I was sure I would hate this over-hyped book but instead found myself drawn in. The damp, fog-bound descriptions of the Essex landscape with its oozing mud, sense of foreboding and the creeping fear of superstition play as much a part as do the varied cast of characters who confound our belief in the conventional viewpoint of those we think of as Victorian - perfect when the frost lies outside and there's every excuse to curl up with a book.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 83 Winter 2017 ) |
