Wildish's London".
Would I recommend it? Yes, indeed! It's a novel to get lost in.
Matthew Wildish is a poet and Master Wig-maker on a mission. He enjoys life to the full, but wants more. He has had many women in his life, and has feelings for his best friend's wife, but he is convinced that he can reach a higher plane with his plan. He must try and build his harem while avoiding the man-eating Lady Snatchal, whose fall from a horse, she explains, has made her have an insatiable sexual appetite, and while repairing a very special wig for Lord Snatchal. All that, while being a good friend to Sam, helping damsels in distress and gathering intelligence for the King - phew! By the end of the novel, Wildish has had an incredible journey fraught with danger and has discovered the true meaning of love. The tag line of the novel is "A story concerning different kinds of love" and that is spot on. The story covers friendship, sex, the love one has for one's country, family love and true love. The story is also rather 'saucy' at times and has some rather humorous moments. Wildish does get himself into some tricky situations!
I was intrigued by the start of the book, when Wildish starts planning his quest for love, and I loved his character, but I must admit to struggling with the middle of the book. I got a bit lost with the history and wondered where the story was going, but then it picked up and grabbed me once more. I was hooked by the last third and although I wanted to know what would happen to Wildish and his friends I also didn't want the magic to end. If you do get bogged down in the middle, keep reading, it's worth it!
As the 18th century is not my area of expertise, I would have liked a brief timeline of the historical events, just so that I could see where the fictional story fitted in with real events. I was a bit disorientated at times. The novel did, however, include a map showing places mentioned in the story and a brief guide to "Matthew Wildish's London".
Would I recommend it? Yes, indeed! It's a novel to get lost in.
March 21, 2013
Having read Robert Parry's other two books and enjoyed them immensely I was very much looking forward to this one - and I was not disappointed! What a wonderful book! It is just such a pleasure to enter the world of Matthew Wildish, who is most definitely one of my favourite fictional characters ever. There are some very funny moments in the book and some saucy bits, as well as some sad bits, and it all comes together in a way that's very satisfying. I loved the characters in the book, I felt emotionally attached to them and their story, and that by reading about their lives I'd been on a journey with them, sharing in what they'd discovered. I loved this book and would probably give it six stars out of five if such a thing were possible!
March 23, 2013
This is Robert Parry's third novel, and in my opinion it is his best work to date! I did not think it was possible to top his first two novels, but he did! I savored every word of this wonderful book,and since I finished reading it, I miss it so much. While I was reading this book, I would look forward to getting back to it all day long. Now that it is finished, I truly miss Matthew Wildish and all of his friends, as I felt they had become a part of my life. I guess you could say that I miss them like I would old friends.
Wildish is full of surprises. It will truly shock you in places, and in ways that you cannot imagine. But, they are great surrprises, the kind that makes you suck in your breath sometimes, and the kind that makes you laugh out loud sometimes.The excitement level in this book is high, and it will keep you wanting to know more from one chapter to the next. The story is perfectly balanced with intrigue, humor, excitment, and mystery. Add to that perfect balance, the beautiful imagery portrayed throughout this book and it all adds up to being one of the best books that I have ever read! I promise that you will not want to put it down! Also, it is a nice chunky book, so you can have the pleasure of reading it for at least a few days. But,no matter how fast or slow you read it, you are likely going to miss it when it is finshed.
Matthew Wildish is a Master wig Maker and a sometime poet in London society during 1745. Matthew is on a personal quest for discovering love, not just any love, but love that transcends reality. On his quest, he finds himself in some pretty touchy situations. Just when you think he is done for, somehow he wiggles his way out of trouble. However, the wiggiling out of troubles are some of the best parts of the story.
This is the perfect read to end this Mardi Gras season with because it is full of beautiful Masquerade Balls and fireworks. The women are beautifully dressed and the men are handsomely dressed, along with beautiful scenery, the story provides a perfect mixture of historical fiction, costumes, and interesting characters to keep you turning those pages. This book is about love, however, it has so much more to offer than just romance. In fact, I think it is one of the BEST books that I have ever read!
Please visit my blog at http://booktalkswithcharla.blogspot.c...
Wildish is full of surprises. It will truly shock you in places, and in ways that you cannot imagine. But, they are great surrprises, the kind that makes you suck in your breath sometimes, and the kind that makes you laugh out loud sometimes.The excitement level in this book is high, and it will keep you wanting to know more from one chapter to the next. The story is perfectly balanced with intrigue, humor, excitment, and mystery. Add to that perfect balance, the beautiful imagery portrayed throughout this book and it all adds up to being one of the best books that I have ever read! I promise that you will not want to put it down! Also, it is a nice chunky book, so you can have the pleasure of reading it for at least a few days. But,no matter how fast or slow you read it, you are likely going to miss it when it is finshed.
Matthew Wildish is a Master wig Maker and a sometime poet in London society during 1745. Matthew is on a personal quest for discovering love, not just any love, but love that transcends reality. On his quest, he finds himself in some pretty touchy situations. Just when you think he is done for, somehow he wiggles his way out of trouble. However, the wiggiling out of troubles are some of the best parts of the story.
This is the perfect read to end this Mardi Gras season with because it is full of beautiful Masquerade Balls and fireworks. The women are beautifully dressed and the men are handsomely dressed, along with beautiful scenery, the story provides a perfect mixture of historical fiction, costumes, and interesting characters to keep you turning those pages. This book is about love, however, it has so much more to offer than just romance. In fact, I think it is one of the BEST books that I have ever read!
Please visit my blog at http://booktalkswithcharla.blogspot.c...
January 18, 2016
I tried reading this book when it first came out and because I knew so little of the history, I was lost. Now that I have watched and read part of the Outlander series I decided to give this book another try and got it on Kindle. I admit that I could not put it down! It was funny in places and very sad in other parts. I am not a fast reader but I read this in about ten days. I could focus more on the characters and could hardly wait to find out what happened to them. I was fascinated with the information about the lives of people at this time in history. Especially the wigs and the clothes.
February 20, 2014
This is one of a few books that I have read by Robert. In my opinion, his books keep getting better. It is very easy to dive into a story when you know the author knows the subject that they are writing about. This book was a lot of fun to read, and I would highly recommend it to others who enjoy a little bit of history, a few twists and turns, and romance all in one. Be prepared to blush a little & even let out some laughter. Even though the book is quite long, it is an easy read. Cheers Robert! :)
November 16, 2014
What a wonderful read. I loved the decadent, libidinous lifestyle of master wig maker, society gent and ladies man Matthew Wildish. His crowd of friends make you laugh out loud, I snorted at the antics of the "wig". Sparkling, fun and well researched, a super treat for lovers of the Georgian era.
March 31, 2013
Strong, entertaining historical in Georgian setting. Pagan and Christian themes combined together in a clever way. A quest. A 'coming of age' too. A big story with lots of history A real amazing, multi-layered story under a surface of sparkle and fun. What a combination. Loved it.
May 22, 2013
This is the best book I have read for some time. Lady Snatchal is the funniest character I have encountered in any book and there are amusing moments right the way through the text. The book is romantic, erotic, full of suspense and highly erudite at the same time. A real joy to read.
May 3, 2013
Set in Georgian England during the Jacobite Uprising of 1745, this is the story of Matthew Wildish, Master Wig Maker, socialite and something of a ladies’ man. Though he is not a titled gentleman, he moves in the most elite circles and has befriended many people in high places, however is still in the unique position of mixing with those of lower classes as well. This distinction serves him well in many facets, as one of his side-jobs consists of passing along information on those who may be a threat to the Hanoverian King George II.
Matthew, with a little prompting from his muse, Johanna, begins working on a set of poems that will represent the seven celestial bodies (The Sun, The Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars and Venus), and more literally seven women with whom he hopes to enjoy within a single day. This part of the novel—his conquests—which takes up much of the first half, for me was not the most interesting aspect. It becomes much more intriguing when a quirky, little link-boy starts showing up at strange moments just when Matthew needs helping-hand and the London begins to panic in earnest as a result of the impending danger from Scotland. Suddenly life is not so rosy and Matthew finds he must set aside his personal plans to keep himself and his friends from danger.
Although ultimately Matthew’s amorous predilections turn into a great farce, it was an awkward introduction to his character. Much of the early material is essential for character building however, and I won’t hold it against the author—but will say it may turn off some more picky readers. I think Matthew finally grew on me when he made the decision to journey into enemy territory with a wild plan and no personal gain in mind.
This is an excellent account of the “Forty-Five Rebellion” lead by Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles Edward Stuart, the ousted King James II’s grandson—also known as the Young Pretender. The mood of the people, the two opposing sides and the gruesome details of the battles are minutely described to the very conclusion of this final Jacobite uprising in England.
At 585 pages, this is definitely not a quick read but the pages seem to speed by as you’re immersed in the storyline. As there are not many historical novels set in this time period it is a refreshing break from the Plantagenets, Tudors and Borgias. If you’re looking for an involved, yet humorous read, with a bit of adventure and eccentricity mixed in, this novel will satisfy. I really enjoyed it! (said the actress to the bishop, what?)
Matthew, with a little prompting from his muse, Johanna, begins working on a set of poems that will represent the seven celestial bodies (The Sun, The Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars and Venus), and more literally seven women with whom he hopes to enjoy within a single day. This part of the novel—his conquests—which takes up much of the first half, for me was not the most interesting aspect. It becomes much more intriguing when a quirky, little link-boy starts showing up at strange moments just when Matthew needs helping-hand and the London begins to panic in earnest as a result of the impending danger from Scotland. Suddenly life is not so rosy and Matthew finds he must set aside his personal plans to keep himself and his friends from danger.
Although ultimately Matthew’s amorous predilections turn into a great farce, it was an awkward introduction to his character. Much of the early material is essential for character building however, and I won’t hold it against the author—but will say it may turn off some more picky readers. I think Matthew finally grew on me when he made the decision to journey into enemy territory with a wild plan and no personal gain in mind.
This is an excellent account of the “Forty-Five Rebellion” lead by Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles Edward Stuart, the ousted King James II’s grandson—also known as the Young Pretender. The mood of the people, the two opposing sides and the gruesome details of the battles are minutely described to the very conclusion of this final Jacobite uprising in England.
At 585 pages, this is definitely not a quick read but the pages seem to speed by as you’re immersed in the storyline. As there are not many historical novels set in this time period it is a refreshing break from the Plantagenets, Tudors and Borgias. If you’re looking for an involved, yet humorous read, with a bit of adventure and eccentricity mixed in, this novel will satisfy. I really enjoyed it! (said the actress to the bishop, what?)
April 9, 2013
'You are perfectly right, of course, my darling,' Lady Snatchal responds straight away with an aloof smile. 'As I recall you once asked me to marry you precisely because you had such good taste, and I, as a woman, accepted because I had so very little.'
And with this loud guffaw, at 58% of the way through where I was almost ready to give up, I finally began to enjoy this. In some ways this was just not my cup of tea. The humor is wonderfully reminiscent of the best of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Thomas Hardy' excellent company to be in. I get it, I just don't always enjoy it.
I realize that I'm in a huge minority giving it only 3 stars but I did like it, I just didn't love it. It seemed to take me forever to get into it and even then I never quite got swept up in the tale until it was practically over. I really wanted more of Lady Snatchal, Matthew and Johanna.
As in his other novels, the history is fascinating and one really does feel transported into Georgian England. What! The characters are such fun - ridiculously human. I adore Robert Parry's command of language and his sense of the absurd is wonderful.
If you love Henry Fielding and Shakespearean comedy you'll love this.
And with this loud guffaw, at 58% of the way through where I was almost ready to give up, I finally began to enjoy this. In some ways this was just not my cup of tea. The humor is wonderfully reminiscent of the best of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Thomas Hardy' excellent company to be in. I get it, I just don't always enjoy it.
I realize that I'm in a huge minority giving it only 3 stars but I did like it, I just didn't love it. It seemed to take me forever to get into it and even then I never quite got swept up in the tale until it was practically over. I really wanted more of Lady Snatchal, Matthew and Johanna.
As in his other novels, the history is fascinating and one really does feel transported into Georgian England. What! The characters are such fun - ridiculously human. I adore Robert Parry's command of language and his sense of the absurd is wonderful.
If you love Henry Fielding and Shakespearean comedy you'll love this.
Read
December 10, 2013I asked the author for a review copy of this book when it first came out because I liked his premise. He warned me their was romance in it - something I'm not a big fan of - but stubbornly insisted upon wanting a review copy and Parry kindly obligated. And then sadly, I sat on this book for months after starting it, not because I didn't like it, because I did, but because there was romance in it ;/ (I'm never if not illogical).
Matthew Wildish, our main character, is a poet on a mission - a mission to find love that transcends the real world. He is surrounded by women but comes to have feelings for his best friend's wife, something which gave me pause. In the meantime, he continues his career as a wigmaker. He often finds himself in amusing but tricky situations.
The middle part of the story was really when I stopped reading - there's a lot of history, which was interesting, but I struggled with the plot which I felt wasn't going anywhere and I struggled with the lack of storyline moving along. The book is shocking at times, but because of that, it helps you to keep going with the parts that feel like they are dragging.
Matthew Wildish, our main character, is a poet on a mission - a mission to find love that transcends the real world. He is surrounded by women but comes to have feelings for his best friend's wife, something which gave me pause. In the meantime, he continues his career as a wigmaker. He often finds himself in amusing but tricky situations.
The middle part of the story was really when I stopped reading - there's a lot of history, which was interesting, but I struggled with the plot which I felt wasn't going anywhere and I struggled with the lack of storyline moving along. The book is shocking at times, but because of that, it helps you to keep going with the parts that feel like they are dragging.
July 3, 2015
A very enjoyable Georgian romp, witty, and amusing. Certainly our protagonist is Wildish by name and nature!
Would recommend. I will seek out other titles by this author.
Would recommend. I will seek out other titles by this author.
Want to read
October 1, 2014In accordance with FTC guidelines I must state that I received this book for free from the author in a giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews