The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
/The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
Available August 13, 2019
Elizabeth Macneal has given us a dark and twisting story of passion, greed, and obsession in The Doll Factory. Set in 1850’s London during the Great Exhibition, we follow a group of young artists as they endeavor to have their art displayed to the masses. Iris, young and longing for more in life, finds herself the center of Silas Reed’s obsession. A taxidermist by trade, Silas becomes fixated on imagined conversations with Iris and believes her to be as smitten with him as he is of her. Unaware of Silas’s unhealthy obsession, Iris is given the chance to further her artistic skills when she is asked to model for Louis Frost, an up and coming local artist. In return for becoming his model, Iris finds independence for the first time in her life and is allowed free reign of his studio and private painting lessons. As Iris and Louis become closer, Silas’ dark obsession threatens Iris and those around her. Fast paced and beautifully written, Elizabeth Macneal transports us to the darker side of London and provides an intimate look at the everyday people who are doing their best to survive.
Silas’s character is so dark and twisted that it was difficult to feel sympathy for him when more of his backstory is told. Obsessed with death, he employs a young boy to bring him freshly dead animals to stuff and pose-sometimes he kills just to create his art. Silas is one of the darkest characters I’ve read. Chilling.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was gritty, dark, but not gratuitous. Options for women of that time were nearly nonexistent and the pressures to be the perfect daughter/sister/woman were incredible. Iris only wants more to life than spending day after day, year after year, sewing and painting dolls for someone else. She wants to pursue her own passions but after sister becomes ill and scarred, she is obligated to stay by her side. Modeling for Louis was seen as no better than prostitution and being disowned by her family seemed to be both devasting and freeing. Making her own choices in life was intoxicating and I can only imagine how stifling her life was before Louis.
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Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.
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