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The Girl in the Green Glass Mirror
Hailed for her “remarkably accomplished and poignant work” (Washington Post), acclaimed author Elizabeth McGregor returns with a haunting love story about two lost souls brought together by chance—and bonded forever by a mystery that transcends madness, tragedy, and time itself....
Catherine Sergeant is adept at going through the motions. After losing her parents at an early age, she buried her grief in the study of antiquities. Now, deserted by her husband without warning or explanation, she reports to work at Pearson’s auction house, exchanging pleasantries with colleagues, never revealing her pain. Cocooned in loneliness, she couldn’t be more surprised to find herself opening up to a total stranger—a new client, no less.
In widowed architect John Brigham, Catherine finds a kindred spirit. The two share a fascination with Richard Dadd, an early Victorian painter who lived most of his life incarcerated in an insane asylum. There he produced his most stunning works—works that have deeply moved Catherine and now draw her inexorably
to John. Soon the two are falling in love.
The reawakening of passion in a woman like Catherine is more than John ever hoped for. But when she discovers his possession of an unknown Dadd, it is just the first in a series of revelations that leave her wondering if she knows this man who has shown her life’s true beauty. For John, it may be a last chance to free himself from the priceless secrets he has been harboring too long. Secrets about a soul laid bare on canvas, and a legacy that could shatter all he holds dear in the space of a heartbeat…
A compelling blend of human drama, art, and history, this intriguing tale casts a spell that lingers far beyond the final page—and celebrates the strength we all must find within our hearts.
From the Hardcover edition.
Catherine Sergeant is adept at going through the motions. After losing her parents at an early age, she buried her grief in the study of antiquities. Now, deserted by her husband without warning or explanation, she reports to work at Pearson’s auction house, exchanging pleasantries with colleagues, never revealing her pain. Cocooned in loneliness, she couldn’t be more surprised to find herself opening up to a total stranger—a new client, no less.
In widowed architect John Brigham, Catherine finds a kindred spirit. The two share a fascination with Richard Dadd, an early Victorian painter who lived most of his life incarcerated in an insane asylum. There he produced his most stunning works—works that have deeply moved Catherine and now draw her inexorably
to John. Soon the two are falling in love.
The reawakening of passion in a woman like Catherine is more than John ever hoped for. But when she discovers his possession of an unknown Dadd, it is just the first in a series of revelations that leave her wondering if she knows this man who has shown her life’s true beauty. For John, it may be a last chance to free himself from the priceless secrets he has been harboring too long. Secrets about a soul laid bare on canvas, and a legacy that could shatter all he holds dear in the space of a heartbeat…
A compelling blend of human drama, art, and history, this intriguing tale casts a spell that lingers far beyond the final page—and celebrates the strength we all must find within our hearts.
From the Hardcover edition.
310 pages, Paperback
Published May 30, 2006
About the author
Elizabeth McGregor
14 books17 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Elizabeth McGregor is a pseudonym for Elizabeth Cooke. She also writes as Holly Fox.
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Elizabeth McGregor is a pseudonym for Elizabeth Cooke. She also writes as Holly Fox.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 25, 2013
First, tell me your feelings about Richard Dadd.
What? You don't know who Richard Dadd is?
Maybe this book is not for you.
If you do like Dadd's art, and want to spend a couple hours listening to characters who like Dadd talk about him, this is your book.
There is not a lot of plot; description and emotion are central here. Through Dadd, his art, and the characters of Catherine, John, Robert, and Helen, McGregor meditates on various forms of loss and need. Dadd, the famously mad Victorian painter, lost his sanity and with it all his friends and family, and the company of his peers. John the architect has lost his wife and his health. Catherine, an art appraiser whose interest in art was first sparked by Dadd, has her life-long loss of her parents (first to the work that was more important to them than their daughter, then to premature death) unexpectedly punctuated by the sudden departure of her husband, Robert. Repressed Robert, raised by neglectful and selfish parents, hardly knows what's missing from his life. Helen, John's bipolar sister, has ruined one thing after another by her refusal to cope with her mental illness, and when the reader meets her has just been dumped by her actor boyfriend and her job.
That all makes the book sound more emotional and depressing than it actually is, because roughly half of it is descriptions of paintings or things seen/imagined in the manner of art. Hence my warning that if you don't care for Dadd you needn't bother with this. It is also not so emotional and depressing because the characters aren't very... heartfelt. They're not so much flat as ciphers for the art and ideas.
Overall I found the book interesting but didn't particularly care about (as opposed to for) it.
What? You don't know who Richard Dadd is?
Maybe this book is not for you.
If you do like Dadd's art, and want to spend a couple hours listening to characters who like Dadd talk about him, this is your book.
There is not a lot of plot; description and emotion are central here. Through Dadd, his art, and the characters of Catherine, John, Robert, and Helen, McGregor meditates on various forms of loss and need. Dadd, the famously mad Victorian painter, lost his sanity and with it all his friends and family, and the company of his peers. John the architect has lost his wife and his health. Catherine, an art appraiser whose interest in art was first sparked by Dadd, has her life-long loss of her parents (first to the work that was more important to them than their daughter, then to premature death) unexpectedly punctuated by the sudden departure of her husband, Robert. Repressed Robert, raised by neglectful and selfish parents, hardly knows what's missing from his life. Helen, John's bipolar sister, has ruined one thing after another by her refusal to cope with her mental illness, and when the reader meets her has just been dumped by her actor boyfriend and her job.
That all makes the book sound more emotional and depressing than it actually is, because roughly half of it is descriptions of paintings or things seen/imagined in the manner of art. Hence my warning that if you don't care for Dadd you needn't bother with this. It is also not so emotional and depressing because the characters aren't very... heartfelt. They're not so much flat as ciphers for the art and ideas.
Overall I found the book interesting but didn't particularly care about (as opposed to for) it.
June 27, 2022
3,75 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
Catherine is door haar echtgenoot in de steek gelaten, zonder waarschuwing of uitleg. Ze klampt zich vast aan haar werk als specialist in vroeg-Victoriaanse schilderwerken bij een veilinghuis.
Richard Dadd (1819 ' 1886) is haar favoriete schilder.
Helaas sloeg zijn virtuositeit om in schizofrenie en werd hij op 27-jarige leeftijd opgeborgen in een inrichting. Maar juist in deze jaren maakte hij zijn mooiste schilderijen, waarvan The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke het meest intrigerende en beroemdste is.
Als Dadd wordt verhuisd moet hij zijn geliefde verzorger Brigham achterlaten. Hij belooft hem nieuwe schilderijen als afscheidsgeschenk. Hiervan is echter nooit een spoor gevonden, zou hij zijn belofte gehouden hebben?
Catherine moet een kast taxeren bij ene John Brigham, een verzamelaar. Zijn prachtige huis, diep verborgen in het glooiende landschap van Dorset, herbergt een grote hoeveelheid kunstschatten. Heeft Catherine het goed gezien, was daar ook een miniatuur van Richard Dadd bij?
Catherine raakt gefascineerd door dit mysterie maar wordt ook onweerstaanbaar aangetrokken door de spirituele en gepassioneerde man die John Brigham is.
Maar terwijl Catherine het mysterie rond de schilderijen van Richard Dadd verder probeert te ontrafelen, wordt hun geluk bedreigd'
Ik vond in deze ontroerende roman lots- verbondenheid, passie, vertrouwen en liefde, De grenzen tussen werkelijkheid en fantasie, en over de zoektocht van een vrouw naar de waarden die er echt toe doen.
Ik miste hier een daar de samenhang tussen de lijnen in het heden en in het verleden.
En is er een zo dunne scheidingslijn tussen genialiteit en gekte? Dat bleef ik mij af vragen met dit boek.
Catherine is door haar echtgenoot in de steek gelaten, zonder waarschuwing of uitleg. Ze klampt zich vast aan haar werk als specialist in vroeg-Victoriaanse schilderwerken bij een veilinghuis.
Richard Dadd (1819 ' 1886) is haar favoriete schilder.
Helaas sloeg zijn virtuositeit om in schizofrenie en werd hij op 27-jarige leeftijd opgeborgen in een inrichting. Maar juist in deze jaren maakte hij zijn mooiste schilderijen, waarvan The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke het meest intrigerende en beroemdste is.
Als Dadd wordt verhuisd moet hij zijn geliefde verzorger Brigham achterlaten. Hij belooft hem nieuwe schilderijen als afscheidsgeschenk. Hiervan is echter nooit een spoor gevonden, zou hij zijn belofte gehouden hebben?
Catherine moet een kast taxeren bij ene John Brigham, een verzamelaar. Zijn prachtige huis, diep verborgen in het glooiende landschap van Dorset, herbergt een grote hoeveelheid kunstschatten. Heeft Catherine het goed gezien, was daar ook een miniatuur van Richard Dadd bij?
Catherine raakt gefascineerd door dit mysterie maar wordt ook onweerstaanbaar aangetrokken door de spirituele en gepassioneerde man die John Brigham is.
Maar terwijl Catherine het mysterie rond de schilderijen van Richard Dadd verder probeert te ontrafelen, wordt hun geluk bedreigd'
Ik vond in deze ontroerende roman lots- verbondenheid, passie, vertrouwen en liefde, De grenzen tussen werkelijkheid en fantasie, en over de zoektocht van een vrouw naar de waarden die er echt toe doen.
Ik miste hier een daar de samenhang tussen de lijnen in het heden en in het verleden.
En is er een zo dunne scheidingslijn tussen genialiteit en gekte? Dat bleef ik mij af vragen met dit boek.
February 10, 2010
This book kept popping up when I was searching my library's catalog for a book with a similar title. After looking up Richard Dadd I decided I had a vague interest in his work. So in an effort to keep variety in my reading, I picked up the book.
Dadd was far and away the best part of the book, and the author did an excellent job with the sections on his life. The other, modern characters were done well, and McGregor's writing is good, but I didn't really care about their love story. But what remains memorable are the parts about Dadd and his work.
Dadd was far and away the best part of the book, and the author did an excellent job with the sections on his life. The other, modern characters were done well, and McGregor's writing is good, but I didn't really care about their love story. But what remains memorable are the parts about Dadd and his work.
March 7, 2008
I'm guessing I'll forget this book within a year. Nonetheless, it was interesting to know that the painter in this book wasn't fictional.
April 8, 2026
I decided to read this book because I loved The Ice Child so much. This book has the same lyrical writing and intriguing characters that made the first book so wonderful. There is Catherine and John, of course, but even Robert, Eilzabeth’s husband, and Helen, John’s sister, bring much to the story. All four have their flaws, some deep and disturbing, yet they are integral to the story.
There is much researched involved here, as Richard Dadd actual existed. He really did spend most of his life in an insane asylum. He really did create most of his work there. It adds much to the book, the way the past and present work off each other. Just how deeply is Dadd’s legacy intwined into John’s life? Will its secrets destroy John’s chances with Catherine?
Dadd’s work is really rather creepy and not at all to my taste, so I couldn’t totally understand Catherine and John’s fascination with his work. And because so much does stay hidden through most of the book, I have the feeling that this book won’t be for everyone. It is more thoughts than actions as it comes to its inevitable ending.
There is much researched involved here, as Richard Dadd actual existed. He really did spend most of his life in an insane asylum. He really did create most of his work there. It adds much to the book, the way the past and present work off each other. Just how deeply is Dadd’s legacy intwined into John’s life? Will its secrets destroy John’s chances with Catherine?
Dadd’s work is really rather creepy and not at all to my taste, so I couldn’t totally understand Catherine and John’s fascination with his work. And because so much does stay hidden through most of the book, I have the feeling that this book won’t be for everyone. It is more thoughts than actions as it comes to its inevitable ending.
March 1, 2026
McGregor, Elizabeth - The Girl In The Green Glass Mirror
A book my bride read when it was first published, thought I would enjoy, so she bought a copy for me.
Several narratives dovetail around the life and art of Richard Dadd, Victorian painter.
Catherine, art auctioneer, meets John, retired architect. Sparks ensue.
John is close, if not guarded, for he has a secret – owns a secret. A hitherto unknown stash of drawings which Dadd made while imprisoned. The value, immeasurable.
Perhaps he realizes how strained their budding relationship would be, once Catherine learned of their existence.
A novel I was enjoying until the intrusion. The forced entry of a new character. Irritated by how clumsy this was, I set down the novel for several months.
Eventually, I returned, finished the book.
I liked it. But the magic, the frisson, was gone.
Unknown whether this was my fault, the delay, or the new character, who I still disliked.
A book my bride read when it was first published, thought I would enjoy, so she bought a copy for me.
Several narratives dovetail around the life and art of Richard Dadd, Victorian painter.
Catherine, art auctioneer, meets John, retired architect. Sparks ensue.
John is close, if not guarded, for he has a secret – owns a secret. A hitherto unknown stash of drawings which Dadd made while imprisoned. The value, immeasurable.
Perhaps he realizes how strained their budding relationship would be, once Catherine learned of their existence.
A novel I was enjoying until the intrusion. The forced entry of a new character. Irritated by how clumsy this was, I set down the novel for several months.
Eventually, I returned, finished the book.
I liked it. But the magic, the frisson, was gone.
Unknown whether this was my fault, the delay, or the new character, who I still disliked.
September 26, 2024
The fact that there were characters that i hated with all my heart means that it was wonderfully written, i loved the book, the lovestory and how it was partially based on history.
Before reading this I didn't know who Richard Dadd was but throughout the book I looked up his work and i thought it was wonderful. Even if there isn't a huge plot in the book, the emotions are so well written and described which makes it for me the perfect book.
Before reading this I didn't know who Richard Dadd was but throughout the book I looked up his work and i thought it was wonderful. Even if there isn't a huge plot in the book, the emotions are so well written and described which makes it for me the perfect book.
December 18, 2012
This is a very interesting book. I just love books inspired by art. McGregor links her book with the artist Richard Dadd. And it has certainly inspired me to look up some of his other paintings beyond those mentioned in the book! Both his artwork and lifestory as they are presented here are absolutely fascinating! I even njoyed the rather horrific descriptions about Dadd's time in Bedlam as well. It is just such a riveting read, full of interesting details! And it has a fast pacing to it as well, All in all, a sad, but very good read. Its only real flaw lies with the characters... there is just something... missing... from them. I do like the rather mythical romance but none of the people (other than Dadd) really came to life. I am curious to read some of McGregor’s other novels - she certainly seems to have unique plot lines.
April 21, 2011
This book wasn't as entertaining as I thought it would be. Although it's a romance, I hardly saw a plot or a conflict revolving around the love-life between two characters. Sure there was a bit of that theme, but the book mostly talked about paintings, and secrets. Hardly anything was suspenseful as to shock me in the climax. I hardly felt attracted towards the book. I kept reading it though thinking, hoping that something might occur that'll make me gasp. Nothing. I hope I don't have to read such a boring book again.
March 25, 2016
Fiction about present day art evaluator and appreciator whose husband leaves her without notice and apparently without motive. She loves an artist from the 19th century who spent most of his adult life in an insane asylum. The story fluctuates between his life in the asylum and her life meeting another man and art appreciator while trying to shed herself from the looser who left her. It was an OK read, nothing to write home about.
June 11, 2008
Good book; I enjoyed the mix of art and romance. Very interesting that a true-life painter was used - I'm a bit of a romantic so loved that someone who's first marriage was crap (& she didn't even know it) found such a wonderful man to share a bit of time with. Better to share a small time with someone so fabulous than a lifetime with a jerk!!
March 4, 2009
I was halfway through this book before I realized that the artist, Richard Dadd, whose strange and wonderful paintings bring the two main characters together, was a real person. I had never heard of him before. This novel alternates between two time periods, and has lots of wonderful detail about art. I loved it.
February 18, 2015
This is a very moving book, I love books about artists. This is very enlightening about the creative process and how mental illness sometimes goes hand in hand. I looked for something else about Dadd but didn't find anything on kindle. Love story is romantic sweet but story was so good that it didn't need graphic.
March 13, 2018
A novel.
An author's attempt to be "deep" through a madman's art.
The story of younger woman who's husband left her and an older devastated widower who is dying who meet - and do find true love, briefly. That part was pretty good, but the art blah overwhelmed and didn't quite make the book "deep and thoughtful." In my opinion.
And I didn't actually read every word.
PG-18
An author's attempt to be "deep" through a madman's art.
The story of younger woman who's husband left her and an older devastated widower who is dying who meet - and do find true love, briefly. That part was pretty good, but the art blah overwhelmed and didn't quite make the book "deep and thoughtful." In my opinion.
And I didn't actually read every word.
PG-18
November 22, 2008
this is fun because of what you learn about the artist who's not even really in the story. it's also a compelling love story but only moderately well written with lovely descriptions of the english countryside. different times echoing toward one another through art, nice concept.
June 21, 2017
I am not sure yet what I feel about this book. I did like it. The characters were deep. The stories sad. The stories were, I don't know, not uplifting but life continues I guess. I would recommend it but I am not sure yet why. Not a book to just skim; you must read it.
December 31, 2008
I am always surprised certain books get great ratings. I found this book quite cheesy at times, enough to put it down and never pick it up again.
January 6, 2010
This book is about art and almost required pictures.
May 8, 2010
Couldn't get into it. Gave up on page 98.
August 26, 2016
I wanted to add this to my list. It's a very interesting novel and another one of those that I feel is an acquired taste. You need to love art and art history to enjoy it.
February 12, 2012
Entertaining.
October 22, 2015
Interesting but rather slow. Would have been better being all about Richard Dadd. He was a unique painter of his time.
June 23, 2016
Artist. Mental illness. Light. Life. Love.
May 1, 2017
Dreary chic lit
It begins drearily and ends drearily. I couldn't be bothered to find out what happens in between... admittedly chic lit is not my bag.
It begins drearily and ends drearily. I couldn't be bothered to find out what happens in between... admittedly chic lit is not my bag.
July 31, 2017
Mi ha sorpreso positivamente. Bello.
September 2, 2017
Wonderfully atmospheric story, a study of relationships but unfolding like a thriller
August 15, 2019
I was hooked from the first few passages. The secrets, the mystery, the hauntings of a mad artist. It was a great read.
July 17, 2021
Haunting and beautifully written, the intricacy of Richard Dadd's life and paintings made it all the more moving.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews