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Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook
Im Sommer 1914 wird die junge Botanikerin Clara Waterfield von London nach Gloucestershire gerufen: Sie soll auf einem Landsitz namens Shadowbrook den Aufbau eines Gewächshauses mit exotischen Pflanzen aus den Kew Gardens betreuen. Der Garten, in dem das Gewächshaus stehen soll, ist überwältigend, üppige Hortensien, Fingerhut und Rosen drängen sich um gepflegte Rasenflächen, auf den Teichen schwimmen Seerosen, alles scheint vor Leben geradezu zu sprühen. Doch das alte, mit Glyzinien bewachsene Wohnhaus wirkt seltsam abweisend, die meisten Räume stehen leer oder sind verschlossen, der Eigentümer Mr. Fox ist viel auf Reisen. Haushälterin und Dienstmädchen wirken verängstigt – denn nachts scheint es im Haus zu spuken. Doch Clara ist unerschrocken und glaubt nicht an Geister, und so macht sie sich daran, die Geheimnisse des Hauses zu ergründen. Und während sie sich immer tiefer in die Geschichte Shadowbrooks verstrickt, muss sie feststellen, dass dort nichts so ist, wie es scheint …
445 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2018
42 people are currently reading
2901 people want to read
About the author
Susan Fletcher
8 books576 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Susan Fletcher is a British novelist. She was born in Birmingham and studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, Eve Green, won the 2004 Whitbread First Novel Award, the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, and the Society of Authors Betty Trask Prize; it was also picked for Channel 4's (UK) Richard and Judy Summer reading list. Subsequent novels have been shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Writers’ Guild fiction award, and longlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year award. Her novel Witch Light won France’s 2013 Saint-Maur en Poche award. Fletcher is a former Fellow at the University of Worcester, as part of the Royal Literary Fund's fellowship program, and is the author of The Night in Question.
source: Amazon
Susan Fletcher is a British novelist. She was born in Birmingham and studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, Eve Green, won the 2004 Whitbread First Novel Award, the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, and the Society of Authors Betty Trask Prize; it was also picked for Channel 4's (UK) Richard and Judy Summer reading list. Subsequent novels have been shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Writers’ Guild fiction award, and longlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year award. Her novel Witch Light won France’s 2013 Saint-Maur en Poche award. Fletcher is a former Fellow at the University of Worcester, as part of the Royal Literary Fund's fellowship program, and is the author of The Night in Question.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
December 3, 2018
A perfect read for a winter's night. An intriguing, and genuinely eerie slice of gothic fiction which was entertaining and atmospheric.
I love gothic style stories and House of Glass by Susan Fletcher has all the elements of what I was looking for. A Manor House set on the edge of an English Country Village, it's reclusive owner who only visits occasionally and remains in his rooms for the during of his visit. A Village of wary residents who remain tight lipped when asked about the House's history . June 1914 and a young woman Clara Waterfield is summoned to a large stone house in Gloucestershire. Her task: to fill a greenhouse with exotic plants from Kew Gardens, to create a private paradise for the owner of Shadowbrook. But all is not what it seems in the Big House and Clara tries to discover its secrets and past.
This is a well written book with a great sense of time and place, interesting and vivid characters and while I enjoyed the story the first 3/4 of the novel was very sluggish and I would normally read this in a few days but took me over a week to finish this 368 page novel. There was very little happening and while the writing was descriptive and vivid the plot was very thin to begin with and needs patience to hang in there. However the last quarter of the book really does liven up and was well worth the wait.
I think readers who have enjoyed books like the The Thirteenth Tale
or the
The Silent Companions might well enjoy this book, just be prepared for the slow reveal.
I love gothic style stories and House of Glass by Susan Fletcher has all the elements of what I was looking for. A Manor House set on the edge of an English Country Village, it's reclusive owner who only visits occasionally and remains in his rooms for the during of his visit. A Village of wary residents who remain tight lipped when asked about the House's history . June 1914 and a young woman Clara Waterfield is summoned to a large stone house in Gloucestershire. Her task: to fill a greenhouse with exotic plants from Kew Gardens, to create a private paradise for the owner of Shadowbrook. But all is not what it seems in the Big House and Clara tries to discover its secrets and past.
This is a well written book with a great sense of time and place, interesting and vivid characters and while I enjoyed the story the first 3/4 of the novel was very sluggish and I would normally read this in a few days but took me over a week to finish this 368 page novel. There was very little happening and while the writing was descriptive and vivid the plot was very thin to begin with and needs patience to hang in there. However the last quarter of the book really does liven up and was well worth the wait.
I think readers who have enjoyed books like the The Thirteenth Tale
or the
The Silent Companions might well enjoy this book, just be prepared for the slow reveal.
March 18, 2022
Susan Fletcher is a master at creating oddball characters that stir feelings of love and admiration in her readers. They are often, as in this case, physically deformed or physically weak, but they have inner strength that is both surprising and exhilarating. These women save themselves from their fate, albeit with the help of a few good men.
Another skill she has in spades is the ability to describe a scene or a person in only a few words and yet paint them vividly.
She faded like cloth, she shrank as if in water.
Clara Waterfield suffers from a genetic disease, a kind of brittle-bone syndrome, that makes her bones like glass, easily fractured, splintered to pieces by a touch or a fall. She is, therefore, a shielded child, knowing the world only through her books and her mother’s vivid descriptions. At twenty, having recovered enough to risk it, she ventures out into the world, cane in hand, willing to endure the stares and whispers in order to find her own life. She is employed at a crumbling manor house under restoration and the mysteries begin.
I turned out the light. I thought of his sleeves, rolled up. Of where his shirt had darkened with sweat–on either side of his spine, under his arms, the small of his back. And I knew, too, that books only offered the official terms. For, even as a child, I would stand before the map of India, learn its rivers and mountainous regions and the names of ancient capitals, and know that this was not enough; it was nothing compared to the country itself. … Knowing the route of the Ganges was not the same as standing in it.
This book has a ghost story that needs unraveling, but it is Clara’s observant and quick mind that makes the story sing. No one is what they seem to be, and in the best tradition of Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart, we are invited to try to navigate the under-currents along with our inexperienced narrator and sort the good from the evil, past and present.
I had everything figured out, until I didn’t. I knew where the story was going, but it didn’t. I could never have guessed the ending, but it was not that that made this so wonderful to read, it was the revelations about the characters, particularly the one who wasn’t there at all.
We can think with our hearts as much as our heads–and souls, for me, were the truth.
Another skill she has in spades is the ability to describe a scene or a person in only a few words and yet paint them vividly.
She faded like cloth, she shrank as if in water.
Clara Waterfield suffers from a genetic disease, a kind of brittle-bone syndrome, that makes her bones like glass, easily fractured, splintered to pieces by a touch or a fall. She is, therefore, a shielded child, knowing the world only through her books and her mother’s vivid descriptions. At twenty, having recovered enough to risk it, she ventures out into the world, cane in hand, willing to endure the stares and whispers in order to find her own life. She is employed at a crumbling manor house under restoration and the mysteries begin.
I turned out the light. I thought of his sleeves, rolled up. Of where his shirt had darkened with sweat–on either side of his spine, under his arms, the small of his back. And I knew, too, that books only offered the official terms. For, even as a child, I would stand before the map of India, learn its rivers and mountainous regions and the names of ancient capitals, and know that this was not enough; it was nothing compared to the country itself. … Knowing the route of the Ganges was not the same as standing in it.
This book has a ghost story that needs unraveling, but it is Clara’s observant and quick mind that makes the story sing. No one is what they seem to be, and in the best tradition of Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart, we are invited to try to navigate the under-currents along with our inexperienced narrator and sort the good from the evil, past and present.
I had everything figured out, until I didn’t. I knew where the story was going, but it didn’t. I could never have guessed the ending, but it was not that that made this so wonderful to read, it was the revelations about the characters, particularly the one who wasn’t there at all.
We can think with our hearts as much as our heads–and souls, for me, were the truth.
December 29, 2023
Another Virago; a modern one. This is the first novel I have read by Susan Fletcher. It is another gothic tale with a ghost story at the heart of it. It has some of the usual tropes. A taciturn retainer who fetches from the station, garrulous housekeeper, gardener who knows more than he lets on, mysterious and interested locals who gossip a lot, a house that creaks at night, mysterious footsteps, on the floor above, the lord of the manor who when he is at home is a recluse on the first floor (there are strong shades of Jane Eyre as a touch of Secret Garden), a house with history (a previous family with violent brothers and an enigmatic sister who may be haunting the house), flowers in vases that die overnight, an odd psychic investigator: many of the usual suspects. It is set in The Cotswolds in the summer of 1914, just before the First World War.
Into all this comes the main character Clara who is twenty years old and works at Kew Gardens. The owner of a house in The Cotswolds has asked for someone at Kew to go to the house and set up a glass house with exotic plants. Clara has also been asked for as well. Clara though has what is known as “brittle bones”:
“Osteogenesis imperfecta. Twenty-two letters which click in the mouth and which, at first, we tried slowly. My mother would whisper the name like a prayer or incantation. I, too, mouthed it privately. But this name was soon discarded and, in its place, it became Clara’s bones. I heard it in hospital rooms and corridors, and this more accessible, intimate name implied that it was my complaint alone. That there was no other person in London or elsewhere whose ribs fractured on sneezing.”
This starts as a fairly routine ghost story with things going bump in the night. The minor characters are well developed and there are the usual plot twists. Just over halfway and the novel develops into something more nuanced, although still atmospheric and gothic. The theme throughout is the strength of women and linking it to women’s rights and the women’s movement.
The baddie in this is a bit random and the joins between the two parts of the book are not really seamless. This is well written and I enjoyed all of the aspects, even though they didn’t hang together that well. The reveals towards the end are weighed down with a great deal of information, in contrast with the rather slow meandering start. I didn’t mind the slow start at all and did like the vulnerability of the protagonist.
Into all this comes the main character Clara who is twenty years old and works at Kew Gardens. The owner of a house in The Cotswolds has asked for someone at Kew to go to the house and set up a glass house with exotic plants. Clara has also been asked for as well. Clara though has what is known as “brittle bones”:
“Osteogenesis imperfecta. Twenty-two letters which click in the mouth and which, at first, we tried slowly. My mother would whisper the name like a prayer or incantation. I, too, mouthed it privately. But this name was soon discarded and, in its place, it became Clara’s bones. I heard it in hospital rooms and corridors, and this more accessible, intimate name implied that it was my complaint alone. That there was no other person in London or elsewhere whose ribs fractured on sneezing.”
This starts as a fairly routine ghost story with things going bump in the night. The minor characters are well developed and there are the usual plot twists. Just over halfway and the novel develops into something more nuanced, although still atmospheric and gothic. The theme throughout is the strength of women and linking it to women’s rights and the women’s movement.
The baddie in this is a bit random and the joins between the two parts of the book are not really seamless. This is well written and I enjoyed all of the aspects, even though they didn’t hang together that well. The reveals towards the end are weighed down with a great deal of information, in contrast with the rather slow meandering start. I didn’t mind the slow start at all and did like the vulnerability of the protagonist.
February 1, 2020
A house is meant to be a place of safety and intimacy. The haunted house is a powerful symbol of horror precisely because it shows us a haven of domesticity upturned by an intruder, and a supernatural one at that. It is hardly surprising that from being just one of many Gothic tropes, the haunted house eventually became the basis of a rich supernatural sub-genre.
House of Glass is a historical novel within this tradition. It is set just before the outbreak of the First World War and features a sprawling mansion – Shadowbrook – marked by dark, old rumours about its previous owners, the evil and hated Pettigrew family. The last Pettigrew to inhabit Shadowbrook was the sensual, decadent and possibly mad Veronique - her ghost still walks its corridors and the pages of this book. So far, so familiar. Indeed, this novel shares many elements with other books within the (sub-)genre. It has been compared to Du Maurier’s Rebecca but I would say that its mixture of Gothic thrills, historical novel and social commentary is closer in spirit to Sarah Water’s The Little Stranger. What makes House of Glass particularly original is its protagonist and narrator, Clara Waterfield. Conceived out of wedlock in India, and born in England where her mother Charlotte is dispatched to avoid a scandal, Clara suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta or “brittle bones disease”, a condition which causes fractures at the least pressure or impact. As a result, Clara lives a secluded London childhood, fiercely protected by her parents. The premature death of her mother thrusts Clara into adulthood. Notwithstanding her syndrome, her walking cane and ungainly gait, Clara ventures out into the world. The gardens at Kew become her refuge and she finds herself turning into an amateur botanist – “amateur” in the best sense of the word, that of a lover of knowledge. This earns her the respect, friendship and support of Forbes, the foreman of the glasshouses. It also leads to an unexpected invitation. One day, Clara is summoned to Gloucestershire by the new owner of Shadowbrook, to oversee the installation of exotic plants from Kew in a new greenhouse in the mansion’s gardens. It is here that the ghost story proper begins. For Clara finds herself surrounded by mystery and secrets, by things that go bump in the night and malevolent attacks by an unseen visitor. The housekeeper and maids cower in fear of the ghost of Veronique Pettigrew, a woman seemingly so evil that a mere mention of her name is enough to unleash poltergeist activity. Clara is sceptical but her rationalist approach is put under severe test. That summer will mark her coming to age, as she questions long-held certainties and beliefs.
At one level, House of Glass is enjoyable as a good old piece of storytelling. But there is so much more to it. What struck me at first is the blend of realism and the supernatural. Shadowbrook and its gardens are inspired by the real-life Hidcote Manor Gardens (a National Trust property in Gloucestershire) and they are lovingly and minutely described. At the same time, Fletcher uses small details (closed, dust-filled rooms; peeling paint; a blood-stained billiard table) to evoke an atmosphere of fear and dread. The scene has already been set for the nocturnal visitations which considerably ratchet up the tension.
The novel also manages to take an established form and inject it with a strong dose of feminism. Clara’s condition becomes a symbol of female rebellion and resistance, her physical imperfections as transgressive as her assertiveness and inquisitiveness. There is a parallel between the “cripple” Clara and the uniquely beautiful Veronique, both of them strong women trying to hold their own in a patriarchal society. Clara ruefully notes that despite the fact that the male Pettigrews were violent and criminal, it was Veronique and her ‘sex orgies’ which gripped the attention of the sleepy village where she lived and which marked her forever as an epitome of immorality. This leads to another theme which is central to the novel, namely that of truth and falsehood, and how accounts can be manipulated to propagate the worldview favoured by their narrator.
My only reservation when reading the novel was that there are a number of narrative gear-changes late in the book. Engrossing as it is, the plot moves forward at a leisurely pace until about three-quarters in, when a raft of unexpected revelations propel the tale forward and lead us closer to the “sensation novel”. In the final chapters then, there is yet another shift, as the work ends with a meditation on war. The more I think about it, however, the more I tend to feel that my initial doubts were unfounded – the different facets of House of Glass ultimately add up to a convincing whole, held together by Fletcher’s lyrical and elegiac writing style. For this is also a story about the passing of an era, and what are ghosts if not remnants, in one way or another, of a half-remembered past?
A longer version of this review, featuring a selection of music to accompany the novel, can be found at https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
House of Glass is a historical novel within this tradition. It is set just before the outbreak of the First World War and features a sprawling mansion – Shadowbrook – marked by dark, old rumours about its previous owners, the evil and hated Pettigrew family. The last Pettigrew to inhabit Shadowbrook was the sensual, decadent and possibly mad Veronique - her ghost still walks its corridors and the pages of this book. So far, so familiar. Indeed, this novel shares many elements with other books within the (sub-)genre. It has been compared to Du Maurier’s Rebecca but I would say that its mixture of Gothic thrills, historical novel and social commentary is closer in spirit to Sarah Water’s The Little Stranger. What makes House of Glass particularly original is its protagonist and narrator, Clara Waterfield. Conceived out of wedlock in India, and born in England where her mother Charlotte is dispatched to avoid a scandal, Clara suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta or “brittle bones disease”, a condition which causes fractures at the least pressure or impact. As a result, Clara lives a secluded London childhood, fiercely protected by her parents. The premature death of her mother thrusts Clara into adulthood. Notwithstanding her syndrome, her walking cane and ungainly gait, Clara ventures out into the world. The gardens at Kew become her refuge and she finds herself turning into an amateur botanist – “amateur” in the best sense of the word, that of a lover of knowledge. This earns her the respect, friendship and support of Forbes, the foreman of the glasshouses. It also leads to an unexpected invitation. One day, Clara is summoned to Gloucestershire by the new owner of Shadowbrook, to oversee the installation of exotic plants from Kew in a new greenhouse in the mansion’s gardens. It is here that the ghost story proper begins. For Clara finds herself surrounded by mystery and secrets, by things that go bump in the night and malevolent attacks by an unseen visitor. The housekeeper and maids cower in fear of the ghost of Veronique Pettigrew, a woman seemingly so evil that a mere mention of her name is enough to unleash poltergeist activity. Clara is sceptical but her rationalist approach is put under severe test. That summer will mark her coming to age, as she questions long-held certainties and beliefs.
At one level, House of Glass is enjoyable as a good old piece of storytelling. But there is so much more to it. What struck me at first is the blend of realism and the supernatural. Shadowbrook and its gardens are inspired by the real-life Hidcote Manor Gardens (a National Trust property in Gloucestershire) and they are lovingly and minutely described. At the same time, Fletcher uses small details (closed, dust-filled rooms; peeling paint; a blood-stained billiard table) to evoke an atmosphere of fear and dread. The scene has already been set for the nocturnal visitations which considerably ratchet up the tension.
The novel also manages to take an established form and inject it with a strong dose of feminism. Clara’s condition becomes a symbol of female rebellion and resistance, her physical imperfections as transgressive as her assertiveness and inquisitiveness. There is a parallel between the “cripple” Clara and the uniquely beautiful Veronique, both of them strong women trying to hold their own in a patriarchal society. Clara ruefully notes that despite the fact that the male Pettigrews were violent and criminal, it was Veronique and her ‘sex orgies’ which gripped the attention of the sleepy village where she lived and which marked her forever as an epitome of immorality. This leads to another theme which is central to the novel, namely that of truth and falsehood, and how accounts can be manipulated to propagate the worldview favoured by their narrator.
My only reservation when reading the novel was that there are a number of narrative gear-changes late in the book. Engrossing as it is, the plot moves forward at a leisurely pace until about three-quarters in, when a raft of unexpected revelations propel the tale forward and lead us closer to the “sensation novel”. In the final chapters then, there is yet another shift, as the work ends with a meditation on war. The more I think about it, however, the more I tend to feel that my initial doubts were unfounded – the different facets of House of Glass ultimately add up to a convincing whole, held together by Fletcher’s lyrical and elegiac writing style. For this is also a story about the passing of an era, and what are ghosts if not remnants, in one way or another, of a half-remembered past?
A longer version of this review, featuring a selection of music to accompany the novel, can be found at https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
November 1, 2018
House of Glass is award-winning, historical fiction writer Susan Fletcher's first foray into the Gothic novel scene and creates a wonderful atmosphere and feelings of claustrophobia. Set in the run-up to the First World War, we meet Clara Waterfield, our narrator for the journey. Although Clara isn't really that likeable you can relate to most of her behaviour and thoughts. I found that in some parts of the story the revelations were very drawn out and as a result, everything became quite disjointed. Then there were other parts where the unfurling of the surprises came out of nowhere with absolutely no warning or clues. This made the whole book feel like a very stop-start affair and led to me placing it down several times.
Don't get me wrong, the author has the talent to create a dark and unsettling story, but there were too many little annoyances that really had an impact on the way it held together. Shadowbrook, the setting for the story, is beautifully described and vividly imagined, and the air of mystery that surrounds the property was intriguing. The balance between Clara's medical condition, causing her to have brittle bones, and her strong, fearless personality was expertly done, and I appreciated that she had some fight left in her despite her condition.
Many thanks to Virago for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Don't get me wrong, the author has the talent to create a dark and unsettling story, but there were too many little annoyances that really had an impact on the way it held together. Shadowbrook, the setting for the story, is beautifully described and vividly imagined, and the air of mystery that surrounds the property was intriguing. The balance between Clara's medical condition, causing her to have brittle bones, and her strong, fearless personality was expertly done, and I appreciated that she had some fight left in her despite her condition.
Many thanks to Virago for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 29, 2021
My friend Callum brought House of Glass to my attention ages ago and now that I’ve finally read it, I have to echo his recommendation and add my own disbelief that this book has flown so under the radar. Fans of Laura Purcell and Sarah Waters, get on this! Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think this book ever got a US publisher; it’s a shame, as there is certainly a huge market for this kind of atmospheric British historical fiction over here — a market that is indeed so oversaturated that it’s only natural for some real gems like this to slip through the cracks.
Sort of a slow burn coming of age story à la Jane Eyre meets a modernized Gothic horror novel like The Silent Companions, House of Glass follows Clara, a young woman with osteogenesis imperfecta living in London with her stepfather in the wake of her mother’s death in 1914. She becomes entranced with gardening and is eventually summoned to a manor in Gloucestershire with the task of curating a private greenhouse for the eccentric, frequently absent owner. This is the first time Clara has really left home or done anything on her own given the limitations that her disorder has caused in her life, so it’s partially a novel about Clara finding her way in the world; and it’s also partially a Gothic mystery as Clara attempts to uncover the secrets of Shadowbrook manor.
Again, this novel is quite the slow burn; the mystery element isn’t even introduced until partway through; you do spend quite a bit of time on Clara’s childhood and background. But I do think that ultimately serves the themes of the story quite nicely so I don’t think that’s a negative at all; I just want to firmly clarify that this is a mystery novel much more than it is any kind of thriller.
Susan Fletcher’s writing is strong, her characters are brilliantly crafted, and she interacts with tropes and archetypes from the classics — Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Northanger Abbey — in such a deliberate way, I was really won over by how cleverly constructed this book was. It’s certainly a fun and gripping read on the one hand, but its literary merit shouldn’t be underestimated. Just a very solidly good book all around.
Sort of a slow burn coming of age story à la Jane Eyre meets a modernized Gothic horror novel like The Silent Companions, House of Glass follows Clara, a young woman with osteogenesis imperfecta living in London with her stepfather in the wake of her mother’s death in 1914. She becomes entranced with gardening and is eventually summoned to a manor in Gloucestershire with the task of curating a private greenhouse for the eccentric, frequently absent owner. This is the first time Clara has really left home or done anything on her own given the limitations that her disorder has caused in her life, so it’s partially a novel about Clara finding her way in the world; and it’s also partially a Gothic mystery as Clara attempts to uncover the secrets of Shadowbrook manor.
Again, this novel is quite the slow burn; the mystery element isn’t even introduced until partway through; you do spend quite a bit of time on Clara’s childhood and background. But I do think that ultimately serves the themes of the story quite nicely so I don’t think that’s a negative at all; I just want to firmly clarify that this is a mystery novel much more than it is any kind of thriller.
Susan Fletcher’s writing is strong, her characters are brilliantly crafted, and she interacts with tropes and archetypes from the classics — Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Northanger Abbey — in such a deliberate way, I was really won over by how cleverly constructed this book was. It’s certainly a fun and gripping read on the one hand, but its literary merit shouldn’t be underestimated. Just a very solidly good book all around.
October 7, 2020
House of Glass is a beautifully gothic book set within a decaying English manor house and its sprawling gardens. It is about ghosts, but also about memories and rumours, and how sometimes false beliefs can reshape the reality of women.
Although more slowly paced in parts, Fletcher writes beautifully and the book prompted many thoughts. Truly an enjoyable read as the season turns to autumn, but would suit anytime of the year.
(Also, note that the heroine is disabled and uses a cane.)
> 4.2 stars
Although more slowly paced in parts, Fletcher writes beautifully and the book prompted many thoughts. Truly an enjoyable read as the season turns to autumn, but would suit anytime of the year.
(Also, note that the heroine is disabled and uses a cane.)
> 4.2 stars
February 6, 2019
House of Glass is at once an enthralling gothic mystery, and a poignant piece of historical fiction that examines the devastating ways in which women’s lives were ruled by scandal, rumour, and reputation. In this respect, and many others, it is a book of opposites; of truth versus lies, logic versus faith, and reality versus the supernatural.
The story follows Clara, a young woman who spent her childhood confined to the safety of home. Suffering from a rare brittle bone condition, she is at constant threat of injury. Grieving the loss of her feminist mother, however, she jumps at the chance to finally fly the nest. Passionate about botany, she receives an invitation to establish a new glasshouse at Shadowbrook, a remote country manor. When she arrives, she is greeted by an owner conspicuous by absence, and residents terrified of a supposed haunting. Clara soon sets her practical mind to solving the mysteries of Shadowbrook.
Clara herself is a fabulous heroine. Her sheltered childhood spent in solitude, during which time she relied on the company of books, has instilled in her a voracious thirst for knowledge about people, and the world around her. This, coupled with her lack of social training, and her stubborn resilience against those who would dismiss her based on gender or disability, makes her forthright, headstrong, and proactive. If some gothic heroines flounder in the face of uncertainty, Clara moves straight for the truth, asking all the questions on the tip of the reader’s tongue.
The first half of the novel is pretty much everything I look for in an ideal read. It has a rich, vivid setting, complete with all the gothic hallmarks. The dark, brooding air of mystery swells, as do the number of delightfully ghostly and atmospheric moments. The cast of supporting characters are well established, and equally intriguing in their own ways. The looming threat of WWI in the background helps to reflect the mounting tension, and to firmly establish the story’s historical context. Fletcher’s writing itself is evocative and transporting, without ever feeling convoluted.
In the second half, the dynamic shifts somewhat, but I was no less compelled. As Clara makes discoveries about Shadowbrook’s past, and the past of those who once called it home, Fletcher begins to weave together a wonderfully intricate tapestry of secrets and lies, with everything gradually falling into place in a satisfying though devastating way. At large, this is a book about lives ruled and destroyed by the toxicity of hearsay, and the manipulative power that men held over women.
For the last 50 pages or so, there is a further shift in tone and focus that I can imagine will put it at odds with the rest of the story for some people. However, this section was still beautiful in its own way, helping to capture a very specific moment in time, when society was in a state of flux. If the coming of war interrupts the flow and significance of prior events in the novel, this is hugely reflective of the effect war has in real life, throwing a new perspective on everything. With WWI proving the catalyst for much change, particularly the role and reputation of women, it also brings an opportunity for Shadowbrook’s legacy to be rewritten, thus making complete narrative sense. Plus, by this point, I was so invested in the characters and the setting that I was just glad to be spending a little more time with them.
After all, there’s a lot to be said for picking up the right book at the right time, and the joy of a great reading experience. House of Glass was exactly what I needed right now. It completely swept me up, and I loved every moment I spent in the grips of its pages.
The story follows Clara, a young woman who spent her childhood confined to the safety of home. Suffering from a rare brittle bone condition, she is at constant threat of injury. Grieving the loss of her feminist mother, however, she jumps at the chance to finally fly the nest. Passionate about botany, she receives an invitation to establish a new glasshouse at Shadowbrook, a remote country manor. When she arrives, she is greeted by an owner conspicuous by absence, and residents terrified of a supposed haunting. Clara soon sets her practical mind to solving the mysteries of Shadowbrook.
Clara herself is a fabulous heroine. Her sheltered childhood spent in solitude, during which time she relied on the company of books, has instilled in her a voracious thirst for knowledge about people, and the world around her. This, coupled with her lack of social training, and her stubborn resilience against those who would dismiss her based on gender or disability, makes her forthright, headstrong, and proactive. If some gothic heroines flounder in the face of uncertainty, Clara moves straight for the truth, asking all the questions on the tip of the reader’s tongue.
The first half of the novel is pretty much everything I look for in an ideal read. It has a rich, vivid setting, complete with all the gothic hallmarks. The dark, brooding air of mystery swells, as do the number of delightfully ghostly and atmospheric moments. The cast of supporting characters are well established, and equally intriguing in their own ways. The looming threat of WWI in the background helps to reflect the mounting tension, and to firmly establish the story’s historical context. Fletcher’s writing itself is evocative and transporting, without ever feeling convoluted.
In the second half, the dynamic shifts somewhat, but I was no less compelled. As Clara makes discoveries about Shadowbrook’s past, and the past of those who once called it home, Fletcher begins to weave together a wonderfully intricate tapestry of secrets and lies, with everything gradually falling into place in a satisfying though devastating way. At large, this is a book about lives ruled and destroyed by the toxicity of hearsay, and the manipulative power that men held over women.
For the last 50 pages or so, there is a further shift in tone and focus that I can imagine will put it at odds with the rest of the story for some people. However, this section was still beautiful in its own way, helping to capture a very specific moment in time, when society was in a state of flux. If the coming of war interrupts the flow and significance of prior events in the novel, this is hugely reflective of the effect war has in real life, throwing a new perspective on everything. With WWI proving the catalyst for much change, particularly the role and reputation of women, it also brings an opportunity for Shadowbrook’s legacy to be rewritten, thus making complete narrative sense. Plus, by this point, I was so invested in the characters and the setting that I was just glad to be spending a little more time with them.
After all, there’s a lot to be said for picking up the right book at the right time, and the joy of a great reading experience. House of Glass was exactly what I needed right now. It completely swept me up, and I loved every moment I spent in the grips of its pages.
November 4, 2018
I had such high hopes for this one. It does some things well. A main character that has a disability and is different and she stayed clear of the “this girl has a disability so she must be sweet and lovely” trope which I was grateful for but apart from that this book just did not quite know what it wanted to be. All over the place.
December 29, 2019
If I wasn’t so incredibly bored I could perhaps gather up some disappointment as well. This book is predictable from start to finish and there is nothing gothic about it at all. I don’t know exactly what I had hoped for, it got lost very quickly. A promising start, weak middle and no help with the endless revelations at the end.
November 13, 2019
Leider hat mich die Story zur Mitte hin völlig losgelassen, auch der Schreibstil, Wörter und Satzbau sowie Gedanken der Protagonistin wirkten flacher. Schade!
December 11, 2018
Susan Fletcher is an author whose work I have always very much enjoyed. My first encounter with one of her novels was in the glorious Harper Perennial edition of Eve Gree, quite some time ago. I have since read almost all of her other work, and when I saw that she had a new novel - House of Glass - coming out in 2018, I borrowed it from the library just as soon as I could.
Many of the reviews of House of Glass mention its ‘darkly gothic’ tone, as well as the way in which it is such things as surprising, moving, and mesmerising. Tracy Chevalier notes that whilst the novel ‘may start as a ghost story’, it ‘turns into something much more profound: a lyrical examination of how women carve lives out of a male-dominated society, even with a war looming that will change everyone.’
House of Glass opens in June 1914, in which protagonist Clara Waterfield is ‘summoned’ to a large house in rural Gloucestershire, in order to fill a glasshouse with ‘exotic plants from Kew Gardens’ at the owner’s request. The house is named, perhaps appropriately given the Gothic atmosphere, Shadowbrook. When Clara arrives, the owner, Mr Fox, is absent, and she is soon informed that he rarely spends any time in the house. Around this time, she begins to hear rumours, and to her, ‘something feels wrong with this quiet, wisteria-covered house.’ The blurb concludes by stating that over the summer, Clara ‘finds herself drawn deeper into the dark interior rooms - and into the secrets that violently haunt Shadowbrook.’
The novel opens with quite a vivid description of Clara’s disability, osteogenesis imperfecta. It begins: ‘My structure is not quite right. By this, I mean my bones - the part on which the rest of me is stretched, stitched into place… My skeleton is frail. I creak with any transference of weight. In my childhood, I fractured so frequently - with small gestures, with the simple act of looking up - that doctors winced and shook their heads. She is imperfect, they said.’ In consequence, her mother is ordered to keep Clara inside, sheltering her from the dangerous outside world - at least until she has stopped growing. Clara thus spends the majority of her childhood reading, largely in the library of the house, which her parents converted from their old dining room for her benefit. I felt that Fletcher’s depiction of Clara’s ailments was well-balanced, and did not feel dramatised in any way. I also liked the way in which Fletcher used Clara’s own voice to describe herself. The contrast between Clara’s past and present - in which she is able to leave the house and regain some independence - is well balanced.
Clara was drawn to Kew Gardens quite by chance following the death of her mother, something which she was entirely unprepared for, despite the illness which ensued. She is grieving and desperate, and walking is the only thing which helps to take some of the pain away. She learns, in her own way, to navigate her own city, learning to board omnibuses which take her to distant parts of London. On one such journey, she decides to alight at Kew: ‘And on a February morning, I stepped down from the bus in a place called Kew. This was a name I knew. For here, there were famous gardens, with rhododendron walks and glasshouses and pergolas. I’d read of them in books.’ Spending around a decade indoors, with only glimpses of the outdoor world from windows, she is mesmerised by the wealth of plants she is able to wander amongst at Kew, now that she is older and her bones have ‘strengthened and settled themselves’. Fletcher’s descriptions of the gardens are quite lovely; on a cold, ‘grey, desolate’ day, Clara finds an ‘extraordinary domed building of glass’ before her. She enters, and ‘left February behind. England, too, was gone. For the Palm House at Kew contained canopies and ferns and damp wooden benches; palm leaves brushed my hair as I passed… Now I wanted to be nowhere else. I was done with crowds and London’s streets. Here was a new beginning.’ This discovery, the comradely relationship which she strikes up with the keeper of the glasshouse, a man named Forbes, and the subsequent offer to travel to a new place in order to ‘establish a room of colour and scent and spectacle’, allows Clara to affirm her place in the world. In this way, and given the alterations which Clara’s character undergoes, House of Glass can certainly be called a coming of age novel.
When she finds herself in Shadowbrook, after a long journey by train, Clara is met with ‘a house of pale stone. Clematis grew on its walls. Its courtyard was bordered with dark, leafy shrubs in which I could hear movement - nesting birds, or the scurrying of mice. Two storeys to it, no more. A small right-angled wing.’ At her point of arrival, Fletcher begins to introduce elements of oddness, or of ghostly occurrences. The man who picks Clara up from the station, for instance, tells her not to worry about any noises which she might hear in the night, as old houses were prone to movement. As she roams the grounds, and spends time within the house itself, she begins to notice something unsettling: ‘I had a curious sense of being watched; throughout the garden, I felt it. It was as though I had entered a part of it - the orchard, the lime bower - at the very moment that someone else had risen and left; I felt that any metal chair might retain that person’s heat. It was an unsettling notion. I chastised myself for it - it was foolishness - yet I also looked down the lines of hedges. On the croquet lawn, I turned in a slow, complete circle to see it all.’
Later, and unable to discover a rational solution, she muses over what the feeling of being watched, and screams and scratches in the night, could be the effects of. After discussing the goings on with the members of staff at Shadowbrook, she says: ‘Ghost. The word had not been said but we’d heard it even so. It had hung above the kitchen table; it had circled us… A thin, inconsequential, fictitious word. It had no place in diagrams.’
In her other novels, two of Fletcher’s real strengths are her ability to create both atmosphere and realistic characters. My experience with her newest book was much the same. I very much admired the way in which she had not made Clara into a martyr, following the emotional and physical pain which she had to struggle with daily. Rather, Clara was realistic; she had tempers, and spoke her mind quite wonderfully, particularly in those situations where she was challenged by other characters. She felt entirely three-dimensional, holding within herself a myriad of worries and hopes, and a believable backstory. Clara felt like a progressive, modern woman; she does not go to church, or believe in God, and does not allow her voice to be silenced by anyone. She is opinionated and stubborn, and not at all a likeable character, but I found her quite fascinating.
Fletcher’s prose is rich and sensuous from the outset of House of Glass. Of Clara’s confinement, she writes: ‘Ours became a house of cushioning. Of velvet and goose down, embroidered pillows, Persian rugs and silk. There was, too, a globe. A rocking horse that I could touch but not ride. And they’d bring home what they thought I might miss from the blustery world: fir cones and pigeon feathers, the scent of horses on my mother’s red gloves which I’d inhale, eyes closed. Tales of how the river had looked at twilight. How the carol singers sang, despite the rain.’ The descriptions of the library share gorgeously vivid imagery: ‘There was a chaise long which was, at first, the colour of moss. But in time - as I read more, studied more maps - this deep, velvety green became the shade of hummingbirds’ wings or Othello’s envy or the gems which hid in equatorial soil. The green of a tiny jungle frog.’
Whilst not my favourite of Fletcher’s novels - an accolade which must go to Oystercatchers and Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew - I did enjoy many elements of House of Glass. Whilst there is far less commentary on the outbreak of the First World War than I was expecting, I found that the period was very well evoked, and the novel itself was both immersive and atmospheric.
At no point, however, was I entirely captivated by the story, and despite the real strengths in character building, I felt as though the denouement of the novel was a little disappointing, and something of an anticlimax, and the ending was drawn out. The story does come together, but I did not find the twists to be overly clever or original. I also found the pace a little awkward in places, and the tension which Fletcher had striven to create was not as heightened, and therefore not as successful, as it could have been. Whilst there are many things which I admired in House of Glass, I have to say that it is probably my least favourite of Fletcher’s books to date.
Many of the reviews of House of Glass mention its ‘darkly gothic’ tone, as well as the way in which it is such things as surprising, moving, and mesmerising. Tracy Chevalier notes that whilst the novel ‘may start as a ghost story’, it ‘turns into something much more profound: a lyrical examination of how women carve lives out of a male-dominated society, even with a war looming that will change everyone.’
House of Glass opens in June 1914, in which protagonist Clara Waterfield is ‘summoned’ to a large house in rural Gloucestershire, in order to fill a glasshouse with ‘exotic plants from Kew Gardens’ at the owner’s request. The house is named, perhaps appropriately given the Gothic atmosphere, Shadowbrook. When Clara arrives, the owner, Mr Fox, is absent, and she is soon informed that he rarely spends any time in the house. Around this time, she begins to hear rumours, and to her, ‘something feels wrong with this quiet, wisteria-covered house.’ The blurb concludes by stating that over the summer, Clara ‘finds herself drawn deeper into the dark interior rooms - and into the secrets that violently haunt Shadowbrook.’
The novel opens with quite a vivid description of Clara’s disability, osteogenesis imperfecta. It begins: ‘My structure is not quite right. By this, I mean my bones - the part on which the rest of me is stretched, stitched into place… My skeleton is frail. I creak with any transference of weight. In my childhood, I fractured so frequently - with small gestures, with the simple act of looking up - that doctors winced and shook their heads. She is imperfect, they said.’ In consequence, her mother is ordered to keep Clara inside, sheltering her from the dangerous outside world - at least until she has stopped growing. Clara thus spends the majority of her childhood reading, largely in the library of the house, which her parents converted from their old dining room for her benefit. I felt that Fletcher’s depiction of Clara’s ailments was well-balanced, and did not feel dramatised in any way. I also liked the way in which Fletcher used Clara’s own voice to describe herself. The contrast between Clara’s past and present - in which she is able to leave the house and regain some independence - is well balanced.
Clara was drawn to Kew Gardens quite by chance following the death of her mother, something which she was entirely unprepared for, despite the illness which ensued. She is grieving and desperate, and walking is the only thing which helps to take some of the pain away. She learns, in her own way, to navigate her own city, learning to board omnibuses which take her to distant parts of London. On one such journey, she decides to alight at Kew: ‘And on a February morning, I stepped down from the bus in a place called Kew. This was a name I knew. For here, there were famous gardens, with rhododendron walks and glasshouses and pergolas. I’d read of them in books.’ Spending around a decade indoors, with only glimpses of the outdoor world from windows, she is mesmerised by the wealth of plants she is able to wander amongst at Kew, now that she is older and her bones have ‘strengthened and settled themselves’. Fletcher’s descriptions of the gardens are quite lovely; on a cold, ‘grey, desolate’ day, Clara finds an ‘extraordinary domed building of glass’ before her. She enters, and ‘left February behind. England, too, was gone. For the Palm House at Kew contained canopies and ferns and damp wooden benches; palm leaves brushed my hair as I passed… Now I wanted to be nowhere else. I was done with crowds and London’s streets. Here was a new beginning.’ This discovery, the comradely relationship which she strikes up with the keeper of the glasshouse, a man named Forbes, and the subsequent offer to travel to a new place in order to ‘establish a room of colour and scent and spectacle’, allows Clara to affirm her place in the world. In this way, and given the alterations which Clara’s character undergoes, House of Glass can certainly be called a coming of age novel.
When she finds herself in Shadowbrook, after a long journey by train, Clara is met with ‘a house of pale stone. Clematis grew on its walls. Its courtyard was bordered with dark, leafy shrubs in which I could hear movement - nesting birds, or the scurrying of mice. Two storeys to it, no more. A small right-angled wing.’ At her point of arrival, Fletcher begins to introduce elements of oddness, or of ghostly occurrences. The man who picks Clara up from the station, for instance, tells her not to worry about any noises which she might hear in the night, as old houses were prone to movement. As she roams the grounds, and spends time within the house itself, she begins to notice something unsettling: ‘I had a curious sense of being watched; throughout the garden, I felt it. It was as though I had entered a part of it - the orchard, the lime bower - at the very moment that someone else had risen and left; I felt that any metal chair might retain that person’s heat. It was an unsettling notion. I chastised myself for it - it was foolishness - yet I also looked down the lines of hedges. On the croquet lawn, I turned in a slow, complete circle to see it all.’
Later, and unable to discover a rational solution, she muses over what the feeling of being watched, and screams and scratches in the night, could be the effects of. After discussing the goings on with the members of staff at Shadowbrook, she says: ‘Ghost. The word had not been said but we’d heard it even so. It had hung above the kitchen table; it had circled us… A thin, inconsequential, fictitious word. It had no place in diagrams.’
In her other novels, two of Fletcher’s real strengths are her ability to create both atmosphere and realistic characters. My experience with her newest book was much the same. I very much admired the way in which she had not made Clara into a martyr, following the emotional and physical pain which she had to struggle with daily. Rather, Clara was realistic; she had tempers, and spoke her mind quite wonderfully, particularly in those situations where she was challenged by other characters. She felt entirely three-dimensional, holding within herself a myriad of worries and hopes, and a believable backstory. Clara felt like a progressive, modern woman; she does not go to church, or believe in God, and does not allow her voice to be silenced by anyone. She is opinionated and stubborn, and not at all a likeable character, but I found her quite fascinating.
Fletcher’s prose is rich and sensuous from the outset of House of Glass. Of Clara’s confinement, she writes: ‘Ours became a house of cushioning. Of velvet and goose down, embroidered pillows, Persian rugs and silk. There was, too, a globe. A rocking horse that I could touch but not ride. And they’d bring home what they thought I might miss from the blustery world: fir cones and pigeon feathers, the scent of horses on my mother’s red gloves which I’d inhale, eyes closed. Tales of how the river had looked at twilight. How the carol singers sang, despite the rain.’ The descriptions of the library share gorgeously vivid imagery: ‘There was a chaise long which was, at first, the colour of moss. But in time - as I read more, studied more maps - this deep, velvety green became the shade of hummingbirds’ wings or Othello’s envy or the gems which hid in equatorial soil. The green of a tiny jungle frog.’
Whilst not my favourite of Fletcher’s novels - an accolade which must go to Oystercatchers and Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew - I did enjoy many elements of House of Glass. Whilst there is far less commentary on the outbreak of the First World War than I was expecting, I found that the period was very well evoked, and the novel itself was both immersive and atmospheric.
At no point, however, was I entirely captivated by the story, and despite the real strengths in character building, I felt as though the denouement of the novel was a little disappointing, and something of an anticlimax, and the ending was drawn out. The story does come together, but I did not find the twists to be overly clever or original. I also found the pace a little awkward in places, and the tension which Fletcher had striven to create was not as heightened, and therefore not as successful, as it could have been. Whilst there are many things which I admired in House of Glass, I have to say that it is probably my least favourite of Fletcher’s books to date.
December 18, 2018
Although this is set during the summer (in the days leading up to the outbreak of World War I), this is one of those books that is definitely well suited to winter reading by lamplight. A large, decaying mansion, rumoured to be haunted, in which picked flowers die within hours. Clara Waterfield is a marvellous heroine - fragile due to her brittle bone disease but still rooted in soil, plants, the outdoors. I enjoyed the first half particularly. Beautiful writing. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
June 27, 2019
I can't really say that I will consider this novel to be one of my favourites, but I had to give it five stars for how masterful Fletcher is with the gothic genre and tradition. The quality of her writing surprised me; I've had this title on my to-read list for months, but I thought that it would be just another gothic novel. I sure am a sucker for gothic so I knew that I would probably enjoy it, but it is so much better than I thought it would be. I love her style - she writes beautifully. Fletcher plays with and builds on gothic tropes but still maintains an original narrative. There were moments when I thought that it might veer into being sappy or using gothic motifs too much, but that didn't end up happening. No reader, I married him here, which I love. Even more than that, the ending wasn't a neat and peaceful conclusion, but simply an ending, which is something that I love but rarely come across.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 1, 2019Um schon einmal den Ton dieser Rezension zu setzen: Dies ist mein Buch des Jahres 2019. „Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook“ von Susan Fletcher überzeugt auf den verschiedensten Ebenen – sprachlich, inhaltlich, mit satten Figuren, die einem aus den Seiten heraus regelrecht entgegentreten. Schicksale, die berühren. Einer Geistergeschichte, die sich subtil und unbemerkt im Gedächtnis festkrallt und abends wieder den Weg ins Bewusstsein findet. Wendungen, die man nicht hat kommen sehen, die alles immer wieder völlig neu ausrichten. Eine klare, sinnliche Sprache, eine starke Protagonistin, die sich Herausforderungen mit messerscharfem Verstand stellt und dabei einen vollkommen neuen Blick auf die Welt erlangt. Ich war vom ersten Satz an gefesselt, wer es beendet hat, sehnt sich mitunter wieder an den Anfang zurück.
Susan Fletcher wurde bereits für ihren ersten Roman „Eve Green“ ausgezeichnet. Mit „Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook“ legt sie ein faszinierendes und kluges Werk nach, das meiner Meinung nach ebenfalls mindestens eine Auszeichnung verdient. (Wenn nicht gar Hunderte.) Beim Lesen tun sich unzählige Welten auf: einerseits widmet sich Susan Fletcher dem Thema paranormale Phänomene, doch sie belässt es nicht dabei. Religion, der Glaube an ein Leben nach dem Tod, die Glasknochenkrankheit, an der Clara leidet, das Dorfleben, familiäre Konflikte, die Frage nach der eigenen Identität, exotische Pflanzen und die drückende Atmosphäre eines Sommers vor Ausbruch des ersten Weltkrieges – dies alles sind die Zutaten, die aus diesem Roman etwas ganz Besonderes machen. Alles steht zueinander in Beziehung, alles verwebt sich auf unerwartete Weise miteinander.
Die Sprache ist hierbei eine große Stärke der Autorin. Und eine feine Beobachtungsgabe. Sie kennt ihre Figuren, ihre ganz speziellen Eigenheiten, ihre Wünsche und Träume, ihre geheimsten Gedanken und Gefühle. Und sie schafft es, sie dem Leser zugänglich zusammen, nicht direkt und unmittelbar, sondern über Metaphern, über leise Anmerkungen, kurze Momente. Auf diesen Augenblicken ruht dann ihre Aufmerksamkeit und dennoch eröffnen sich beim Leser ganze Welten. Intim fühlt es sich an.
Die Geschichte selbst entwickelt sich gemächlich, in der sommerlichen Hitze ist keine Eile angesagt. Auch Clara kann sich nur langsam und vorsichtig bewegen, mit ihrem von der Glasknochenkrankheit gezeichneten Körper. Und dennoch entsteht von Beginn an eine Sogwirkung, eine Spannung liegt in der Luft und immer, wenn man meint, die Ursache für diese Spannung zu kennen, ist doch alles ganz anders. Bis zur Auflösung tappt man wie Clara im Ungewissen – gibt es nun einen Geist auf Shadowbrook oder handelt es sich um Eindringlinge, die allen Bewohnern einen Streich spielen? Oder steckt gar etwas ganz anderes dahinter?
Clara selbst wird in dieser Zeit auf Shadowbrook erwachsen. Das kühne, wissbegierige, wissenschaftlich denkende und wenig empathische Mädchen entwickelt sich zu einer jungen Frau, die erkennt, dass Menschen fehlbar sind und dass die Wissenschaft nicht immer die Antworten auf alle Fragen kennt. Sie lernt, sich in andere Menschen einzufühlen, sie lernt, sich selbst mit anderen Augen zu sehen, nicht als „Krüppel“, wie dies in ihrer Kindheit geschah. Und sie lernt die Liebe kennen.
Fazit
„Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook“ von Susan Fletcher ist ein Roman, der so gehaltvoll ist, dass es eine pure Freude ist, ihn zu lesen. Die schwüle Vorkriegs-Atmosphäre, der subtile Spuk im Anwesen Shadowbrook, die tratschenden und gleichzeitig so verschwiegenen Dorfbewohner, das exotische Gewächshaus und die weitläufigen Gärten, Clara, die versucht, eine wissenschaftliche Erklärung für die nächtlichen Ereignisse zu finden – all dies macht den Roman inhaltlich für mich zu einem Meisterwerk. Hinzu kommt die unfassbar klare und gleichzeitig poetische und feinsinnige Sprache der Autorin. Durch sie werden Landschaften und Figuren lebendig. Für mich eines der besten Bücher, das ich seit langem gelesen habe.
Susan Fletcher wurde bereits für ihren ersten Roman „Eve Green“ ausgezeichnet. Mit „Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook“ legt sie ein faszinierendes und kluges Werk nach, das meiner Meinung nach ebenfalls mindestens eine Auszeichnung verdient. (Wenn nicht gar Hunderte.) Beim Lesen tun sich unzählige Welten auf: einerseits widmet sich Susan Fletcher dem Thema paranormale Phänomene, doch sie belässt es nicht dabei. Religion, der Glaube an ein Leben nach dem Tod, die Glasknochenkrankheit, an der Clara leidet, das Dorfleben, familiäre Konflikte, die Frage nach der eigenen Identität, exotische Pflanzen und die drückende Atmosphäre eines Sommers vor Ausbruch des ersten Weltkrieges – dies alles sind die Zutaten, die aus diesem Roman etwas ganz Besonderes machen. Alles steht zueinander in Beziehung, alles verwebt sich auf unerwartete Weise miteinander.
Die Sprache ist hierbei eine große Stärke der Autorin. Und eine feine Beobachtungsgabe. Sie kennt ihre Figuren, ihre ganz speziellen Eigenheiten, ihre Wünsche und Träume, ihre geheimsten Gedanken und Gefühle. Und sie schafft es, sie dem Leser zugänglich zusammen, nicht direkt und unmittelbar, sondern über Metaphern, über leise Anmerkungen, kurze Momente. Auf diesen Augenblicken ruht dann ihre Aufmerksamkeit und dennoch eröffnen sich beim Leser ganze Welten. Intim fühlt es sich an.
Die Geschichte selbst entwickelt sich gemächlich, in der sommerlichen Hitze ist keine Eile angesagt. Auch Clara kann sich nur langsam und vorsichtig bewegen, mit ihrem von der Glasknochenkrankheit gezeichneten Körper. Und dennoch entsteht von Beginn an eine Sogwirkung, eine Spannung liegt in der Luft und immer, wenn man meint, die Ursache für diese Spannung zu kennen, ist doch alles ganz anders. Bis zur Auflösung tappt man wie Clara im Ungewissen – gibt es nun einen Geist auf Shadowbrook oder handelt es sich um Eindringlinge, die allen Bewohnern einen Streich spielen? Oder steckt gar etwas ganz anderes dahinter?
Clara selbst wird in dieser Zeit auf Shadowbrook erwachsen. Das kühne, wissbegierige, wissenschaftlich denkende und wenig empathische Mädchen entwickelt sich zu einer jungen Frau, die erkennt, dass Menschen fehlbar sind und dass die Wissenschaft nicht immer die Antworten auf alle Fragen kennt. Sie lernt, sich in andere Menschen einzufühlen, sie lernt, sich selbst mit anderen Augen zu sehen, nicht als „Krüppel“, wie dies in ihrer Kindheit geschah. Und sie lernt die Liebe kennen.
Fazit
„Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook“ von Susan Fletcher ist ein Roman, der so gehaltvoll ist, dass es eine pure Freude ist, ihn zu lesen. Die schwüle Vorkriegs-Atmosphäre, der subtile Spuk im Anwesen Shadowbrook, die tratschenden und gleichzeitig so verschwiegenen Dorfbewohner, das exotische Gewächshaus und die weitläufigen Gärten, Clara, die versucht, eine wissenschaftliche Erklärung für die nächtlichen Ereignisse zu finden – all dies macht den Roman inhaltlich für mich zu einem Meisterwerk. Hinzu kommt die unfassbar klare und gleichzeitig poetische und feinsinnige Sprache der Autorin. Durch sie werden Landschaften und Figuren lebendig. Für mich eines der besten Bücher, das ich seit langem gelesen habe.
October 11, 2019
"But above all, there were books. Books were my consolation. For if I could not walk into the bright, blowing world I could, at least, read of it; books, I was told, contained it all."
After Witch Light, I tried a different kind of book by another author as my next read. Unfortunately, I had to put said book on hold, because Susan Fletcher's masterpiece was still on my mind at every page. So I decided to read the other novel by the same author I bought and while it's not as amazing as Witch Light, House of Glass made me love another book right after a five stars one. Although to be honest, I might have given House of Glass five stars if I haven't read Witch Light before, though. We all have a favorite from every author. She's definitely an amazing author and I need every other book she ever wrote.
House of Glass is a little gem who combines with talent and elegance historical fiction, mystery and a gothic atmosphere that I love. The author's prose is beautiful and while I love her descriptions, it might be too much for some readers who are looking for a story more action oriented than atmospheric. I think you can still love it, but only if you read it at the right time for you. The combination of a great story, great writing and great characters makes this novel a success. You'll love it if you love historical fiction and you'll love it if you love gothic fiction. This kinda reminds me of another underrated author on Goodreads, Laura Purcell and her masterpiece The Silent Companions.
After Witch Light, I tried a different kind of book by another author as my next read. Unfortunately, I had to put said book on hold, because Susan Fletcher's masterpiece was still on my mind at every page. So I decided to read the other novel by the same author I bought and while it's not as amazing as Witch Light, House of Glass made me love another book right after a five stars one. Although to be honest, I might have given House of Glass five stars if I haven't read Witch Light before, though. We all have a favorite from every author. She's definitely an amazing author and I need every other book she ever wrote.
House of Glass is a little gem who combines with talent and elegance historical fiction, mystery and a gothic atmosphere that I love. The author's prose is beautiful and while I love her descriptions, it might be too much for some readers who are looking for a story more action oriented than atmospheric. I think you can still love it, but only if you read it at the right time for you. The combination of a great story, great writing and great characters makes this novel a success. You'll love it if you love historical fiction and you'll love it if you love gothic fiction. This kinda reminds me of another underrated author on Goodreads, Laura Purcell and her masterpiece The Silent Companions.
July 25, 2019
House of glass turned out to be less of a ghost story and more of a tale of loss and lies. About half way in, all the well spun creepiness ended, and with it, my interest. Then, strangly, the plot spiraled into a odd half-baked romance that seemed to belong to a whole other story. By the time I read the last page, I just ended up feeling drained and sad.
There were some beautiful lines and sentimental moments that were truly memorable, for sure. The author took alot of creative liberties with her grammar, which can be effective when done properly. Like I said, there were many beautifully written lines. However, she did it a little too often for my taste, and sometimes for no reason at all. Many sentences just seemed incomplete.
House of Glass wasn't awful, by any means, it just wasn't the ghost story that I was hoping for.
There were some beautiful lines and sentimental moments that were truly memorable, for sure. The author took alot of creative liberties with her grammar, which can be effective when done properly. Like I said, there were many beautifully written lines. However, she did it a little too often for my taste, and sometimes for no reason at all. Many sentences just seemed incomplete.
House of Glass wasn't awful, by any means, it just wasn't the ghost story that I was hoping for.
November 26, 2023
i'm IMPRESSED! ON COMÅLETION O IMMEDIATELY PURCHASED ANOTHER BY THIS CONTEMPORARY AUTHOR.
MOTIVATIONS DICTATED BY BOTH OUR HEAD ABD OUR HWAET ARE EQ
MOTIVATIONS DICTATED BY BOTH OUR HEAD ABD OUR HWAET ARE EQ
August 14, 2025
I'd remembered this author's poetic style from other books I've read by her, and her writing is wonderful again in this one, told in the first person. I found the opening chapters particularly strong. The heroine, Clara is a young child in Edwardian London and has to stay in the house because of her brittle bones, hearing about the world second-hand from her mother, and from reading endless books.
When she becomes stronger and is finally able to leave the house, in the spring of 1914, Clara is drawn to Kew Gardens and the exotic plants in its glasshouses. After learning from one of the experts there, she is asked to travel to a country house in Gloucestershire, Shadowbrook, where she is employed to fill a glasshouse with plants. But soon she is caught up in strange things going on in the house, where it appears that ghosts are walking at night.
As the Gothic novel plot develops, although I still enjoyed it, I felt that the intensity lessens slightly from the early chapters. It steps up again towards the end, with twists that I didn't see coming and the inevitable arrival of the First World War, but I still think the early chapters are the best part of the novel. Maybe the book is just a bit long for this type of genre. I started off by listening to the Audible edition, narrated by Joanna Bending, who has a beautiful voice, but about a third of the way through I found I was getting on rather slowly and switched to the Kindle edition.
When she becomes stronger and is finally able to leave the house, in the spring of 1914, Clara is drawn to Kew Gardens and the exotic plants in its glasshouses. After learning from one of the experts there, she is asked to travel to a country house in Gloucestershire, Shadowbrook, where she is employed to fill a glasshouse with plants. But soon she is caught up in strange things going on in the house, where it appears that ghosts are walking at night.
As the Gothic novel plot develops, although I still enjoyed it, I felt that the intensity lessens slightly from the early chapters. It steps up again towards the end, with twists that I didn't see coming and the inevitable arrival of the First World War, but I still think the early chapters are the best part of the novel. Maybe the book is just a bit long for this type of genre. I started off by listening to the Audible edition, narrated by Joanna Bending, who has a beautiful voice, but about a third of the way through I found I was getting on rather slowly and switched to the Kindle edition.
December 27, 2018
This had the potential to be a 5 star read for me but as you can tell from my 3 star rating, it didn't live up to the admittedly high expectations I had going in. There were some things it did very well, such as envoking a deliciously creepy gothic atmosphere alongside some reasonably well-drawn characters, but my main problem with it was that it was far too slow in terms of its pacing. The plot moved at a snail's pace for at least 2/3 of the book, with page after page of little to nothing happening. I normally don't mind a slower pace, particularly if there are some really intriguing characters to help hold your attention, but this was just too slow and although the characters were fleshed out and interesting enough in their own ways, I wouldn't say any of them particularly stood out or made up for the times when very little was happening in terms of plot momentum. I seriously considered abandoning this several times as it was such a slog to get through. However, I had this feeling in my gut that it would make up for it somewhat in the end and it was this feeling that prompted me to continue, despite my reservations. I'm glad I did because the last third of the book did see a marked increase in pace and it was then that the plot finally kicked into gear. At this point I struggled to put it down and I would have certainly rated this book higher if all of it had been as engaging as the final third was. All in all, not a bad book but certainly not a great one either.
December 10, 2018
It's 1914 and England is on the cusp of war. Clara is a young woman with what we now call brittle bones disease who takes a job at Kew Gardens whilst grieving for her mother. She's sent to the countryside to stock the glasshouse of a mysterious estate owner where she encounters a staff terrified by the ghost of a former owner. This was a wonderful piece of historical fiction with a slight supernatural undertone.
November 25, 2018
Oh my goodness what a book. This is absolutely exquisite; so lyrical and vivid and such an amazing protagonist. I don't want to say too much as I don't want to spoil any of the experience but I will say if you enjoy beautiful writing and intense character connections, this is an absolute must!
March 20, 2022
SF just gets better with every read. It is a wonderfully atomspheric piece of work with a slow pace that lures the reader into thinking all sorts, usually wrong, of scenearios. I admit I did find 'the connection' a bit too convennient but it does work.
I'd read everything SF writes - she is that good.
Toast
I'd read everything SF writes - she is that good.
Toast
September 7, 2023
3,5⭐
J'ai bien aimé et je voulais savoir le rebondissement, qui m'a pas transcendée mais c'était sympa. Bien contente que y ait pas eu la romance que j'ai cru qu'il y allait avoir, parce que EW.
J'ai bien aimé et je voulais savoir le rebondissement, qui m'a pas transcendée mais c'était sympa. Bien contente que y ait pas eu la romance que j'ai cru qu'il y allait avoir, parce que EW.
November 28, 2019
Clara Waterfield ist anders als andere Menschen. Denkt sie zumindest, denn sie ist zerbrechlich. Sie leidet an Osteogenesis imperfecta, der Glasknochenkrankheit. Ihre ganze Kindheit lebte sie eingesperrt zu Hause, bis kurz vor dem Tod ihrer Mutter. Aus Trauer um den Verlust flüchtet sich Clara in einen botanischen Garten in London, als sie ein ungewöhnliches Angebot erhält - sie soll ein Gewächshaus auf dem Landsitz Shadowbrook in Gloucestershire mit exotischen Pflanzen befüllen. Dort angekommen ist jedoch nichts so, wie es scheint und Clara findet sich schon bald in einem Konflikt mit ihren eigenen Überzeugungen wieder.
"Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook" von Susan Fletcher ist eine Kombination aus historischem Roman mit leichten Gruselelementen, was für mich super funktioniert hat. Auf der einen Seite gibt es die rational denkende Clara, die durch ihre Belesenheit auf alles eine Antwort zu wissen scheint und generell nur so von Wissensdurst strotzt, auf der anderen Seite passieren auf Shadowbrook Dinge. Unerklärliche Dinge, die das Leben der Menschen auf dem Landsitz auf den Kopf stellen und alle Überzeugungen in Frage stellen.
Claras unerschrockene Art hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Sie lässt sich nicht klein kriegen, rebelliert gegen das allgemein herrschende Frauenbild und setzt ihren eigenen Kopf durch. So manch ein Gedanke oder Satz von ihr haben mich nachdenken lassen, vor allem auch die Auseinandersetzung mit der Kirche und dem Glauben fand ich wirklich interessant.
Besonders macht das Buch natürlich auch die genetische Erkrankung von Clara. Ich hatte zuvor erst einmal ein Buch gelesen, in dem sie eine Rolle gespielt hat ("Zerbrechlich" von Jodi Picoult") und schon da fand ich die Tatsache, dass es eine Krankheit gibt, die Knochen zerbrechlich wie dünne Äste macht, einfach unglaublich schockierend. Umso schöner war es zu lesen, wie Clara über sich hinauswächst, ihre Krankheit zu akzeptieren beginnt und sich selbst nicht mehr als "Krüppel" betrachtet.
Leider war das Buch aber um den Mittelteil herum sehr langatmig. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass die Geschichte nicht wirklich vorankam, man fühlte sich wie in einer Endlosschleife aus unerklärlichen Vorkommnissen gefangen. Erst die Auflösung gegen Ende des Buches hatte es wieder in sich. Zwar hatte ich mir diese bis zu einem gewissen Punkt so gedacht, trotzdem war ich sehr schockiert.
Insgesamt kann ich das Buch empfehlen. Man sollte auf jeden Fall dranbleiben, da das Ende sehr überzeugend ist und der Schreibstil von Susan Fletcher sich wirklich sehen lassen kann. Ich vergebe 4 / 5 Sternen.
"Das Geheimnis von Shadowbrook" von Susan Fletcher ist eine Kombination aus historischem Roman mit leichten Gruselelementen, was für mich super funktioniert hat. Auf der einen Seite gibt es die rational denkende Clara, die durch ihre Belesenheit auf alles eine Antwort zu wissen scheint und generell nur so von Wissensdurst strotzt, auf der anderen Seite passieren auf Shadowbrook Dinge. Unerklärliche Dinge, die das Leben der Menschen auf dem Landsitz auf den Kopf stellen und alle Überzeugungen in Frage stellen.
Claras unerschrockene Art hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Sie lässt sich nicht klein kriegen, rebelliert gegen das allgemein herrschende Frauenbild und setzt ihren eigenen Kopf durch. So manch ein Gedanke oder Satz von ihr haben mich nachdenken lassen, vor allem auch die Auseinandersetzung mit der Kirche und dem Glauben fand ich wirklich interessant.
Besonders macht das Buch natürlich auch die genetische Erkrankung von Clara. Ich hatte zuvor erst einmal ein Buch gelesen, in dem sie eine Rolle gespielt hat ("Zerbrechlich" von Jodi Picoult") und schon da fand ich die Tatsache, dass es eine Krankheit gibt, die Knochen zerbrechlich wie dünne Äste macht, einfach unglaublich schockierend. Umso schöner war es zu lesen, wie Clara über sich hinauswächst, ihre Krankheit zu akzeptieren beginnt und sich selbst nicht mehr als "Krüppel" betrachtet.
Leider war das Buch aber um den Mittelteil herum sehr langatmig. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass die Geschichte nicht wirklich vorankam, man fühlte sich wie in einer Endlosschleife aus unerklärlichen Vorkommnissen gefangen. Erst die Auflösung gegen Ende des Buches hatte es wieder in sich. Zwar hatte ich mir diese bis zu einem gewissen Punkt so gedacht, trotzdem war ich sehr schockiert.
Insgesamt kann ich das Buch empfehlen. Man sollte auf jeden Fall dranbleiben, da das Ende sehr überzeugend ist und der Schreibstil von Susan Fletcher sich wirklich sehen lassen kann. Ich vergebe 4 / 5 Sternen.
December 15, 2018
Another terrific Gothic read. Clara suffers from brittle bone disease and has spent much of her early life cocooned indoors. When her beloved mum dies Clara starts to question her own identity and wanders the streets of London trying to banish her grief. This leads her to Kew gardens where she learns about exotic plants. This in turn leads to a commission at Shadowbrook in Gloucestershire. The owner is a mysterious recluse and the locals have nothing but bad to say about previous owners the Pettigrews. The house seems to be haunted and Clara decides to investigate. When she does she makes an astonishing discovery about her own past. Loved this one.
February 20, 2020
Eurgh this book really annoyed me. Didn’t warm at all to Clara - she was rude, felt like she could just ask questions about things people were clearly sensitive about and all high and mighty about being knowledgeable and well read but then believed every bad word about Veronique that she was told about!
I’m not surprised that the most sane one in the book didn’t want to sleep with her!!
The ghost storyline was weak, and it annoyed me how Clara was so adamant at the beginning that it was human intruders yet a few words with a “well read” man and she’s all for the ghost theory. Eye-roll.
The twist of sly Mr Fox being the father was probably the saving grace of this book but even then he was dead before it was developed much further, not that it would have added anything because by his account it was a fling and he was much more interested in his opium empire.
I’m also perplexed as to the fact that Clara went off to Gloucestershire and then just never returned - would have thought her stepfather might have journeyed out or wrote a letter when the news was announced of her true parentage?!
Dissatisfied with pretty much the entire book to be honest.
I’m not surprised that the most sane one in the book didn’t want to sleep with her!!
The ghost storyline was weak, and it annoyed me how Clara was so adamant at the beginning that it was human intruders yet a few words with a “well read” man and she’s all for the ghost theory. Eye-roll.
The twist of sly Mr Fox being the father was probably the saving grace of this book but even then he was dead before it was developed much further, not that it would have added anything because by his account it was a fling and he was much more interested in his opium empire.
I’m also perplexed as to the fact that Clara went off to Gloucestershire and then just never returned - would have thought her stepfather might have journeyed out or wrote a letter when the news was announced of her true parentage?!
Dissatisfied with pretty much the entire book to be honest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2018
https://lynns-books.com/2018/10/30/ho...
I am on a winning streak with my gothic reads these past few weeks and here is yet another little beauty to add to your wishlists. I know, I know, I’m sorry, you have too many books already but you and I both know you don’t want to miss a good book – after all that’s how your TBR grew into such a monster in the first place and, whilst I hate to add to your ever growing stacks, trust me, this book is worth it. Don’t miss out. Described as being reminiscent of duMaurier I would suggest this also gave me Jane Eyre vibes and yet at the same time it absolutely stands on it’s own two feet. Beautifully written and powerfully evocative it contains all the elements that woven together make an engrossing gothic story.
The thing I love about this book is the voice. Clara is a wonderful narrator and I was quite hooked to the page as she recounted her early years. Clara was born with a condition that makes her skeleton incredibly vulnerable, apologies but I didn’t make a note of the name but it seems to be akin to ‘glass bones’. A simple fall can result in serious damage and Clara spends her youth spent largely recuperating, mainly in the company of her mother and in a house that is all but wrapped in cotton wool to prevent, as far as possible, further injuries. As she grows older her condition stabilises a little but of course by that time, and with so many broken bones already in her past Clara finds it difficult to walk without the aid of a stick. On top of this her appearance is almost ethereal. With a diminutive frame, strangely entrancing eyes and white blond hair she certainly catches attention although quite often of the negative variety. And, finally, with a lack of social encounters in her past she has a certain way of interacting with others that is brutally frank and often borders on abrupt. Here we have a female character, set in a period where societal restrictions would prevent her having any freedom, enjoying a lifestyle that is totally unexpected. She is a wonderful creation, I loved her and I absolutely applaud the author for taking a character, born with such difficulties to surmount and instead of letting this restrict the story using it instead to create a strong and no-nonsense woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind or talk frankly. I want more of this.
The story moves forward to approximately 1914. Unfortunately Clara’s mother and only friend has passed away and Clara needs a purpose. She takes to visiting Kew Gardens, fascinated by the plants and keen to learn. She develops an almost teacher/student relationship with one of the head gardeners and from there stems an invitation to a country manor where the new owner, having recently built a grand greenhouse, requires someone with the expertise to fill it with exotic plants. Shadowbrook House is appropriately named. The villagers whisper about it, the housekeeper and maids are convinced it’s haunted and there are certainly plenty of strange noises of an evening. Noises that whisper of footsteps treading along creaking floorboards, or perhaps just noises of an old house settling in to sleep at night.
I don’t think I need to really elaborate too much on the plot, this is a house with a history, it could be haunted or maybe it’s simply a house that is haunted by it’s past, people unable or unwilling to forget the ‘goings on’ that took place within its walls. It has a forbidden attic, a reclusive owner and plenty of dark secrets just waiting to be unveiled. I certainly didn’t foresee the final outcome but I confess I never try overly hard to second guess the endings to books – I prefer to let them reveal themselves as intended so it’s possible that others might not find the reveals as surprising as I did. Undoubtedly this ticks a lot of the trope boxes that you would expect from a gothic read and I can almost picture you rolling your eyes thinking the ‘same old, same old’ but, apart from the fact that these tropes are so enjoyable anyway, what makes this book refreshingly different is the main protagonist who is such an original character. Clara is an intelligent and practical woman. She has a scientific mind and so as such refuses to believe in ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Instead she looks for rational explanation where others simply give in to superstition and she isn’t afraid to go and investigate. Obviously, her nature is tempered by her easily broken bones. Clara can’t go flinging herself around or dashing about the countryside, she has to take certain precautions but she doesn’t let her condition dictate who she is or use it as an excuse not to get on with life.
Added to a great protagonist and an eerie tale is of course the writing. Susan Fletcher is a wonderful writer. She has an almost magical way with words that simply transports you into whatever vision she is currently creating. I’ve read a couple of her books before and it’s always the same for me – I rush through the book, devouring the words like a raging maniac and then finish the story feeling almost teary eyed and bereft. There’s almost a poetic beauty to her words and yet at the same time a simplicity that just brings forth memories. For this particular book it’s the garden, the scent of the flowers and the herbs, the beautiful colours and the feeling of nature doing what it does best. Please, don’t take my word for it – go and pick up a copy and see what you think.
In terms of criticisms. I have nothing. I think the only proviso I would make is that whilst this is a ghostly tale I don’t think it’s a tale of terror – which I think is mainly down to Clara’s unwillingness to give in to flights of fancy. But, I don’t really think of that as a criticism, just something to note.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
I am on a winning streak with my gothic reads these past few weeks and here is yet another little beauty to add to your wishlists. I know, I know, I’m sorry, you have too many books already but you and I both know you don’t want to miss a good book – after all that’s how your TBR grew into such a monster in the first place and, whilst I hate to add to your ever growing stacks, trust me, this book is worth it. Don’t miss out. Described as being reminiscent of duMaurier I would suggest this also gave me Jane Eyre vibes and yet at the same time it absolutely stands on it’s own two feet. Beautifully written and powerfully evocative it contains all the elements that woven together make an engrossing gothic story.
The thing I love about this book is the voice. Clara is a wonderful narrator and I was quite hooked to the page as she recounted her early years. Clara was born with a condition that makes her skeleton incredibly vulnerable, apologies but I didn’t make a note of the name but it seems to be akin to ‘glass bones’. A simple fall can result in serious damage and Clara spends her youth spent largely recuperating, mainly in the company of her mother and in a house that is all but wrapped in cotton wool to prevent, as far as possible, further injuries. As she grows older her condition stabilises a little but of course by that time, and with so many broken bones already in her past Clara finds it difficult to walk without the aid of a stick. On top of this her appearance is almost ethereal. With a diminutive frame, strangely entrancing eyes and white blond hair she certainly catches attention although quite often of the negative variety. And, finally, with a lack of social encounters in her past she has a certain way of interacting with others that is brutally frank and often borders on abrupt. Here we have a female character, set in a period where societal restrictions would prevent her having any freedom, enjoying a lifestyle that is totally unexpected. She is a wonderful creation, I loved her and I absolutely applaud the author for taking a character, born with such difficulties to surmount and instead of letting this restrict the story using it instead to create a strong and no-nonsense woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind or talk frankly. I want more of this.
The story moves forward to approximately 1914. Unfortunately Clara’s mother and only friend has passed away and Clara needs a purpose. She takes to visiting Kew Gardens, fascinated by the plants and keen to learn. She develops an almost teacher/student relationship with one of the head gardeners and from there stems an invitation to a country manor where the new owner, having recently built a grand greenhouse, requires someone with the expertise to fill it with exotic plants. Shadowbrook House is appropriately named. The villagers whisper about it, the housekeeper and maids are convinced it’s haunted and there are certainly plenty of strange noises of an evening. Noises that whisper of footsteps treading along creaking floorboards, or perhaps just noises of an old house settling in to sleep at night.
I don’t think I need to really elaborate too much on the plot, this is a house with a history, it could be haunted or maybe it’s simply a house that is haunted by it’s past, people unable or unwilling to forget the ‘goings on’ that took place within its walls. It has a forbidden attic, a reclusive owner and plenty of dark secrets just waiting to be unveiled. I certainly didn’t foresee the final outcome but I confess I never try overly hard to second guess the endings to books – I prefer to let them reveal themselves as intended so it’s possible that others might not find the reveals as surprising as I did. Undoubtedly this ticks a lot of the trope boxes that you would expect from a gothic read and I can almost picture you rolling your eyes thinking the ‘same old, same old’ but, apart from the fact that these tropes are so enjoyable anyway, what makes this book refreshingly different is the main protagonist who is such an original character. Clara is an intelligent and practical woman. She has a scientific mind and so as such refuses to believe in ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Instead she looks for rational explanation where others simply give in to superstition and she isn’t afraid to go and investigate. Obviously, her nature is tempered by her easily broken bones. Clara can’t go flinging herself around or dashing about the countryside, she has to take certain precautions but she doesn’t let her condition dictate who she is or use it as an excuse not to get on with life.
Added to a great protagonist and an eerie tale is of course the writing. Susan Fletcher is a wonderful writer. She has an almost magical way with words that simply transports you into whatever vision she is currently creating. I’ve read a couple of her books before and it’s always the same for me – I rush through the book, devouring the words like a raging maniac and then finish the story feeling almost teary eyed and bereft. There’s almost a poetic beauty to her words and yet at the same time a simplicity that just brings forth memories. For this particular book it’s the garden, the scent of the flowers and the herbs, the beautiful colours and the feeling of nature doing what it does best. Please, don’t take my word for it – go and pick up a copy and see what you think.
In terms of criticisms. I have nothing. I think the only proviso I would make is that whilst this is a ghostly tale I don’t think it’s a tale of terror – which I think is mainly down to Clara’s unwillingness to give in to flights of fancy. But, I don’t really think of that as a criticism, just something to note.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
December 15, 2025
En 1914, Clara, une jeune femme atteinte de la maladie des os de verre a été surprotégée toute son enfance par sa mère qui lui a tout appris du monde. Au décès de cette dernière, Clara prendra son envol et sera employée dans un manoir en plein cœur de la campagne anglaise pour créer une serre botanique.
Dans cette demeure, plusieurs mystères vont se révéler à elle et l’absence de son propriétaire ne fera qu’amplifier ses inquiétudes.
Typiquement le genre d’ambiance gothique que j’adore, en Angleterre dans une vaste demeure, où tous nos sens sont en éveil pour tenter de comprendre s’il s’agit d’une histoire fantomatique ou non.
La plume de l’autrice sublime cette histoire que j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir. La richesse des descriptions des paysages et des sentiments participe à l’immersion dans ce roman.
Je suis très heureuse d’en avoir enfin fait la lecture.
Dans cette demeure, plusieurs mystères vont se révéler à elle et l’absence de son propriétaire ne fera qu’amplifier ses inquiétudes.
Typiquement le genre d’ambiance gothique que j’adore, en Angleterre dans une vaste demeure, où tous nos sens sont en éveil pour tenter de comprendre s’il s’agit d’une histoire fantomatique ou non.
La plume de l’autrice sublime cette histoire que j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir. La richesse des descriptions des paysages et des sentiments participe à l’immersion dans ce roman.
Je suis très heureuse d’en avoir enfin fait la lecture.
January 6, 2021
Die Rebecca-Vibes!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews