My thoughts
I knew Robert was a gifted historical author upon reading his first novel,
Virgin and the Crab. He graciously sent me a copy of
The Arrow Chest to read and review and it too me eons to get around to it. Well, I hosted a lovely event at
Castle Macabre in last month,
Gothic September, and
The Arrow Chest read-a-long was the star of the show. I am so glad I finally got around to reading it. I feel it would be a shame for anyone to miss out on reading this wonderful book.
If you have any love for the Tudors, you will enjoy this book because Robert takes his 19th century characters and creates them at a parallel with such illustrious Tudor figures as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Cromwell, Thomas Wyatt (the poet) and Jane Parker Boleyn. Mix this element with a genuine Gothic feel with the settings and ghosts and this book is a delight to read.
To give more insight into my feelings on the book, I'm going to share my read-a-long
observations with you.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Week I
Amos is quite a likable character. He's just as I'd imagine a young
artist of the time to be. I like how he interacts with his maid, Beth,
and I can't help but hope that there might be a future between the two. I
know, I know...I should not hope for such things, but it seems I'm
always for the underdog.
Lord Bowlend--Oliver--is quite a boar, is he not. I believe that Daphne
has realized her mistake in marrying him. And what was that whole
scenario in the study between Oliver, Amos and that Tommy character?
That was quite a tense situation. It makes me wonder if there really is
something very dark buried below Oliver's (somewhat) polished exterior.
Daphne is an enigma. She seems quite a smart woman and undoubtedly
beautiful. I'm hoping that more of her character will be revealed as we
continue reading.
Week II
Can I just say again how much I'm enjoying this book!? It's so
wonderfully Gothic with all the ghostly apparitions (or ghosts who seem
to be real people until they suddenly disappear...delicious!) and
mediums and seances. Honestly, while I'm reading I'm transported. I feel
like I'm part of the story.
Shall I reflect on the pomposity and utter asshattery of Oliver Ramsey?
He is a most intolerable character. I really think I would have to slap
him if I had to be in the same room with him. As Eliza pointed out last
week, definite parallels with Henry VIII, with Daphne being the Anne
Boleyn in the story. The whole, "I need a male heir" and his attitude
toward Daphne when she miscarries. Really the attitude of him and the
entire staff is reproachable.
I found myself wondering how Amos inherited from his father when he was
estranged, but I guess estranged doesn't necessarily mean disinherited.
So, his fortunes have improved, but is he risking it all for the sake of
love and truth? Perhaps. I'm really anxious to see how this plays out.
Another quick note...I'm loving the flashbacks via Amos's dreams, where
Daphne is clearly Anne Boleyn, but who is Amos from that past? I hope we
find out!
Week III
It's the third week into our lovely read of
The Arrow Chest and
I have to say that I'm enjoying it more and more as I keep reading.
With the terrific insight of my reading companion, Eliza, aspects of the
story have been brought to light and have opened up my understanding of
the parallels to the historic figures of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII and
other surrounding players of that era.
In this section, we are really beginning to get a more Gothic feel, as I
can't help but envision the castle ruins at which Daphne and Beth bide
their time waiting for Amos and his carriage rescue. Beth's story is so
heart wrenching. We get the connection of her to Elizabeth I...the early
mistreatment she faced when her mother was so maliciously disposed of
and the subsequent danger she experienced on her path to the throne.
Even Beth's relationship with her sister hearkens to the strained
relationship of sisters Elizabeth and Mary Tudor. I'm loving the
friendship that has developed between Beth and Daphne because I'm
reminded of mother and daughter and perhaps the sort of relationship
Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth would have had if Anne had lived. I find
myself hoping that Beth has a triumphant future ahead of her, even
though I'm dreading that Daphne's will be quite tragic.
We really are getting the gist in this book that the plight of women
really has not changed much since the sixteenth century. Women are still
expected to marry according to position, often without love. They are
still expected to produce an heir. And if any impropriety is expected,
there is no end to what can be done to them, from being set aside with a
divorce, declared mentally unfit and institutionalized, or worse,
perhaps disposed of in the worse way...murder. All this, while the man
can philander wherever and with whomever he chooses without even an
eyelash batted. It's all very outrageous to a woman of the twenty-first
century!
Week IV
Of course, the parallels still continued with Lord Bowlend becoming
increasingly piggish and downright cruel. One of the things I detest
from these eras in history is the terrible treatment of women. "Oh, I
don't want to be married to her anymore, so I'll have her declared
insane and commit her to an asylum." What an outrage! Thank goodness
Daphne had someone there who cared about her. I really thought she was
going to succeed with her suicide attempts. I have to say, I was very
pleased with the outcome of the story. Can we allow ourselves to hope
that Amos and Beth will marry? That was the impression I came away with
and I honestly felt throughout that Daphne was nudging Amos toward Beth
for that exact thing to take place. So, who was it at the end...Anne
Boleyn's ghost or Daphne herself? I guess we have to come to the
conclusion we believe to be true.
********
I hope I have sparked your interest! Read more about
The Arrow Chest and Robert Parry below and then scroll down to enter the giveaway!
The Arrow Chest
London, 1876. The
painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the
beautiful Daphne - and she with him - until one day she is discovered
by another man, a powerful and wealthy industrialist. What will happen
when Daphne realises she has sacrificed her happiness to a loveless
marriage? What will happen when the artist realises he has lost his most
cherished source of inspiration? And how will they negotiate the
ever-increasing frequency of strange and bizarre events that seem to be
driving them relentlessly towards self-destruction. Here, amid the
extravagant Neo-Gothic culture of Victorian England, the iconic poem
‘The Lady of Shalott’ blends with mysterious and ghostly glimpses of
Tudor history. Romantic, atmospheric and deeply dark.
Robert Parry is a UK writer of historical fiction with special interests
in Tudor and Elizabethan history, Victorian Gothic and Pre-Raphaelite
art. His debut novel, ‘Virgin and the Crab’ appeared in 2009, and his
2nd, ‘The Arrow Chest,’ in 2011. He is currently working on a story set
in the 18th century – entitled 'Wildish' - which, all being well, should
arrive in February of 2013. His work spans the Tudor, Georgian and
Victorian eras, and combines reality, dreams and the unconscious within a
well-researched and vivid historical setting.
Details, plus news, competitions and more can be found at
http://robertparry.wordpress.com
Also, various articles by Robert Parry can be found at
http://endymion-at-night.blogspot.com
To enter for winner's choice of a paperback or Kindle copy of The Arrow Chest (open internationally), head over to Castle Macabre and read Robert's post, The Importance of Being Gothic...then come back and tell me in the comments one thing you learned from the post. Don't forget to include your contact info (email, Twitter handle, etc.) so I can notify the winner. This is a quickie...last day to enter will be Thursday, November 7th at 11:59pm CST. Good luck!
