Life Mask

by Emma Donoghue

LIFE MASK is the true story of three famous Londoners - an artist, an actress and an aristocrat - at the end of the eighteenth century. This is their love story, their gamble, their battle. Let the games begin. Everybody wears a mask. Hadn't you noticed? We put them on for one very good reason: we dislike our own faces. It's an era of looming war, and the erosion of freedom in the name of national security. A time of high art and big business, trashy spectacles and financial disasters. Celebrities are hounded by journalists, who serve up private passions alongside public crises. Marriages stretch or break, and so do friendships; political liaisons prove as dangerous as erotic ones. In Parliament, on stage, in the bedroom, at the race track, round the dinner table, old loyalties are wrenched by the winds of change. The World - as elite calls itself - is fighting to survive these chaotic times.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Lesbian, Romance, British Literature

604 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Grew up in Ireland, 20s in England doing a PhD in eighteenth-century literature, since then in Canada. Best known for my novel, film and play ROOM, also other contemporary and historical novels and short stories, non-fiction, theatre and middle-grade novels.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are fascinated by Whig politics in late 18th Century England, you'll love this book. If you're interested in the intersections of theater and the aristocracy in 18th Century England, you'll enjoy the book. If you're interested in cockfighting, horse racing, drinking, taking mistresses, and other "gentlemanly" pursuits, you will enjoy this book. If you are interested in the specific historical people who appear in the book, you will absolutely love it. But if you are looking for a an emotionally and sexually charged lesbian drama set in 18th Century England, look elsewhere.

That being said, I rather liked it, because it's like someone's Ph.D. dissertation, in novel form, and I'm a nerd with a big interest in 18th Century England. But even I kept screaming, "When is something going to happen besides men sitting around horse races, clubs, and parties talking about the Whigs and the French Revolution?"

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so in the mood for a nice meaty historical novel and Life Mask was exactly what I needed. I promised myself to read more Emma Donoghue this year. Her writing is exquisite and so far I’ve only read one of her short stories and a play so I still have plenty of exploring to do.

Life Mask is set in Georgian times, a period I don’t know a whole lot about so it was very interesting to read about the politics and social history of the late 18th century. 99% of the characters in the book are real people who then lived and loved. As the author says “This novel is fiction, but the kind that walks arm in arm with fact.”

We follow our main characters – The Queen of Comedy, actress Elizabeth ‘Eliza’ Farren, rich widow turned sculptor Mrs. Anne Damer who’s rumored to be a lesbian, Edward Smith-Stanley the very married twelfth Earl of Derby, who loves his horses and fighting cocks and also has an eye on Miss Farren - over a period of 10 years (1787 – 1797). And they were volatile times with a revolution in France that threatens to spill over into Britain under rule of a mad King George III. Donoghue gives us so much well researched (and lavish) detail.

We get a lot of theater, art, horse racing, cock fighting, political intrigue, scandal, jealousy and gossip. Mrs. Damer won my heart.

She looked back over the years and saw that she’d always wanted this but hadn’t seen it for what it was. She’d been confused, terrorised by the grotesqueries of the pamphleteers, the obscene silhouettes on black sofas. This was a private, pure astonishment. I am this way, she thought, as simply as a stream flows down a hill. It has always been women. How many years of my life have I spent chiselling their beautiful cheeks? This wasn’t evil, this wasn’t debauchery. It was love made flesh.

The book was long (over 600 pages) and heavy on the politics and yet it kept me engaged from beginning to end. Donoghue has that power.

f/f

Themes: London, Foxites against Pittites, Beau Monde aka the World, Strawberry Hill, Drury Lane, Fidelle, ‘This trash of tea! I don’t know why I drink so much of it. Heigho!’, Prinny, Thalia, Walpole, Miss Mary Berry.

4.3 Stars

[Heather Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Donoghue writes the sort of historical fiction that makes one unsurprised that she’s a historian first. This isn’t meant to be a criticism! But it can be crucial to know what you’re getting into and set your expectations appropriately.
Life Mask is a fictionalized biography of 18th century English sculptor Anne Damer, but it might be better characterized as a historical novel about upper class English social politics of the later 18th century, as viewed though the lens of an interconnected set of characters: Damer herself, her unlikely friend actress Elizabeth Farren, and the Earl of Derby (yes, of horse race fame) the long-time suitor and eventual husband (after his inconvenient wife died) of Elizabeth Farren. The book is structured much more as a biography--wandering along the paths of their lives, dramatizing key events and summarizing others--rather than a novel with a clear and compelling plot arc. And the reader should definitely not expect it to have the shape of a romance novel, even though Damer does achieve a happy romantic partnership at the end with writer Mary Berry. (There are no spoilers in history, and their partnership is historical fact, though the precise nature of it is more ambiguous in the historic record.)
Having set those expectations, I really enjoyed Life Mask, and even enjoyed the ambiguous uncertainty of how Donoghue would handle the same-sex romance aspect. The majority of the page time is spent on the friendship between Damer and Farren that becomes so intense and so well-known that there was open speculation about whether it had a sexual component. Damer already had a whispered reputation of “too much love for her own sex” and Farren eventually broke off the friendship after satirical publications made explicit reference to her connection with Damer. But in Life Mask this unhappy event proves to be a wake-up call for Damer that her feelings for certain women in her life are erotic and possessive as well as including the sort of intense romantic expressions that were considered acceptable by society. Donoghue presents a detailed and believable study of the contradictions of a culture that praises women’s romantic devotion for each other, but only up to a point.
But the bulk of Life Mask focuses on the political and social details of life among the English upper classes during the era of the French Revolution, and if you haven’t come for those details then you may find it a very long journey to get to Damer’s happy ending. Now me, I love historical novels that immerse me in the details of specific periods and events through the lives of fascinating people. This is the sort of book that, in my youth, helped me pick up much of my background understanding of European history (and especially British history). And if you have loved those same sorts of books, I highly recommend Life Mask as an addition to the mosaic.

[Izetta Autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't do it. Just don't. The problem is the book needed a brutal and dedicated editor. Everything would have been okay (not really, but...) if it was 200 pages shorter. At it's length it simply looses the momentum to bring the reader to the (inevitable) conclusion. The history of England is interesting though.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I´d like to plagarize from two reviews I read on Goodreads.

1. It´s no Slammerkin
2. What editor allowed this to be so long, for no reason?

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to make of this historical fiction novel, which follows the real life tale of an actress and a rich female sculptor in the 18th century.

Eliza Farren was one of the most successful actresses of her time and had managed to capture the heart of an older Lord, who was essentially waiting for his unfaithful wife to die so he can marry the actress instead. Through him, she was introduced to a rich widow Anne Damer, who was very modern for the times. The two had a very close and much gossiped about friendship, which ultimately led to the pair being accused of being lesbians ( which led to much outrage and shunning in those days). The book essentially follows this friendship over a period of many years, with lots of historical interlude in between.

I actually really enjoyed it, but I am a bit confused as to why. Many other reviews call it too long, and I agree. The author could have done with focusing less on the politics of the time which would have saved a good deal of pages. I remember feeling like it actually got exciting around the 70% mark which is a bit late for any book, let alone one that is 600+ pages.

I also did feel a bit let down by the outcome of the relationship between the 2 main characters, although this is hardly Donoghue"s fault as it appears she was driven by the actual history of events. I feel the book was marketed as a bit of a love story between the pair, and Wikipedia outright says they had an affair. So it does almost feel like a disappointment when literally nothing happens between them at all, except accusations and betrayal. Donoghue tried to make up for this I feel by a lot of focus into Damer's new love Mary towards the end but this relationship as a result felt rushed and unearned

I'd recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction and politics. If you're looking for romance, I'd unfortunately give it a miss.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was described to me as being like "Jane Austen with sex"; I would describe it as "Jane Austen without sex and without Jane Austen." In 600+ pages, I don't think I found a plot, though there was quite a bit of historical political intrigue and a lot of development of character relationships. (And there really wasn't that much romance.)

The author captures the feel of political unrest in England at the time of the French revolution quite well (as far as I can judge, not being overly familiar with that time period), and she uses actual historical figures and their lives for her characters (maybe that was why there was no plot...and no romance), and so I can see this book appealing to those who read for setting or who enjoy historical fiction.

[hawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel alot more than I thought I would from the synopsis, and that it focussed primarily on the upper classes of British society and politics. I think this says alot of the authors skill - both in her use of language, description, drama... and in being able to construct such a nuanced exploration of class, gender and sexuality around fairly mainstream political and social history.

the viewing of British and international politics through the eyes of a consistent group of people worked really well. and I liked how the novel described the impacts of the French revolution on British politics and lives.
it also describes so well the tenuous balance, and factors impacting, potential social and political reform in 18th century Britain - on a national level, and in the lives and thoughts of individuals involved and of influence.

I think from the synopsis and initial chapters, the novel overtly centred around the trio of (Lord) Derby, Eliza (Farren) and Anne (Damer)... but I think the actual key trio for me was Eliza, Anne and Mary (Berry), and how the novel considered these three women and their positions and choices (within society), awa their relationships to each other (primarily through Anne).

I also really enjoyed how central art/the arts were to the novel, and especially female artists, writers and actors. such a vivid and vibrant theme through the novel. it left me wanting to look up more of their work and lives.

while all of the threads (politics, monarchy, class, violence, gender, arts, relations...) were brilliantly dealt with, I think for me the thread that I liked the most was that of sexuality, specifically female sexuality, and LGBQ female sexuality.
there were so many beautifully understated moments between Anne and Eliza initially... I felt that friendship/relationship was so tenderly painted, and the (external and internal) limitations to it sensitively explored.
around a third of the way thru, there is the first main warning Eliza receives about Anne being rumoured to be a 'Sapphist' through the character of Mrs Piozzi (too often Welsh characters appear for comedy value, but she is so well done here I let that slide). it stood out as such a hilariously drawn conversation, but so sad and sobering too. I think the novel really well describes the mainstream British homo-antagonistic attitudes of the time, the differing impact on potentially LGBTQI people according to their gender and class position, and how lives were (and still are) dogged and damaged by rumour and discrimination.
it was a VERY long time coming, but was beautifully drawn throughout, and especially so as the relationship between Anne and Mary was realised - I really appreciated the novels inclusion of a kinda 'happy ending'/positive resolution for at least a couple of the characters. I also appreciated it not imposing contemporary LGBQ identities on women of the time.
this came around 23 hours into the 24 hour audio recording! but well worth waiting for, and possibly sweeter for the wait 💖

I enjoyed this novel thoroughly 😁 even the bits I didn't especially like 😉

and I loved the idea of "life fright" (as opposed to stage fright) introduced in one of the earlier chapters 😃

🌟

I also appreciated the afterword which referenced the real people focussed on in the novel, and the works about their lives the author had used, awa her own 'poetic licence' with the material.

🌟

accessed as an RNIB audiobook, so very well read by Louise Jamieson ♥

[Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A long novel set in the 18th century, centering around three people who share a character trait of being indecisive and boring. Anne Damer is a an aristocrat and a sculptor; she's friends with Lord Derby who has for literally years had a chaste relationship with actress Eliza Farren who has risen from the lower classes to stardom on Drury Lane. Eliza is unwilling to make an arrangement with him while his ailing wife still lives. Anne and Eliza become friends but scurrilous rumors suggesting they are Sapphists threaten both their reputations.

The problem with the book isn't so much that it's long and boring, but that the characters aren't brought to life. Anne's thoughts and feelings are described more than the others. It's hard to see why Derby is so besotted with Eliza that he's willing to wait for her and why Anne is so drawn to her - we're told of her beauty and grace and Derby and Anne's delight in that, but beyond that she doesn't have any particular appeal. She's a comedy actress but doesn't come across as clever or funny, and her personality is vague - she says she's never felt love for anyone. She just goes through year after year of performances with a few thoughts about her fellow thespians, but there's no insight into how she prepares for a role or her feelings about acting. A character who's the center of admiration needs to sparkle. The backstage scenes are lifeless, and if Eliza is so appealing, why doesn't she have other stage door Johnnies?

Part of the plot is one of the character's lack of self knowledge, which accounts for some of the vagueness. This was mildly interesting to me in the sense of wondering, in times when sodomy and Sapphism were judged harshly, how would would a person who realized they were drawn in that direction come to terms with it. But as a story, it was unsatisfying. There's much much more intrigue about various characters as the book winds along, but after a while I just didn't care.

Oh yeah they're based on real people, and the politics were interesting enough to make me go to Wikipedia for more background - so was Hugh Walpole - but that wasn't enough. I should have believed all the reviewers who said this was boring.

[Shasta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving up on this one 50 pages in -- I love everything else I've read by Emma Donoghue, but this one is boring me to tears. Excruciatingly detailed theater rehearsal and performance scenes, joined by a focus on late 18th century English politics -- just not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of classic English literature and much historical fiction, but I feel absolutely no interest in these characters or their milieu. This is no page turner, that's for sure.

[Labmom · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate it when authors do this - attempt historical fiction with characters that are cliched stereotypes unaffected by the monumental historical changes occuring around them. At over 600 pages this was an excrutiatingly detailed and accurate representation of late 18th century England (and I learned a lot) but the main characters could have been from lifted from "The Great Gatsby" or any current Hollywood gossip rag for all the depth and relevance they had. Portrayals of shallow aristocrats boasting of revolutionary sympathies while literally stepping on the wretched poor on their way to the next ball gets old. I wonder why the author didn't just write a biography of these people instead of trying to make any of them sympathetic or interesting?

The whole lesbian subplot was long in coming and a big letdown; again, a huge cultural development that didn't invade the character's elitist bubble.

And why all the adoration (from very far away) for the French Revolution, even after it swallowed its ideals, with hardly a mention of the American one barely a decade before? Ideas and sentiments clearly lifted from the American struggle were attributed to the French one, like they were the first to overthrow a corrupt King and institute self-rule. Maybe cuz the author is from the UK? I don't know but it was a narrative choice that rubbed me the wrong way.

If I wanted to learn about spoiled rich idiots I'd watch TMZ. For a shorter, and much funnier but no less accurate take on this period, just watch "Blackadder III."

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm done, I'm done. Finally finished this torturously long novel by an author I liked very much. I will cast a very wary eye over anything she produces in future that exceeds 350 pages. The characters and storylines were not nearly interesting enough to sustain a novel of 600 plus pages and I'm a bit resentful as I am now 5 books behind target. Yes, I should have chucked it in and, if all this isn't bad enough, there are some perfectly horrid descriptions of cock-fighting that the non-violent among you would be wise to avoid.

Did this author really write Room?

[J Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life Mask is reminiscent of The French Lieutenant's Woman...only much better (and, of course, set in a different era). Its style captures the period, politics, and flighty upper class beautifully. More importantly, the social critique fits the history and echoes contemporary issues (interference in foreign wars, the possibility of terrorism, government fear-mongering) in a way that helps the reader truly feel at home in the eighteenth century. And this critique, while strong, never feels heavy-handed. As the reader gets sucked deeper and deeper into Donoghue's portrayal of the "Beau Monde"--the so-called (but definitely not) "beautiful world" of upper-class society--the superficial details of estates, parties, possessions, and travel glitter more even as we see reality become bleaker.

It's a great book, far better than Slammerkin. The last hundred to hundred-fifty pages are wonderfully done and extremely compelling (I found this book a slow read overall--see below--but I stayed up until the wee hours reading the end), and there are other memorable sections as well. Unfortunately, there are some long sections in between that drag a bit...which is why it took me about six months, off and on, to finish the book. This seems to be a theme with Donoghue: she's a master of the short story (The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits and the glorious Kissing the Witch are excellent examples), and her short novels are also very good, but when she decides to write a long novel she seems to have trouble keeping the narrative tight. This story seemed at times to spin off into the distance like Eliza's gazillion-year flirtation with the Earl of Derby! There were some significant reasons for that, not least the historical facts around which the novel flows, but it still felt drawn-out.

Recommendation: this is a great read if you like your books complicated, long, and subtle, and you don't mind a plot that meanders a bit. It is not beach or airplane reading. If you are offended by discussions of gay or lesbian characters or issues of sexuality in history, don't bother, or if you do read it, don't ccomplain, since it's fairly clear from the back of the book what you're getting into (and also, please get a grip). If you're daunted by the length or depth, try Donoghue's short stories first; her writing will hook you!

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read this again and loved it. Having read many biographies of various celebrities, aristocrats and royals from this era I found reading it again and recognizing the characters, politics and social mores made this a fascinating and delightful reading experience. I believe the poorer ratings reflect lack of knowledge or interest in this seminal period in history. The research for this book is peerless and woven beautifully through the true and imagined stories of the main and peripheral characters. Anyone interested in late 18th century British political and social history and how the Age of Enlightenment retrenched with the excesses of the French Revolution wrapped in a splendidly researched novel will enjoy this.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I love Emma Donoghue! This is historical fiction of the best kind -- actually based very closely on fact, using an impressive treasure trove of journals, letters, and biographies to flesh out historical figures with imagined details. The tale of two female friends in England in the late 1700s, rumored to have participated in a relationship barely imaginable at the time. There is a bit of drag towards the end, but overall the writing is fascinating. I have been recommending this book freely.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent novel. For me it was slow-going in the beginning but once I was a quarter of the way in, I couldn't put it down. The story is so masterfully written. The author found a fascinating time and fascinating characters that truly existed and managed to fill in the blanks perfectly. I highly recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction and to fans of Donoghue's other books. It's quite different from her others but equally as good!

[lucky little cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this novel was like having a warm, welcoming place waiting for me.

Irish actress Eliza Farren, painted by Thomas Lawrence in 1790.

[Deanna Shelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Emma Donoghue in grad school when I did a semester in Ireland. She actually sat down next to me in a womens' conference! I have loved every book she has ever written. Her words drip off the page and I find them so well crafted. I cannot say enough good about her and her writing. I love this book for the realism in the female relationships and of course for the well developed story. A masterpiece.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant recreation of late eighteenth century England.
The characters jump right off the page.

[Aldi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't quite know what happened. Emma Donoghue's one of my favourite authors. I love a good historical, and the late 18th century is a fascinating era. I love books that don't shy away from politics and the intricacies of social strata. Add to that London theatre life and conflicted love triangles with a dash of f/f, and I should be all over this book.

And yet, this was so boring. SO. BORING. I could tell by page 100 that it wasn't gripping me at all and by around p. 200 was contemplating giving up, but my compulsory must-finish-itis wouldn't let me, so I speed-read the rest (and if that makes anyone turn up their noses and say I missed vital parts that way, no, no, alas, I really didn't - I read it faster but I didn't skip any. I didn't miss a single cockfight or newspaper extract or eye-glazing extended session in the House of Lords).

As with The Sealed Letter, I found that when Donoghue employs characters based on real historic figures, I am just not particularly engaged. Admittedly I was in a more receptive state of mind when I read The Sealed Letter, but in this case I quickly grew tired of a cast composed predominantly of unlikeable people obsessed with social status and the unsubtle ragging of gossip mags (don't get me started on the endless Whig vs. Tory debates and the entitled aristos aghast at any notion that their privilege of birth might be anything other than a god-given right and the natural order of things). Derby was fully realised as a man of his time and status, that is to say, a tiresomely unshakeable prick. Anne was rendered unrelatable by her unquestioning belief in her social superiority (Whig or no) and her endless wishy-washy obsession with the social mores she claimed to disdain. And Eliza, for all that she's the leading lady of this tediously overlong performance, never really seemed to come alive as a character beyond the role that she performs. Which is doubtlessly part of the point, given the title and structure, but it leaves you in short supply of characters to give a damn about.

Look, it's a well-crafted book; of course it is. Donoghue can write, and she does her research. But in my estimation, Life Mask along with Slammerkin and The Sealed Letter forms a trinity of Donoghue historicals published through the noughts that are characterised by great attention to historical detail yet populated by oddly lifeless puppets of real historical figures. I loved Frog Music and The Wonder, both of which are historicals, so perhaps it's simply a matter of which period of her writing I find engaging (on the bright side, hey, she has a choice of periods!). The fact remains that reading Life Mask was not distinguishably more entertaining than my occasional side treks to Wikipedia to read about various historical figures that played bit parts in the novel.

Don't get me started on the f/f content - obviously the 18th century was a shit time to be into girls and I sympathise, but when a character, after 550+ pages of aghast flutterings, whispered allusions and firm denials of allegations concerning unspeakable Sapphic vices finally figures out ~50 pages from the end that hey, maybe the gossip rags were on to something and she does actually dig the ladies, then shyly proceeds to act on it pretty much all off-page with a secondary non-entity of a character, that is too little, too late in a 600-page tome of such glacial pace. Don't tease me with unspeakable Sapphic vices and then don't deliver!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m working my way through all of Donoghue’s novels. This one from 2004 is set in the Beau Monde of late 18th century England, a time when rapid and exciting changes in political thought clashed with a rigid conformity in the matter of social mores, especially in regard to women. One of the central narratives is the story of sculptor Anne Damer (based, like almost every character, on a real historical figure) and her attempts to live a life of integrity despite being dogged by rumors of “sapphism.” She has an intense, platonic friendship with a Drury Lane actress, Eliza Farren. Eliza has come up from nowhere into Beau Monde society by virtue of her chaste romance with the Earl of Derby, and she is desperate to hold on to her status.
The men of the novel are more directly involved with the politics of the day, most of them being reformers in the Whig Party. The response of Prime Minister Pitt to the reform movement is predictable – he uses the French Revolution to scare English people into renouncing the liberal leaders and giving up rights like habeas corpus.
It took me awhile to warm up to this novel, because it seemed unfocused, compared to the tightly plotted Slammerkin and The Sealed Letter. However, once I accepted the structure, I really liked it, and I was truly sad to say good-bye to the characters once it was over. The parallels between Pitt's government and that of George Bush were a little over-explained (one of the characters actually used the phrase "weapons of mass destruction") but it was still interesting.

[Fiona Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hesitated when deciding on a star rating for this book. When it's good, it's very very good; Donaghue really can write. Anne Damer is the most interesting character, and the story was strongest when focused on her. Rumours of "sapphism" plague her, although she swears there is no truth in them. And yet, her warm friendships with women are tinged with jealousy, while she recoils from romantic or matrimonial entanglements with men. How long, the reader wonders, can she continue to deny her own nature, even to herself?

The other main characters are Eliza and Derby. Derby's devotion and Eliza's insistence on keeping her virtue (Derby is still legally married, although long separated from his wife) seem touching at first. However, when Eliza tells Anne that she thinks Derby "a silly man", I lost patience with her and wished for the interminable courtship to end.

The political background (the madness of King George, the French revolution) provides an interesting backdrop, but too much of it is background noise. Politicians and aristocrats walk on and off, seeming interchangeable (apart from some colourful souls like Walpole and Lady Georgiana). Far too many events are described second-hand or were only tangentially related to the overall plot.

If the book focused more on the personal relationships, and tried less to cram in a history lesson, I would have given a 4 or 5 star.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and often fascinating novel by an lesbian Irish author about art, theater, and romantic entanglements in upper-class Britain at the turn of the 19th century. Thoroughly researched and full of great bits of social history, although honestly, I would have preferred slightly less detail on the politics of the period. (Not that the politics didn't make for an interesting comparison with current US politics, concerns about terrorism and homeland security and all!)

All of the main characters are real historical figures (yes, this is historical RPF), and Donoghue fleshes out the details from the historical record with fluid and imaginative details. These are nuanced and complex characters -- she does a great job of getting into the mindset of the era, letting even her most sympathetic characters express views that are appalling from a contemporary context. She does this with considerable subtlety -- never overtly passing judgment or providing an intrusive authorial presence.

Recommended for anyone who likes historical fiction or is interested in British theater or politics of the era, and for fans of Georgette Heyer. (Don't expect one of Heyer's neatly-resolved endings here, but do expect considerably more attention to queer themes.)

[Sammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of me feels like I should criticise this book for being too long, but for some reason that fact hasn't really reduced my opinion if it. It plodded along through the lives of 3 people in history; The Earl of Derby, with his political difficulties and estranged wife. Eliza Farren, a women born with very little who has risen to fame as The Queen of Comedy and caught the attention of the Earl of Derby. And Anne Damer, a rich widow turned sculptress, rumoured to be a lesbian.

The book tells of the strange relationship between Derby and Farren, whereby he is entirely devoted to her but unable to marry while his wife still lives. Farren refuses to come to 'an arrangement' with him and maintains her reputation and dignity, at the expense of scandal when her friendship with Anne Damer appears to outsiders to be a little too intimate.

There is no 'big' ending to this novel. I couldn't identify many highs or lows and it had little momentum - yet it held my attention and I have no idea why. The state of politics in Britain throughout this seems to serve merely as a backdrop to the characters, and I found myself ignoring the politics much of the time.

This book isn't for everyone, but it does have a certain unique charm that I can't really explain.

[Adna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book follows the lives of Miss Eliza Farren (an esteemed actress of theatre) and Miss Anne Damer (a young widow and the only sculptress of her time). Miss Anne Damer is a talented artist with a tainted reputation because she was accused of being a Sapphist. The story revolves about these two and how their friendship hurts them both.

I think this is the book that took me the longest to read.
I didn't find the book convincing of the time period it was supposed to portray. The writer used words such as "awesome" and "stylish" to make her point. The book was too lengthy making the story dry as the result.
Surely the writer has so much praise for her previous book "Slammerkin" that this newer one falls too short.
Emma Donoghue writes "everyone while awake was in the same world, but that all of them, while asleep, were in worlds of their own". She certainly leaves readers out of her world with this book.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take one beautiful comedic actress, Eliza Farren, add the married Twelfth Earl of Derby, stir in widowed sculptor Anne Damer (the niece of Horace Walpole). To these add a dash of political intrigue, a sprinkling of what passes for love in the late 18th century, a smattering of captivating supporting characters, and the requisite amount of scandal, jealousy and gossip.

Emma Donoghue has stirred these ingredients together to form this historically based and highly plausible work of fiction.
Although this novel is lengthy, it is well worth your time, especially if your are have an affinity for entertaining and intelligent writing

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read if you like Jane Austen with more sex and political intrigue. 'The World' in 18th century London is the small group of wealthy aristocrats that make up high society. Life Mask tells the story of two women - a sculptor and an actress - one of whom is born into the World and one who has to make her way into it through beauty and talent. Based on real people, this 800 page novel is full of historical detail about the daily lives of the upper class and how they viewed political events as they played out, and I didn't want it to end.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is set in the late 18th century among the British elite. It weaves the worlds of the aristocracy, the stage, and politics into a neat reflection of the times. The major characters are all real historical people; Donoghue obviously did a great deal of research into their biographies as well as the current events of the times. I felt like I got a very good feel for different political and social issues of the time and it was thoroughly intriguing.

My only criticism is that the book dragged some at the end.

I look forward to reading Slammerkin next.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the slowest most leasurely book I think I've ever read. It is like sitting at the shore on a by with the waves BARELY lapping up on your toes and calling them waves. I kept waiting for something to happen dbut am now about 16 hours in on audio and I've pretty well given up.

Fast forward a lot of pages - finally the meaning of the book becomes clear. Too little actiont too late, but at least something happened!

[Nicole Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really excellent historical fiction novel. I normally don't like historical fiction that much, but I really enjoy Donoghue's work yet again. The novel progesses through the voice of the three main characters in a way that moves the plot/timeline along nice yet each character's voice and focus is distinct. A great read!