![]() ![]() Macneal also powerfully explores the ways in which a woman in the past might have been obliged to “encourage and discourage, so as not to lead to doubts of her purity and goodness but not make the men feel snubbed”. If you liked The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal, The Scribe of Siena: A Novel The Sealwomans Gift: the extraordinary book club novel of 17th century. But these seem like peevish quibbles when the prose is this captivating and the story is so engrossing. Some of the characterisation is a little overripe and the last third of the book suffers from Iris having her agency somewhat blunted. Macneal writes wonderfully pithy descriptions but they are occasionally not given enough bandwidth, sacrificed to a fairly breathless plot. The Doll Factory is a page-turner, make no mistake, but this is a rare instance when readers might have preferred the writer to slow down. In her case, it is toffee caramels, and reading this novel is a little like gorging on sweets. ![]() ![]() Like Angelica Neal, the heroine of Imogen Hermes Gowar’s The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, Iris has an appetite for confectionery. The Doll Factory scarcely needs a review. Macneal’s London is vividly rendered: all rosy nipples, beads of blood from cracking the backs of fleas, and strawberries pickled in sugar. ![]() New West End Company BRANDPOST | PAID CONTENT. ![]()
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