What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

The story is told from the perspective of a young person who is ultimately sent to an asylum for the mentally ill. S/he is held there against their will, tries to escape, has someone on the outside helping them, and believes that they are mistakenly being held there. A relative comes to visit and begs the person to behave and get better but ultimately stops coming. Had an upper class upbringing but some tragedy befell the family which is handled mysteriously in the storyline. The way the story is told is a bit disjointed, as if the protagonist is having a hard time putting it altogether. (As am I.) I vaguely recall that it may be set in Austria or another European country in a time when horse drawn carriages were common. I believe the mental issue is preceded by an accident.

Lovers All Untrue by Norah Lofts has some similar elements, though I don't recall it being particularly disjointed.

Elements of this sound a bit like The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

Emma wrote: "Elements of this sound a bit like The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell"

For the click:
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

On a side note this was already on my TBR, probably was an answer in this group before (this is simply the best group for finding unusual books for me).

Was going to suggest Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, too. Is the protagonist correct in thinking they are mistakenly being held in the asylum or do they really suffer from something that they don't understand? Is the book narrated only by the protagonist or do you have an outside perspective as well?

Kait, around what year did you read this book? A range of years is fine.

Would you call this a mystery novel?

I added some details to the header/topic title. You can update it by clicking the small "edit" link after the header. This only works on the full Desktop website - not the Mobile website or app. (On the Mobile website, click the "Desktop version" link at the bottom of the page.)

Kris wrote: "Kait, around what year did you read this book? A range of years is fine.

Would you call this a mystery novel?

I added some details to the header/topic title. You can update it by clicking the sma..."

Thank you, Kris! It isn't a mystery. More surreal or existential. Time has lost all meaning for me, haha. I read it in the last 10 years.

Natasha wrote: "Was going to suggest Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, too. Is the protagonist correct in thinking they are mistakenly being held in the asylum or do they really suffer from something that they don't u..."

My recollection is that they believe it themselves to be sane but the writer keeps you wondering if that's the case. It definitely is not Vanishing Act.

You're welcome. Minor edit to the header. Feel free to edit it.

Fingersmith? Wildthorn? The Woman in White?

The Asylum by John Harwood?

The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace?

Daisy wrote: "Fingersmith? Wildthorn? The Woman in White|?"

I think Wildthorn must be it. Thank you so much, I have no recollection of the title or the cover art but the description sounds exactly like what I do recall! I'm guessing I read it on vacation and it didn't make it back into my library. Thanks again, finding this group has proved to be a minor miracle, and is such a lovely community. Thank you to Kris for the helpful edits along the way and your service as moderator!

Glad we could help, Kait. Here's the Google Books preview of Daisy's find - Wildthorn by Jane Eagland:

https://books.google.com/books?id=wFO...