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A tremor shook Lilith’s frame. Her eyes flew open, fixed and staring at the gallery. The audience looked over their shoulders. Did she see something we couldn’t?” When the principal actress, Lilith, is gifted a cursed timepiece once belonging to a famous actor who died a grisly death on stage, her performances seem to take on a new level of energy that leaves her in a state of deterioration as the season progresses. Jenny, who is no fan of Lilith, can’t help but begin to feel concern, that slowly gives way to dread, as more and more, it seems as though the timepiece is possessed of a power that reaches beyond Lilith’s grasp. The muse whispers into the ear of Caeneus, once an argonaut questing for the golden fleece, now second mate on a 1940s Danish merchant vessel schlepping paper pulp to Turkey. Each evening at dinnertime he tells tales of his 3,000-year-old experiences, prompted by the voice inside a rotten fragment of the Argo's hull, which he holds to his ear like a telephone receiver. Long-term fans of Sjón, the Icelandic bard whose projects have included lyrics for Björk, volumes of surrealist poetry and several prizewinning novels, will recognise this trademark interweaving of myth and postmodern playfulness. I did not really warm to the characters - some of them are supposed to be vile - but even Jenny the protagonist felt a little one-dimensional and I couldn't really get on board with how she was used as a pawn throughout the novel. The Whispering Muse is everything that Gothic horror should be. It’s haunting, eerie, and compulsive. A cautionary tale that you should never underestimate a woman’s ability to exact revenge.
The Whispering Muse: The most spellbinding gothic novel of
In desperate need of employment, Jenny takes up a job as a dresser at the Mercury Theatre. However, the post comes with strings attached, in that she must spy on the lead actress, Lilith. The latter is a true artiste, with a demanding nature, and a secret that threatens Jenny's employer. As events unfold, this becomes a story of superstition and revenge, with a range of startling deaths to match. The theatre setting worked so well for this story, with the Greek mythology perfectly woven through. Throw in some murders and you have a chilling good time. The wife of the owner of London’s Mercury Theatre offers Jennifer money and a job as a dresser in exchange for a bit of spying on the lead actress.
As I walked through the Village during my stay in New York for the World Voices Literary Festival, I heard a seagull’s scream: “ ARRK! ARRK!” Darkly seductive and artfully realised ... Undoubtedly her best Gothic tale yet!' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA Her first novel for Raven Books THE SILENT COMPANIONS won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award 2018 and featured in both the Zoe Ball and Radio 2 Book Clubs. Other Gothic novels include THE CORSET (THE POISON THREAD in USA), BONE CHINA and THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS (2020) Though this is my first novel by Purcell, I can clearly see why she is highly praised as the master of haunting tales. This was an absolutely delicious read. A gothic tale set in the Victorian theatre. Full of chills, blood and sprinkled with horror. Another take on Faust, a pact with devil and everything it entails. This is a real gothic tale that kept me reading late into the night.
The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell | Waterstones The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell | Waterstones
A tremor shook Lilith's frame. Her eyes flew open, fixed and staring at the gallery. The audience looked over their shoulders. Did she see something we couldn't?”I'll be reviewing it soon, but the Companion also describes the set design, history of the show and the creation of the music, making it a perfect yet unintended and equally gothic companion to The Whispering Muse. I love that the story is so immersive, which is down to a clever plot but more importantly believable characters that evolve over the course of the novel. None of the characters are sugary sweet, they all have an agenda which is tested in different ways as the cost of loyalty is tested. ARC provided by Ben at Bloomsbury Books. Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. I love this latest book from an extremely talented author, sure, there more blood than spook but that absolutely suits the dramas we witness. I love the journeys through the various plays too as they often mirror the leading characters desires and intents. It’s an absorbing and compelling read from start to finish. Highly recommended.
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Fun, fun, fun! I was enthralled by the world of The Whispering Muse as soon as I started it. A fading Victorian theatre, a reputedly cursed actress, a suspicious (and highly melodramatic) wife: could there be a better setup for a spooky historical mystery? Purcell doesn’t put a foot wrong here, and it’s always easy to understand why narrator Jenny can’t extricate herself from this tangled web of obsession and betrayal. A thoroughly enjoyable gothic confection, filled with great characters and vivid scenes.
It's official: I'm now on a Laura Purcell binge. I fear I may even be coming a fan of Victorian gothic! As the curtains open on this disturbing Purcell play, your sense should be twitching as every single one is going to be
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