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The Corset
Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain?
Dorothea and Ruth. Prison visitor and prisoner. Powerful and powerless. Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder.
When Dorothea's charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted with the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets teenage seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another theory: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread. For Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.
The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations – of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses – will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality and the power of redemption.
Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer?
Dorothea and Ruth. Prison visitor and prisoner. Powerful and powerless. Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder.
When Dorothea's charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted with the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets teenage seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another theory: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread. For Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.
The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations – of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses – will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality and the power of redemption.
Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer?
392 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2018
580 people are currently reading
33458 people want to read
About the author
Laura Purcell
17 books3,259 followersLaura Purcell is a former bookseller and lives in Colchester with her husband and pet guinea pigs.
Her first novel for Raven Books THE SILENT COMPANIONS won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award 2018 and featured in both the Zoe Ball and Radio 2 Book Clubs. Other Gothic novels include THE CORSET (THE POISON THREAD in USA), BONE CHINA and THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS (2020)
Laura’s historical fiction about the Hanoverian monarchs, QUEEN OF BEDLAM and MISTRESS OF THE COURT, was published by Myrmidon.
Her first novel for Raven Books THE SILENT COMPANIONS won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award 2018 and featured in both the Zoe Ball and Radio 2 Book Clubs. Other Gothic novels include THE CORSET (THE POISON THREAD in USA), BONE CHINA and THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS (2020)
Laura’s historical fiction about the Hanoverian monarchs, QUEEN OF BEDLAM and MISTRESS OF THE COURT, was published by Myrmidon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,197 reviews
February 1, 2019
4.5 stars
This book had my attention from the get-go! I loved the synopsis: Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain? I knew this book would be pretty much up my alley and it was! But what does that say about my alley? It's dark and twisted folks!
Doretha "Dotty" Truelove (let's, for a minute, admire her last name!), is a young woman from a "good home" Her mother died when she was young, and she has been raised by her father. "Dotty" is a smart and inquisitive young woman who wants more out of life than just being a married woman. She is interested in phrenology and believes it can shed a light on one's crimes. She does charitable work at Oakgate prison and there she meets a sixteen-year-old accused of murder named Ruth Butterham (what a last name!). Ruth believes that she has a supernatural power and can/has killed people using her skills as a seamstress. Is she a skilled killer or is she a skilled seamstress? Is she both?
From the description the reader knows that one woman is from a life of privilege and luxury while the other is poor - extremely poor. Dotty has known a relatively easy life. Ruth has known pain, loss, suffering, and hard work. Their socio-economic difference is HUGE as are their outlook on life, and each's understanding of the world.
I devoured this book. I thought it did a good job of showing just how hard life was during that time. How huge the differences in the classes were, how people took advantage and how people were treated. Ruth and the other young women she sews with are subject to harsh conditions, horrific treatment and abuse. How about the debtor’s prison? You go there because you can't pay your debts and yet you can't make money there so how will you ever pay your debt? You don't. You die. End of story. Life is harsh, no? Extremely.
How scary to live during that time! Geez just learning what was in some of the fabrics/fabric colors made at that time gives new meaning to the saying: Beauty hurts. Why not wear a Victorian bone corset while you are at it and have someone tighten you in?
Really enjoyed the story and the twists and revelations. Who saw that coming!?! Seriously, who? Anyone? Anyone? Well written and captivating. Were there some plot holes? Perhaps, but who cares? I didn't. Again, this was right up my alley. I loved the time frame, loved how it showed the division of class, and how criminal justice was handled back then. We have come a long way baby is all I can say! I was fully invested in the story and how things would turn out. Was she a killer? Was she mad? Was she a supernatural killer? Was she a victim?
I loved The Silent Companions and loved this book as well. It's Gothic and evokes feelings of dread. In some ways this book reminded me of another book I loved The Unseeing about a woman in prison accused of murder telling her story. The plots are different, but both felt the same.
I have been reading some doozies lately and reading this was like a breath of fresh air! It was nice to curl up and read a book which I found riveting and compelling.
This book had my attention from the get-go! I loved the synopsis: Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain? I knew this book would be pretty much up my alley and it was! But what does that say about my alley? It's dark and twisted folks!
Doretha "Dotty" Truelove (let's, for a minute, admire her last name!), is a young woman from a "good home" Her mother died when she was young, and she has been raised by her father. "Dotty" is a smart and inquisitive young woman who wants more out of life than just being a married woman. She is interested in phrenology and believes it can shed a light on one's crimes. She does charitable work at Oakgate prison and there she meets a sixteen-year-old accused of murder named Ruth Butterham (what a last name!). Ruth believes that she has a supernatural power and can/has killed people using her skills as a seamstress. Is she a skilled killer or is she a skilled seamstress? Is she both?
From the description the reader knows that one woman is from a life of privilege and luxury while the other is poor - extremely poor. Dotty has known a relatively easy life. Ruth has known pain, loss, suffering, and hard work. Their socio-economic difference is HUGE as are their outlook on life, and each's understanding of the world.
I devoured this book. I thought it did a good job of showing just how hard life was during that time. How huge the differences in the classes were, how people took advantage and how people were treated. Ruth and the other young women she sews with are subject to harsh conditions, horrific treatment and abuse. How about the debtor’s prison? You go there because you can't pay your debts and yet you can't make money there so how will you ever pay your debt? You don't. You die. End of story. Life is harsh, no? Extremely.
How scary to live during that time! Geez just learning what was in some of the fabrics/fabric colors made at that time gives new meaning to the saying: Beauty hurts. Why not wear a Victorian bone corset while you are at it and have someone tighten you in?
Really enjoyed the story and the twists and revelations. Who saw that coming!?! Seriously, who? Anyone? Anyone? Well written and captivating. Were there some plot holes? Perhaps, but who cares? I didn't. Again, this was right up my alley. I loved the time frame, loved how it showed the division of class, and how criminal justice was handled back then. We have come a long way baby is all I can say! I was fully invested in the story and how things would turn out. Was she a killer? Was she mad? Was she a supernatural killer? Was she a victim?
I loved The Silent Companions and loved this book as well. It's Gothic and evokes feelings of dread. In some ways this book reminded me of another book I loved The Unseeing about a woman in prison accused of murder telling her story. The plots are different, but both felt the same.
I have been reading some doozies lately and reading this was like a breath of fresh air! It was nice to curl up and read a book which I found riveting and compelling.
February 16, 2019
I really wanted to read this book after I came across the blurb, and the reality certainly didn't disappoint. The narrative is shared by two young women in Victorian England, Dorothea, a wealthy heiress, and Ruth, a seamstress imprisoned for the murder of her mistress. Dorothea has an interest in phrenology, the study of peoples skulls to see if they have a propensity for murder among other things, and when she comes across Ruth during a charitable visit to the local gaol, she can't help but try to read her skull. As the two women become closer over the course of Dorothea's visits, Ruth's story unveils, her shattered childhood, her abuse from her employers, and the fact that she seems to be able to control peoples fates through the clothes she makes for them.
I was captivated by this book, it's a breath of fresh air with it's original plot straying from that of most Victorian Gothic novels. The first half did tend to get a bit bogged down in the narrative, but it does set the scene up nicely for the rest of the book. A first class read for lovers of historical mysteries and gothic tales.
I was captivated by this book, it's a breath of fresh air with it's original plot straying from that of most Victorian Gothic novels. The first half did tend to get a bit bogged down in the narrative, but it does set the scene up nicely for the rest of the book. A first class read for lovers of historical mysteries and gothic tales.
May 18, 2022
And breathe !!!!
The Corset is a breath-taking story of a young girl, Ruth who stands accused of the murder of her mistress. A vulnerable girl whose life was changed beyond recognition when entering a life of service after the death of her father. A story set in Victorian England, that combines an atmospheric historical setting, with heavy themes of poverty, death, betrayal, and abuse and told with great sentiment and purpose. A story that will leave you breathless, outraged, and sympathetic but all the time questioning the innocence or guilt of this unusual but vulnerable character.
The Plot
Dorothea is a 25-year-old woman living with her widowed father. A woman who sees her calling beyond marriage, to live out acts of corporeal mercy: to feed the hungry, refresh the thirsty, visit the imprisoned and bury the dead. It was this compassion, and her interest in phrenology that brought Dotty to Ruth who stands accused of murdering her mistress. Dammed by her own tongue, Ruth confesses to making a corset that killed her torturer and mistress Kate. A death that would have been hard to explain as some form of evil magic or witchcraft, but with a confession to having woven poison into the corset with her threads, Ruth’s fate is all but sealed.
The question of Ruth’s innocence is played out against the backdop of a girl who is struggling to make sense of the loss, brutality and ugliness of life and starts to believe that to wish people dead she seems to somehow be able to make it happen through her embroidery. Yet, her father’s suicide and her mother death in a debtor’s prison, and the death of her infant sister through malnutrition, all seem to exonerate Ruth from any kind of wrongdoing. However, the twists to the story prevent us from having a clear view as we are left pondering if Ruth is a prisoner twisted and stubborn beyond the reach of redemption or a young girl forced to grow up beyond her years and endure suffering at the hands of the very people that were meant to protect her and those that are about to betray her.
Review and Comments
The historical references in the book were so believable and accurately reflective of Victorian England and the period. The gas lights, chamber pots, attitude towards young women being married by a certain age, and the social demographic and economic divisions within society.
The plot was well thought through and brilliantly narrated, with superb twists that made the story so absorbing and thought provoking. The writing was superb, and the characters were so well drawn, in particular Ruth, who is portrayed as both vulnerable and menacing. Mad or a murderer?, A victim or a villain?. I knew I would feel invested in this gifted girl from the outset regardless of the outcome or her demise.
4.5 stars because the story slowed down in the middle, and I was willing the pace to pick up again which it did as we headed for a captivating ending. However, for a story that was so skilfully woven and vividly depicted, I am rounding up. Gripping, thrilling and atmospheric with suspense that was accretive and perpetuating.
And now breathe….
The Corset is a breath-taking story of a young girl, Ruth who stands accused of the murder of her mistress. A vulnerable girl whose life was changed beyond recognition when entering a life of service after the death of her father. A story set in Victorian England, that combines an atmospheric historical setting, with heavy themes of poverty, death, betrayal, and abuse and told with great sentiment and purpose. A story that will leave you breathless, outraged, and sympathetic but all the time questioning the innocence or guilt of this unusual but vulnerable character.
The Plot
Dorothea is a 25-year-old woman living with her widowed father. A woman who sees her calling beyond marriage, to live out acts of corporeal mercy: to feed the hungry, refresh the thirsty, visit the imprisoned and bury the dead. It was this compassion, and her interest in phrenology that brought Dotty to Ruth who stands accused of murdering her mistress. Dammed by her own tongue, Ruth confesses to making a corset that killed her torturer and mistress Kate. A death that would have been hard to explain as some form of evil magic or witchcraft, but with a confession to having woven poison into the corset with her threads, Ruth’s fate is all but sealed.
The question of Ruth’s innocence is played out against the backdop of a girl who is struggling to make sense of the loss, brutality and ugliness of life and starts to believe that to wish people dead she seems to somehow be able to make it happen through her embroidery. Yet, her father’s suicide and her mother death in a debtor’s prison, and the death of her infant sister through malnutrition, all seem to exonerate Ruth from any kind of wrongdoing. However, the twists to the story prevent us from having a clear view as we are left pondering if Ruth is a prisoner twisted and stubborn beyond the reach of redemption or a young girl forced to grow up beyond her years and endure suffering at the hands of the very people that were meant to protect her and those that are about to betray her.
Review and Comments
The historical references in the book were so believable and accurately reflective of Victorian England and the period. The gas lights, chamber pots, attitude towards young women being married by a certain age, and the social demographic and economic divisions within society.
The plot was well thought through and brilliantly narrated, with superb twists that made the story so absorbing and thought provoking. The writing was superb, and the characters were so well drawn, in particular Ruth, who is portrayed as both vulnerable and menacing. Mad or a murderer?, A victim or a villain?. I knew I would feel invested in this gifted girl from the outset regardless of the outcome or her demise.
4.5 stars because the story slowed down in the middle, and I was willing the pace to pick up again which it did as we headed for a captivating ending. However, for a story that was so skilfully woven and vividly depicted, I am rounding up. Gripping, thrilling and atmospheric with suspense that was accretive and perpetuating.
And now breathe….
May 6, 2020
4.5 Stars
A beautifully deductive Victorian chiller from the author of The Silent Companions.
Captivating and intriguing and a book that had me reading into the wee hours of the morning.
I love gothic fiction and Laura Purcell is now my queen of Gothic fiction.
Dorothea Truelove is young wealthy and beautiful, Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder. The two women’s paths cross when Dorothea charitable works takes her to Oakgate Prison where she finds herself intrigued by Ruth and her confession as a murderess and over the course of Dorothea’s visits with Ruth she learns of Ruth’s past and the secrets she has been hiding.
Creepy and atmospheric gothic fiction works for me and for the past few weeks this is what I am indulging myself in on lockdown and I am loving every minute of my time spent with these stories.
I loved the characters and the setting of this novel. Laura Purcell creates the most amazing characters and situations and I enjoyed both Protagonist’s stories. One of those stories that keep you guessing right up until the end and boy did I enjoy that ending. I had to go back and re-read the last few pages just to grasp what I had read.
I listened to this one on Audible and the narrator was excellent and added to my enjoyment of the story but I really can’t help wishing I had a hard copy for my real life book shelf to sit alongside
copy.
Gothic fiction isn't everyone's cup of tea but if you are a fan then this is a real treat and a book that is going onto my favorites list.
A beautifully deductive Victorian chiller from the author of The Silent Companions.
Captivating and intriguing and a book that had me reading into the wee hours of the morning.
I love gothic fiction and Laura Purcell is now my queen of Gothic fiction.
Dorothea Truelove is young wealthy and beautiful, Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder. The two women’s paths cross when Dorothea charitable works takes her to Oakgate Prison where she finds herself intrigued by Ruth and her confession as a murderess and over the course of Dorothea’s visits with Ruth she learns of Ruth’s past and the secrets she has been hiding.
Creepy and atmospheric gothic fiction works for me and for the past few weeks this is what I am indulging myself in on lockdown and I am loving every minute of my time spent with these stories.
I loved the characters and the setting of this novel. Laura Purcell creates the most amazing characters and situations and I enjoyed both Protagonist’s stories. One of those stories that keep you guessing right up until the end and boy did I enjoy that ending. I had to go back and re-read the last few pages just to grasp what I had read.
I listened to this one on Audible and the narrator was excellent and added to my enjoyment of the story but I really can’t help wishing I had a hard copy for my real life book shelf to sit alongside
copy. Gothic fiction isn't everyone's cup of tea but if you are a fan then this is a real treat and a book that is going onto my favorites list.
November 7, 2020
Gothic and Victorian in every inch. Two women, Dorothea and Ruth, as different as they may be, come to learn more of each other and themselves and the same time. The circumstances in which they meet are unusual, yet their fondeness grows as their friendship progresses.
I will be more than surprised if there is a book by Ms Purcell that I will rate with one star.
I will be more than surprised if there is a book by Ms Purcell that I will rate with one star.
January 15, 2022
“I swear to you…they’ll suffer for what they’ve done. All that you’ve endured will look like nothing - nothing! After I’m through with them.”
I loved The Silent Companions, and was interested in trying something else by Laura Purcell. The vibe is different in this one bit I still found it gripping and enjoyable.
Ruth is a prisoner, accused of committing murder, but did she actually do it? The stories she tells are pretty far fetched, are they sure she isn’t just mad?
Meanwhile, wealthy aristocratic Dorothea has an interest in female prisoners. She also studies the human skull, if size and shape could have an impact on a person’s person ability and deeds. She gets Ruth to open up to her on a visit, about her life and the things that have happened.
Ruth’s story takes you on a journey from her dark and traumatic childhood, into a life of servitude under an unforgiving mistress.
Definitely very hard to stomach at times, but it just serves to show how much a person can go through and suffer until they finally crack.
I liked the blurred line between mental instability and the supernatural. Did Ruth cause these deaths through her supernatural power? Or is she just blaming herself due to her own overwhelming guilt?
A fascinating read. I will be reading more by Laura Purcell.
********************
Spooky season is on the way and I loved The Silent Companions last year.
Can’t wait to read more by Laura Purcell 😊
I loved The Silent Companions, and was interested in trying something else by Laura Purcell. The vibe is different in this one bit I still found it gripping and enjoyable.
Ruth is a prisoner, accused of committing murder, but did she actually do it? The stories she tells are pretty far fetched, are they sure she isn’t just mad?
Meanwhile, wealthy aristocratic Dorothea has an interest in female prisoners. She also studies the human skull, if size and shape could have an impact on a person’s person ability and deeds. She gets Ruth to open up to her on a visit, about her life and the things that have happened.
Ruth’s story takes you on a journey from her dark and traumatic childhood, into a life of servitude under an unforgiving mistress.
Definitely very hard to stomach at times, but it just serves to show how much a person can go through and suffer until they finally crack.
I liked the blurred line between mental instability and the supernatural. Did Ruth cause these deaths through her supernatural power? Or is she just blaming herself due to her own overwhelming guilt?
A fascinating read. I will be reading more by Laura Purcell.
********************
Spooky season is on the way and I loved The Silent Companions last year.
Can’t wait to read more by Laura Purcell 😊
September 20, 2018
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, after reading and loving Silent Companions. Unfortunately it fell short of her previous one.
I really think Purcell is a talented writer with her atmospheric historical settings, creative plots, ability to raise tension. However, she couldn't escape certain pitfalls in this book that some writers often do.
The Corset was also a Gothic story like Silent Companions with 2 protagonists Ruth and Dotty with intercepting lives. I don't want to give spoilers, so I will be very brief with my review :)
I found the idea in this book very original, even more so than the first book. I loved Dotty and Ruth as characters. However, there were many problems in the plot. In addition, there were too many characters.
Purcell created a very good suspense at the beginning, but as we moved on in the story, more and more characters were added, the story line became unstructured, sloppy at times. She couldn't tie all ends together as there were too many fronts open.
I couldn't understand the point of some characters' existence. She spent so much time fiddling around some unimportant characters and events that we lost sight of the main story.
Yes, people say the end was a surprise, and it was. But, I think because of the side stories and characters, the reader was not allowed a chance to add two and two. I don't appreciate this kind of surprises personally. I'd like to have all the elements in front of me, and still the writer should be able to surprise me.
Additional comment, there was quite detailed gore in this book, which I'm surprised about. I thought they were totally unnecessary and didn't add much to the story. Plus, it made my stomach cringe.
In summary, I still enjoyed Purcell's writing, especially parts of the book when there was suspense building. But, there were too many loose ends, too many unreasonable actions from characters, and too many side stories and characters to deal with.
For those reasons, I gave this book 2.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Raven books for a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I really think Purcell is a talented writer with her atmospheric historical settings, creative plots, ability to raise tension. However, she couldn't escape certain pitfalls in this book that some writers often do.
The Corset was also a Gothic story like Silent Companions with 2 protagonists Ruth and Dotty with intercepting lives. I don't want to give spoilers, so I will be very brief with my review :)
I found the idea in this book very original, even more so than the first book. I loved Dotty and Ruth as characters. However, there were many problems in the plot. In addition, there were too many characters.
Purcell created a very good suspense at the beginning, but as we moved on in the story, more and more characters were added, the story line became unstructured, sloppy at times. She couldn't tie all ends together as there were too many fronts open.
I couldn't understand the point of some characters' existence. She spent so much time fiddling around some unimportant characters and events that we lost sight of the main story.
Yes, people say the end was a surprise, and it was. But, I think because of the side stories and characters, the reader was not allowed a chance to add two and two. I don't appreciate this kind of surprises personally. I'd like to have all the elements in front of me, and still the writer should be able to surprise me.
Additional comment, there was quite detailed gore in this book, which I'm surprised about. I thought they were totally unnecessary and didn't add much to the story. Plus, it made my stomach cringe.
In summary, I still enjoyed Purcell's writing, especially parts of the book when there was suspense building. But, there were too many loose ends, too many unreasonable actions from characters, and too many side stories and characters to deal with.
For those reasons, I gave this book 2.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Raven books for a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2024
After reading The Silent Companions, a modern masterpiece of Gothic fiction, I was very excited to try another novel by Laura Purcell. The Corset does not quite live up to the high expectations set by The Silent Companions, but it is, nevertheless, a very compelling read.
Like The Silent Companions, The Corset is a Victorian-era Gothic thriller, with plenty of plot twists and psychological ambiguity. The narration alternates between Dorothea and Ruth, the two main characters whose lives are dominated by their superstitions.
Dorothea is an amateur phrenologist from the privileged class who believes that an individual's character is determined by the contours and lumps on their skull. This raises the Calvinistic-type question about whether a person's fate is predetermined by the shape of their skull, or if the skull can adapt its shape in response to an individual's good or evil deeds. Dorothea devotes her time to visiting with prisoners, both as charity and to collect data to answer this question and further her studies.
At the prison, Dorothea becomes fascinated with Ruth, a young seamstress who believes that she can embed her emotions into her sewn garments. For example, by focusing her hate into her sewing needle, the resulting garment can become a type of weapon against whoever wears it. Ruth is imprisoned as a murderess, and much of the book is devoted to Ruth telling her story to Dorothea, including elaboration of her supposed powers.
This novel doesn't quite rise to the level of The Silent Companions in terms of its suspense, plotting, or character development. But it is still a very good read. Fans of Gothic fiction will find much to enjoy here.
Like The Silent Companions, The Corset is a Victorian-era Gothic thriller, with plenty of plot twists and psychological ambiguity. The narration alternates between Dorothea and Ruth, the two main characters whose lives are dominated by their superstitions.
Dorothea is an amateur phrenologist from the privileged class who believes that an individual's character is determined by the contours and lumps on their skull. This raises the Calvinistic-type question about whether a person's fate is predetermined by the shape of their skull, or if the skull can adapt its shape in response to an individual's good or evil deeds. Dorothea devotes her time to visiting with prisoners, both as charity and to collect data to answer this question and further her studies.
At the prison, Dorothea becomes fascinated with Ruth, a young seamstress who believes that she can embed her emotions into her sewn garments. For example, by focusing her hate into her sewing needle, the resulting garment can become a type of weapon against whoever wears it. Ruth is imprisoned as a murderess, and much of the book is devoted to Ruth telling her story to Dorothea, including elaboration of her supposed powers.
This novel doesn't quite rise to the level of The Silent Companions in terms of its suspense, plotting, or character development. But it is still a very good read. Fans of Gothic fiction will find much to enjoy here.
July 3, 2019
I listened to the audiobook of The Corset and it worked well in that format. The narrator had a pleasant voice which never intruded yet made it quite clear which character was speaking. And there was plenty of interest and anticipation in the story to hold the listener's attention at all times.
It was a great story told from the points of view of two main characters, both young women, but from the opposing ends of Victorian society. Dorothea, overprotected and naïve is twenty five years old and lives in luxury. Ruth is only sixteen but seems older and has, from her life at the lower end of society, seen and experienced many awful things by the time the two meet. This happens when Dorothea is doing good works in the prison where Ruth is being held while awaiting trial for murder.
The Corset is historical fiction at its best. The story is set against a well researched and fact filled Victorian lifestyle but there is a gothic side to it as well. Could it possibly be true that Ruth can sew death into the garments she makes or are the deaths which occur around her all coincidence? And then that perfect ending - what an unexpected twist.
It is a rather blood thirsty book, there are many deaths and some of them are really gross, but they are all appropriate to the place and the time. I enjoyed it and must now look out for the author's previous book The Silent Companions which I have not yet read.
It was a great story told from the points of view of two main characters, both young women, but from the opposing ends of Victorian society. Dorothea, overprotected and naïve is twenty five years old and lives in luxury. Ruth is only sixteen but seems older and has, from her life at the lower end of society, seen and experienced many awful things by the time the two meet. This happens when Dorothea is doing good works in the prison where Ruth is being held while awaiting trial for murder.
The Corset is historical fiction at its best. The story is set against a well researched and fact filled Victorian lifestyle but there is a gothic side to it as well. Could it possibly be true that Ruth can sew death into the garments she makes or are the deaths which occur around her all coincidence? And then that perfect ending - what an unexpected twist.
It is a rather blood thirsty book, there are many deaths and some of them are really gross, but they are all appropriate to the place and the time. I enjoyed it and must now look out for the author's previous book The Silent Companions which I have not yet read.
December 18, 2018
The Corset is a ‘gothic’ novel by Laura Purcell set in Victorian England.
Gothic is a term I had never really questioned before. Out of interest I looked up several definitions of Gothic Literature. Most definitions feature the traits ‘fear, horror, death, gloom and sometimes romance’. These sum up this book pretty well!
The Corset isn’t a light Victorian pastiche, in fact at times it is graphically violent and bleak. There are grotesque plot twists and a pervading feeling impending doom. The descriptions of poverty in London and the British penal system of the time are quite shocking.
The story concerns Dorothea a wealthy young woman who single mindedly follows her passion for science, specifically phrenology - the study of the cranium and how it’s shape dictates personality. Dorothea visits prisons and studies the inmates, particularly murderers. She hopes to find the reason and source of their evil doings. This enthusiasm upsets her father who wants a more conventional role for his daughter ....... a good marriage etc.
Whilst visiting the newly built Oakgate prison Dorothea meets Ruth, a very young self confessed murderer. Ruth is a poor but skilled seamstress with a macabre and very chilling backstory. The contrast between the wealthy middle class and the unimaginably poor is a constant theme.
This novel has an original, creepy storyline and is definitely melodramatic, playing throughout with supernatural themes. The dialogue is elegant and feels realistic and the characters are fully imagined.
There is pathos in a Dickensian sense but its not cloying and the storyline is certainly involving. There is also humour in Dorothea’s droll take on the characters and world around her.
All in all a good, exciting but extremely dark historical read.
Gothic is a term I had never really questioned before. Out of interest I looked up several definitions of Gothic Literature. Most definitions feature the traits ‘fear, horror, death, gloom and sometimes romance’. These sum up this book pretty well!
The Corset isn’t a light Victorian pastiche, in fact at times it is graphically violent and bleak. There are grotesque plot twists and a pervading feeling impending doom. The descriptions of poverty in London and the British penal system of the time are quite shocking.
The story concerns Dorothea a wealthy young woman who single mindedly follows her passion for science, specifically phrenology - the study of the cranium and how it’s shape dictates personality. Dorothea visits prisons and studies the inmates, particularly murderers. She hopes to find the reason and source of their evil doings. This enthusiasm upsets her father who wants a more conventional role for his daughter ....... a good marriage etc.
Whilst visiting the newly built Oakgate prison Dorothea meets Ruth, a very young self confessed murderer. Ruth is a poor but skilled seamstress with a macabre and very chilling backstory. The contrast between the wealthy middle class and the unimaginably poor is a constant theme.
This novel has an original, creepy storyline and is definitely melodramatic, playing throughout with supernatural themes. The dialogue is elegant and feels realistic and the characters are fully imagined.
There is pathos in a Dickensian sense but its not cloying and the storyline is certainly involving. There is also humour in Dorothea’s droll take on the characters and world around her.
All in all a good, exciting but extremely dark historical read.
March 11, 2019
The tenor of this novel is one of menace and foreboding as two women’s lives intersect at a prison. One is a prisoner and accomplished seamstress whose tools of her trade may include the monstrous ability to commit murder and the other is a privileged woman of breeding with a penchant for phrenology. Both are young but neither are particularly decent people. There is anguish, abuse and injustice between these pages. The Poison Thread out-gothics the gothic novel.
June 11, 2019
Thank you to Penguin Books who provided an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.
I was tipped off of this gothic murder mystery by my Goodreads friend Mary Beth, who knew I had enjoyed this author's previous offering " The Silent Companions". I enjoyed this book equally, if not more!
The book takes place in England during a period when chamber pots are still used for bathroom trips and women wear whalebone corsets. There is also the spector of the debtor's prison when you can't pay your bills.
This story revolves around two main characters:
Ruth Butterham is sitting in prison accused of murder. Still in her teens, her life will soon be over when she's hanged for her crime. Her life up until now has been one unspeakable event after another. The crux of most of her misery has been the increasing plague of poverty that has haunted her life. From being shunned and taunted at school, forced to wait on her financial betters, and often being abused by her employer, in some ways her new whitewashed prison cell was better lodgings. She's had to sleep in a basement on a pallet of hay, been confined to a dark coal hole as punishment, and been forced to share a murky, crowded, lice-infested room with one chamber pot for a night's shelter. Her talent is sewing. When her mother was still alive, she used to take in sewing to make ends meet. Her mother came from money, but in defiance married a handsome artist and was disinherited. Although still painting, Pa wasn't that successful and he was also an alcoholic. Even with Ma's sewing they were barely existing and couldn't even pay a doctor if one of the family got sick. When Ma discovered one evening that Ruth was an even more skilled embroideress than she was, Ruth was taken out of school to financially bulk up the family.
Dorothea Truelove is 25 and still unmarried, much to her father's chagrin. Her father has designs for her potential husband, but Dorothea secretly loves a policeman. Dorothea occasionally meets up with her secret admirer discreetly in public gardens. Dorothea has an intellectual passion, that of phrenology...or the study of the shape and size of the skull/cranium as an indicator of character and mental abilities. She is well known at the local prison where she is on the board and visits prisoners. It is here that she met up with Ruth Butterham.
As the narration alternates between these two contrasting characters, the quality of their lives couldn't be in more sharp relief. In fact, when the narrative would switch over to Dorothea I would actually find her cushy, well-born existence a bit sickening. While Dorothea frets and dallies over whether or not to marry the policeman she loves and lose her station in life, or to marry the posh and well-heeled gentleman her father prefers, Ruth is struggling not to starve and to have a roof over her head. I actually felt cheered and relieved when I would read Ruth's account, even though her story was quite sad and horrific.
This was an engaging, and sometimes riveting account of an unfortunate young woman who is convinced that the items she sews can cause harm to others. It's also a lesson in life of the haves and have nots, and the horrors of being destitute in Dickensonian fashion.
I was tipped off of this gothic murder mystery by my Goodreads friend Mary Beth, who knew I had enjoyed this author's previous offering " The Silent Companions". I enjoyed this book equally, if not more!
The book takes place in England during a period when chamber pots are still used for bathroom trips and women wear whalebone corsets. There is also the spector of the debtor's prison when you can't pay your bills.
This story revolves around two main characters:
Ruth Butterham is sitting in prison accused of murder. Still in her teens, her life will soon be over when she's hanged for her crime. Her life up until now has been one unspeakable event after another. The crux of most of her misery has been the increasing plague of poverty that has haunted her life. From being shunned and taunted at school, forced to wait on her financial betters, and often being abused by her employer, in some ways her new whitewashed prison cell was better lodgings. She's had to sleep in a basement on a pallet of hay, been confined to a dark coal hole as punishment, and been forced to share a murky, crowded, lice-infested room with one chamber pot for a night's shelter. Her talent is sewing. When her mother was still alive, she used to take in sewing to make ends meet. Her mother came from money, but in defiance married a handsome artist and was disinherited. Although still painting, Pa wasn't that successful and he was also an alcoholic. Even with Ma's sewing they were barely existing and couldn't even pay a doctor if one of the family got sick. When Ma discovered one evening that Ruth was an even more skilled embroideress than she was, Ruth was taken out of school to financially bulk up the family.
Dorothea Truelove is 25 and still unmarried, much to her father's chagrin. Her father has designs for her potential husband, but Dorothea secretly loves a policeman. Dorothea occasionally meets up with her secret admirer discreetly in public gardens. Dorothea has an intellectual passion, that of phrenology...or the study of the shape and size of the skull/cranium as an indicator of character and mental abilities. She is well known at the local prison where she is on the board and visits prisoners. It is here that she met up with Ruth Butterham.
As the narration alternates between these two contrasting characters, the quality of their lives couldn't be in more sharp relief. In fact, when the narrative would switch over to Dorothea I would actually find her cushy, well-born existence a bit sickening. While Dorothea frets and dallies over whether or not to marry the policeman she loves and lose her station in life, or to marry the posh and well-heeled gentleman her father prefers, Ruth is struggling not to starve and to have a roof over her head. I actually felt cheered and relieved when I would read Ruth's account, even though her story was quite sad and horrific.
This was an engaging, and sometimes riveting account of an unfortunate young woman who is convinced that the items she sews can cause harm to others. It's also a lesson in life of the haves and have nots, and the horrors of being destitute in Dickensonian fashion.
September 24, 2020
Thirteen year old milliner suffers in not-so-merry old England
This novel is even more wonderful than The Silent Companions, the first book I read by Laura Purcell. You are drawn in and empathize greatly with her characters, especially, poor, plain Ruth. When her story begins, at age twelve, she has been beaten and reviled by her snooty classmates, nasty girls one and all. Her family can't help her; her poor mother works taking in sewing, but it does little to help their genteel poverty, as her father is a drunken, has been painter. Ruth begins sewing as her mother needs help supporting the family, so she drops out of school. Ruth discovers that she has a natural talent for the work and soon surpasses her mother at fine detail embroidery. This is about the last good thing that happens to her.
Another young lady, Dorothea, at 25 already an old maid, meets Ruth through her charity work with prisons and is fascinated by her. Ruth has been imprisoned for murder and Dorothea wants to hear her story.Ruth obliges. How these two learn to listen to each other and solve the puzzles of their young lives is fascinating and riveting.
This novel is even more wonderful than The Silent Companions, the first book I read by Laura Purcell. You are drawn in and empathize greatly with her characters, especially, poor, plain Ruth. When her story begins, at age twelve, she has been beaten and reviled by her snooty classmates, nasty girls one and all. Her family can't help her; her poor mother works taking in sewing, but it does little to help their genteel poverty, as her father is a drunken, has been painter. Ruth begins sewing as her mother needs help supporting the family, so she drops out of school. Ruth discovers that she has a natural talent for the work and soon surpasses her mother at fine detail embroidery. This is about the last good thing that happens to her.
Another young lady, Dorothea, at 25 already an old maid, meets Ruth through her charity work with prisons and is fascinated by her. Ruth has been imprisoned for murder and Dorothea wants to hear her story.Ruth obliges. How these two learn to listen to each other and solve the puzzles of their young lives is fascinating and riveting.
July 9, 2019
I read Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions last year and I adored it so I was thrilled to get an ARC of her newest novel, The Poison Thread.
We have two women from very different social classes: Dorothea Truelove who is wealthy and likes to visit women's prisons to help them repent before dying and poor 16 year old murderess, Ruth Butterham, who claims to be able to kill people with her sewing skills.
The chapters alternate between Dorothea and Ruth. Ruth's chapters highlight what her life was like before and what ultimately brought her to New Oakgate Prison. These were my favorite chapters. I found Dorothea's chapters not nearly as compelling and by the half way point I was skimming her chapters just so I could get back to Ruth.
I will warn you that this book can be quite gory at times which I hadn't been expecting. There is a child birthing scene in which I will never forget - shivers!
I am happy to say that Ms. Purcell was able to tie everything together in the end in a most satisfying conclusion and I turned the final page with a smile. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
We have two women from very different social classes: Dorothea Truelove who is wealthy and likes to visit women's prisons to help them repent before dying and poor 16 year old murderess, Ruth Butterham, who claims to be able to kill people with her sewing skills.
The chapters alternate between Dorothea and Ruth. Ruth's chapters highlight what her life was like before and what ultimately brought her to New Oakgate Prison. These were my favorite chapters. I found Dorothea's chapters not nearly as compelling and by the half way point I was skimming her chapters just so I could get back to Ruth.
I will warn you that this book can be quite gory at times which I hadn't been expecting. There is a child birthing scene in which I will never forget - shivers!
I am happy to say that Ms. Purcell was able to tie everything together in the end in a most satisfying conclusion and I turned the final page with a smile. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 13, 2021
***NO SPOILERS***
Shortly after thirteen-year-old Ruth Butterham discovers she has a gift for sewing and embroidery, she also discovers that she can inflict pain on others simply by sewing something for them--clothing, a blanket, a handkerchief. Twenty-five-year-old Dorothea Truelove, a practitioner of phrenology, takes an interest in Ruth; specifically, she wants to read her skull.
The Poison Thread (alternatively titled The Corset), is a gaslamp mystery with the dark undertones Laura Purcell’s books have become known for. This is an immersive reading experience; the Victorian setting is very well rendered and the characters’ speech has that touch of formality and antiquated phrasing typical of the period. Purcell smartly chose a dual narrative structure, with Ruth relaying her story to Dorothea, starting from when she first discovered her power at thirteen, to the present day, where she’s sixteen years old and in prison awaiting her execution day. Hanging over the story is the question of how she got there.
Ruth’s backstory is gripping, full of tragedy, suspense, and shocking moments. Life has dealt her a horribly unfair hand; her world is a cruel one, and it’s easy to see how she could stay trapped in poverty forever. Early on, her life takes an upsetting and sinister turn, ultimately leading to the question of whether she’s a villain, a victim, or both. As revelations come to light, the answer to that seems clear, only for a new revelation to unfold later and cast fresh doubt. Only on the last page, and after several genuinely surprising twists, did Purcell provide a definitive answer.
In stark contrast to Ruth, Dorothea leads a life of comfort. Her sections exist mainly to provide commentary on Ruth’s as she tries to work out the puzzle that is this strange girl. Dorothea does have her own story--and one of The Poison Thread’s big twists takes place in her narrative--but her worries are more mundane and her life less interesting. Her story could’ve been expanded and fleshed out; however, it’s also fine as is because Ruth is the star of this book.
Purcell is one of many authors writing atmospheric stories that take place in the 1800s, but she stands out from the pack for writing with an understated deftness. Her prose slips into the time comfortably, as if her knowledge is innate. Dialogue isn’t try-hard or wooden. In The Poison Thread specifically, she unobtrusively reinforced the sewing theme with vivid tactile descriptions and a few well-placed sewing metaphors. She wrote about luxe brocades, soft velveteen, flowing silks and satins, cording, corset boning made of whittled-down whale baleen. Colors have rich, exotic-sounding names. Ruth eventually works at a high-end dress shop and it calls to mind the joyousness of a candy store; it’s awash in bright color, with fancy dresses on display and a main floor covered in plush, pristine carpeting.
However, this beautiful shop distracts from ugliness that’s just a few rooms away, and an awful sense of foreboding creeps through most of Ruth’s narrative. The Poison Thread isn’t an unbearable read--upsetting scenes are described but not overdone--but it’s painful in parts. The whole story also hinges on the outsize importance of social class, with the physical misery of the poor emphasized.
In the end, all is wrapped up well with a sudden, satisfying punch in the final paragraph à la Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House or The Lottery. The Poison Thread is top-notch in its sub-genre, fully delivering on its promise of a unique mystery with a strong sense of time and place. The book--and all of Purcell’s work--deserves many more readers.
Shortly after thirteen-year-old Ruth Butterham discovers she has a gift for sewing and embroidery, she also discovers that she can inflict pain on others simply by sewing something for them--clothing, a blanket, a handkerchief. Twenty-five-year-old Dorothea Truelove, a practitioner of phrenology, takes an interest in Ruth; specifically, she wants to read her skull.
The Poison Thread (alternatively titled The Corset), is a gaslamp mystery with the dark undertones Laura Purcell’s books have become known for. This is an immersive reading experience; the Victorian setting is very well rendered and the characters’ speech has that touch of formality and antiquated phrasing typical of the period. Purcell smartly chose a dual narrative structure, with Ruth relaying her story to Dorothea, starting from when she first discovered her power at thirteen, to the present day, where she’s sixteen years old and in prison awaiting her execution day. Hanging over the story is the question of how she got there.
Ruth’s backstory is gripping, full of tragedy, suspense, and shocking moments. Life has dealt her a horribly unfair hand; her world is a cruel one, and it’s easy to see how she could stay trapped in poverty forever. Early on, her life takes an upsetting and sinister turn, ultimately leading to the question of whether she’s a villain, a victim, or both. As revelations come to light, the answer to that seems clear, only for a new revelation to unfold later and cast fresh doubt. Only on the last page, and after several genuinely surprising twists, did Purcell provide a definitive answer.
In stark contrast to Ruth, Dorothea leads a life of comfort. Her sections exist mainly to provide commentary on Ruth’s as she tries to work out the puzzle that is this strange girl. Dorothea does have her own story--and one of The Poison Thread’s big twists takes place in her narrative--but her worries are more mundane and her life less interesting. Her story could’ve been expanded and fleshed out; however, it’s also fine as is because Ruth is the star of this book.
Purcell is one of many authors writing atmospheric stories that take place in the 1800s, but she stands out from the pack for writing with an understated deftness. Her prose slips into the time comfortably, as if her knowledge is innate. Dialogue isn’t try-hard or wooden. In The Poison Thread specifically, she unobtrusively reinforced the sewing theme with vivid tactile descriptions and a few well-placed sewing metaphors. She wrote about luxe brocades, soft velveteen, flowing silks and satins, cording, corset boning made of whittled-down whale baleen. Colors have rich, exotic-sounding names. Ruth eventually works at a high-end dress shop and it calls to mind the joyousness of a candy store; it’s awash in bright color, with fancy dresses on display and a main floor covered in plush, pristine carpeting.
However, this beautiful shop distracts from ugliness that’s just a few rooms away, and an awful sense of foreboding creeps through most of Ruth’s narrative. The Poison Thread isn’t an unbearable read--upsetting scenes are described but not overdone--but it’s painful in parts. The whole story also hinges on the outsize importance of social class, with the physical misery of the poor emphasized.
In the end, all is wrapped up well with a sudden, satisfying punch in the final paragraph à la Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House or The Lottery. The Poison Thread is top-notch in its sub-genre, fully delivering on its promise of a unique mystery with a strong sense of time and place. The book--and all of Purcell’s work--deserves many more readers.
July 23, 2018
If bad things stared happening to everyone around you, to each and every person you stitched clothing for, it's inevitable that you'd start to wonder whether it might somehow, in some crazy way, be your fault. Maybe you're jinxed. Maybe your hatred and anger and despair somehow infected the material, maybe your bad luck rubs off. Or maybe you did it on purpose? Maybe, if you tried, you could do it again...
So goes the tale of Ruth Butterham, in prison for murder, her confession of guilt meaning the case is closed before the trial even begins, the death penalty looming in her immediate future. Enter the well-to-do Dorothea, apparently at the prison for charitable works, though actually desperate to prove her ideas about the science of phrenology. What better place to link the patterns of the skull with the immorality and degradation of women in the penal system? Ruth's woeful past is related in flashbacks to Dorothea, whose chapters deal with the current day, and who is, initially at least, dismissive of such supernatural idiocy; Ruth's uncanny abilities seem no more than the product of a superstitious mind. That is, until she starts to see things that plain thinking just can't explain.
Following traditional gothic style, the game, of course, is working out who or what you believe- whether the events recounted can be justified by the normal rules of the world or if extraordinary explanations must be sought. Especially difficult when both narrators are far from reliable. Each of the deaths, tragic or well deserved, that could ostensibly be the result of Ruth's deadly stitching are stretched to the extreme in ways that leave them wide open, with the supernatural aspect pushed for the sake of the plot at one point, then human agency at another. The problem I have is that I'm quite willing to believe in both, in literature at least, so I can hold both answers in my mind simultaneously without having to decide on one or the other. The mystery is in the way the author will take it, but I am equally prepared for, and happy with, either or both. If, however, the answers are strongly signalled early on, the climactic build is completely undermined as there's nothing left to wonder. It was completely different in the author's first book, The Silent Companions, which was one of the best modern pieces of gothic lit I've read: well written, atmospheric, and beyond creepy. Each event was deeply unsettling because it had that genuine possibility of being malicious humanity or something inexplicable. Either way, it was frightening. This has none of that. Other than the horrendous abuse suffered by Ruth during her young life, there's no real horror and no sense of the unexpected. Honestly, so what if she can kill people with her stitching? I'm not getting a gown made any time soon, so i'll be alright, cheers. It's too distant to make you feel anything, it doesn't have enough menace to chill.
As in the first book, the writing is vibrant, with gothic themes layered throughout. The slowly blooming revenge plot is the best part, twisting through both stories so that the climax is inevitable, but no less pleasing. The clever way it changes one character's perspective, even her very nature, while setting up a kind of reversal for the finale was beautiful to watch. Both women are trapped in their own ways, claustrophobic lives that offer scant chance for personal freedom, but they find their own paths in the end. Even with the aspects that didn't work for me, there's no doubting this author's talent. I won't hesitate to pick up whatever she writes next. But for those who want her best, go for The Silent Companions.
ARC via Netgalley
So goes the tale of Ruth Butterham, in prison for murder, her confession of guilt meaning the case is closed before the trial even begins, the death penalty looming in her immediate future. Enter the well-to-do Dorothea, apparently at the prison for charitable works, though actually desperate to prove her ideas about the science of phrenology. What better place to link the patterns of the skull with the immorality and degradation of women in the penal system? Ruth's woeful past is related in flashbacks to Dorothea, whose chapters deal with the current day, and who is, initially at least, dismissive of such supernatural idiocy; Ruth's uncanny abilities seem no more than the product of a superstitious mind. That is, until she starts to see things that plain thinking just can't explain.
Following traditional gothic style, the game, of course, is working out who or what you believe- whether the events recounted can be justified by the normal rules of the world or if extraordinary explanations must be sought. Especially difficult when both narrators are far from reliable. Each of the deaths, tragic or well deserved, that could ostensibly be the result of Ruth's deadly stitching are stretched to the extreme in ways that leave them wide open, with the supernatural aspect pushed for the sake of the plot at one point, then human agency at another. The problem I have is that I'm quite willing to believe in both, in literature at least, so I can hold both answers in my mind simultaneously without having to decide on one or the other. The mystery is in the way the author will take it, but I am equally prepared for, and happy with, either or both. If, however, the answers are strongly signalled early on, the climactic build is completely undermined as there's nothing left to wonder. It was completely different in the author's first book, The Silent Companions, which was one of the best modern pieces of gothic lit I've read: well written, atmospheric, and beyond creepy. Each event was deeply unsettling because it had that genuine possibility of being malicious humanity or something inexplicable. Either way, it was frightening. This has none of that. Other than the horrendous abuse suffered by Ruth during her young life, there's no real horror and no sense of the unexpected. Honestly, so what if she can kill people with her stitching? I'm not getting a gown made any time soon, so i'll be alright, cheers. It's too distant to make you feel anything, it doesn't have enough menace to chill.
As in the first book, the writing is vibrant, with gothic themes layered throughout. The slowly blooming revenge plot is the best part, twisting through both stories so that the climax is inevitable, but no less pleasing. The clever way it changes one character's perspective, even her very nature, while setting up a kind of reversal for the finale was beautiful to watch. Both women are trapped in their own ways, claustrophobic lives that offer scant chance for personal freedom, but they find their own paths in the end. Even with the aspects that didn't work for me, there's no doubting this author's talent. I won't hesitate to pick up whatever she writes next. But for those who want her best, go for The Silent Companions.
ARC via Netgalley
October 8, 2018
I got retroactive FOMO for Laura Purcell’s novel The Silent Companions because everybody seemed to be raving about it, so I knew I needed to read this one. Especially because it focuses on two women, one of them being a prisoner on trial for murder. I love books featuring unapologetically difficult women and Ruth and Dorothea definitely fit the bill.
Dorothea Truelove is a young, unmarried woman, with plenty of suitors who would rather spend her time doing charity work (do not take her to be a kind person though, she really is not). She is most interested in prisons, as she has a strongly developed theory of phrenology that she feels the need to prove (which proves my point about her being maybe not the best person). As such, Ruth seems to be the perfect specimen to research for her: Ruth is sixteen and in prison awaiting her trial that will most likely lead to her execution for murder. The story is told in these dual perspectives, where Ruth is telling her story to Dorothea and the reader is along for the ride to figure out whether Ruth truly killed her mistress with her magic needle work.
For me, this was a really uneven reading experience. While I for the most part really enjoyed Ruth’s perspective and the ambiguity of her story, Dorothea’s part of the book did not work for me (except for the last chapter). Ruth is a compelling character, whose tough and hatred-filled veneer starts to crack the further her story developes. She is still so childlike while being so very broken, it hurt my heart. Dorothea on the other hand with her boring social life and her creepy obsession with phrenology did not quite keep my interest. This might be different for readers from different countries, but for me phrenology itself makes me very uncomfortable. I do not want to read about this and did not realize how obsessive Dorothea would be describing everybody’s skull (there is an in-story reason for this – but it did not change my gut reaction to this).
Furthermore, I found quite a bit of Ruth’s backstory to toe the line to torture porn, which probably says more about me as a reader than about the book to be honest. I would have liked to have these scenes be a little bit more scarcely used.
However, I found the ending to be very satisfying – Laura Purcell pulls together the two storylines in a really wonderful way. I was fine with the men’s storylines to be unresolved because in the end – this is a book about Ruth and Dorothea.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing UK / Raven Books in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and other thoughts on books on my blog.
Dorothea Truelove is a young, unmarried woman, with plenty of suitors who would rather spend her time doing charity work (do not take her to be a kind person though, she really is not). She is most interested in prisons, as she has a strongly developed theory of phrenology that she feels the need to prove (which proves my point about her being maybe not the best person). As such, Ruth seems to be the perfect specimen to research for her: Ruth is sixteen and in prison awaiting her trial that will most likely lead to her execution for murder. The story is told in these dual perspectives, where Ruth is telling her story to Dorothea and the reader is along for the ride to figure out whether Ruth truly killed her mistress with her magic needle work.
For me, this was a really uneven reading experience. While I for the most part really enjoyed Ruth’s perspective and the ambiguity of her story, Dorothea’s part of the book did not work for me (except for the last chapter). Ruth is a compelling character, whose tough and hatred-filled veneer starts to crack the further her story developes. She is still so childlike while being so very broken, it hurt my heart. Dorothea on the other hand with her boring social life and her creepy obsession with phrenology did not quite keep my interest. This might be different for readers from different countries, but for me phrenology itself makes me very uncomfortable. I do not want to read about this and did not realize how obsessive Dorothea would be describing everybody’s skull (there is an in-story reason for this – but it did not change my gut reaction to this).
Furthermore, I found quite a bit of Ruth’s backstory to toe the line to torture porn, which probably says more about me as a reader than about the book to be honest. I would have liked to have these scenes be a little bit more scarcely used.
However, I found the ending to be very satisfying – Laura Purcell pulls together the two storylines in a really wonderful way. I was fine with the men’s storylines to be unresolved because in the end – this is a book about Ruth and Dorothea.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing UK / Raven Books in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and other thoughts on books on my blog.
July 10, 2019
At first glance, this appeared to be an ordinary Victorian book about a young socialite, the daughter of a wealthy nobleman, with far too much time on her hands yet no interest in the usual coquetries of society. She was studying phrenology, a popular belief at the time that the skull could predict behavior and be re-shaped to alter such. Although we may sneer at this now, it was the precursor of modern behavioral science. As part of her "studies" and her desire for good works, also a very Victorian endeavor, she visits women in jail, listens to the woes of their crimes and examines their skulls. But one prisoner is unlike the rest: Ruth. This woman weaves a sinister tale about poison, and sewing and garments that can harm their owners. Is she mad? Does she belong is an institution or is she simply playing at being crazy in order to escape hanging? How can one know for sure.
Purcell alternates the chapters between the two women, the present and the past, and as she does so we, the reader, become as entwined into the threads of the story as the victims of Ruth's garments became ensnared in hers. From the moment I began reading there was no stopping. I had to know how it ended and now, weeks after I finished, I cannot stop thinking about Ruth and her needles, her life and that of those around her. Purcell does an amazing job of bring to life Victorian England - the horrors, the poverty, the wretchedness of the poor, those in debt and, in contrast, those with money and their fineries. She also hints at the problems during this time between those who remained Catholic versus those who, of course, chose the Church of England. It was a strange and misguided time in England's history - the age of coming knowledge combined with the ignorance of the darkness just left behind and Purcell does an commendable job of conveying all of that in The Poison Thread. This is gothic Victorian at its best and I highly recommend it for those who like this era, horror, magical realism, mystery and British literature. You will find all of that within this fabulous book.
Purcell alternates the chapters between the two women, the present and the past, and as she does so we, the reader, become as entwined into the threads of the story as the victims of Ruth's garments became ensnared in hers. From the moment I began reading there was no stopping. I had to know how it ended and now, weeks after I finished, I cannot stop thinking about Ruth and her needles, her life and that of those around her. Purcell does an amazing job of bring to life Victorian England - the horrors, the poverty, the wretchedness of the poor, those in debt and, in contrast, those with money and their fineries. She also hints at the problems during this time between those who remained Catholic versus those who, of course, chose the Church of England. It was a strange and misguided time in England's history - the age of coming knowledge combined with the ignorance of the darkness just left behind and Purcell does an commendable job of conveying all of that in The Poison Thread. This is gothic Victorian at its best and I highly recommend it for those who like this era, horror, magical realism, mystery and British literature. You will find all of that within this fabulous book.
October 20, 2020
Death by embroidery? Really? This is a gothic and menacing offering from the author of The Silent Companions (which I quite enjoyed). It is pure Victoriana and is well written and well told. The settings are pure Dickens with some typical prison and sweat shop scenes.
There are two main characters. Dorothea Truelove (yes really) is an heiress who is unmarried and in her 20s. She does good works and is very much persuaded by phrenology and believes that the shape of the skull can give clues about the criminal propensities of the owner of said skull. Phrenology was quite popular in the mid nineteenth century. Dorothea is being pushed to marry a man of quality, but is actually enamoured of a policeman called David. Their relationship drifts through the book not really going anywhere.
The other main character is Ruth Butterham. She is a young seventeen year old waiting to be tried for murder and most likely hanged. Dorothea visits Ruth and their stories alternate throughout the book. Dorothea visits the women’s prison regularly in the hope of persuading the inmates to allow her to feel their skulls and test her theories. Ruth has a tragic backstory and has to help her mother with her sewing from an early age. Circumstances lead Ruth to believe that she has the ability to damage people with her sewing and embroidery and there are various instances where this appears to be the case. Ruth is left orphaned and ends up in the equivalent of a sweat shop working for a tyrannical mistress called Mrs Metyard. The life is brutal and the punishments harsh, one even leading to the death of a young black girl called Miriam.
The plot works itself out and Ruth seems to work some of her malevolence through her needle, Mrs Metyard comes to a sticky end and there are a couple of twists near the end which don’t come as a total surprise, but are quite baffling as the plot seems to get lost.
So far, so gothic. It’s well told and the menace builds as it should. The whole thing doesn’t really seem to know whether it’s a crime novel or a supernatural chiller.
Here’s the problems I have with it. The torture scenes are rather graphic and are being inflicted on young girls. Mrs Metyard, the one character in the book with no redeeming features, is even more of a problem. She is brutal and sadistic, especially when she has a reason to punish someone. At these times she emerges as The Captain, in male dress (possibly that of her late husband) and there is an unpredictability as to when The Captain will be present. So we have a combination of mental ill-health and tropes related to cross dressing/transgender being used to provide the role of antagonist. That did grate. Too much repetitious torture, misused tropes, not quite knowing what it’s meant to be and an inability to decide whose story it was.
There are two main characters. Dorothea Truelove (yes really) is an heiress who is unmarried and in her 20s. She does good works and is very much persuaded by phrenology and believes that the shape of the skull can give clues about the criminal propensities of the owner of said skull. Phrenology was quite popular in the mid nineteenth century. Dorothea is being pushed to marry a man of quality, but is actually enamoured of a policeman called David. Their relationship drifts through the book not really going anywhere.
The other main character is Ruth Butterham. She is a young seventeen year old waiting to be tried for murder and most likely hanged. Dorothea visits Ruth and their stories alternate throughout the book. Dorothea visits the women’s prison regularly in the hope of persuading the inmates to allow her to feel their skulls and test her theories. Ruth has a tragic backstory and has to help her mother with her sewing from an early age. Circumstances lead Ruth to believe that she has the ability to damage people with her sewing and embroidery and there are various instances where this appears to be the case. Ruth is left orphaned and ends up in the equivalent of a sweat shop working for a tyrannical mistress called Mrs Metyard. The life is brutal and the punishments harsh, one even leading to the death of a young black girl called Miriam.
The plot works itself out and Ruth seems to work some of her malevolence through her needle, Mrs Metyard comes to a sticky end and there are a couple of twists near the end which don’t come as a total surprise, but are quite baffling as the plot seems to get lost.
So far, so gothic. It’s well told and the menace builds as it should. The whole thing doesn’t really seem to know whether it’s a crime novel or a supernatural chiller.
Here’s the problems I have with it. The torture scenes are rather graphic and are being inflicted on young girls. Mrs Metyard, the one character in the book with no redeeming features, is even more of a problem. She is brutal and sadistic, especially when she has a reason to punish someone. At these times she emerges as The Captain, in male dress (possibly that of her late husband) and there is an unpredictability as to when The Captain will be present. So we have a combination of mental ill-health and tropes related to cross dressing/transgender being used to provide the role of antagonist. That did grate. Too much repetitious torture, misused tropes, not quite knowing what it’s meant to be and an inability to decide whose story it was.
September 16, 2018
My gosh, The Corset was such a cool, edgy and randomly horrifying tale, such descriptive beauty to be found here wrapped around a story that is both scary and entirely emotive.
Dorothea visits women in jail – she is sensible, pragmatic and intelligent, using the visits to gain knowledge for her scientific research. But when she meets Ruth, whose life has been dark and twisted, who believes she holds within her a terrible power, Dorothea slowly begins to question all that she once believed..
I loved this. The mystery of the truth behind Ruth’s case is so cleverly woven, at the same time we get a horrifying and authentic glimpse at the social hierarchy of the time – the abyss between those that have and those that have not, the casual cruelty inflicted on the lower classes, the lack of choices for women of any circumstance. Dorothea’s story is just as absorbing as Ruth’s, the challenges she faces are also many. Danger lurks around every corner and The Corset is both a delightful and an emotionally challenging read.
This is visceral, heart stopping writing, totally absorbing the reader, a darkly unsettling undertone runs throughout and doesn’t loosen it’s grip until that very last page – not even then really, there are certain scenes in this novel that will never leave me.
The brilliant plotting and the author’s ability to immerse you into the story meant that I was randomly blindsided on occasion, which was hugely satisfying, when I actually don’t expect the unexpected it’s the icing on the reading cake for me.
Brilliant from opening to closing, The Corset is incredible. What else can I say?
Highly Recommended.
Dorothea visits women in jail – she is sensible, pragmatic and intelligent, using the visits to gain knowledge for her scientific research. But when she meets Ruth, whose life has been dark and twisted, who believes she holds within her a terrible power, Dorothea slowly begins to question all that she once believed..
I loved this. The mystery of the truth behind Ruth’s case is so cleverly woven, at the same time we get a horrifying and authentic glimpse at the social hierarchy of the time – the abyss between those that have and those that have not, the casual cruelty inflicted on the lower classes, the lack of choices for women of any circumstance. Dorothea’s story is just as absorbing as Ruth’s, the challenges she faces are also many. Danger lurks around every corner and The Corset is both a delightful and an emotionally challenging read.
This is visceral, heart stopping writing, totally absorbing the reader, a darkly unsettling undertone runs throughout and doesn’t loosen it’s grip until that very last page – not even then really, there are certain scenes in this novel that will never leave me.
The brilliant plotting and the author’s ability to immerse you into the story meant that I was randomly blindsided on occasion, which was hugely satisfying, when I actually don’t expect the unexpected it’s the icing on the reading cake for me.
Brilliant from opening to closing, The Corset is incredible. What else can I say?
Highly Recommended.
October 21, 2021
Il filo avvelenato è stata una lettura travolgente e vivida, immersa in un’atmosfera gotica che ho particolarmente apprezzato.
February 27, 2021
A gothic, Victorian novel full of mystery and twists, and it was very good. The story moves between two points of view. Dorothea Truelove is a young woman who visits prisons as part of her charity ethic. In Oakgate prison she meets 16yo Ruth Butterham, accused of murder, a fine seamstress who believes her every stitch imparts her emotions into the garment thereby inflicting harm on the wearer. Slowly she tells her story to Miss Truelove. Dorothea believes strongly in phrenology so she likes measuring people’s head bumps. Alongside Ruth’s story we have Dorothea’s story, a widowed father, eligible suitors (she’s 25), and her preferred beau, a young policeman.
The pace is slow, but it’s written well and as the pieces of the plot are revealed, I thought I knew where it was heading but the ending was a clever surprise.
The pace is slow, but it’s written well and as the pieces of the plot are revealed, I thought I knew where it was heading but the ending was a clever surprise.
November 18, 2020
An engrossing story about two very different women in the Victorian era. Chapters alternate between two points of view: Dorothea is well off and privileged, while Ruth is destitute and jailed for a murder she may or may not have committed. Personally, I was immersed in Ruth's grueling story and was anxious to get to the heart of her situation. Dorothea's strong belief in phrenology and her inability take responsibility for her own life irked me. Tensions mount as more information is revealed about the women and their relationships, while twists and turns compel and surprise the reader. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and look forward to the author's future work.
August 11, 2025
Laura Purcell can do no wrong. I will review this fully, soon. I listened to the audiobook.
Read if you enjoy:
-A historical setting
-Dual narratives
-An in-depth examination of one young girl's life experiencing poverty, lack of healthcare for her and her family, cruelty, bullying, sold into servitude by her mother as a way to provide shelter and food in exchange for work, misery and abuse at the hands of her new employers, and the belief she has the ability to sew death and tragedy into the garments she makes to torment and even kill the wearers of the garments
-themes of friendship, sacrifice, bravery, and resilience
-elements of early behavioral science, profiling, and forensics
-vibes with other historical crime thrillers
-extremely bleak--relentlessly so
Read if you enjoy:
-A historical setting
-Dual narratives
-An in-depth examination of one young girl's life experiencing poverty, lack of healthcare for her and her family, cruelty, bullying, sold into servitude by her mother as a way to provide shelter and food in exchange for work, misery and abuse at the hands of her new employers, and the belief she has the ability to sew death and tragedy into the garments she makes to torment and even kill the wearers of the garments
-themes of friendship, sacrifice, bravery, and resilience
-elements of early behavioral science, profiling, and forensics
-vibes with other historical crime thrillers
-extremely bleak--relentlessly so
February 28, 2021
Gothic is one of those genres to which I have limited exposure and ambivalent feelings. I may be just too finicky - I need that frisson of fear, but I don't want to be horrified to the point where I close the book and walk away and maybe don't sleep well that night.
As a result I don't seek out gothic novels, but occasionally I will read a review that piques my curiosity enough that I decide to give it a try. That was certainly a good decision in the case of this book.
Dorothea Truelove is a 25 year old Victorian lady determined to do good works by visiting prisons. These visits also afford her the opportunity to pursue her interests in phrenology as she examines the skulls of inmates. At the prison she meets Ruth Buttram, a teenage seamstress accused of murder. Ruth is convinced that the emotions she stitches into the garments she sews have the potential to kill.
The stark contrasts between these two young women sets the tone for the book (and not just their surnames). Dorothea is beautiful, well-educated, and wealthy and has rejected many suitors as she pursues her own agendas. Ruth is not only unattractive, but comes from a background of genteel poverty that slips over the edge into destitution. Her family's circumstances result in her unwilling apprenticeship to a dressmaker's shop.
The particulars of Ruth's life can be challenging reading, as they mirror the hardships of life for the indigent in Victorian England - and then take it up a notch. But because the author not only "fades out" some scenes, but also switches points of view between Ruth and Dorothea, the tone becomes less intense and the reader can move on in some comfort.
Both of the plot lines and their intersection move forward inexorably as the book explores themes of rationality, imagination, and redemption on its way toward a nifty ending. ("Nifty" is probably not the best word, but it is the one that immediately came to mind as I finished.)
BTW, the audio narrators are both excellent, with voices that underscore the differences between the women.
As a result I don't seek out gothic novels, but occasionally I will read a review that piques my curiosity enough that I decide to give it a try. That was certainly a good decision in the case of this book.
Dorothea Truelove is a 25 year old Victorian lady determined to do good works by visiting prisons. These visits also afford her the opportunity to pursue her interests in phrenology as she examines the skulls of inmates. At the prison she meets Ruth Buttram, a teenage seamstress accused of murder. Ruth is convinced that the emotions she stitches into the garments she sews have the potential to kill.
The stark contrasts between these two young women sets the tone for the book (and not just their surnames). Dorothea is beautiful, well-educated, and wealthy and has rejected many suitors as she pursues her own agendas. Ruth is not only unattractive, but comes from a background of genteel poverty that slips over the edge into destitution. Her family's circumstances result in her unwilling apprenticeship to a dressmaker's shop.
The particulars of Ruth's life can be challenging reading, as they mirror the hardships of life for the indigent in Victorian England - and then take it up a notch. But because the author not only "fades out" some scenes, but also switches points of view between Ruth and Dorothea, the tone becomes less intense and the reader can move on in some comfort.
Both of the plot lines and their intersection move forward inexorably as the book explores themes of rationality, imagination, and redemption on its way toward a nifty ending. ("Nifty" is probably not the best word, but it is the one that immediately came to mind as I finished.)
BTW, the audio narrators are both excellent, with voices that underscore the differences between the women.
June 30, 2022
This story takes place in Victorian England and is told from the points of view of Ruth, an impoverished 16-year-old who is a skilled seamstress and who has been imprisoned on suspicion of murder, and Dorothea, a well-to-do young lady with an interest in phrenology who visits Ruth in prison as one of her charitable works. The book is published as "The Corset" in the UK.
I really enjoyed reading this book and learning the backgrounds of both Ruth and Dorothea and how their stories came together. The time period seems to be very realistically portrayed and conditions for the lower classes sound horrific. I couldn't help but think how awful it would be to be unable to bathe when you wanted or to change your clothes when you wanted because you only owned one outfit. Don't even get me started on how much I'd miss indoor plumbing! Much as I enjoyed it, it seemed to take me a long time to read it. I read the paperback and the font was a bit on the small side plus it isn't a book that I was anxious to pick up after setting it aside. I'm definitely interested in reading other books by Laura Purcell though.
I was interested to read in the author's acknowledgements that parts of the book are based on actual events that took place in the 1700s.
Thanks to the London Public Library for the loan of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book and learning the backgrounds of both Ruth and Dorothea and how their stories came together. The time period seems to be very realistically portrayed and conditions for the lower classes sound horrific. I couldn't help but think how awful it would be to be unable to bathe when you wanted or to change your clothes when you wanted because you only owned one outfit. Don't even get me started on how much I'd miss indoor plumbing! Much as I enjoyed it, it seemed to take me a long time to read it. I read the paperback and the font was a bit on the small side plus it isn't a book that I was anxious to pick up after setting it aside. I'm definitely interested in reading other books by Laura Purcell though.
I was interested to read in the author's acknowledgements that parts of the book are based on actual events that took place in the 1700s.
Thanks to the London Public Library for the loan of this book.
October 22, 2020
I loved this! It’s everything you want from a Victorian gothic! Full of suspense and atmosphere! Dark and twisted and completely immersive! It’s similar to Alias Grace but with a better ending! 😉
April 21, 2019
This is my second Purcell novel, and after finishing The Corset today, I'm definitely hungry for more of her fiction! This was a disturbing read, that just asks to be read with the lights on. Purcell is masterful in her way of enticing the reader, and reeling them in with words that haunt.
I love the way Purcell captures the atmosphere of the Victoriana period, and the descriptions of how women were treated in those times seems accurate. The characters are wonderfully built, and you really feel as if you know Ruth, the main seamstress.
This book wasn't quite as strong as The Silent Companions, as that one quite literally blew me away. It was scary, and it still had that Victoriana theme that I appreciate greatly. I devoured this in a couple of days, and I haven't been able to think of much else! I look forward to her next book release!
I love the way Purcell captures the atmosphere of the Victoriana period, and the descriptions of how women were treated in those times seems accurate. The characters are wonderfully built, and you really feel as if you know Ruth, the main seamstress.
This book wasn't quite as strong as The Silent Companions, as that one quite literally blew me away. It was scary, and it still had that Victoriana theme that I appreciate greatly. I devoured this in a couple of days, and I haven't been able to think of much else! I look forward to her next book release!
January 12, 2022
Here comes a candle
To light you to bed
And here comes a chopper
To chop off your head
Revenge is a dish best served cold. That's what they say, isn't it?
Then seamstress and now a prisoner Ruth Butterham believes it's in the sewing room that she's most dangerous. She believes she can kill just by cursing a dress while sewing it. By her account she has killed many individuals, unwittingly or on purpose.
Now she is awaiting her trial for the murder of her despised employer.
Is she telling the truth? Does she really possess the power to kill just by thinking bad thoughts? Or is she mad?
Sometimes you embrace anger because it's warm, when all around you turns cold.
Dorothea Truelove is a rich, beautiful and charitable person who is obsessed with phrenology, the study of the shape and size of the cranium. She believes and is adamant to prove that the bumps on the skull show the character and mental abilities of an individual.
But when she visits Ruth in prison and hears her story, more questions arise for her.
Are some people born bad and will remain bad? Is it the inborn nature of a person to kill or moral depravity arises from poor nurture?
Is evil avoidable?
To light you to bed
And here comes a chopper
To chop off your head
Revenge is a dish best served cold. That's what they say, isn't it?
Then seamstress and now a prisoner Ruth Butterham believes it's in the sewing room that she's most dangerous. She believes she can kill just by cursing a dress while sewing it. By her account she has killed many individuals, unwittingly or on purpose.
Now she is awaiting her trial for the murder of her despised employer.
Is she telling the truth? Does she really possess the power to kill just by thinking bad thoughts? Or is she mad?
Sometimes you embrace anger because it's warm, when all around you turns cold.
Dorothea Truelove is a rich, beautiful and charitable person who is obsessed with phrenology, the study of the shape and size of the cranium. She believes and is adamant to prove that the bumps on the skull show the character and mental abilities of an individual.
But when she visits Ruth in prison and hears her story, more questions arise for her.
Are some people born bad and will remain bad? Is it the inborn nature of a person to kill or moral depravity arises from poor nurture?
Is evil avoidable?
October 13, 2019
Not quite as brilliant as The Silent Companions, and also not as 'spooky' (more a straight forward murder mystery than a spooky story) but still a very enjoyable read.
3.5* rounded up.
3.5* rounded up.
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