Review: Armadale by Wilkie Collins

I adore this book. Perhaps more than The Woman in White which is a tale of crime and mystery, something Armadale is not, despite initial appearances. Here, I focus on the main female character.

What began as a complex tale of friendship and revenge turned out as quite the love story. It moved me.

For all her conniving, her devilish mind and revengeful streak, Lydia Gwilt's character transformation took my breath away and was splendidly executed. I felt every part of her psychological journey; it was real, and it spoke volumes for Collins' understanding of the contradictions in the tormented female mind. 

The end both saddened and satisfied - Lydia achieving to redeem herself through it. Despite forgiving her, the two main male characters were found lacking in the end, especially Midwinter for his lack of introspection. One is left feeling that Lydia loved him more than he ever did. 

I can't help wonder whether Lydia would have at all carried out her designs had she found Midwinter more responsive in love, less preoccupied with his writing and if he had ceased brooding obsessively over his friend's safety. By the same token, would Lydia have perceived herself lacking in Midwinter's eyes, would she have felt as sensitively about his behaviour if she had not been plagued by the knowledge of her past deeds and doubted her own morality. 

The question of the self-fulfilling prophecy is vivid here. That is the tragedy.

Review: Anastasia by Colin Falconer

I loved this book. French author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once wrote that perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. Colin Falconer's Anastasia is a slim book that recalls the very best masterpieces. For me, it is now a modern classic. 

I am passionate about the Russian Revolution and the murder of the Romanovs but what initially drew me to this novel was promises of time travel to 1920s Shanghai, Berlin and New York. I was not disappointed. Colin Falconer's wonderfully scribed vivid descriptions transported me to the bars and nightclubs of Shanghai with its expat soirées and its seedy Triad underworld, before sweeping me away to the sexual decadence and currency collapse of Weimar Berlin. Soon after, I was indulging in London's tea houses and flapper period, casting an uneasy eye on rising unemployment, before finally leading a ritzy life in 5th Avenue New York prior to the Wall Street collapse. 

If all this travel wasn't enough, Colin Falconer also managed to paint glimpses into Lenin's Russia and make poignant observations on the Revolution's disappointing aftermath.
In this passage, the main character, journalist Michael Sheridan, travels to Petrograd (now St Petersburg) where he attempts to uncover evidence to prove that the love of his life is or is not the late Anastasia Romanov. Michael's visit to the room where the Romanovs were murdered is particularly harrowing. I was left with a feeling not evoked by other novels dealing with the same subject. 

In his depiction of all cities, I loved the author's keen eye for the tragic pantomimes of excess and how these are often bound to chaos and misery. Even his female character, Anastasia, assuming she were a Romanov, would embody the idea of aristocracy toppled by Revolution; wealth's sudden descent into poverty. 
Through conflicting desires, Anastasia strives to survive, reminding the reader constantly of the fine line between fortune and destitution.

I whizzed through the suspenseful second part of this book which saw Michael putting on his ruthless journalist cap and going to war with the very scum of stockbrokers. With the aid of an unlikely ally, he uncovers a stunning revelation filled with political intrigue about the fate of the Romanov fortune. 

This is a fantastic novel packed with social insights; it combines elements of romance, mystery and intrigue. Highly recommended.

Review: Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perrat

I loved this book and highly recommend it to those who wish a glimpse of the poorer classes on the eve of France's revolution. It is a passionate and well-told story of survival and of overcoming obstacles faced by every day French women in the late 18th century. 

But it is much more - it vividly depicts Paris during that period, with a keen knowledge of the city's geography and of the injustices which saw the classes pitted against one another. It is also a mystery - where the main character's integrity comes under question. And last, it is a triumphant affirmation of the bond between women and of the power some women can have to better the lives of their sisters - a theme not often explored.

The main character is Victoire, a young woman from the country, who suffers tragic losses, mistreatment, betrayal, imprisonment, and as a mother, the worse tortures of the mind. Perhaps it was the author's background in nursing but I felt that the passages depicting Victoire's growing emotional instability during a difficult period in her life, were believable and evocative. I enjoyed the medical attention to detail around Victoire's ordeal and her dramatic passage into the very darkness of Paris. 

Jeanne de la Motte 

painted by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Without spoiling it for readers, I want to say how much I enjoyed the entertaining and saucy intrigue which begins with the appearance of Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy in the story. Though I had read about l'Affaire du Collier and the scandal it created around Marie-Antoinette, I ignored much about Jeanne. The adventuress can be credited for much of the spice and reversal of fortune injected into this wonderful tale. I love when authors take daring approaches to speculative history and this was perhaps my favorite passage in the book. 

One detail that stood out for me is the author's sensitive attention to nature, a considerate touch given the main character's country origin. Nature's presence is pervasive in this novel, not only through weather and its effects on crops and the socio-economic upheavals of the time, but also through what the main character glimpses from her surroundings, as these reflect her mood and consciousness. 

Victoire's touching letters to her daughter Lucie, her beautiful and enterprising relationship with her husband, Armand - who was my favorite character - gave much heart to this novel. The love of a mother shines in many passages. 

In all, a well-researched and highly enjoyable read.

Review: Habibi by Craig Thompson

Exquisite storytelling. 

Craig Thompson has a gift for conveying complex emotional messages through images alone. One can guess at his vision, which is one of tolerance, understanding and peace, and is delivered subtly in delightful images, always with compassion for his characters; compassion for people in all walks of life. 

I was highly moved and entertained by this wonderful tale of love and life. Aside from the original narrative, both the novel's intriguing non-linear progression and its subtle humour offer compelling reasons to keep reading. 

Craig's artwork sways gently between the divine and the erotic. I had never read his other book, Blankets; it was Habibi's cover and the beautiful Islamic calligraphy of the cover's interior which drew my eye. 

I had to own Habibi! I was not disappointed.

Review: The Last Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen

A celebration of beauty and art weaved masterfully into a historical tale of great interest. 

This story affords an intimate glimpse in the lives of the Romanovs, and their chilling end. The novel's grandeur and opulent expression seemed to me to be a metaphor for the main character's refusal to discard her dignity and monarchist hopes following the Russian revolution. I found it effective and always artfully constructed. 

I enjoyed this novel and was grateful for the author's evocative depiction of Rasputin. He really did come alive for me and the macabre circumstances of his death constituted one of the more gripping passages in the novel.

Unforgettable.