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The Doll Factory

The spellbinding gothic page turner of desire and obsession
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in London, 1850, The Doll Factory follows Iris Whittle, a dollmaker's assistant yearning for freedom through art. When artist Louis Frost offers to teach her to paint if she models for him, Iris's world blossoms with new opportunities and love. However, Silas Reed, a collector fascinated by the strange and beautiful, becomes dangerously obsessed with Iris. As her dreams expand, so too does Silas's fixation, leading to a tense and compelling story of love, art, and obsession in Victorian England.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book suits readers of atmospheric historical fiction with elements of romance, suspense, and gothic intrigue. Fans of richly detailed Victorian settings and narratives exploring complex female protagonists will find it especially engaging.

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The Doll Factory is the intoxicating story of a young woman who aspires to be an artist, and the man whose obsession may destroy her world for ever.

The Doll Factory is the intoxicating story of a young woman who aspires to be an artist, and the man whose obsession may destroy her world for ever.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Sunday Times Bestseller - BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick - BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime

The intoxicating story of one woman's dreams of freedom in Victorian England and the man whose obsession threatens to destroy them forever.

'A sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession' - Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

London. 1850. On a crowded street, the dollmaker Iris Whittle meets the artist Louis Frost. Louis is a painter who yearns to have his work displayed in the Royal Academy, and he is desperate for Iris to be his model. Iris agrees, on the condition that he teaches her to paint.

Dreaming of freedom, Iris throws herself into a new life of art and love, unaware that she has caught the eye of a second man. Silas Reed is a curiosity collector, enchanted by the strange and beautiful. After seeing Iris at the site of the Great Exhibition, he finds he cannot forget her.

As Iris's world expands, Silas's obsession grows. And it is only a matter of time before they meet again.

'A dark delight and fans of The Miniaturist and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock will love it' - Red

Sunday Times Best Paperback of 2020 Pick - soon to be made into a major TV series!

Readers love Elizabeth Macneal's The Doll Factory:

  • Breathtaking *
  • I couldn't put it down *
  • Spellbinding *
  • I never wanted it to end *
  • A plot to stop your heart *

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The novel has been praised as a remarkable example of historical fiction full of life, colour and intelligence by the Sunday Times. Ian Rankin calls it stunningly confident and thoroughly engrossing. The Daily Mail highlights it as a must-read darkly brilliant tale of Gothic suspense. Authors and critics commend its vivid, poignant, and elegantly horrifying storytelling, with clever and readable prose noted by The Times. It is described as a dark delight and is recommended to fans of The Miniaturist and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529002430

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 March 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Picador

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 201.0mm

Weight: 276g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Elizabeth Macneal was born in Scotland and now lives in East London. She is a writer and potter and works from a small studio at the bottom of her garden. She read English Literature at Oxford University, before working in the City for several years. In 2017, she completed the Creative Writing MA at UEA where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury scholarship. The Doll Factory, Elizabeth's debut novel, won the Caledonia Novel Award 2018.

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