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The Clockwork Girl
A intoxicating and darkly immersive story of obsession, illusion and the price of freedom, from the award-winning author of The Unseeing
Paris, 1750. In the midst of winter, as birds fall frozen from the sky, a new maid arrives at the home of a celebrated clockmaker and his clever, unworldly daughter. But rumours are stirring that Reinhart's uncanny mechanical creations - bejewelled birds, silver spiders - are more than mere automata. That they might defy the laws of nature, perhaps even at the expense of the living...
But Madeleine is hiding a dark past, and a dangerous purpose - to discover the truth of the clockmaker's experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.
Meanwhile, in the streets, children are quietly disappearing - and Madeleine comes to fear that she has stumbled upon a greater conspiracy. One which might reach to the heart of Versailles...
Paris, 1750. In the midst of winter, as birds fall frozen from the sky, a new maid arrives at the home of a celebrated clockmaker and his clever, unworldly daughter. But rumours are stirring that Reinhart's uncanny mechanical creations - bejewelled birds, silver spiders - are more than mere automata. That they might defy the laws of nature, perhaps even at the expense of the living...
But Madeleine is hiding a dark past, and a dangerous purpose - to discover the truth of the clockmaker's experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.
Meanwhile, in the streets, children are quietly disappearing - and Madeleine comes to fear that she has stumbled upon a greater conspiracy. One which might reach to the heart of Versailles...
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2022
About the author
Anna Mazzola
9 books338 followersAnna Mazzola is a writer of historical and Gothic fiction.
Her bestselling third novel, The Clockwork Girl, set in Paris in 1750, is a Sunday Times Historical Fiction pick for 2022
Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allan Poe award. Her fourth novel, The House of Whispers, is a ghost story set in Fascist Italy and will be published in April 2023.
Anna also writes legal thrillers under the name Anna Sharpe, the first of which will be published in 2024.
When not writing or tutoring, Anna is a human rights and criminal justice solicitor, working with victims of crime. She lives in South London, with her husband, their two children, a snake and a cat.
She loves to hear from readers, so do get in touch on Goodreads or on social media.
annamazzola.com
Her bestselling third novel, The Clockwork Girl, set in Paris in 1750, is a Sunday Times Historical Fiction pick for 2022
Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allan Poe award. Her fourth novel, The House of Whispers, is a ghost story set in Fascist Italy and will be published in April 2023.
Anna also writes legal thrillers under the name Anna Sharpe, the first of which will be published in 2024.
When not writing or tutoring, Anna is a human rights and criminal justice solicitor, working with victims of crime. She lives in South London, with her husband, their two children, a snake and a cat.
She loves to hear from readers, so do get in touch on Goodreads or on social media.
annamazzola.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
February 22, 2022
Anna Mazzola writes a beautifully written, breathtaking piece of gothic 18th century historical fiction set in Louis XV stink ridden Paris and the Royal Court in Versailles. This is a chilling and atmospheric novel inspired by the 1750 scandal of the vanishing children, with real life historical figures, drawing on the King's actual obsession with death and interest in automata. It revolves around 3 strong and independent women from different social strata, the desperately impoverished and facially scarred Madeleine, working in a brothel, the Academie of Vice run by her cold, cruel and scheming mother, she wants to help her young hungry and unwell nephew, Emile, and willing to do whatever it takes to rebuild a better life free from her mother.
Part of the bourgeousie, the beautiful, unworldly 17 year old Veronique has been raised in a convent she has no desire to return to, where she lost her only friend, Clementine, and is now back home, working as an apprentice to her father, Dr Maximilian Reinhart, longing to become close to him, a genius when it comes to automata with his bird and rabbit creations that appear so alive. The ambitious Jeanne, from humble origins, now belong to the world of great riches, she is Madame Pompadour, Louis's mistress, trained to be a courtesan, adept in the arts of conversation, wit, flattery, entertainment, and manipulation, resented for her influence over the king by so many others, and willing to do whatever it takes to retain her position. Madeleine agrees to take on the dangerous position of becoming a police mouche for money, a spy in Dr Reinhart's home, becoming close to Veronique, and other members of the household, the enslaved Joseph, the valet, and cook, Edme.
However, the house makes her feels uncomfortable, as if there is a presence constantly watching her, the automata leave her feeling deeply unsettled, and she misses not being there for Emile. Matters take an increasingly sinister turn as many children disappear, at first among the poor and homeless whom no-one would miss but then it's the children of tradespeople. A tide of rage and fury begins to build amongst the population, with rumours of the corrupt police facilitating the taking of the children for the nefarious purposes of the aristocrats and a 'leprous prince'. A seed of suspicion begins to grow in Madeleine, a nightmare mystery that she is determined to get to the bottom of, no matter what, as the entire household moves to the royal court when Reinhart becomes the Royal Clockmaker, taking on a secretive Royal project.
Mazzola paints a cold, disturbing and eerie picture of Paris in this time period, the extreme class divisions, the Royal war on vagrancy where it's a crime to be poor and destitute, cheap and disposable, and completely powerless. Women are subject to the power of men, their whims and abuse, irrespective of their class, as we see with the portrayal of the three women. Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne appear to have so little in common, yet they find their lives intersecting and connecting with each other. This is a bewitching, original and remarkable read, with twists and turns, with the mysteries surrounding the eponymous clockwork girl, a story that had me enthralled from beginning to end. A book that I am certain will do well on publication. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Part of the bourgeousie, the beautiful, unworldly 17 year old Veronique has been raised in a convent she has no desire to return to, where she lost her only friend, Clementine, and is now back home, working as an apprentice to her father, Dr Maximilian Reinhart, longing to become close to him, a genius when it comes to automata with his bird and rabbit creations that appear so alive. The ambitious Jeanne, from humble origins, now belong to the world of great riches, she is Madame Pompadour, Louis's mistress, trained to be a courtesan, adept in the arts of conversation, wit, flattery, entertainment, and manipulation, resented for her influence over the king by so many others, and willing to do whatever it takes to retain her position. Madeleine agrees to take on the dangerous position of becoming a police mouche for money, a spy in Dr Reinhart's home, becoming close to Veronique, and other members of the household, the enslaved Joseph, the valet, and cook, Edme.
However, the house makes her feels uncomfortable, as if there is a presence constantly watching her, the automata leave her feeling deeply unsettled, and she misses not being there for Emile. Matters take an increasingly sinister turn as many children disappear, at first among the poor and homeless whom no-one would miss but then it's the children of tradespeople. A tide of rage and fury begins to build amongst the population, with rumours of the corrupt police facilitating the taking of the children for the nefarious purposes of the aristocrats and a 'leprous prince'. A seed of suspicion begins to grow in Madeleine, a nightmare mystery that she is determined to get to the bottom of, no matter what, as the entire household moves to the royal court when Reinhart becomes the Royal Clockmaker, taking on a secretive Royal project.
Mazzola paints a cold, disturbing and eerie picture of Paris in this time period, the extreme class divisions, the Royal war on vagrancy where it's a crime to be poor and destitute, cheap and disposable, and completely powerless. Women are subject to the power of men, their whims and abuse, irrespective of their class, as we see with the portrayal of the three women. Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne appear to have so little in common, yet they find their lives intersecting and connecting with each other. This is a bewitching, original and remarkable read, with twists and turns, with the mysteries surrounding the eponymous clockwork girl, a story that had me enthralled from beginning to end. A book that I am certain will do well on publication. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
March 4, 2022
In a Nutshell: A slow-paced gothic story with a great plot and outstanding historical research. If you want a look at a darker historical version of Paris and a fictional story based on real incidents, do pick this up.
Story:
Where the book worked for me:
➤ I loved seeing a side of historical Paris that is hardly ever portrayed in contemporary fiction. It is gloomy, grimy, and corrupt. It’s a place where wealth and power rule over humanity. What an amazing depiction of the dark underbelly of the city!
➤ All the details related to automata are mind-blowing. I found it tough to fathom how the brainiacs of that era thought of these bizarre and yet astounding creations with the limited tech available.
➤ None of the characters are straightforward. It was fun unravelling the layers hidden beneath the fake facades. Grey characters always add much more fun to a book.
➤ The three ladies whose perspective we see are quite dissimilar to each other, and each represents a particular stratum of the Parisian society. This adds to the novelty of the experience.
➤ The author’s note at the end depicts how much of the book is based on facts. I had understood that the automata and some historical personae such as Louis Xv were based on actualities. But the number of real people in the story turned out to be much larger than I had guessed. Plus, I was dismayed to learn about what is called ‘The Vanishing Children of Paris’. This book mixes facts and fiction perfectly. Kudos to the author’s research.
➤ There are some feminist undertones in the story, particularly in Veronique’s arc.
➤ There are plenty of French words in the storyline, which adds a touch of authenticity to the proceedings. The meanings of these are provided in a glossary at the end of the book.
➤ I loved the denouement. It wasn’t too dragged, nor was it too abrupt. It concluded at the right juxtaposition of old endings and new beginnings.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ It was very, very dark. Some of the incidents mentioned in the book are horrifying. Can’t reveal anything because that would be tantamount to major spoilers. But if you are sensitive about triggers, especially related to children, do consider yourself warned.
⚠ The book is quite slow at the start and takes its time to build up. Of course, the end makes it all worthwhile.
All in all, I did like the book a lot. But I might have enjoyed it even more had I picked it up in a different frame of mind. I’ve been having back-to-back emotionally gut-wrenching reads, and this one didn’t help matters. At the same time, I appreciate the extensive efforts taken by the author for this story in terms of plot, characters and historical accuracy.
4.25 stars from me.
My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Clockwork Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
Paris, 1750. Twenty-three year old Madeleine has just begun her new job as the lady’s maid to Veronique, the daughter of celebrated clockmaker Maximilian Reinhart. What they both don’t know is that Madeleine is a lady with a secret mission. Rumours abound of Reinhart’s strange obsession with automata, mechanical creations that he designs and creates with his own hands but that seem to defy all laws of nature. At the same time, children are also disappearing from the streets of Paris. What lies at the heart of this conspiracy? Who is the Clockwork Girl? What is Madeleine looking for? Read and find out.
The book comes to us in a limited third person pov of Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne, a major character you’ll meet in the course of the story.
Where the book worked for me:
➤ I loved seeing a side of historical Paris that is hardly ever portrayed in contemporary fiction. It is gloomy, grimy, and corrupt. It’s a place where wealth and power rule over humanity. What an amazing depiction of the dark underbelly of the city!
➤ All the details related to automata are mind-blowing. I found it tough to fathom how the brainiacs of that era thought of these bizarre and yet astounding creations with the limited tech available.
➤ None of the characters are straightforward. It was fun unravelling the layers hidden beneath the fake facades. Grey characters always add much more fun to a book.
➤ The three ladies whose perspective we see are quite dissimilar to each other, and each represents a particular stratum of the Parisian society. This adds to the novelty of the experience.
➤ The author’s note at the end depicts how much of the book is based on facts. I had understood that the automata and some historical personae such as Louis Xv were based on actualities. But the number of real people in the story turned out to be much larger than I had guessed. Plus, I was dismayed to learn about what is called ‘The Vanishing Children of Paris’. This book mixes facts and fiction perfectly. Kudos to the author’s research.
➤ There are some feminist undertones in the story, particularly in Veronique’s arc.
➤ There are plenty of French words in the storyline, which adds a touch of authenticity to the proceedings. The meanings of these are provided in a glossary at the end of the book.
➤ I loved the denouement. It wasn’t too dragged, nor was it too abrupt. It concluded at the right juxtaposition of old endings and new beginnings.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ It was very, very dark. Some of the incidents mentioned in the book are horrifying. Can’t reveal anything because that would be tantamount to major spoilers. But if you are sensitive about triggers, especially related to children, do consider yourself warned.
⚠ The book is quite slow at the start and takes its time to build up. Of course, the end makes it all worthwhile.
All in all, I did like the book a lot. But I might have enjoyed it even more had I picked it up in a different frame of mind. I’ve been having back-to-back emotionally gut-wrenching reads, and this one didn’t help matters. At the same time, I appreciate the extensive efforts taken by the author for this story in terms of plot, characters and historical accuracy.
4.25 stars from me.
My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Clockwork Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
April 1, 2024
Roman de ficțiune istorică cu accente gotice plasat în Parisul secolului al XVIII-lea, în timpul domniei regelui Ludovic XV și inspirat de scandalul din 1750 al copiilor dispăruți, cu personaje istorice adevărate, bazându-se pe obsesia regelui pentru moarte și interesul pentru automate, acele creatii bizare.
Povestea este spusă din trei perspective diferite, vocea principală fiind cea a Madeleinei. Cu toate acestea, avem și capitole spuse de la Veronique, fiica doctorului Reinhart, și de asemenea Jeanne, amanta regelui.
Sunt trei femei puternice și independente din diferite clase sociale, Madeleine, sărăcită, având o rană pe chip, care lucrează într-un bordel condus de mama ei rece și crudă, vrea să-și ajute tânărul nepot flămând și bolnav, Emile, și dispusă să facă tot ceea ce este necesar pentru a-și construi o viață mai bună.
Frumoasa Veronique, în vârstă de 17 ani, făcând parte din burghezie, a fost crescută într-o mănăstire la care nu vrea să se întoarcă, unde și-a pierdut singura prietenă, Clementine, iar acum lucrează ca ucenică alături de tatăl său, Dr. Maximilian Reinhart, un geniu al automatelor, cu creațiile sale de păsări și iepuri ce par însuflețite.
Ambițioasa si inteligenta Jeanne, cu origini umile care aparține acum aristocrației, ea este Madame de Pompadour, devenită amanta regelui Ludovic XV, instruită să fie curtezană, expertă în arta conversației, lingușire și manipulare, cunoscută pentru influența sa asupra regelui și dispusă să facă tot ceea ce este necesar pentru a-și păstra poziția.
Madeleine acceptă să preia sarcina periculoasă de a deveni iscoada poliției, un spion în casa doctorului Reinhart, venind aproape de Veronique și de alți membri ai casei.
Lucrurile iau o întorsătură din ce în ce mai sinistră pe măsură ce mai mulți copii dispar, la început dintre cei săraci și fără adăpost, apoi și copiii meseriașilor, din familii mai înstărite.
A.Mazzola redă o imagine rece, tulburătoare și ciudată a Parisului din această perioadă, a diviziunilor de clasă, a războiului dus de regalitate împotriva vagabondajului, unde este o crimă să fii sărac. Femeile sunt supuse puterii bărbaților, capriciilor și abuzului acestora, indiferent de clasa lor socială așa cum vedem în portretizarea celor trei femei. Madeleine, Veronique și Jeanne par să aibă atât de puține în comun, totuși viețile se vor intersecta, conectându-se una cu cealaltă.
Punctul forte ale cărții constă în modul în care autoarea a adus la viață Franța din anii `50 ai secolului XVIII, în special contrastul puternic dintre viața săracilor din mahalalele Parisului în comparație cu aristocrația care trăia la Versailles, in jurul regelui și care treptat a creat terenul pentru Revolutia Franceza ce avea să vină mai târziu, răsturnand monarhia.
O lectură fermecătoare, originală, cu întorsături de situație și mult mister. Recomand, recomand.
Povestea este spusă din trei perspective diferite, vocea principală fiind cea a Madeleinei. Cu toate acestea, avem și capitole spuse de la Veronique, fiica doctorului Reinhart, și de asemenea Jeanne, amanta regelui.
Sunt trei femei puternice și independente din diferite clase sociale, Madeleine, sărăcită, având o rană pe chip, care lucrează într-un bordel condus de mama ei rece și crudă, vrea să-și ajute tânărul nepot flămând și bolnav, Emile, și dispusă să facă tot ceea ce este necesar pentru a-și construi o viață mai bună.
Frumoasa Veronique, în vârstă de 17 ani, făcând parte din burghezie, a fost crescută într-o mănăstire la care nu vrea să se întoarcă, unde și-a pierdut singura prietenă, Clementine, iar acum lucrează ca ucenică alături de tatăl său, Dr. Maximilian Reinhart, un geniu al automatelor, cu creațiile sale de păsări și iepuri ce par însuflețite.
Ambițioasa si inteligenta Jeanne, cu origini umile care aparține acum aristocrației, ea este Madame de Pompadour, devenită amanta regelui Ludovic XV, instruită să fie curtezană, expertă în arta conversației, lingușire și manipulare, cunoscută pentru influența sa asupra regelui și dispusă să facă tot ceea ce este necesar pentru a-și păstra poziția.
Madeleine acceptă să preia sarcina periculoasă de a deveni iscoada poliției, un spion în casa doctorului Reinhart, venind aproape de Veronique și de alți membri ai casei.
Lucrurile iau o întorsătură din ce în ce mai sinistră pe măsură ce mai mulți copii dispar, la început dintre cei săraci și fără adăpost, apoi și copiii meseriașilor, din familii mai înstărite.
A.Mazzola redă o imagine rece, tulburătoare și ciudată a Parisului din această perioadă, a diviziunilor de clasă, a războiului dus de regalitate împotriva vagabondajului, unde este o crimă să fii sărac. Femeile sunt supuse puterii bărbaților, capriciilor și abuzului acestora, indiferent de clasa lor socială așa cum vedem în portretizarea celor trei femei. Madeleine, Veronique și Jeanne par să aibă atât de puține în comun, totuși viețile se vor intersecta, conectându-se una cu cealaltă.
Punctul forte ale cărții constă în modul în care autoarea a adus la viață Franța din anii `50 ai secolului XVIII, în special contrastul puternic dintre viața săracilor din mahalalele Parisului în comparație cu aristocrația care trăia la Versailles, in jurul regelui și care treptat a creat terenul pentru Revolutia Franceza ce avea să vină mai târziu, răsturnand monarhia.
O lectură fermecătoare, originală, cu întorsături de situație și mult mister. Recomand, recomand.
March 11, 2022
3-3.5***
This had some mystery and with the historical setting of Paris in the late 1700’s. There’s stark contrasts between poverty and the upper classes, with questions on life and science.
Madeline is a young woman who is from the poorer class, forced into prostitution by her mother at the age of 12, she’s hoping to get away and take her nephew with her from from the destitute slums of Paris.
The opportunity to get the first steps of this plan in action arises when she is asked by the police to go undercover and serve as a spy at a local clockmakers.
The clockmaker Madeline is sent to is aloof and appears cold- his ideas and machines too life-like and unsettling. Madeline is tasked with being the personal maid to the Clockmakers daughter, Veronique, a young woman who also knows a lot on anatomy and machinery.
Not only does Madeline have to report on the comings and goings of this gentleman and his family, she also hears from her fellow staff that poor children are being taken off the street.
Her time at the clockmaker’s will lead Madeline into discovering the weird world of automaton; eccentric scientists: missing children; and corruption from the royal family and police.
While I really enjoyed the historical fiction and the atmosphere- the author does really well to describe the dirt, grime and gore coating the streets of Paris, the imbalances of power, as well as the unsettling automaton.
However, this wasn’t enough for me to fully enjoy the story. This story is told through 3 POV’s and while I found some POV’s (Madeline and Veronique) much better to read that the others (Jeanne) it did mean that my attention would wane and I wasn’t invested in these parts of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc!
This had some mystery and with the historical setting of Paris in the late 1700’s. There’s stark contrasts between poverty and the upper classes, with questions on life and science.
Madeline is a young woman who is from the poorer class, forced into prostitution by her mother at the age of 12, she’s hoping to get away and take her nephew with her from from the destitute slums of Paris.
The opportunity to get the first steps of this plan in action arises when she is asked by the police to go undercover and serve as a spy at a local clockmakers.
The clockmaker Madeline is sent to is aloof and appears cold- his ideas and machines too life-like and unsettling. Madeline is tasked with being the personal maid to the Clockmakers daughter, Veronique, a young woman who also knows a lot on anatomy and machinery.
Not only does Madeline have to report on the comings and goings of this gentleman and his family, she also hears from her fellow staff that poor children are being taken off the street.
Her time at the clockmaker’s will lead Madeline into discovering the weird world of automaton; eccentric scientists: missing children; and corruption from the royal family and police.
While I really enjoyed the historical fiction and the atmosphere- the author does really well to describe the dirt, grime and gore coating the streets of Paris, the imbalances of power, as well as the unsettling automaton.
However, this wasn’t enough for me to fully enjoy the story. This story is told through 3 POV’s and while I found some POV’s (Madeline and Veronique) much better to read that the others (Jeanne) it did mean that my attention would wane and I wasn’t invested in these parts of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc!
March 18, 2023
A slow burning gothic story set against the backdrop of 18th century Paris. This was beautifully written, it brought to life a side of the city that we don't often think of, filthy, stinking, poverty stricken and rife with vice and debauchery. An engaging tale full of mystery and intrigue, clockmakers and whores, royal mistresses and kings, dastardly villains and the bourgeoisie, not to mention the fascinating art of automata. Some of the characters were real historic figures and I spent some time happily googling Louis XV, Madame Pompadour and the French royal family, so I got a bit of a history lesson out of it too. A very enjoyable 4.5 stars. I also seem to be having a run of books with gorgeous covers, this one is worth a mention, an absolute pleasure to look at.
April 7, 2024
4,5⭐️/5⭐️
May 26, 2024
Obsession, ambition, humanity versus technological advancement... these are all themes tackled by Anna Mazzola in this gothic historical fiction that ticked a lot of my boxes. First of all, just the joining of these two genres, gothic and historical, made my little heart beat faster. I cannot help myself to be drawn to this kind of literature.
The novel is set against the backdrop of 18th century Paris, with its extreme discrepancy between the rich, who live in luxury and can afford to pursue interests that sometimes go beyond a simple hobby and transform into obsessions, and the poor - the disenfranchised, the beggars, the servants, the prostitutes, the slaves. It's a discordance that goes beyond characterization and seeps into the atmosphere, one of the strong points of the novel. Paris and Versailles are vividly portrayed. There's contrast between the houses where Madeleine and Veronique grew up - the first, a former child prostitute, forced by her own mother into the trade; the second, the daughter of a clockmaker who builds automatons for the delight of the rich. There's even a higher contrast between these two houses and Versailles, the golden palace, where everyone wants to impress and there are no children in sight (but also a place where it reeks of human dejections and people bask in immoral behaviours).
Beyond these, Paris itself is almost a character. Through the eyes of Madeleine, we bare witness to its muddy, grimy, smelly streets where justice is arbitrary and poor people from all over the country flock during wintertime to find means of survival, only to be treated as undesirables by the leaders that are supposed to protect them.
In this claustrophobic setting, children start to disappear. At first homeless ones, that no one misses. But when the baker's helper and other children of tradespeople vanish, the entire city starts to revolt and word gets around that a man in black is stealing kids for obscure purposes. The story is inspired by the scandal of the vanishing children of Paris - in the winter of 1750, people began to notice that kids were disappearing from the streets. One theory was that the police constables were abducting children from around various quarters of Paris and loading them into the carriages to be sent off to the colonies or to the wars. Another, more fantastical, theory (and which is exploited by the Anna Mazzola's novel) was that the children were being kidnapped by a leprous prince who would bathe in human blood to get cured. Some went even further and said this prince was in fact their King.
In this setting, Madeleine, a young servant in her mother's Academie of Vice, is forced by the police to become an informant. She is sent to the house of clockmaker Maximilian Reinhart, whose passion for building automatons raises some eyebrows, as his toys are weirdly lifelike and people start to wonder whether he doesn't employ some kind of dark magic to his constructions. As the friendship between Madeleine and Reinhart's daughter, Veronique, grows, both have to deal with their own secret endeavours.
The story is built through three narrative voices - Madeleine, Veronique, and the mysterious Jeanne, who turns out to be Madame de Pompadour, the king's concubine. As such, we see the events through the eyes of three very different women, from very different layers of society and with diverse backgrounds. Each of these struggles to survive in a different way and for very different reasons - Madeleine wants to escape a life of immorality and servitude and save her nephew; Veronique wants to become a scientist, in a time where women did not belong to that trade; and Jeanne, already sick with tuberculosis, strives to maintain her status at court while her enemies try hard to discredit her. There's a feminist layer to the story which gave me much glee.
Anna Mazzola managed to get into the psyche of her characters and build them vividly and credibly. I wanted a bit more when it came to Jeanne, who was but cursorily drawn, but even so, I got the image of a strong-willed, ambitious, but also vulnerable woman, who put her status and the king's wellbeing on a pedestal.
The pacing is a bit slow at first, but it picked up quickly. I got engrossed in the plot, but mostly in the dark atmosphere. I found the mystery predictable, but it didn't bother me. I was more interested in the historical context anyways, and Mazzola did an amazing job at portraying Louis XV's era, with the court life, the rising scientific curiosity, the social unrest in contradiction with the king's isolation and life of luxury. I'd recommend this novel to any historical fiction/ gothic literature lover.
The novel is set against the backdrop of 18th century Paris, with its extreme discrepancy between the rich, who live in luxury and can afford to pursue interests that sometimes go beyond a simple hobby and transform into obsessions, and the poor - the disenfranchised, the beggars, the servants, the prostitutes, the slaves. It's a discordance that goes beyond characterization and seeps into the atmosphere, one of the strong points of the novel. Paris and Versailles are vividly portrayed. There's contrast between the houses where Madeleine and Veronique grew up - the first, a former child prostitute, forced by her own mother into the trade; the second, the daughter of a clockmaker who builds automatons for the delight of the rich. There's even a higher contrast between these two houses and Versailles, the golden palace, where everyone wants to impress and there are no children in sight (but also a place where it reeks of human dejections and people bask in immoral behaviours).
Beyond these, Paris itself is almost a character. Through the eyes of Madeleine, we bare witness to its muddy, grimy, smelly streets where justice is arbitrary and poor people from all over the country flock during wintertime to find means of survival, only to be treated as undesirables by the leaders that are supposed to protect them.
In this claustrophobic setting, children start to disappear. At first homeless ones, that no one misses. But when the baker's helper and other children of tradespeople vanish, the entire city starts to revolt and word gets around that a man in black is stealing kids for obscure purposes. The story is inspired by the scandal of the vanishing children of Paris - in the winter of 1750, people began to notice that kids were disappearing from the streets. One theory was that the police constables were abducting children from around various quarters of Paris and loading them into the carriages to be sent off to the colonies or to the wars. Another, more fantastical, theory (and which is exploited by the Anna Mazzola's novel) was that the children were being kidnapped by a leprous prince who would bathe in human blood to get cured. Some went even further and said this prince was in fact their King.
In this setting, Madeleine, a young servant in her mother's Academie of Vice, is forced by the police to become an informant. She is sent to the house of clockmaker Maximilian Reinhart, whose passion for building automatons raises some eyebrows, as his toys are weirdly lifelike and people start to wonder whether he doesn't employ some kind of dark magic to his constructions. As the friendship between Madeleine and Reinhart's daughter, Veronique, grows, both have to deal with their own secret endeavours.
The story is built through three narrative voices - Madeleine, Veronique, and the mysterious Jeanne, who turns out to be Madame de Pompadour, the king's concubine. As such, we see the events through the eyes of three very different women, from very different layers of society and with diverse backgrounds. Each of these struggles to survive in a different way and for very different reasons - Madeleine wants to escape a life of immorality and servitude and save her nephew; Veronique wants to become a scientist, in a time where women did not belong to that trade; and Jeanne, already sick with tuberculosis, strives to maintain her status at court while her enemies try hard to discredit her. There's a feminist layer to the story which gave me much glee.
Anna Mazzola managed to get into the psyche of her characters and build them vividly and credibly. I wanted a bit more when it came to Jeanne, who was but cursorily drawn, but even so, I got the image of a strong-willed, ambitious, but also vulnerable woman, who put her status and the king's wellbeing on a pedestal.
The pacing is a bit slow at first, but it picked up quickly. I got engrossed in the plot, but mostly in the dark atmosphere. I found the mystery predictable, but it didn't bother me. I was more interested in the historical context anyways, and Mazzola did an amazing job at portraying Louis XV's era, with the court life, the rising scientific curiosity, the social unrest in contradiction with the king's isolation and life of luxury. I'd recommend this novel to any historical fiction/ gothic literature lover.
July 16, 2022
Set in France, 1750, The Clockwork Girl, tells the story of Madeleine, who arrives as a new maid to Dr Reinhart, an illustrious automata and clockmaker. However, Madeleine is no ordinary maid, rather a spy working for the French Police, who have tasked her to uncover exactly what sort of experiments her new master dabbles in, for there are rumours that they may be unnatural. Indeed, Dr Reinhart's creations do seem rather extraordinary, yet Madeleine can find no evidence of any dark goings on. Still she can but sense she is missing something, and when children start to go missing from the streets of Paris, she fears there may be some connection between Dr Reinhart's work and the disappearances!
My first read from Anna Mazzola, this was a richly depicted and atmospheric, gothic historical mystery. The story is told from three different perspectives, the main voice being that of Madeleine. However, we also get chapters told from Veronique, Dr Reinhart's daughter, and also Jeanne, the King's mistress. I did find the chapters told from the latter's point of view a bit harder to connect to, as I don't think Jeanne's character was as fully realised as Madeleline's or Veronique's and it could feel a little jarring when the perspective switched to hers.
I think the book's strengths lie in the way that Mazzola brings France in the 1750s to life, particularly the sharply contrasting depictions of the lives of the poor in the slums of Paris compared to the idle rich at the Palace at Versailles . She also really managed to capture a constant undercurrent of danger and something sinister at play, that gave the novel a very gothic feel.
Madeleine is an easy character to like. She is desperate to find a way out of the slums for herself and her young nephew, and as such whilst, as she grows closer to Veronique, she does feel guilty at spying on them all, at the same time one can understand her motivations, and the position she finds herself in being pressurized by the police. I also really liked Veronique, who whilst she initially comes across as a spoiled rich girl, we soon discover is an intelligent and enterprising young lady, with a genuine sense of compassion, and who has herself lived a rather lonely existence. Jeanne, or Madame Pompadour as she is known, was a little more sketchily drawn, however one gets the sense of this cunning woman who has risen in the ranks and now is desperate to cling on to her power even as she is losing some of her worldly charms. I liked her ingenuity and also the glimpses of vulnerability we got into her character and overall thought her story a interesting one. In actual fact she could easily have been a fascinating character and her backstory sounds intriguing, however, I just didn't feel as emotionally invested in her story here as one of the narrator's.
The story itself is rather on the slow side, with not much actually happening for long periods, but rather just hints and speculation, which certainly does add to the suspense and tension, however, at times it did feel like the same conversations were being repeated over and over for example about the missing children. Also it has to be said that I don't think Madeline actually ended up discovering that much herself. The mystery at the heart of the story did keep me guessing, with some unexpected twists, though it did feel as if matters were all rather quickly and neatly resolved at the end.
I did enjoy the social commentary that the book offers as it explores themes of class and social injustice, and certainly sets up the Revolution that was to come in France. The story also explores scientific advancement, whilst at the same time juxtaposing this with superstition. Finally, I also enjoyed its evident themes of feminism in what was at the time very much a man's world. I also thought the author did an interesting job of mixing real life characters into this work of fiction.
Overall a suspenseful read with a strong sense of the gothic and macabre.
My first read from Anna Mazzola, this was a richly depicted and atmospheric, gothic historical mystery. The story is told from three different perspectives, the main voice being that of Madeleine. However, we also get chapters told from Veronique, Dr Reinhart's daughter, and also Jeanne, the King's mistress. I did find the chapters told from the latter's point of view a bit harder to connect to, as I don't think Jeanne's character was as fully realised as Madeleline's or Veronique's and it could feel a little jarring when the perspective switched to hers.
I think the book's strengths lie in the way that Mazzola brings France in the 1750s to life, particularly the sharply contrasting depictions of the lives of the poor in the slums of Paris compared to the idle rich at the Palace at Versailles . She also really managed to capture a constant undercurrent of danger and something sinister at play, that gave the novel a very gothic feel.
Madeleine is an easy character to like. She is desperate to find a way out of the slums for herself and her young nephew, and as such whilst, as she grows closer to Veronique, she does feel guilty at spying on them all, at the same time one can understand her motivations, and the position she finds herself in being pressurized by the police. I also really liked Veronique, who whilst she initially comes across as a spoiled rich girl, we soon discover is an intelligent and enterprising young lady, with a genuine sense of compassion, and who has herself lived a rather lonely existence. Jeanne, or Madame Pompadour as she is known, was a little more sketchily drawn, however one gets the sense of this cunning woman who has risen in the ranks and now is desperate to cling on to her power even as she is losing some of her worldly charms. I liked her ingenuity and also the glimpses of vulnerability we got into her character and overall thought her story a interesting one. In actual fact she could easily have been a fascinating character and her backstory sounds intriguing, however, I just didn't feel as emotionally invested in her story here as one of the narrator's.
The story itself is rather on the slow side, with not much actually happening for long periods, but rather just hints and speculation, which certainly does add to the suspense and tension, however, at times it did feel like the same conversations were being repeated over and over for example about the missing children. Also it has to be said that I don't think Madeline actually ended up discovering that much herself. The mystery at the heart of the story did keep me guessing, with some unexpected twists, though it did feel as if matters were all rather quickly and neatly resolved at the end.
I did enjoy the social commentary that the book offers as it explores themes of class and social injustice, and certainly sets up the Revolution that was to come in France. The story also explores scientific advancement, whilst at the same time juxtaposing this with superstition. Finally, I also enjoyed its evident themes of feminism in what was at the time very much a man's world. I also thought the author did an interesting job of mixing real life characters into this work of fiction.
Overall a suspenseful read with a strong sense of the gothic and macabre.
February 25, 2022
3.8 Stars
One Liner: Dark, disturbing, and sinister.
Paris, 1750: The winter is brutal, but people are worse. Madeline’s life isn’t any better, but she knows things could be worse. When she gets a chance to make things better, Madeline agrees to put her life at risk. She needs to find out what goes on in the clockmaker’s house and report it to those who hired her for the job. It’s her only chance at freedom, no matter how much the house and the clockmaker scare her.
Dr. Reinhart is a master scientist and wonderful clockmaker. His creations are life-like and show signs of being much more than automata. The bejeweled rabbits and birds might be mesmerizing, but how could the man create these pieces with utter perfection? What is his secret?
Veronique is Dr. Reinhart’s seventeen-year-old daughter. She just came back home after years at the convent. Veronique wants to prove her worth and how she is capable of being trained as her father’s assistant and successor. Reinhart trains her, but Veronique knows that her future isn’t certain until he is satisfied with her worth.
Jeanne, aka Madame de Pompadour, is King Louis’s mistress, one among the many, but with enough control and network to maybe keep her place. However, things get sinister as her position and life are at risk. And what about the larger conspiracy and the King’s love for ‘certain things’?
The world outside seems to be in turmoil. Little kids go missing from the streets. Madeline realizes that she might have uncovered the secret. Will she make it through the day when the dark secrets lead her to the heart of Versailles?
What I Like:
• The story comes from three third-person POVs- Madeline, Veronique, and Jeanne. They are three different women from different backgrounds and with different approaches to life. This added to the narration and kept things interesting even when the pacing was slow.
• The Paris in the book is not glitzy or glamorous. It is dirty, sick, smelly, and simmering a rebellion. The mood of the public (and the response of the royalty) was well established throughout.
• The story combines two major incidents from the period- the automata and the vanishing children. The blending is seamless and sensible. The final reveal doesn’t surprise me because it’s a logical progression.
• The ending is not neatly tied up in a bow. Yes, it is hopeful and positive (that’s why the book has 4 stars from me), yet certain crucial elements were realistic and in line with history.
• There’s no gore or graphical description of brutality, assault, and death. Still, it is present throughout the book.
• The scenes with Dr. Reinhart working on the clocks and creations are cool. I enjoyed reading those.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
• The first half is slow. While some of it was necessary to establish the setting, a few incidents were unnecessarily dragged. Some of the reveals were easy to guess. Leaving them until the end tilted the balance.
• A majority of the action takes place in the last 15% of the book. There’s too much information at once, that too towards the end.
• The story is dark throughout. There isn’t any respite until the end. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. People looking for lighter moments will be disappointed. There were times I wanted something hopeful to keep me going.
To sum up, The Clockwork Girl is a dark and disturbing read set in the dirty and desolate Paris of 1750.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orion Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheClockworkGirl #NetGalley
*****
P.S: I love the cover!
One Liner: Dark, disturbing, and sinister.
Paris, 1750: The winter is brutal, but people are worse. Madeline’s life isn’t any better, but she knows things could be worse. When she gets a chance to make things better, Madeline agrees to put her life at risk. She needs to find out what goes on in the clockmaker’s house and report it to those who hired her for the job. It’s her only chance at freedom, no matter how much the house and the clockmaker scare her.
Dr. Reinhart is a master scientist and wonderful clockmaker. His creations are life-like and show signs of being much more than automata. The bejeweled rabbits and birds might be mesmerizing, but how could the man create these pieces with utter perfection? What is his secret?
Veronique is Dr. Reinhart’s seventeen-year-old daughter. She just came back home after years at the convent. Veronique wants to prove her worth and how she is capable of being trained as her father’s assistant and successor. Reinhart trains her, but Veronique knows that her future isn’t certain until he is satisfied with her worth.
Jeanne, aka Madame de Pompadour, is King Louis’s mistress, one among the many, but with enough control and network to maybe keep her place. However, things get sinister as her position and life are at risk. And what about the larger conspiracy and the King’s love for ‘certain things’?
The world outside seems to be in turmoil. Little kids go missing from the streets. Madeline realizes that she might have uncovered the secret. Will she make it through the day when the dark secrets lead her to the heart of Versailles?
What I Like:
• The story comes from three third-person POVs- Madeline, Veronique, and Jeanne. They are three different women from different backgrounds and with different approaches to life. This added to the narration and kept things interesting even when the pacing was slow.
• The Paris in the book is not glitzy or glamorous. It is dirty, sick, smelly, and simmering a rebellion. The mood of the public (and the response of the royalty) was well established throughout.
• The story combines two major incidents from the period- the automata and the vanishing children. The blending is seamless and sensible. The final reveal doesn’t surprise me because it’s a logical progression.
• The ending is not neatly tied up in a bow. Yes, it is hopeful and positive (that’s why the book has 4 stars from me), yet certain crucial elements were realistic and in line with history.
• There’s no gore or graphical description of brutality, assault, and death. Still, it is present throughout the book.
• The scenes with Dr. Reinhart working on the clocks and creations are cool. I enjoyed reading those.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
• The first half is slow. While some of it was necessary to establish the setting, a few incidents were unnecessarily dragged. Some of the reveals were easy to guess. Leaving them until the end tilted the balance.
• A majority of the action takes place in the last 15% of the book. There’s too much information at once, that too towards the end.
• The story is dark throughout. There isn’t any respite until the end. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. People looking for lighter moments will be disappointed. There were times I wanted something hopeful to keep me going.
To sum up, The Clockwork Girl is a dark and disturbing read set in the dirty and desolate Paris of 1750.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orion Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheClockworkGirl #NetGalley
*****
P.S: I love the cover!
December 11, 2021
Paris 1750.
Winter is a harsh mistress to most, especially those living amongst the busy streets that cannot afford a simple meal, let alone a roof over their heads and even the unforgiving touch is reaching those flying high for the birds themselves seem to be falling frozen from the sky and as your own breath hangs before you, through the fog of ice arrives a new maid, Madeleine, who is to call upon the most celebrated clockmaker and his clever, free-thinking and unworldly daughter.
However this maid is not as she seems for it is far from her own will that has swept her to this most-hallowed of places for if she is to succeed and win her freedom from the powers who hold the key to such a thing, she must uncover what is going on in this house of marvels and unnatural practices…
Children are being reported missing in growing numbers which is chilling enough but when a connection seems to be made between the innocents being spirited away, and the rumours of which the clockmaker’s intricate creations appear to be perhaps too life-like, Madeleine may have wished she had stayed away as what she will uncover can be nothing short of pure evi
Penance, sin and debauchery are the beating heart of this grand story where one girl will have to risk her very life to ensure those she loves can be spared before the clock runs out. Electrifying, razor-sharp and addictive.
Winter is a harsh mistress to most, especially those living amongst the busy streets that cannot afford a simple meal, let alone a roof over their heads and even the unforgiving touch is reaching those flying high for the birds themselves seem to be falling frozen from the sky and as your own breath hangs before you, through the fog of ice arrives a new maid, Madeleine, who is to call upon the most celebrated clockmaker and his clever, free-thinking and unworldly daughter.
However this maid is not as she seems for it is far from her own will that has swept her to this most-hallowed of places for if she is to succeed and win her freedom from the powers who hold the key to such a thing, she must uncover what is going on in this house of marvels and unnatural practices…
Children are being reported missing in growing numbers which is chilling enough but when a connection seems to be made between the innocents being spirited away, and the rumours of which the clockmaker’s intricate creations appear to be perhaps too life-like, Madeleine may have wished she had stayed away as what she will uncover can be nothing short of pure evi
Penance, sin and debauchery are the beating heart of this grand story where one girl will have to risk her very life to ensure those she loves can be spared before the clock runs out. Electrifying, razor-sharp and addictive.
August 13, 2022
Superbly written historical drama with an imaginative magical edge and often disturbing.
Compelling throughout. Not a lot else to say except you absolutely should give this one a go. You won't read anything else like it.
Compelling throughout. Not a lot else to say except you absolutely should give this one a go. You won't read anything else like it.
March 26, 2023
Honestly, a bit underwhelming. It was too long for the amount of action it contained.
The mystery didn't really grip me either. It was all pointing to only one obvious answer, so of course that wasn't going to be it. The twist came as no surprise either (not sure it was meant to). Some aspects were not particularly believable either.
It was also really bleak. Yes, I'm sure it was an accurate depiction of the poverty and filth of Paris in 1750, but did it have to be repeated over and over again?
Overall, it was well written, not a bad book but it just wasn't for me.
The mystery didn't really grip me either. It was all pointing to only one obvious answer, so of course that wasn't going to be it. The twist came as no surprise either (not sure it was meant to). Some aspects were not particularly believable either.
It was also really bleak. Yes, I'm sure it was an accurate depiction of the poverty and filth of Paris in 1750, but did it have to be repeated over and over again?
Overall, it was well written, not a bad book but it just wasn't for me.
January 3, 2022
It’s deliciously dark and intoxicatingly intricate with gothic elements that really built on Anna Mazzola’s rich visuals to create a chillingly atmospheric tale of obsession, illusion and social upheaval in 18th Century France.
It’s set in 1750, Paris and follows Madeleine, the scarred daughter of a brothers owner who’s given the task to discover the truth of Dr. Reinhart’s (the eccentric clockmaker) experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.
For children are vanishing from the Parisian streets and rumours are swirling that the clockmaker's spectacular mechanical creations are more than what they seem.
And soon Madeleine fears that she’s stumbled upon an even bigger conspiracy. One which might reach to the very heart of Versailles...
This was magnificently written and utterly captivating, the prose was meticulously crafted and perfectly captures that feeling of dread you feel right before something bad happens—I literally could stop reading.
The setting was deeply atmospheric, I absolutely loved the sheer amount of detail and gritty realism we get which really showcases the destitution and squalor of Paris’ streets which , although dark at times was utterly captivating and completely transportive.
The clever use of historical events such as The Vanishing Children of Paris, really showcases the anger and frustration of Paris’ populace which not only mirrors the frustrations of our female protagonists, but foreshadows the rebellion nearly 40 years later (which oddly is the most familiar thing in this chillingly uncanny tale.)
I really enjoyed that this has multi-POVs; Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne a.k.a Madam de Pompadour. It’s through these three women (from three different social classes) that we explore the intricacies of life in 18th century France, be it at the glittering court of Versailles or on the putrid and sewage filled streets—and despite class boundaries very few lived free of corruption or suffering, more importantly almost all of those who did were never women (or children.)
I really loved Madeleine, who’s childhood (and life in general) has been just one awful experience after another but, still strives for a better life. Veronique is much the same, though her experience are different she’s still had to endure soo much and I just loved the journey these two went on—I did spend the majority of it fearing something bad would happen and endlessly hoping that (by some miracle) they would both make it out unharmed. I won’t spoil it for you but it’s definitely an emotional journey so keep some tissues on hand.
Though I liked Jeanne, for me she didn’t have as strong an emotional pull as Madeleine or Veronique but was probably the most fascinating POV to explore, her relationship with the king, his children and the courtiers was utterly dripping with drama (I’d love to see a prequel centring around her early experiences before arriving at court and all that she had to do to keep what little power she has.)
Overall, this is an utterly unmissable, addictively dark and macabre read that lovers of gritty historical fiction, intrigue and murder mysteries will definitely enjoy.
Thanks to Orion and Netgalley for the e-arc.
It’s set in 1750, Paris and follows Madeleine, the scarred daughter of a brothers owner who’s given the task to discover the truth of Dr. Reinhart’s (the eccentric clockmaker) experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.
For children are vanishing from the Parisian streets and rumours are swirling that the clockmaker's spectacular mechanical creations are more than what they seem.
And soon Madeleine fears that she’s stumbled upon an even bigger conspiracy. One which might reach to the very heart of Versailles...
This was magnificently written and utterly captivating, the prose was meticulously crafted and perfectly captures that feeling of dread you feel right before something bad happens—I literally could stop reading.
The setting was deeply atmospheric, I absolutely loved the sheer amount of detail and gritty realism we get which really showcases the destitution and squalor of Paris’ streets which , although dark at times was utterly captivating and completely transportive.
The clever use of historical events such as The Vanishing Children of Paris, really showcases the anger and frustration of Paris’ populace which not only mirrors the frustrations of our female protagonists, but foreshadows the rebellion nearly 40 years later (which oddly is the most familiar thing in this chillingly uncanny tale.)
I really enjoyed that this has multi-POVs; Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne a.k.a Madam de Pompadour. It’s through these three women (from three different social classes) that we explore the intricacies of life in 18th century France, be it at the glittering court of Versailles or on the putrid and sewage filled streets—and despite class boundaries very few lived free of corruption or suffering, more importantly almost all of those who did were never women (or children.)
I really loved Madeleine, who’s childhood (and life in general) has been just one awful experience after another but, still strives for a better life. Veronique is much the same, though her experience are different she’s still had to endure soo much and I just loved the journey these two went on—I did spend the majority of it fearing something bad would happen and endlessly hoping that (by some miracle) they would both make it out unharmed. I won’t spoil it for you but it’s definitely an emotional journey so keep some tissues on hand.
Though I liked Jeanne, for me she didn’t have as strong an emotional pull as Madeleine or Veronique but was probably the most fascinating POV to explore, her relationship with the king, his children and the courtiers was utterly dripping with drama (I’d love to see a prequel centring around her early experiences before arriving at court and all that she had to do to keep what little power she has.)
Overall, this is an utterly unmissable, addictively dark and macabre read that lovers of gritty historical fiction, intrigue and murder mysteries will definitely enjoy.
Thanks to Orion and Netgalley for the e-arc.
July 31, 2024
O carte foarte buna, cu o poveste in spate care chiar m-a tinut in priza. Însă finalul mi s-a părut un pic prea sec și brusc. Însă restul mi-a plăcut mult. Franța din secolul 18, evenimentele din acea perioadă, preocuparea pentru anatomie și automate, personajele interesante (in special Madeleine).
Mai multe pe blog:
https://www.stildescriitor.ro/2024/07...
Mai multe pe blog:
https://www.stildescriitor.ro/2024/07...
December 14, 2021
Set in wintery 1700s Paris, Madeleine, the daughter of a brothel owner, is faced with a choice between her own freedom or spying on notorious clockmaker, Dr Reinhart, and report back on all his experiments and every move he makes. Between a rock and a hard place, she chooses to spy on the clockmaker and is sent to become his maid, and once she arrives she’s also tasked with being a companion to his daughter. As Madeleine familiarizes herself with her new surroundings and watches the Dr work she can’t see that anything is amiss but she feels very unsettled in the house, almost like something is very
VERY
wrong. So what exactly is Dr Reinhart creating there and what are his plans?? You’ll have to read the book to find that out!
What an absolutely incredible story, holy moly. This is one of those books that you can’t put down and will put off any task that requires you to stop reading it for any length of time, which lets face it, is totally unacceptable to us readers. This is that kind of brilliant writing and storytelling where you really like the likable characters and you absolutely LOATHE the unlikable ones, I mean I felt actual hatred for a few of the characters in this book and it takes a lot for me to hate a fictional character. This was a darkly chilling and atmospheric book that captivates you right from the start and good luck putting it down to do other things, it’s practically impossible to do that.
The only bad thing? There were so many plot twists and turns everywhere that I almost threw my back out! Just kidding, I’d happily have my knees dislocated for this book, give me all the plot twists pretty please!
Thank you so much to Orion for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
What an absolutely incredible story, holy moly. This is one of those books that you can’t put down and will put off any task that requires you to stop reading it for any length of time, which lets face it, is totally unacceptable to us readers. This is that kind of brilliant writing and storytelling where you really like the likable characters and you absolutely LOATHE the unlikable ones, I mean I felt actual hatred for a few of the characters in this book and it takes a lot for me to hate a fictional character. This was a darkly chilling and atmospheric book that captivates you right from the start and good luck putting it down to do other things, it’s practically impossible to do that.
The only bad thing? There were so many plot twists and turns everywhere that I almost threw my back out! Just kidding, I’d happily have my knees dislocated for this book, give me all the plot twists pretty please!
Thank you so much to Orion for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
February 24, 2022
Discover the locations in the novel The Clockwork girl
ALL THE (CLOCKWORK) STARS!!
UPDATE - FULL REVIEW RIGHT HERE
Wonderful
Magical yet dark and disturbing
Showcases the world of clockwork marvels at the heart of 1750s Paris
A clockwork master makes the most exquisite and clever things never seen before. But one in particular will chill those who witness it....
Set in the squalor of inner Paris and the gilded halls of Versailles
Excellent characters I really felt for and the contrast between the lives of those who live in Versailles and those outside is nicely done
The story shows that you should be careful what you wish for, that some things are not meant to messed with and that a gilded cage is still a cage....
The novel touches upon the role of women in 1750s society, what happened when they wanted to work, have a life of their own and not be controlled by men.
Brilliant. I loved it.
November 25, 2022
Nujāāā... talantīgi 18. gs. vidus Parīzes apraksti (kaut arī ĻOTI plaši un gari) kombinācijā ar kārtējo politiski korekto girl power apoteozi rada tādu... mazliet ērmīgu sajūtu. Taisnības labad viena papildzvaigzne gan jāpiešķir par to, ka autorei tomēr izdevās apvest mani ap stūri
August 10, 2024
Superba povestea, macabră pe alocuri si ciudată, dar m a ținut în suspans și nu prea bănuiam pe nimeni. M-a bucurat faptul că Madelaine a avut parte de un final să zicem fericit, cât de fericit poate fi in sec 18 in Franța.
May 5, 2022
I really liked Anna Mazzola's first two novels but this one didn't work for me. They have all been historical and feel well researched with lots of atmospheric detail. The Clockwork Girl is set in Paris in 1750 and the plot draws from real events, although it uses them as a starting point rather than as the plot.
The novel is about a young woman who goes to work for a clock maker who is suspected of conducting strange experiments. She is tasked with finding out what he is doing. The story alternates between her perspective, the clockmaker's daughter and also a character called Jeanne who will turn out to be the famous Madame de Pompadour.
Having three narrators didn't work for me. I was most interested in Madeleine the maid and I think the story could have been told purely from her perspective. Initially I liked the gothic atmosphere but the plot was too drawn out and became silly. I was bored at the halfway point, forced myself to stick with it but it didn't get better.
The novel is about a young woman who goes to work for a clock maker who is suspected of conducting strange experiments. She is tasked with finding out what he is doing. The story alternates between her perspective, the clockmaker's daughter and also a character called Jeanne who will turn out to be the famous Madame de Pompadour.
Having three narrators didn't work for me. I was most interested in Madeleine the maid and I think the story could have been told purely from her perspective. Initially I liked the gothic atmosphere but the plot was too drawn out and became silly. I was bored at the halfway point, forced myself to stick with it but it didn't get better.
April 7, 2022
Automata and missing children…
Paris, 1750. Madeleine is desperate to escape from the brothel that her mother runs, so when one of the brothel’s clients, a policeman, offers her money to take a position as a maid in the house of Doctor Reinhart in order to spy on him, she accepts. Doctor Reinhart is an automaton maker, already famed for his life-like creations of birds and animals which he animates using clockwork. Madeleine is not told the reason the police are interested in the doctor; she is merely instructed to report on any suspicious activities. When she arrives at the doctor’s house she meets Véronique, the doctor’s young daughter, just returned from her education in a convent and now keen to follow her father's footsteps and become an automaton maker too. Soon Madeleine becomes convinced that the doctor is indeed involved in a secret project, but despite her best efforts and the pressure being applied on her, she can't find out exactly what. Meantime Paris is in an uproar over the disappearances of several children. At first the missing children came from amongst the many homeless waifs living on the streets, but now the children of tradesmen are disappearing too and rumours are flying as to who is taking the children and why...
I don't want to say much more about the plot than that, because the interest of the book comes from the slow revelations that finally allow Madeleine and the reader to know what is going on. To be honest, I worked out parts of the mystery fairly early on, but it didn’t matter because the story is much more about the characters and how they are impacted by the events in the book. The historical setting of Paris in the reign of Louis XV is wonderfully portrayed – I'm no expert on the period so can't speak to its authenticity, but I found it totally convincing. Mazzola takes us into the poorest and darkest corners of the city and to the dazzling court of the king, and shows us the huge inequities that only a few decades later would lead to bloody revolution.
The story is told from the perspective of three different women, though all in third party. Madeleine is the main character, and she’s very well drawn. We learn about her terrible but sadly not unusual experiences as a child forced into prostitution, though it’s made even harder by the fact that it’s her mother who did the forcing. But Madeleine is strong, determined not just to make a better life for herself but also for her young nephew Émile, who is a sickly child and an orphan, his mother, Madeleine’s sister, having died not long before the book begins. Madeleine is also unusual in that she has some basic education given to her by her father before he died. It is Madeleine's ability to read and write that makes her useful to the police as a spy.
Véronique is the second perspective. Since part of the mystery revolves around her, we don't get to know her quite as well as Madeleine until late on in the book. However, she too has had a difficult childhood and is now looking to forge a life and career for herself in a society that restricts opportunities for women of her class to little more than marriage or the convent.
The third perspective is a woman that we initially know as Jeanne but soon discover is in fact Madame de Pompadour. Through her we learn about the life of being the officially recognised mistress of the King, considerably more luxurious than Madeleine's life in a brothel, but perhaps no more secure. Jeanne’s position is entirely dependent on Louis’ favour, and she knows that there are many who would happily see her fall from grace or take her place. Through her, too, we get to see the power struggles at court, with everyone jostling for the king’s patronage, and all completely uninterested in the poverty and growing anger of the Parisian poor on their doorstep.
Mazzola touches on many issues – women’s lowly status and lack of agency, slavery, prostitution, poverty, and so on. But in every case she shows us these things through the characters’ lives and actions – she doesn’t preach and she doesn’t get polemical. Hallelujah! Her characters are firmly rooted in their own time, and haven’t miraculously acquired twenty-first century attitudes and sensibilities.
The story itself is wonderfully creepy, with Mazzola making great use of the settings and the doctor’s automata to create an atmosphere of mild Gothic horror. Apparently it’s inspired by a real scandal of children going missing in Paris at this time and some of the rumours that flew around, although Mazzola has created her own story from this base. There are hints at the supernatural, at the old story of science being allowed to run beyond control, at the lengths that obsessions will take people to and the lines that they will cross in pursuit of knowledge. And the resolution of the story is both dark and satisfying.
An excellent book – great setting, well-drawn interesting characters, and a story that intrigues and chills and takes us to the edge of the supernatural, but ultimately stays on the right side of credible. Loved it – highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Orion, via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Paris, 1750. Madeleine is desperate to escape from the brothel that her mother runs, so when one of the brothel’s clients, a policeman, offers her money to take a position as a maid in the house of Doctor Reinhart in order to spy on him, she accepts. Doctor Reinhart is an automaton maker, already famed for his life-like creations of birds and animals which he animates using clockwork. Madeleine is not told the reason the police are interested in the doctor; she is merely instructed to report on any suspicious activities. When she arrives at the doctor’s house she meets Véronique, the doctor’s young daughter, just returned from her education in a convent and now keen to follow her father's footsteps and become an automaton maker too. Soon Madeleine becomes convinced that the doctor is indeed involved in a secret project, but despite her best efforts and the pressure being applied on her, she can't find out exactly what. Meantime Paris is in an uproar over the disappearances of several children. At first the missing children came from amongst the many homeless waifs living on the streets, but now the children of tradesmen are disappearing too and rumours are flying as to who is taking the children and why...
I don't want to say much more about the plot than that, because the interest of the book comes from the slow revelations that finally allow Madeleine and the reader to know what is going on. To be honest, I worked out parts of the mystery fairly early on, but it didn’t matter because the story is much more about the characters and how they are impacted by the events in the book. The historical setting of Paris in the reign of Louis XV is wonderfully portrayed – I'm no expert on the period so can't speak to its authenticity, but I found it totally convincing. Mazzola takes us into the poorest and darkest corners of the city and to the dazzling court of the king, and shows us the huge inequities that only a few decades later would lead to bloody revolution.
The story is told from the perspective of three different women, though all in third party. Madeleine is the main character, and she’s very well drawn. We learn about her terrible but sadly not unusual experiences as a child forced into prostitution, though it’s made even harder by the fact that it’s her mother who did the forcing. But Madeleine is strong, determined not just to make a better life for herself but also for her young nephew Émile, who is a sickly child and an orphan, his mother, Madeleine’s sister, having died not long before the book begins. Madeleine is also unusual in that she has some basic education given to her by her father before he died. It is Madeleine's ability to read and write that makes her useful to the police as a spy.
Véronique is the second perspective. Since part of the mystery revolves around her, we don't get to know her quite as well as Madeleine until late on in the book. However, she too has had a difficult childhood and is now looking to forge a life and career for herself in a society that restricts opportunities for women of her class to little more than marriage or the convent.
The third perspective is a woman that we initially know as Jeanne but soon discover is in fact Madame de Pompadour. Through her we learn about the life of being the officially recognised mistress of the King, considerably more luxurious than Madeleine's life in a brothel, but perhaps no more secure. Jeanne’s position is entirely dependent on Louis’ favour, and she knows that there are many who would happily see her fall from grace or take her place. Through her, too, we get to see the power struggles at court, with everyone jostling for the king’s patronage, and all completely uninterested in the poverty and growing anger of the Parisian poor on their doorstep.
Mazzola touches on many issues – women’s lowly status and lack of agency, slavery, prostitution, poverty, and so on. But in every case she shows us these things through the characters’ lives and actions – she doesn’t preach and she doesn’t get polemical. Hallelujah! Her characters are firmly rooted in their own time, and haven’t miraculously acquired twenty-first century attitudes and sensibilities.
The story itself is wonderfully creepy, with Mazzola making great use of the settings and the doctor’s automata to create an atmosphere of mild Gothic horror. Apparently it’s inspired by a real scandal of children going missing in Paris at this time and some of the rumours that flew around, although Mazzola has created her own story from this base. There are hints at the supernatural, at the old story of science being allowed to run beyond control, at the lengths that obsessions will take people to and the lines that they will cross in pursuit of knowledge. And the resolution of the story is both dark and satisfying.
An excellent book – great setting, well-drawn interesting characters, and a story that intrigues and chills and takes us to the edge of the supernatural, but ultimately stays on the right side of credible. Loved it – highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Orion, via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
March 7, 2022
“She knew then that the clockmaker might not be simply strange. He might well be something much worse.”
Paris, 1750. Madeleine Casteel arrives at the home of Doctor Maximillian Reinhart, a clockmaker who is the talk of the city thanks to his strange and unique creations. She has been tasked with spying on Reinhart’s every move in exchange for her own freedom. But Madeleine soon finds that she may have stumbled upon a secret much darker than she imagined. A secret that may go to the heart of Versailles and put her life in danger.
"She was tired of being told she was worth less than nothing by men who did nothing themselves."
Macabre, haunting and suspenseful, this twisted gothic tale was everything I could have hoped for and more. A story cloaked in the syrupy blackness of a sinister mystery, this is a much darker tale than I expected. A story of a maid, a clockmaker, a King, a Courtesan and missing children. It has something for everyone: true crime mixed with historical fiction, a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of feminism. The addition of French language amongst the prose was a coupe de genie that perfected this magnificent and original tale.
My love for historical fiction is no secret and one of my favourite things about it is how much I learn while being entertained. I know relatively little about the time and place this story is set in but the author’s meticulous research and evocative imagery transported me back to the bleak streets of 18th Century Paris so vividly that I could see the buildings leaning into one another, and the beggars in the shadows, hear the horses as they pulled their carriages full of passengers and smell the filth. It was a time of corruption when humanity was forsaken in favour of wealth and power. Men would use their position to control women, a theme that runs throughout the story as we see our three female narrators at the mercy of men with power no matter their position in society and feel powerless to change it.
"Those things he makes, whatever it is he calls them - look at them closely. They're impossible things, made with dark magic."
I love when a talented author takes an outlandish idea and runs with it successfully, which is what Anna Mazzola has done with this book. Automata is a fascinating topic and through King Louis IV’s obsession with death, automata and reanimation and the fictitious Doctor Reinhart, the author explores how these astounding yet bizarre creations were both revered and feared, their ability to seemingly defy the laws of nature leading to whispers of witchcraft and black magic. Combined with the mention of how children are quietly vanishing from the streets of Paris that is slowly dripped into the story this creates a chilling air of suspicion, menace and fear that hovers over every page.
Richly drawn, exquisitely told and intricately woven, The Clockwork Girl kept me guessing until the final pages, giving up its twisted secrets slowly, my heart racing in breathless anticipation as I read. A spellbinding and unique story that I would highly recommend.
Paris, 1750. Madeleine Casteel arrives at the home of Doctor Maximillian Reinhart, a clockmaker who is the talk of the city thanks to his strange and unique creations. She has been tasked with spying on Reinhart’s every move in exchange for her own freedom. But Madeleine soon finds that she may have stumbled upon a secret much darker than she imagined. A secret that may go to the heart of Versailles and put her life in danger.
"She was tired of being told she was worth less than nothing by men who did nothing themselves."
Macabre, haunting and suspenseful, this twisted gothic tale was everything I could have hoped for and more. A story cloaked in the syrupy blackness of a sinister mystery, this is a much darker tale than I expected. A story of a maid, a clockmaker, a King, a Courtesan and missing children. It has something for everyone: true crime mixed with historical fiction, a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of feminism. The addition of French language amongst the prose was a coupe de genie that perfected this magnificent and original tale.
My love for historical fiction is no secret and one of my favourite things about it is how much I learn while being entertained. I know relatively little about the time and place this story is set in but the author’s meticulous research and evocative imagery transported me back to the bleak streets of 18th Century Paris so vividly that I could see the buildings leaning into one another, and the beggars in the shadows, hear the horses as they pulled their carriages full of passengers and smell the filth. It was a time of corruption when humanity was forsaken in favour of wealth and power. Men would use their position to control women, a theme that runs throughout the story as we see our three female narrators at the mercy of men with power no matter their position in society and feel powerless to change it.
"Those things he makes, whatever it is he calls them - look at them closely. They're impossible things, made with dark magic."
I love when a talented author takes an outlandish idea and runs with it successfully, which is what Anna Mazzola has done with this book. Automata is a fascinating topic and through King Louis IV’s obsession with death, automata and reanimation and the fictitious Doctor Reinhart, the author explores how these astounding yet bizarre creations were both revered and feared, their ability to seemingly defy the laws of nature leading to whispers of witchcraft and black magic. Combined with the mention of how children are quietly vanishing from the streets of Paris that is slowly dripped into the story this creates a chilling air of suspicion, menace and fear that hovers over every page.
Richly drawn, exquisitely told and intricately woven, The Clockwork Girl kept me guessing until the final pages, giving up its twisted secrets slowly, my heart racing in breathless anticipation as I read. A spellbinding and unique story that I would highly recommend.
March 8, 2022
Set in C18th France in the time of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour et al. We meet our heroine, Madeleine, in her early twenties working as a maid (amongst other things) in a squalid Paris brothel run by her mother. To keep on the good side of the local police chief, her mother offers the astute and resourceful Madeleine as a servant/spy in the home of a strange local watch-maker, whose odd activities are under suspicion. Her mission is to report back on said odd activities - well rewarded if she succeeds, but if she fails…? Meanwhile, there is a spate of disappearances of Parisian working-class children. The poor believe the aristocracy and royals to be the culprits - but is there a connection?
‘The clockwork girl’ is wonderfully evocative of the fetid streets, casual cruelty, corruption, filth, disease and stench of the time (the royal court isn’t much better, just with better clothes and interior decor.) The imagery and sensory detail are intense, the characters are well done, and it’s a pacey read imbued with a pleasurably gothic sense of strange unknown dangers, and tantalising mysteries and clues to puzzle over. Despite a slightly saggy middle, and being sometimes over-written - the stink of piss especially - the plot twists and distinctive characters kept me hooked.
There’s a wealth of recurring imagery to do with dolls, clockwork figures, masks, wigs, costumes - all mimicking and/or covering the real. Wigs, masks and cosmetics all very much of that time fashion-wise of course, but Anna Mazzola places them very much in the psychological realm too, all ultimately embodied in the ‘clockwork girl’ herself. The contrast of so much covering-up (in every sense) by the rich compared with Madeleine’s undisguisable facial scarring, at the hands of a sadistic punter, is ever-present. There’s plenty of relevant social comment too: the ruling class in a cocoon of obscene wealth and decadence; equally obscene poverty, racism and structural injustice, all with a strong feminist underpinning. With three alternating POVs, the impoverished Madeleine, bourgeoise Veronique, the watch-maker’s daughter, and La Pompadour herself, we also get a view from/of all classes, and a presentiment of the context of the revolution to come. Highly astute socially, historically and psychologically, the novel also draws on the Enlightenment scientific thrust at the time, to dispense with religious superstition and advance empirical knowledge - in this case, at any cost.
The story kept me guessing until the end; the unreliable clues and multiple viewpoints mean you’re never quite sure what or who to believe (mirroring the quest of Enlightment enquiry perhaps). It’s quite unrelentingly dark and would perhaps have benefited from a few lighter moments for contrast, but otherwise cleverly done in every way. I hadn’t read anything by Anna Mazzola before but having very much enjoyed seeing her at a book event (she’s highly entertaining) I was keen to check her work out, and am thus grateful for this ARC courtesy of Netgalley.
‘The clockwork girl’ is wonderfully evocative of the fetid streets, casual cruelty, corruption, filth, disease and stench of the time (the royal court isn’t much better, just with better clothes and interior decor.) The imagery and sensory detail are intense, the characters are well done, and it’s a pacey read imbued with a pleasurably gothic sense of strange unknown dangers, and tantalising mysteries and clues to puzzle over. Despite a slightly saggy middle, and being sometimes over-written - the stink of piss especially - the plot twists and distinctive characters kept me hooked.
There’s a wealth of recurring imagery to do with dolls, clockwork figures, masks, wigs, costumes - all mimicking and/or covering the real. Wigs, masks and cosmetics all very much of that time fashion-wise of course, but Anna Mazzola places them very much in the psychological realm too, all ultimately embodied in the ‘clockwork girl’ herself. The contrast of so much covering-up (in every sense) by the rich compared with Madeleine’s undisguisable facial scarring, at the hands of a sadistic punter, is ever-present. There’s plenty of relevant social comment too: the ruling class in a cocoon of obscene wealth and decadence; equally obscene poverty, racism and structural injustice, all with a strong feminist underpinning. With three alternating POVs, the impoverished Madeleine, bourgeoise Veronique, the watch-maker’s daughter, and La Pompadour herself, we also get a view from/of all classes, and a presentiment of the context of the revolution to come. Highly astute socially, historically and psychologically, the novel also draws on the Enlightenment scientific thrust at the time, to dispense with religious superstition and advance empirical knowledge - in this case, at any cost.
The story kept me guessing until the end; the unreliable clues and multiple viewpoints mean you’re never quite sure what or who to believe (mirroring the quest of Enlightment enquiry perhaps). It’s quite unrelentingly dark and would perhaps have benefited from a few lighter moments for contrast, but otherwise cleverly done in every way. I hadn’t read anything by Anna Mazzola before but having very much enjoyed seeing her at a book event (she’s highly entertaining) I was keen to check her work out, and am thus grateful for this ARC courtesy of Netgalley.
February 24, 2022
A new gothic masterpiece from the wonderful Anna Mazzola.
Set in turbulent 18th century Paris, amongst the splendour or Versailles and the squalor of the streets, children are vanishing.
Following Madeleine on a chilling, stomach churning series of events as she clutches her new found chance of freedom.
Madeline is tasked with spying on Dr Reinhart, the infamous clockmaker, whose mesmerising designs are famed across Paris.
Raise in a convent but recently returned, we are introduced to the strong-willed Veronique, the daughter of Reinhart, currently training under his wing as his apprentice. Veronique must fight to show she is worthy or risk being returned to the convent or married off to a chosen suitor. A strikingly fierce and colourful character in the eeriness surrounding her.
Rumours are swirling about the missing children does the seeming impossible magic of Reinhart’s automata have some dark solution? Who is snatching these children from the streets of Paris? Can Madeline discover who is behind the disappearances before her time runs out.
Anna Mazzola has spun a wonderful gothic web of horror, mystery, crime and intrigue but at the centre of the web are her expertly crafted characters, strong women from different backgrounds but equally willing to give all they have got to survive and thrive.
Set in turbulent 18th century Paris, amongst the splendour or Versailles and the squalor of the streets, children are vanishing.
Following Madeleine on a chilling, stomach churning series of events as she clutches her new found chance of freedom.
Madeline is tasked with spying on Dr Reinhart, the infamous clockmaker, whose mesmerising designs are famed across Paris.
Raise in a convent but recently returned, we are introduced to the strong-willed Veronique, the daughter of Reinhart, currently training under his wing as his apprentice. Veronique must fight to show she is worthy or risk being returned to the convent or married off to a chosen suitor. A strikingly fierce and colourful character in the eeriness surrounding her.
Rumours are swirling about the missing children does the seeming impossible magic of Reinhart’s automata have some dark solution? Who is snatching these children from the streets of Paris? Can Madeline discover who is behind the disappearances before her time runs out.
Anna Mazzola has spun a wonderful gothic web of horror, mystery, crime and intrigue but at the centre of the web are her expertly crafted characters, strong women from different backgrounds but equally willing to give all they have got to survive and thrive.
August 25, 2023
Took me a few chapters to get into this book but by then I was intrigued. Set in 1750 in the squalor of Paris a girl called Madeleine who has seen and gone through so much for her years. Living in her mothers brothel has not been fun for her and she’s given a task which might just free her from this life.
There are children going missing but at the back of the book it seems then there was some macabre beliefs that human blood especially from the young helped those with pox and gave some eternal youth. Madeline is sent to a strange house to try to determine if rumours are true about Dr Reinhart and his clocks and mechanical objects he creates. Veronique his young daughter has returned from the convent she’s lived in since her mother died at childbirth. She’s only 17 and Madeline is to be her maid servant. This had a touch of Klara and the Sun for me but in much earlier times.
The story takes us to Versailles with many twists and turns there. From the stink of the palace due to the belief it was bad for you too bathe. I can only imagine the stench and the lead paint they pasted on their faces making them ill and look like ghosts. Automation even then was a fascination and people spent a fortune to get the very best trying to beat each other in their acquisitions. King Louis XV was in on these macabre things and paid his scientist a lot of money to the chagrin of the poor. It’s a fictional book but I fear there was a lot of this going on during that time.
The writing is excellent even if I felt the ending a bit rushed to bring it all together. All in all a weird but enjoyable read.
There are children going missing but at the back of the book it seems then there was some macabre beliefs that human blood especially from the young helped those with pox and gave some eternal youth. Madeline is sent to a strange house to try to determine if rumours are true about Dr Reinhart and his clocks and mechanical objects he creates. Veronique his young daughter has returned from the convent she’s lived in since her mother died at childbirth. She’s only 17 and Madeline is to be her maid servant. This had a touch of Klara and the Sun for me but in much earlier times.
The story takes us to Versailles with many twists and turns there. From the stink of the palace due to the belief it was bad for you too bathe. I can only imagine the stench and the lead paint they pasted on their faces making them ill and look like ghosts. Automation even then was a fascination and people spent a fortune to get the very best trying to beat each other in their acquisitions. King Louis XV was in on these macabre things and paid his scientist a lot of money to the chagrin of the poor. It’s a fictional book but I fear there was a lot of this going on during that time.
The writing is excellent even if I felt the ending a bit rushed to bring it all together. All in all a weird but enjoyable read.
August 1, 2022
I picked Anna Mazzola's Clockwork Girl because if it's stunning cover, and the promise of a thrilling documented read. It didn't disappoint.
I found myself immersed into the Paris of the XVIIIth century, in a city of riches and worst poverty, where the split between aristocracy and third state was masterfully handled.
"But the truth speaks yet The wrongs that I have witnessed Will out despite my death."
The writing of this atmospheric tale drew me in from the get go. The plot kept me enthralled and on the edge of my seat, the eerie mystery, the worrysome intrigue cleverly laced with historical and geographic references. In a house filled with strange dolls and automatons, it was a delight to follow the heroine's quest for truth.
If you're in the mood for a historical thriller, I highly recommend this one. Have fun!
PS: I noted several French translation mistakes, that could have been easily avoided.
I found myself immersed into the Paris of the XVIIIth century, in a city of riches and worst poverty, where the split between aristocracy and third state was masterfully handled.
"But the truth speaks yet The wrongs that I have witnessed Will out despite my death."
The writing of this atmospheric tale drew me in from the get go. The plot kept me enthralled and on the edge of my seat, the eerie mystery, the worrysome intrigue cleverly laced with historical and geographic references. In a house filled with strange dolls and automatons, it was a delight to follow the heroine's quest for truth.
If you're in the mood for a historical thriller, I highly recommend this one. Have fun!
PS: I noted several French translation mistakes, that could have been easily avoided.
May 18, 2024
My rating is closer to 3.5 rather than 4 stars. The first ~200 pages were a very sloooow burn for me and I found myself wanting to abandon the read. Glad I stuck with it because the second half of the book really picked up for me. would recommend it to anyone looking for a gothic tale
December 7, 2021
A hugely atmospheric, imaginative historical drama/mystery. Set in 18th century Paris, this made a refreshing change from the locations I am more used to reading about, and what a Paris! A stinking, festering wound of a city plastered over with perfume and lace. As well as the sewage, the corruption runs deep.
Madeleine is desperate to escape from the clutches of her unscrupulous Mother, cruel and uncaring she is the owner of a seedy brothel., where Madou lives and has worked.
She is coerced by a shady police officer to do some spying, taking up a position as a servant in the household of a clockwork designer who is suspected of being up to something shady . Working partly as a maid of all work, she is also asked to be a maid/companion to his daughter who has until recently been closeted away in a nunnery.
In this household strange and fantastical mechanical clockwork objects are created which seem to have a life of their own, outside in the suppurating streets, children are disappearing and Madeleine fears for her young nephew Emile, who is the one person she really cares about.
When the household become unwittingly embroiled in Court life, things get even more fraught and increasingly dangerous.
I was captivated by the story and characters and there is quite a delicious twist, which surprised and gripped me. I really cared about Madeleine yet found many of the despicable characters utterly loathsome. Eerie and mysterious this is a great read.
Madeleine is desperate to escape from the clutches of her unscrupulous Mother, cruel and uncaring she is the owner of a seedy brothel., where Madou lives and has worked.
She is coerced by a shady police officer to do some spying, taking up a position as a servant in the household of a clockwork designer who is suspected of being up to something shady . Working partly as a maid of all work, she is also asked to be a maid/companion to his daughter who has until recently been closeted away in a nunnery.
In this household strange and fantastical mechanical clockwork objects are created which seem to have a life of their own, outside in the suppurating streets, children are disappearing and Madeleine fears for her young nephew Emile, who is the one person she really cares about.
When the household become unwittingly embroiled in Court life, things get even more fraught and increasingly dangerous.
I was captivated by the story and characters and there is quite a delicious twist, which surprised and gripped me. I really cared about Madeleine yet found many of the despicable characters utterly loathsome. Eerie and mysterious this is a great read.
August 18, 2024
Three women, an odd crafty man and his doll, while France is ruled by Ludovic the fifth in poverty and children are abducted from the streets and the wealthy ones indulge themselves with expensive food and sex. The Clockwork girl gives a vintage feeling as well as mysticism, history, experiments and shows what the 18th century looked like.
Madaline leaves the brothel she was raised in to serve for the police as she needs to find out what the mysterious doctor Reinhart is up to. The girl will look after Dr. Reinhart’s daughter Veronique, a young girl who just came home from the Catholic school after many years of living there. Madeline will try to find out Dr. Reinhart’s works, but she will not fully succeed.
Veronique’s point of view will show how a young girl felt when her mother died and she was raised only by her father who left her at Catholic school. The condition of a woman in the 18th century meant that women are not capable of creating or experimenting just as easily as a man, but this girl will prove the opposite.
Madame Pompadour’s point of view was such an intriguing part of this book. Her story describes her feelings for the king and for her illness just as well as what the society taught of her by being the king’s mistress and the simple fact that she is not capable of having great ideas.
I love the combination of a brothel and the mistressin it, just the idea of forbidden vintage sex in a book and what women had to do in order to survive those times. I like that the book containes the perfect amount of sex, it didn’t bother me and I didn’t want more. The multiple perspectives from different categories of women was also a plus. The vintage atmosphere was nice and the mystery was also on point. I loved it till end, which seemed a little rushed, but it didn’t feel stupid as most thriller endings feel.
Madaline leaves the brothel she was raised in to serve for the police as she needs to find out what the mysterious doctor Reinhart is up to. The girl will look after Dr. Reinhart’s daughter Veronique, a young girl who just came home from the Catholic school after many years of living there. Madeline will try to find out Dr. Reinhart’s works, but she will not fully succeed.
Veronique’s point of view will show how a young girl felt when her mother died and she was raised only by her father who left her at Catholic school. The condition of a woman in the 18th century meant that women are not capable of creating or experimenting just as easily as a man, but this girl will prove the opposite.
Madame Pompadour’s point of view was such an intriguing part of this book. Her story describes her feelings for the king and for her illness just as well as what the society taught of her by being the king’s mistress and the simple fact that she is not capable of having great ideas.
I love the combination of a brothel and the mistressin it, just the idea of forbidden vintage sex in a book and what women had to do in order to survive those times. I like that the book containes the perfect amount of sex, it didn’t bother me and I didn’t want more. The multiple perspectives from different categories of women was also a plus. The vintage atmosphere was nice and the mystery was also on point. I loved it till end, which seemed a little rushed, but it didn’t feel stupid as most thriller endings feel.
July 30, 2022
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
(3.5 stars)
The book started off very confusing, littered with French words and phrases which made it difficult to understand what in the heck I was reading (turns out there's a glossary at the back of the book, which I found out much too late), but as the 'world-building' (of Paris) was achieved and the plot started to take shape, I found it much much easier to get a grip on the story.
The idea and story is quite unique (at least something I've never personally read/seen/heard of), and full of mystery surrounding how Doctor Reinheart made such fully functoning clockwork trinkets. Whilst the big reveals weren't extremely shocking, I did find myself gasping aloud when you finally know what/who is the one taking the children from the streets (cue me thinking: 'OH IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW').
If you like slow-burn, mysterious, gothic books with unique concepts, I would definitely recommend it. I'm not sure this genre is my *vibe*, BUT I am still interested to try other similar books as I did enjoy it.
This book is:
- Slow burn, gothic, set in France in the 1750s
This book includes:
- No romance
- Prostitution / SA
- Death & murder
- Illness
- Pregnancy related death
(3.5 stars)
The book started off very confusing, littered with French words and phrases which made it difficult to understand what in the heck I was reading (turns out there's a glossary at the back of the book, which I found out much too late), but as the 'world-building' (of Paris) was achieved and the plot started to take shape, I found it much much easier to get a grip on the story.
The idea and story is quite unique (at least something I've never personally read/seen/heard of), and full of mystery surrounding how Doctor Reinheart made such fully functoning clockwork trinkets. Whilst the big reveals weren't extremely shocking, I did find myself gasping aloud when you finally know what/who is the one taking the children from the streets (cue me thinking: 'OH IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW').
If you like slow-burn, mysterious, gothic books with unique concepts, I would definitely recommend it. I'm not sure this genre is my *vibe*, BUT I am still interested to try other similar books as I did enjoy it.
This book is:
- Slow burn, gothic, set in France in the 1750s
This book includes:
- No romance
- Prostitution / SA
- Death & murder
- Illness
- Pregnancy related death
Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews