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The Quick
An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.
523 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2014
About the author
Lauren Owen
9 books333 followersLAUREN OWEN studied English Literature at St. Hilda's College, Oxford, before completing an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where she received the 2009 Curtis Brown prize for the best fiction dissertation. 'The Quick' is her first novel. She lives in Durham, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,844 reviews
August 17, 2017
”Fire is a far more effective weapon--not only does it destroy the creature’s body, but he will be fascinated by its warmth and may be unable to flee. More than one of them has died simply by refusing to relinquish the pleasant sensation of immersing himself with a blaze, even though his natural resistance to flame is eventually overcome and his body reduced to ash.”
James Norbury is in London writing feverishly trying to master the art of scribbling. He is living with a young, devilishly attractive aristocrat named Christopher Paige. Both will be better people once they begin to have some influence on each other. Norbury needs to be pried away from his writing desk from time to time. Paige needs to spend less time at decadent parties and more time at museums, plays, and operas.
They are just beginning to “discover” each other when they meet with a brutal accident in the street.
Paige is killed and Norbury disappears.
Charlotte Norbury, James’s sister is living on the crumbling family estate where she has been stuck taking care of the final illness of their aunt. She becomes disturbed when she doesn’t hear from James for quite some time and finally decides to go to London to look for him.
She finds him. Loses him. Finds him again.
Charlotte’s education of the human species is taken from a 101 level to a 500 level very quickly. She meets a limbless soothsayer, an acrobatic assassin, a scientifically minded nightmare named Dr. Knife, a charitable, but stone cold killer named Mrs. Price, and runs afoul of an exclusive London men’s society called The Aegolius Club. They are dangerous men with ideas about forming a more perfect society, one in which they are more than just powerful, but seen as supreme beings.
There is always someone wanting to put things out of balance.
I skimmed a few other reviews before deciding to sit down and write this review. It seems that everyone received a memo from the publisher to NOT reveal THE TWIST. I’ve never seen so many GR reviewers so carefully sidestepping the issue of THE TWIST.
I did not receive a drug laced letter, a gun toting menacing visit from a pair of goons or an email detailing how my car would be wired to explode if I revealed THE TWIST. I can only figure that Random House thought I was too insignificant to bother with or someone dropped the ball and forgot to properly threaten me. *Sigh*.
Regardless, because I want to continue breathing and don’t want to be the one that gets all the frigging complaints on my discussion thread I will bow to the conventions already established and not talk about the you-know-what of this novel.
The reason I picked this novel up was because it has been hyped as the best Gothic Novel since the golden age of Gothic Novels. Kate Atkinson referred to it as a Suspenseful, Glorious FEAST. Hilary Mantel thinks it was sly and glittering. Tana French found it Ambitious, Elegant, Atmospheric, and Poignant.
The definition of a conspiracy is that there are more than one person involved, right?
These are all well established, successful writers, but unfortunately they all drank the wrong Kool-Aid. Sorry Hilary, but before you send me a letter of condemnation do know that I loved Wolf Hall.
This is a book that as I was reading it I should have been craving dark red wine and cheese or four fingers of bourbon and a blood red steak, but all that was required was milk and cookies.
On the back flap of the novel under the rather intriguing picture of the author the first thing they mention about the writer is that Lauren Owen was born in 1985. It is significant that the publisher decided that the most important thing they needed to convey to the potential readers of this novel was that she is under 30. Which lends me to believe that they may have felt that this novel is better suited to the youngsters under 30.
They would be right.
The writing is fine in the sense that it was very readable. It is not going to stretch your vocabulary. It has certainly been through the word strainer leaving any words even remotely dusty out of the sentence structures. It reads too much like a drug store spinner rack book or a beach book or a book for a long plane ride where the air is thin and you may not want to agitate the little gray cells too much.
It was a grave disappointment.
There was no atmosphere, no suspense, no glitter, no sexual tension...no gothic feast. The TWIST for goodness sake is revealed very early in the book. All the elements are here for a book that I would have enjoyed, but it turns out that I’m just not the proper audience for this book.
James Norbury is in London writing feverishly trying to master the art of scribbling. He is living with a young, devilishly attractive aristocrat named Christopher Paige. Both will be better people once they begin to have some influence on each other. Norbury needs to be pried away from his writing desk from time to time. Paige needs to spend less time at decadent parties and more time at museums, plays, and operas.
They are just beginning to “discover” each other when they meet with a brutal accident in the street.
Paige is killed and Norbury disappears.
Charlotte Norbury, James’s sister is living on the crumbling family estate where she has been stuck taking care of the final illness of their aunt. She becomes disturbed when she doesn’t hear from James for quite some time and finally decides to go to London to look for him.
She finds him. Loses him. Finds him again.
Charlotte’s education of the human species is taken from a 101 level to a 500 level very quickly. She meets a limbless soothsayer, an acrobatic assassin, a scientifically minded nightmare named Dr. Knife, a charitable, but stone cold killer named Mrs. Price, and runs afoul of an exclusive London men’s society called The Aegolius Club. They are dangerous men with ideas about forming a more perfect society, one in which they are more than just powerful, but seen as supreme beings.
There is always someone wanting to put things out of balance.
I skimmed a few other reviews before deciding to sit down and write this review. It seems that everyone received a memo from the publisher to NOT reveal THE TWIST. I’ve never seen so many GR reviewers so carefully sidestepping the issue of THE TWIST.
I did not receive a drug laced letter, a gun toting menacing visit from a pair of goons or an email detailing how my car would be wired to explode if I revealed THE TWIST. I can only figure that Random House thought I was too insignificant to bother with or someone dropped the ball and forgot to properly threaten me. *Sigh*.
Regardless, because I want to continue breathing and don’t want to be the one that gets all the frigging complaints on my discussion thread I will bow to the conventions already established and not talk about the you-know-what of this novel.
The reason I picked this novel up was because it has been hyped as the best Gothic Novel since the golden age of Gothic Novels. Kate Atkinson referred to it as a Suspenseful, Glorious FEAST. Hilary Mantel thinks it was sly and glittering. Tana French found it Ambitious, Elegant, Atmospheric, and Poignant.
The definition of a conspiracy is that there are more than one person involved, right?
These are all well established, successful writers, but unfortunately they all drank the wrong Kool-Aid. Sorry Hilary, but before you send me a letter of condemnation do know that I loved Wolf Hall.
This is a book that as I was reading it I should have been craving dark red wine and cheese or four fingers of bourbon and a blood red steak, but all that was required was milk and cookies.
On the back flap of the novel under the rather intriguing picture of the author the first thing they mention about the writer is that Lauren Owen was born in 1985. It is significant that the publisher decided that the most important thing they needed to convey to the potential readers of this novel was that she is under 30. Which lends me to believe that they may have felt that this novel is better suited to the youngsters under 30.
They would be right.
The writing is fine in the sense that it was very readable. It is not going to stretch your vocabulary. It has certainly been through the word strainer leaving any words even remotely dusty out of the sentence structures. It reads too much like a drug store spinner rack book or a beach book or a book for a long plane ride where the air is thin and you may not want to agitate the little gray cells too much.
It was a grave disappointment.
There was no atmosphere, no suspense, no glitter, no sexual tension...no gothic feast. The TWIST for goodness sake is revealed very early in the book. All the elements are here for a book that I would have enjoyed, but it turns out that I’m just not the proper audience for this book.
September 30, 2018
so, somehow i am supposed to review this.
and it's unfair, because it isn't being published until june, and as soon as it is, and more people begin to read it and its secrets come out, it won't be necessary to be all coy in the reviews, but for poor little me, reading this all the way back in february, it would be insensitive to be all HEY YOU GUYS, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT SUCH AND SUCH.
even though it was spoiled for me before i read it. double unfair.
because the reveal comes early in the book. and if you know it's coming (thanks a lot, greg), you can see what is happening just before it does, but if you don't, it would probably be a fantastic jaw-dropping turn in the narrative.
and then there's more than 300 pages that follow, none of which i can really address without giving away what this book is about. triple unfair.
basically, i am left with about 70 pages to review, and the rest to kind of mumble over.
soooooo… this book is a victorian gothic with elements of both the adventure and detective novel. and also oscar wilde. and something else, mumble mumble. it is a multi-perspective third-person storyline with journal entries and all the other conventions of a victorian novel. and then something else, mumble mumble. it has a really good handle on the historical elements; the mores of the times, with the class and gender and sexual codes. and the mumble mumble aspects are better here than in other mumble books i have read.
and i think that is all i can safely say except
mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble. but then mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble?? and then mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble!! mumble mumble. so mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble. mumble mumble?? mumble.
you'll see what i mean in june.
come to my blog!
and it's unfair, because it isn't being published until june, and as soon as it is, and more people begin to read it and its secrets come out, it won't be necessary to be all coy in the reviews, but for poor little me, reading this all the way back in february, it would be insensitive to be all HEY YOU GUYS, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT SUCH AND SUCH.
even though it was spoiled for me before i read it. double unfair.
because the reveal comes early in the book. and if you know it's coming (thanks a lot, greg), you can see what is happening just before it does, but if you don't, it would probably be a fantastic jaw-dropping turn in the narrative.
and then there's more than 300 pages that follow, none of which i can really address without giving away what this book is about. triple unfair.
basically, i am left with about 70 pages to review, and the rest to kind of mumble over.
soooooo… this book is a victorian gothic with elements of both the adventure and detective novel. and also oscar wilde. and something else, mumble mumble. it is a multi-perspective third-person storyline with journal entries and all the other conventions of a victorian novel. and then something else, mumble mumble. it has a really good handle on the historical elements; the mores of the times, with the class and gender and sexual codes. and the mumble mumble aspects are better here than in other mumble books i have read.
and i think that is all i can safely say except
mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble. but then mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble?? and then mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble!! mumble mumble. so mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble. mumble mumble?? mumble.
you'll see what i mean in june.
come to my blog!
April 13, 2017
The Quick is a love-it or hate-it book. I fell into the "I loved this" camp. But, when I pushed it onto my mother and sisters, they didn't like it. They all wondered why I had insisted that they read it and waxed poetic about its story. I was truly surprised.
At first, it reads like a classic English, historical fiction novel. Think along the lines of Dickens or Austen. And then... it changes very quickly into something else, something more like urban fantasy. I can't say enough how masterful the first part of this novel is without giving too much away. It hooked me quickly and I was enthralled.
I loved how multiple genres collide in the story. I also adored the understated, "British" narrative style.
For a novel of over 500 pages, I went through this very quickly. It's a wonderful book to lose hours reading in, what feels like, a few minutes. This would be a great book to carry on the subway or train. You'd be entertained for almost the entire trip.
I would have given The Quick five stars but the end bit dragged. Also, I disliked the way that the author developed a couple of the main characters. What can I say- I'm picky when it comes to handing out those five-star reviews.
I also think that book clubs will lose their minds over The Quick. As I mentioned before, there was disagreement within my own family if this was an enjoyable read or not. My mother thought that the writing style showed the author's inexperience. I thought it was unique and captivating. We could have gone back and forth about it for hours, but who has time for that with all of the books that are waiting to be read.
I'd be interested to know your opinion on it.
As for me, I think this was an amazing debut novel. I look forward to more from Lauren Owen in, hopefully, the near-future.
I received a free advance reader copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!
At first, it reads like a classic English, historical fiction novel. Think along the lines of Dickens or Austen. And then... it changes very quickly into something else, something more like urban fantasy. I can't say enough how masterful the first part of this novel is without giving too much away. It hooked me quickly and I was enthralled.
I loved how multiple genres collide in the story. I also adored the understated, "British" narrative style.
For a novel of over 500 pages, I went through this very quickly. It's a wonderful book to lose hours reading in, what feels like, a few minutes. This would be a great book to carry on the subway or train. You'd be entertained for almost the entire trip.
I would have given The Quick five stars but the end bit dragged. Also, I disliked the way that the author developed a couple of the main characters. What can I say- I'm picky when it comes to handing out those five-star reviews.
I also think that book clubs will lose their minds over The Quick. As I mentioned before, there was disagreement within my own family if this was an enjoyable read or not. My mother thought that the writing style showed the author's inexperience. I thought it was unique and captivating. We could have gone back and forth about it for hours, but who has time for that with all of the books that are waiting to be read.
I'd be interested to know your opinion on it.
As for me, I think this was an amazing debut novel. I look forward to more from Lauren Owen in, hopefully, the near-future.
I received a free advance reader copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!
July 9, 2015
For me, The Quick was a book which suffered under the weight of expectation and hype. Every single review I've read of it - on Goodreads, on blogs, and in the press - has highlighted the fact that it has this amazing unexpected twist. And I suppose the fact that I knew it had this amazing unexpected twist led me to speculate on what it might be a lot more than I would have done otherwise, because although I had no clue about the nature of the twist, I guessed it really early, so it didn't surprise me at all. When it happened, my initial assumption was that this couldn't be the twist, it was too obvious, so I continued to think there must be something else that was yet to come. It turned out this was not the case. I'm not going to say what the twist was, in order to avoid spoiling it for anyone else, but if you've heard anything about the story, or read anything that seems like it might be a bit of a spoiler, or started reading the book and think you might have got to it already, then - to avoid further disappointment - you should know THAT twist is THE twist. There isn't anything else.
It's difficult to say much else without revealing the infamous twist, but this is basically a sprawling, gothic Victorian-era novel, spanning the whole lives of a brother and sister. James and Charlotte grow up on a country estate in Yorkshire; James goes on to Oxford, and then to London, where he becomes a poet. Then he becomes entangled with the members of a sinister, secretive club, and the ramifications will affect both James and his sister for years to come.
I enjoyed the beginning and was really interested to see where the story would go, how the characters would change, from there. I loved the relationship between : if we're talking about plot twists, that was my favourite. The development was very well handled, and it was the only thing in the book I felt emotionally invested in. I was gutted for James when , but after that - especially once it became clear that there was no way back - my interest waned. I didn't care much about the plot or any of the new characters that were introduced later in the book.
The combination of literary prose, an authentic Victorian gothic style and some kind of fantastical aspect has been done before, and done much better, in books like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters and The Historian. Although The Quick is well-written, the plot doesn't have enough substance to sustain itself over more than 500 pages. I enjoyed the last few chapters, I liked the way everything was wrapped up at the end, but that was too little, too late; the middle section felt like a dull, neverending slog. I would love to have been truly shocked by the twist and really able to enjoy the story, but I wasn't, on both counts.
It's difficult to say much else without revealing the infamous twist, but this is basically a sprawling, gothic Victorian-era novel, spanning the whole lives of a brother and sister. James and Charlotte grow up on a country estate in Yorkshire; James goes on to Oxford, and then to London, where he becomes a poet. Then he becomes entangled with the members of a sinister, secretive club, and the ramifications will affect both James and his sister for years to come.
I enjoyed the beginning and was really interested to see where the story would go, how the characters would change, from there. I loved the relationship between : if we're talking about plot twists, that was my favourite. The development was very well handled, and it was the only thing in the book I felt emotionally invested in. I was gutted for James when , but after that - especially once it became clear that there was no way back - my interest waned. I didn't care much about the plot or any of the new characters that were introduced later in the book.
The combination of literary prose, an authentic Victorian gothic style and some kind of fantastical aspect has been done before, and done much better, in books like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters and The Historian. Although The Quick is well-written, the plot doesn't have enough substance to sustain itself over more than 500 pages. I enjoyed the last few chapters, I liked the way everything was wrapped up at the end, but that was too little, too late; the middle section felt like a dull, neverending slog. I would love to have been truly shocked by the twist and really able to enjoy the story, but I wasn't, on both counts.
May 15, 2015
There has been much hush-hush about the true reality of this novel but I think hiding this does it an injustice. The true genre of this story is the supposed ‘twist’ and it’s not much of a twist in all actuality. For those who wish to be kept in the dark, stop reading. Bottom line: The Quick is nothing more than an attempt to combine the enthralling historical fiction aspects of Sarah Waters’ writing and the Gothic mystery of a classic Anne Rice novel. Suffice it to say it was a failed attempt.
The main issue with The Quick is the pacing. The beginning part of the novel introduces the main character James and his sister Charlotte who separate when James moves to London to complete his schooling. James spends his time writing poetry and plays, falls in love and tragedy soon follows. I enjoyed this part of the novel and even the ‘twist’ but instead of cashing in on this heightened intrigue due to the shocking nature of what occurred, the author instead switches gears and changes to a completely new characters point-of-view.
The introduction of the new character, Augustus Mould, also brings a new writing style: epistolary. Normally I adore anything epistolary, however, this was not only dull but tedious and encompassed far too many pages. Once we return to James’ story and point-of-view I had officially lost any and all interest in what had happened to him. What follows is the introduction of several other characters that lacked a much needed differentiation but certainly wasn’t lacking in excessive detail or back story. Much of what we’re given in this novel regarding the back stories of individuals and the tedious details of their lives felt like a ridiculous amount of inconsequential filler by the time I had turned the final page.
Inevitably, this is indistinguishable from the mass of books that share genres. The attempt to create a mysterious element and keep the true genre secret did not make this novel surprising and did not make the ponderous pages that followed any more palatable.
The main issue with The Quick is the pacing. The beginning part of the novel introduces the main character James and his sister Charlotte who separate when James moves to London to complete his schooling. James spends his time writing poetry and plays, falls in love and tragedy soon follows. I enjoyed this part of the novel and even the ‘twist’ but instead of cashing in on this heightened intrigue due to the shocking nature of what occurred, the author instead switches gears and changes to a completely new characters point-of-view.
The introduction of the new character, Augustus Mould, also brings a new writing style: epistolary. Normally I adore anything epistolary, however, this was not only dull but tedious and encompassed far too many pages. Once we return to James’ story and point-of-view I had officially lost any and all interest in what had happened to him. What follows is the introduction of several other characters that lacked a much needed differentiation but certainly wasn’t lacking in excessive detail or back story. Much of what we’re given in this novel regarding the back stories of individuals and the tedious details of their lives felt like a ridiculous amount of inconsequential filler by the time I had turned the final page.
Inevitably, this is indistinguishable from the mass of books that share genres. The attempt to create a mysterious element and keep the true genre secret did not make this novel surprising and did not make the ponderous pages that followed any more palatable.
August 28, 2024
˗ˏˋ 5 ˎˊ˗ ★
﹂ slight spoilers ahead.
This book is criminally underrated. A perfect autumn or winter read, when you simply want to cosy up under a blanket, listen to the rain, and immerse yourself in a somewhat earie book.
The setting, story, and writing are the perfect amalgamation of a Victorian, gothic atmosphere. The writing is beautiful and at times, poetic; full of incredible plot development, and intriguing characters.
The story is told in such an interesting way where we are both witnessing moments of the present, but also recounting past events. There are chapters simply encompassing journal entries; the different forms of writing made it so intriguing to try and place yourself in the story and time.
There is tragedy, morally questionable characters, nuanced depictions of relationships, both familial and romantic, and what felt like a new take on a somewhat oversaturated and firmly established trope.
The book is an arguably slower read, and is separated into different narrative sections - with some feeling very different from the others. However, even when I was upset by the tonal changes, Owen quickly immersed me into the new section just as easily and enjoyably.
The first section will always hold a warm and painful place in my heart.
Despite taking me a couple of weeks to read - due to a reading slump - The Quick has definitely cemented itself as a new favourite of mine, and something I would readily recommend anyone wanting to read an interesting take on the gothic genre.
—————————
But… Owen is now on my watchlist because WHERE is that sequel?!!!!!
﹂ slight spoilers ahead.
This book is criminally underrated. A perfect autumn or winter read, when you simply want to cosy up under a blanket, listen to the rain, and immerse yourself in a somewhat earie book.
The setting, story, and writing are the perfect amalgamation of a Victorian, gothic atmosphere. The writing is beautiful and at times, poetic; full of incredible plot development, and intriguing characters.
The story is told in such an interesting way where we are both witnessing moments of the present, but also recounting past events. There are chapters simply encompassing journal entries; the different forms of writing made it so intriguing to try and place yourself in the story and time.
There is tragedy, morally questionable characters, nuanced depictions of relationships, both familial and romantic, and what felt like a new take on a somewhat oversaturated and firmly established trope.
The book is an arguably slower read, and is separated into different narrative sections - with some feeling very different from the others. However, even when I was upset by the tonal changes, Owen quickly immersed me into the new section just as easily and enjoyably.
The first section will always hold a warm and painful place in my heart.
Despite taking me a couple of weeks to read - due to a reading slump - The Quick has definitely cemented itself as a new favourite of mine, and something I would readily recommend anyone wanting to read an interesting take on the gothic genre.
—————————
But… Owen is now on my watchlist because WHERE is that sequel?!!!!!
August 2, 2014
Oh dear!
The reviews of this book looked promising plus I live in Yorkshire where some if it is set. And I LOVED Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and was hoping for another corker along those lines.
Not to be.
Nearly 100 pages in and I've had far too much of such childish naïve writing, riddled with clichés and stereotypes.
As for the 'twist'? Subtle as a flying mallet.
Not for me thank you.
The reviews of this book looked promising plus I live in Yorkshire where some if it is set. And I LOVED Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and was hoping for another corker along those lines.
Not to be.
Nearly 100 pages in and I've had far too much of such childish naïve writing, riddled with clichés and stereotypes.
As for the 'twist'? Subtle as a flying mallet.
Not for me thank you.
July 13, 2014
Where I got the book: ARC from the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.
Alas, I am underwhelmed. I guess my expectations were raised to boiling point by the prodigious hype splashed around the ARC's cover pages. "The Quick will establish her as one of fiction's most dazzling talents...consummate storytelling and suspense...I am in love with Lauren Owen's first novel..." and so on. Imeantersay, all this from Random House? I'm expecting Dickens, David Foster Wallace and Edgar Allan Poe all rolled into one here.
And it has been widely splashed around review sites that SOMETHING REALLY BIG happens but we mustn't give it away, shhhhh shhhh shhhhhh that would be spoilerish. So I won't. And yeah, a certain number of pages in, the story veers sharply to the left with only two wheels on the pavement and becomes not at all what the first certain number of pages would lead you to believe. But after I got over the WTF moment, which took about two minutes, I was disappointed because seriously, we're going THERE? AGAIN? I kind of wanted the original story back.
And then there were about 400 pages of slightly disjointed, rather trite goings-on in the well-hashed-over realm of NOPE NOPE NOPE CAN'T TELL YOU well let's just call it gothic. Nice clear writing, good at times but descending into caricature when we get to the lowlifes of London, nothing that made me soar joyfully or gnash my teeth in despair. A couple of images that may haunt me, I grant you, and the story could make good TV or movie fodder because Owen is hitting a vein of imagery that's doing rather well at the moment.
Near the end the story regains the pathos and bittersweet anguish of its beginning, but even there I feel that Owen misses a huge opportunity to cash in on a particularly painful moment in the brother-sister relationship. My overall rating is around 3.2 stars - it deserves a solid 4 for the writing, but loses points for its rather loose and saggy middle. A good debut but disappointing in relation to what I expected from it.
UPDATE 7/13/14 I nipped over here to refresh my memory of this novel and I have NO IDEA what I was talking about in some of my allusions to the story, so quickly has it faded from my mind. No images from this novel haunt me, no none at all.
Alas, I am underwhelmed. I guess my expectations were raised to boiling point by the prodigious hype splashed around the ARC's cover pages. "The Quick will establish her as one of fiction's most dazzling talents...consummate storytelling and suspense...I am in love with Lauren Owen's first novel..." and so on. Imeantersay, all this from Random House? I'm expecting Dickens, David Foster Wallace and Edgar Allan Poe all rolled into one here.
And it has been widely splashed around review sites that SOMETHING REALLY BIG happens but we mustn't give it away, shhhhh shhhh shhhhhh that would be spoilerish. So I won't. And yeah, a certain number of pages in, the story veers sharply to the left with only two wheels on the pavement and becomes not at all what the first certain number of pages would lead you to believe. But after I got over the WTF moment, which took about two minutes, I was disappointed because seriously, we're going THERE? AGAIN? I kind of wanted the original story back.
And then there were about 400 pages of slightly disjointed, rather trite goings-on in the well-hashed-over realm of NOPE NOPE NOPE CAN'T TELL YOU well let's just call it gothic. Nice clear writing, good at times but descending into caricature when we get to the lowlifes of London, nothing that made me soar joyfully or gnash my teeth in despair. A couple of images that may haunt me, I grant you, and the story could make good TV or movie fodder because Owen is hitting a vein of imagery that's doing rather well at the moment.
Near the end the story regains the pathos and bittersweet anguish of its beginning, but even there I feel that Owen misses a huge opportunity to cash in on a particularly painful moment in the brother-sister relationship. My overall rating is around 3.2 stars - it deserves a solid 4 for the writing, but loses points for its rather loose and saggy middle. A good debut but disappointing in relation to what I expected from it.
UPDATE 7/13/14 I nipped over here to refresh my memory of this novel and I have NO IDEA what I was talking about in some of my allusions to the story, so quickly has it faded from my mind. No images from this novel haunt me, no none at all.
May 26, 2018
A splendid, eerie novel about a mysterious Victorian era club catering to the kind of members who don't drink, don't eat, and who will carry your head in a bonnet if you mess with them. (No exaggeration.) A heroine whose early timidity will flower into desperate courage, a hero with one of the more poignant doomed romances I have ever read, and a feral little girl who almost steals the show, all tied together in a splendid, poignant ending. There could be a sequel to this, but I almost hope there isn't one; it's lovely standing by itself.
Read
May 9, 2014This book was not what I was expecting or hoping for after reading the promotional blurb. I was more than a little surprised when it turned into a vampire book. If I had known it was a vampire book I never would have selected it.
As this was one of the first books I was approved for by NetGalley I tried very hard to get through it. But found it wasn't only the genre that I didn't care for. The pacing of the beginning of the book was slow and I never felt connected to the main protagonist. I found myself picking up and finishing several other books in the time that I was trying to read this one. Unfortunately, it just didn't hold my attention.
I would encourage the publisher to include a reference to vampires somewhere in the promotional materials otherwise I think readers who are expecting a Victorian novel very well may be disappointed.
As this was one of the first books I was approved for by NetGalley I tried very hard to get through it. But found it wasn't only the genre that I didn't care for. The pacing of the beginning of the book was slow and I never felt connected to the main protagonist. I found myself picking up and finishing several other books in the time that I was trying to read this one. Unfortunately, it just didn't hold my attention.
I would encourage the publisher to include a reference to vampires somewhere in the promotional materials otherwise I think readers who are expecting a Victorian novel very well may be disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2014
This book deserved better treatment from me. I've been so scattered with my reading for the past few weeks that it took me 22 (!!!) days to read it, and no book is as engaging when it's being read in a million little chunks.
But despite that, I really, really liked it. It's moody and dark, and really doesn't paint Victorian London in the prettiest light - we only see the very grittiest side of it. The writing feels genuinely Victorian without being dense, and the characters are nuanced and complicated, but for the most part very likeable.
There are a few changes in tone throughout - when I read the first few chapters, I was prepared for a secluded, gothic family story, maybe similar to The Thirteenth Tale, but then we do a rapid swing into college and a sweet love story, and then again, it transforms into something else entirely. I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to keep the last part a secret or not, but I'll err on the side of caution, as the (majority) of other reviewers seem to be.
My knock on it would be that it's a bit scattered - there is no real anchor or end game and not all of the many different storylines are wrapped up as satisfyingly as they could have been. But the last paragraph - wham!
But despite that, I really, really liked it. It's moody and dark, and really doesn't paint Victorian London in the prettiest light - we only see the very grittiest side of it. The writing feels genuinely Victorian without being dense, and the characters are nuanced and complicated, but for the most part very likeable.
There are a few changes in tone throughout - when I read the first few chapters, I was prepared for a secluded, gothic family story, maybe similar to The Thirteenth Tale, but then we do a rapid swing into college and a sweet love story, and then again, it transforms into something else entirely. I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to keep the last part a secret or not, but I'll err on the side of caution, as the (majority) of other reviewers seem to be.
My knock on it would be that it's a bit scattered - there is no real anchor or end game and not all of the many different storylines are wrapped up as satisfyingly as they could have been. But the last paragraph - wham!
October 26, 2014
A well written debut novel, but I really struggled to finish it. It was one of those books where I enjoyed it while busy reading, but as soon as I took a break I felt no compulsion to get back to it, in fact I had to force myself to finish it. I liked the historical feel, but could not connect to any of the characters, and found the plot to be slow and predictable. I am sure there are many others who will enjoy this though.
December 16, 2014
This was a good story about a subject I enjoy. The characters started out interesting and full of good intent. The setting was a suitably Gothic London. In fact everything was in place for my total enjoyment so why did I keep skimming whole sections and generally looking forward to being finished? I guess the book was too long for its content. Some sections were repetitive and some not really necessary. And then strangely the whole lives of two of the main characters sped past in a few chapters! Meanwhile I was left wondering what had happened to James in all that time only to get to the end and never really find out. Maybe I missed something or maybe the author is going to write a sequel where we discover the secret of his disappearance. Funnily enough if she writes it I will read it. I must have liked this book a bit to want to follow it up.
April 19, 2014
I read this in galley form and really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend putting it in your to-read shelf.
As other reviewers have mentioned, it's very hard to talk about without giving away major spoilers, so I will refrain because I don't want to be the one who spoils the secrets. I mean, what if I revealed Jack Reacher dies in the next Lee Child and ruined it for everybody? Not that he does or anything, but how would you feel? And also, a death revelation has nothing to do with this book.
Wait, what was the point of this? Oh--
See what happens when you try to gag readers?! I suppose I could put a spoiler alert but at my advanced years, such interwebs sophistication is beyond my abilities. Fight the power.
As other reviewers have mentioned, it's very hard to talk about without giving away major spoilers, so I will refrain because I don't want to be the one who spoils the secrets. I mean, what if I revealed Jack Reacher dies in the next Lee Child and ruined it for everybody? Not that he does or anything, but how would you feel? And also, a death revelation has nothing to do with this book.
Wait, what was the point of this? Oh--
See what happens when you try to gag readers?! I suppose I could put a spoiler alert but at my advanced years, such interwebs sophistication is beyond my abilities. Fight the power.
January 19, 2021
To begin with, I do not really like vampire stories. So why did I read this? Because although I do not really like supernatural in general, I did love Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. From all the reviews I had read, I had the impression that this would be a similarly "genre bending" novel. It was not.
The entire novel was rather scattered, with no real anchor in the storytelling. I never really felt like I really knew James Norbury. Charlotte, his sister, I learned to empathize with, care for a little more, but still not in a way that would have very memorable. Shadwell & Adeline were the two I liked the most, even though their backstories, I feel, could have been explored more thoroughly. The Aegolius Club had some creative aspects. The overall dark, gothic, noir, anticipatory mood of the writing was definitely notable, but still failed to mantain interest. I would feel the suspense for a few chapters, but once I put it down, having had enough of the story going nowhere, I could not care less.
A problem I find in many fantasy / science fiction novels, there was an excess in characters; which is fine, even appreciated, when the writer is invested in them all. Here, however, I found an excess of characters with much more complex backgrounds than the author cared to explore. I was often left with a lot of questions, which I simply had to accept there was no answer for and/or disregard completely with my suspension of disbelief powers.
I feel like I should have an answer for this, but by the end of the reading, I am still not exactly certain why we, the alive, non-vampires, are referred to as "The Quick"?
The entire novel was rather scattered, with no real anchor in the storytelling. I never really felt like I really knew James Norbury. Charlotte, his sister, I learned to empathize with, care for a little more, but still not in a way that would have very memorable. Shadwell & Adeline were the two I liked the most, even though their backstories, I feel, could have been explored more thoroughly. The Aegolius Club had some creative aspects. The overall dark, gothic, noir, anticipatory mood of the writing was definitely notable, but still failed to mantain interest. I would feel the suspense for a few chapters, but once I put it down, having had enough of the story going nowhere, I could not care less.
A problem I find in many fantasy / science fiction novels, there was an excess in characters; which is fine, even appreciated, when the writer is invested in them all. Here, however, I found an excess of characters with much more complex backgrounds than the author cared to explore. I was often left with a lot of questions, which I simply had to accept there was no answer for and/or disregard completely with my suspension of disbelief powers.
I feel like I should have an answer for this, but by the end of the reading, I am still not exactly certain why we, the alive, non-vampires, are referred to as "The Quick"?
May 12, 2016
Well...what can I say? (I thought about just ending the review there and letting everyone sort figure i mean it).
This book is another very slowly building story leaning on some (slightly) usual characters. Almost anything I tell you about the book/story/plot will constitute a spoiler as the entire book is geared to the slow build up and contributes to the building of said plot. Our two main protagonists are introduced as children and the formative events of their lives begin there. We are also introduced to the unusual and very secretive Aegolius Club.
There are many interesting characters in the book and the idea behind the book would seem to have made an excellent novel.
So, why is it that I had to drag myself back to it every time I laid it aside and that I couldn't wait to get through it. Mostly when I was supposed to be involved in the atmosphere of the book and on the edge of my seat I was actually (at least quite often) stifling yawns.
The book is a good idea, the writing is slow and the end is rather expected. It is in many ways (as the synopsis indicates) somewhat like The Historian .
I wasn't fond of it either.
This book is another very slowly building story leaning on some (slightly) usual characters. Almost anything I tell you about the book/story/plot will constitute a spoiler as the entire book is geared to the slow build up and contributes to the building of said plot. Our two main protagonists are introduced as children and the formative events of their lives begin there. We are also introduced to the unusual and very secretive Aegolius Club.
There are many interesting characters in the book and the idea behind the book would seem to have made an excellent novel.
So, why is it that I had to drag myself back to it every time I laid it aside and that I couldn't wait to get through it. Mostly when I was supposed to be involved in the atmosphere of the book and on the edge of my seat I was actually (at least quite often) stifling yawns.
The book is a good idea, the writing is slow and the end is rather expected. It is in many ways (as the synopsis indicates) somewhat like The Historian .
I wasn't fond of it either.
May 3, 2014
I love historical fiction so was immediately drawn to this tale of a brother and sister growing up orphaned in Victorian Yorkshire, with the young man eventually going on to Oxford then to London to attempt to make his way as a writer. From there his life and the plot begin to take twists and turns that I hadn't expected, not having read too many excessive reviews or blurbs. And for that, I'm happy. Surprises in reading are good when they are well done and Owen does them well.
I am not going to delve into plot points here...Goodreads provides a plot summary and I am not going to give away any elements of possible surprise that some reviewers do. Suffice it to say that the plot developments are earned. While occasionally the story seemed a tad long, that seems in keeping with the Victorian tomes it might be emulating. There are mystery, suspense, gothic turmoil, imperiled people of all ages, quests for "truth", and the dusty, dirty streets of Victorian London.
As for the rating, this is one I really want that extra half star for I would give it 3.5*
I will plan to read Owen's next book.
I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.
I am not going to delve into plot points here...Goodreads provides a plot summary and I am not going to give away any elements of possible surprise that some reviewers do. Suffice it to say that the plot developments are earned. While occasionally the story seemed a tad long, that seems in keeping with the Victorian tomes it might be emulating. There are mystery, suspense, gothic turmoil, imperiled people of all ages, quests for "truth", and the dusty, dirty streets of Victorian London.
As for the rating, this is one I really want that extra half star for I would give it 3.5*
I will plan to read Owen's next book.
I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.
September 18, 2015
3 1/2 Stars
The Aegolius Club is a mysterious club, run by a group of elite and powerful men with many secrets. Londoners can only speculate on what goes on behind the walls of the club, but we (as a reader) are given the privilege to read the journal/diaries of a member; a mad science known as Dr. Knife. In these diaries you uncover the truth of what these member seek and represent, and it’s more sinister then we could ever imagine.
While snippets of these diary notes were scattered throughout the novel, we also follow the life of protagonist James Norbury. It’s the mid 1800; James and his sister, Charlotte, grew up in a rundown country mansion. Their father was absent from their life for most of the time, so the two only had each over for company and are close. When their father passed away, Charlotte stayed on to care for their sick Aunt, while James travelled to London to study and pursue a career as a writer. James settled in London, shared lodging with an old acquaintance from college and found love. Charlotte and James would write to each other frequently over the years but suddenly James letters stopped. Charlotte decides to travel to London in search of her brother, only to discover she’s under threat and an underground war brewing around her.
I desperately want to say so much more about The Aeogolius Club but they’ve put me in a difficult position where all their secrets were revealed early on in the piece. When The Aeogolius club first introduced themselves to me, it was as though they’ve confessed something extremely confidential and that I should be honored to be the one chosen; told with an air of threat and arrogance to their manner. And you do get a sense you are being drawn into their malicious world without your control, or say in the matter.
I love the gothic, visual aspects of the setting, with its grand old building of the club, the hustle and bustle of city life, and the derelict outskirts of London. Lauren Owen incorporated her love of books into her backdrop and plot; making her main protagonist a writer, and meeting places for her characters to re-group in massive libraries, or small-disheveled bookshops.
The plot had a thrilling cat and mouse chase, and at one time, it exploded into a war like battle of bloody strength. There was violence, intensity and lust, of the evil kind and with a touch of the surreal. While I was so absorbed all these aspects, I wasn’t switch on to the characters feeling and emotions, when I know I should’ve felt some sympathy for them at their worst moments. I didn’t feel that their emotions were projected well on page. Plus in second half of the book a flood of new characters were introduced and I felt it was hard to grow some sort of bond with all these people at the same time. And the main protagonist, James, whom I had grown a connection with, and was fond of during first part of the book; pretty much became a side character.
There were some unresolved issues at the end, which makes me believe that this might be the first book in a series. If so, I will have to think about continuing on, as I do like to have an emotional attachment to the characters. Either way it was an enjoyable debut novel.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for my review copy
The Aegolius Club is a mysterious club, run by a group of elite and powerful men with many secrets. Londoners can only speculate on what goes on behind the walls of the club, but we (as a reader) are given the privilege to read the journal/diaries of a member; a mad science known as Dr. Knife. In these diaries you uncover the truth of what these member seek and represent, and it’s more sinister then we could ever imagine.
While snippets of these diary notes were scattered throughout the novel, we also follow the life of protagonist James Norbury. It’s the mid 1800; James and his sister, Charlotte, grew up in a rundown country mansion. Their father was absent from their life for most of the time, so the two only had each over for company and are close. When their father passed away, Charlotte stayed on to care for their sick Aunt, while James travelled to London to study and pursue a career as a writer. James settled in London, shared lodging with an old acquaintance from college and found love. Charlotte and James would write to each other frequently over the years but suddenly James letters stopped. Charlotte decides to travel to London in search of her brother, only to discover she’s under threat and an underground war brewing around her.
I desperately want to say so much more about The Aeogolius Club but they’ve put me in a difficult position where all their secrets were revealed early on in the piece. When The Aeogolius club first introduced themselves to me, it was as though they’ve confessed something extremely confidential and that I should be honored to be the one chosen; told with an air of threat and arrogance to their manner. And you do get a sense you are being drawn into their malicious world without your control, or say in the matter.
I love the gothic, visual aspects of the setting, with its grand old building of the club, the hustle and bustle of city life, and the derelict outskirts of London. Lauren Owen incorporated her love of books into her backdrop and plot; making her main protagonist a writer, and meeting places for her characters to re-group in massive libraries, or small-disheveled bookshops.
The plot had a thrilling cat and mouse chase, and at one time, it exploded into a war like battle of bloody strength. There was violence, intensity and lust, of the evil kind and with a touch of the surreal. While I was so absorbed all these aspects, I wasn’t switch on to the characters feeling and emotions, when I know I should’ve felt some sympathy for them at their worst moments. I didn’t feel that their emotions were projected well on page. Plus in second half of the book a flood of new characters were introduced and I felt it was hard to grow some sort of bond with all these people at the same time. And the main protagonist, James, whom I had grown a connection with, and was fond of during first part of the book; pretty much became a side character.
There were some unresolved issues at the end, which makes me believe that this might be the first book in a series. If so, I will have to think about continuing on, as I do like to have an emotional attachment to the characters. Either way it was an enjoyable debut novel.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for my review copy
May 6, 2017
This is not the book you think it is. This is not the book I thought it was. But, damn, it certainly was a lot of fun, and fun novels can be hard to come by. James goes to live in London to begin his career as a writer in Victorian England when, quite suddenly, he goes missing. Really, that's about all I can tell you without spoiling the complete reversal that author Lauren Owen pulls 100 pages into the novel that results in a violent upheaval of all that has come before. With that said, Owen has not done this without careful consideration of her audience and the subject matter with which she is truly interested. The people who are attracted to "The Quick", with its cover evoking refined literary thought, and a jacket featuring accolades of such modern literary giants as Kate Atkinson and Hillary Mantel, are not the people who would normally read a book with the subject matter of "The Quick." Much like the novel itself, the book's jacket is a prim and proper outer coating of a much more sinister beast.
It is artful how well Owen reels the reader in before introducing her true plot: by the time you discover what the book is actually about, you are so invested in the characters and their lives that you are willing to press on. I'll admit to being thrown off by what becomes a jarring change in pace at the introduction of the "twist." This is not my normal reading scene, and I didn't know if I'd enjoy what followed. Luckily, Owen handles the subject with extreme tact and refinement. She dips low into the destitute areas of London before slipping in between shadows to the distinguished and enigmatic "Aegeolis Club." Throughout, her writing and dialogue is floral and evocative, with each character having the opportunity to share their voice with the audience.
If I seem vague, it is purposeful. This novel gave me a genuine surprise, and those are rare enough in most stories, regardless of medium. Though I might not have read it knowing its subject matter, I was more than happy once the true plot revealed itself. My sole complaint would be that Owen juggles a fairly large cast of characters and viewpoints. While she mostly nails the transition between narrators, there are times when tension is building in one subplot only to be brought to a grinding halt by a transition in POV. This is a gripe that is perfectly understandable in Owen's first novel, but it is my hope that her future outings will have a much more taught story as her thriller and adventure portions are highly readable. If I can offer a recommendation, it is this: if you are going to read "The Quick", keep yourself in the dark on the twist and press on after it happens. I think you'll find it to be quite rewarding, and a fair bit of fun.
It is artful how well Owen reels the reader in before introducing her true plot: by the time you discover what the book is actually about, you are so invested in the characters and their lives that you are willing to press on. I'll admit to being thrown off by what becomes a jarring change in pace at the introduction of the "twist." This is not my normal reading scene, and I didn't know if I'd enjoy what followed. Luckily, Owen handles the subject with extreme tact and refinement. She dips low into the destitute areas of London before slipping in between shadows to the distinguished and enigmatic "Aegeolis Club." Throughout, her writing and dialogue is floral and evocative, with each character having the opportunity to share their voice with the audience.
If I seem vague, it is purposeful. This novel gave me a genuine surprise, and those are rare enough in most stories, regardless of medium. Though I might not have read it knowing its subject matter, I was more than happy once the true plot revealed itself. My sole complaint would be that Owen juggles a fairly large cast of characters and viewpoints. While she mostly nails the transition between narrators, there are times when tension is building in one subplot only to be brought to a grinding halt by a transition in POV. This is a gripe that is perfectly understandable in Owen's first novel, but it is my hope that her future outings will have a much more taught story as her thriller and adventure portions are highly readable. If I can offer a recommendation, it is this: if you are going to read "The Quick", keep yourself in the dark on the twist and press on after it happens. I think you'll find it to be quite rewarding, and a fair bit of fun.
April 19, 2014
You are about to discover the secrets of The Quick -
But first, reader, you must travel to Victorian England, and there, in the wilds of Yorkshire, meet a brother and sister alone in the world, a pair bound by tragedy. You will, in time, enter the rooms of London’s mysterious Aegolius Club – a society of the richest, most powerful men in England. And at some point – we cannot say when – these worlds will collide.
HA! Well, I went into this one with absolutely NO CLUE what to expect. And please, if you will, do the same. I’m sure there are some reviewers out there who will dissect this one for you and give away all its secrets – avoid. AVOID. Read this. I tell you nothing…
Well, I’ll obviously have to tell you SOMETHING. And that something is this. It is marvellous. The perfect word. Beautifully gothic, wonderfully flowing, absolutely and utterly divine. Because it is both exactly what it appears to be and also absolutely nothing of the kind. Genuinely involving characters, a wild sprawling landscape of beautiful storytelling and one of those books that left me joyful about my love of reading and about the fact that I can yet be surprised. And delighted.
I don’t know what else to say. You can’t review this book without giving away that which makes it magnificent. So ha. I guess that will have to do. If you want to know more you will have to join the club…
Happy Reading Folks!
But first, reader, you must travel to Victorian England, and there, in the wilds of Yorkshire, meet a brother and sister alone in the world, a pair bound by tragedy. You will, in time, enter the rooms of London’s mysterious Aegolius Club – a society of the richest, most powerful men in England. And at some point – we cannot say when – these worlds will collide.
HA! Well, I went into this one with absolutely NO CLUE what to expect. And please, if you will, do the same. I’m sure there are some reviewers out there who will dissect this one for you and give away all its secrets – avoid. AVOID. Read this. I tell you nothing…
Well, I’ll obviously have to tell you SOMETHING. And that something is this. It is marvellous. The perfect word. Beautifully gothic, wonderfully flowing, absolutely and utterly divine. Because it is both exactly what it appears to be and also absolutely nothing of the kind. Genuinely involving characters, a wild sprawling landscape of beautiful storytelling and one of those books that left me joyful about my love of reading and about the fact that I can yet be surprised. And delighted.
I don’t know what else to say. You can’t review this book without giving away that which makes it magnificent. So ha. I guess that will have to do. If you want to know more you will have to join the club…
Happy Reading Folks!
July 20, 2014
I have read a LOT of vampire books. Most of them were pretty terrible. After Stoker's Dracula and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, it was pretty much all downhill, with very few exceptions. Most books in the genre are either sanitized, pleading attempts to humanize something which, by definition, is inhuman, or gleefully perverse, trading on the author's ability to describe horrifying, disgusting violence rather than the ability to weave plot strings. What Owen has done here harks back to the traditional perception of the vampire as a gentleman and also a merciless killer. This is gothic horror at its finest, littered with characters who are both charming relics and at the same time just complicated enough to appeal to the modern reader. Owen's writing is superb, from the charming, yet wryly sinister tone, to the building of suspense, to the peaks of horror spread throughout the story, which were deftly handled such as to leave the reader feeling like they ought to sleep with the light on that night, yet still smile a little at that thought as it manifests. I'm sure the ending will frustrate some (and my one criticism of the book is that it seemed to fast forward too much at the end), but I thought the closing chapter was just perfect. Bottom line: Similar in some ways to The Historian, with far less of a scholarly bent, and a bit like Stoker's Dracula, but with a sense of humor. An outstanding first novel.
June 14, 2014
Review copy
An auspicious debut for writer Lauren Owen. Given my love of horror, at first I thought I may have been misled into reading The Quick.
From the book's description, "1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine London that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural city populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling, ' Doctor Knife.' But, the answer to her brother's disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and the most bloodthirsty, men in England."
So, I'm more than a hundred pages in and I'm wondering where is all the good stuff I was promised? At this point it was well written, but more like Jane Eyre or Sense and Sensibilty, great stuff, but not what I signed up for. Once the story took a twist to the dark side it manged to hold on to the tone of the book's beginning, but added the elements I had been promised.
It's difficult to believe The Quick is Lauren Owen's first novel. She is a talent to be watched and read. Available in Hardcover, Paperback, ebook and audio book formats from Random House LLC and available for pre-order from Amazon.com.
Official publication date is June 17, 2014. Recommended.
An auspicious debut for writer Lauren Owen. Given my love of horror, at first I thought I may have been misled into reading The Quick.
From the book's description, "1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine London that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural city populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling, ' Doctor Knife.' But, the answer to her brother's disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and the most bloodthirsty, men in England."
So, I'm more than a hundred pages in and I'm wondering where is all the good stuff I was promised? At this point it was well written, but more like Jane Eyre or Sense and Sensibilty, great stuff, but not what I signed up for. Once the story took a twist to the dark side it manged to hold on to the tone of the book's beginning, but added the elements I had been promised.
It's difficult to believe The Quick is Lauren Owen's first novel. She is a talent to be watched and read. Available in Hardcover, Paperback, ebook and audio book formats from Random House LLC and available for pre-order from Amazon.com.
Official publication date is June 17, 2014. Recommended.
November 9, 2016
A breve la recensione sul canale! Nel frattempo posso dire che Charlotte è stata inutile e la odio, mentre James è un piccolo tesoro! Comunque questi finali aperti li odio quasi più delle protagoniste femminili.
February 19, 2014
I read this book avidly, even though I detest some of the titles being offered as comparable, like The Last Werewolf and The Passage, and never made it through Dr. Strange and Mr. Norrell. It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to write a vampire novel at this point, especially a literary one, and I was amused to think that, after we've all enjoyed vampire stories set in the Pacific Northwest, Eastern Europe, and Louisiana, setting your vampire adventure in Victorian London now seems fresh again.
There could easily be another paragraph or two here about comparisons and antecedents. The early scenes of the brother and sister in their eerie Northern home were very gothic-novel. The vampire-studying duo of Swift and Shadwell (who operate an occult bookstore on the side) reminded me alternately of Buffy and Giles and of Lovelace and Babbage. The circus folk are a persistent literary-fiction trope and the sexual tension early in the book could be out of any of your higher-concept fanfiction. Forget the anxiety of influence; only the quality of the writing here saves the reader and the author from the anxiety of keeping the details straight.
As I said, I did nevertheless find this quite readable, and I liked the writing, which is too animated to be called literary. Owen offers several different voices (Cockney, scientist, etc.) convincingly. However, when I got to about the three-quarters mark, I realized that we were in what felt like a climactic confrontation, and I did not understand why. In fact, the more I read of this book, the less I understood its structure and pacing. Long as it is, it does not have much of a middle; we meet quite a few characters, they are set up in their places on the London stage, and then the story begins to conclude. There's more backstory than story. Then, when I reached the end,
Despite my reservations, most people I know like non-romance historical fiction, interesting adventures, and/or at least one other vampire book, so most of you would enjoy this on some level. I'll need to see more from this author before I can decide whether I'm a fan.
Review copy received from Edelweiss.
There could easily be another paragraph or two here about comparisons and antecedents. The early scenes of the brother and sister in their eerie Northern home were very gothic-novel. The vampire-studying duo of Swift and Shadwell (who operate an occult bookstore on the side) reminded me alternately of Buffy and Giles and of Lovelace and Babbage. The circus folk are a persistent literary-fiction trope and the sexual tension early in the book could be out of any of your higher-concept fanfiction. Forget the anxiety of influence; only the quality of the writing here saves the reader and the author from the anxiety of keeping the details straight.
As I said, I did nevertheless find this quite readable, and I liked the writing, which is too animated to be called literary. Owen offers several different voices (Cockney, scientist, etc.) convincingly. However, when I got to about the three-quarters mark, I realized that we were in what felt like a climactic confrontation, and I did not understand why. In fact, the more I read of this book, the less I understood its structure and pacing. Long as it is, it does not have much of a middle; we meet quite a few characters, they are set up in their places on the London stage, and then the story begins to conclude. There's more backstory than story. Then, when I reached the end,
Despite my reservations, most people I know like non-romance historical fiction, interesting adventures, and/or at least one other vampire book, so most of you would enjoy this on some level. I'll need to see more from this author before I can decide whether I'm a fan.
Review copy received from Edelweiss.
March 6, 2014
This was a promising debut novel, set in Victorian England. It begins with two children, Charlotte and James, who grow up in a rambling house in the country. Although this part of the book is quite slow, it does set the scene and establish the relationship between the siblings and show how much James means to his sister. After their father dies, Charlotte is left in the care of her aunt, while James goes off to school. While he is at Oxford he meets a young man in the library, although he doesn’t find out his identity. James is keen to become a poet and moves to London to attempt to try his hand at writing. While there, he again meets up with the young aristocrat that he first met at Oxford and ends up sharing rooms with him.
The storyline then switches to James and his new friend, Christopher Paige. Christopher has a distant relationship with his family and there is a disastrous dinner party, at which we begin to realise that all is not well. This then becomes somewhat standard fare, with a tale of vampires holed up in the mysterious Aegolius club. I have to admit that I felt somewhat cheated when I began to fall in with what was happening. James becomes embroiled with the Aegolius club, while Charlotte comes to London to try to rescue him, along with a cast of characters who have their own agenda to try to help her in her quest. What begins as an atmospheric and interesting novel somehow turns into something which is really quite mundane and the fact that we lose contact with Charlotte in the middle of the novel makes it harder to care for her – or her relationship with her brother – when we meet up with her again in the novel.
Overall, this is well written and atmospheric , but the storyline and point of view jumped around too much for my personal liking. It begins with such promise, but became a fairly standard novel – about vampires, again.... If, however, you are interested in vampire novels, there is much that will be of interest, including the notebooks of Augustus Mould, who is allowed to enter the club in order to carry out research on the un-dead and discover their powers and limitations. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The storyline then switches to James and his new friend, Christopher Paige. Christopher has a distant relationship with his family and there is a disastrous dinner party, at which we begin to realise that all is not well. This then becomes somewhat standard fare, with a tale of vampires holed up in the mysterious Aegolius club. I have to admit that I felt somewhat cheated when I began to fall in with what was happening. James becomes embroiled with the Aegolius club, while Charlotte comes to London to try to rescue him, along with a cast of characters who have their own agenda to try to help her in her quest. What begins as an atmospheric and interesting novel somehow turns into something which is really quite mundane and the fact that we lose contact with Charlotte in the middle of the novel makes it harder to care for her – or her relationship with her brother – when we meet up with her again in the novel.
Overall, this is well written and atmospheric , but the storyline and point of view jumped around too much for my personal liking. It begins with such promise, but became a fairly standard novel – about vampires, again.... If, however, you are interested in vampire novels, there is much that will be of interest, including the notebooks of Augustus Mould, who is allowed to enter the club in order to carry out research on the un-dead and discover their powers and limitations. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
January 18, 2015
I received this book as a digital ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.
This book is based on the story of the Aegolius Club that was a British clubmen known by its secretive nature.
The plot tells the story of James Norbury. After their parents' death in Yorkshire, James and his sister Charlotte moved into a small cottage with their aunt, Mrs. Chickering.
Once James is sent away to school in Oxford, he starts to dream to become a poet. There he will meet Christopher Paige who will play a dramatic role in James' life.
When both friends moved to London, James and Christopher shared a room and James managed to write a play. Christopher then had the idea to submit the manuscript to Oscar Wilde.
At this point, the plot will take another turn and Charlotte will try to find her missing brother in the middle of intrigue and mystery, which follows in every Victorian London story.
Another important character that should be mentioned is the macabre Dr. Knife.
Even if this book is too long, sometimes we wonder how the plot takes a too long course to be developed.
The story is fast-paced and we learn some intriguing facts concerning the Aegolious club. Among its members, we may find Charles Atwood, Edmund Bier and Eustace Paige. Older members are sometimes referred to as "owl men". Since 1830, the club's address has been Ormond Yard, off St. James Square.
The title refers also as the known as "the revenant" - a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorize the living.
A very promising book, as the debut novel by Laura Owen.
December 30, 2016
Il modo in cui l’autrice descrive Londra è sensazionale. Crea quel velo di mistero ed aspettativa veramente speciali, trascina il lettore, in una città quasi sinistra, misteriosa, piena di segreti. Durante la lettura era come se mi trovassi lì, accanto a James, in mezzo a strade e vicoli, dentro dei club esclusivi e sinistri.
Eppure questo libro è pesante e lento. In alcuni punti veramente troppo descrittivo, si arriva a metà e ancora la storia non è decollata.
Se James è un personaggio a tutto tondo, sua sorella Charlotte avrebbe dovuto essere eliminata dalla prima pagina, è si mossa da buone intenzioni, ma ogni sua decisione si ripercuote poi, direttamente o indirettamente, sul fratello e non sempre in maniera positiva.
Quello che mi ha convinto di meno è però, soprattutto il fatto che per entrare nel vivo della storia e iniziare a capirci qualcosa bisogna arrivare a più di metà libro. Va bene essere precisi e mantenere una certa suspense, ma qui si sono sprecate troppe pagine in una narrazione che poteva essere benissimo snellita.
Il finale sensazionale e apertissimo, ha salvato questo libro dalla bocciatura perché mi ha lasciato completamente spiazzata!
Arrivata alla fine volevo sapere molto di più!
Eppure questo libro è pesante e lento. In alcuni punti veramente troppo descrittivo, si arriva a metà e ancora la storia non è decollata.
Se James è un personaggio a tutto tondo, sua sorella Charlotte avrebbe dovuto essere eliminata dalla prima pagina, è si mossa da buone intenzioni, ma ogni sua decisione si ripercuote poi, direttamente o indirettamente, sul fratello e non sempre in maniera positiva.
Quello che mi ha convinto di meno è però, soprattutto il fatto che per entrare nel vivo della storia e iniziare a capirci qualcosa bisogna arrivare a più di metà libro. Va bene essere precisi e mantenere una certa suspense, ma qui si sono sprecate troppe pagine in una narrazione che poteva essere benissimo snellita.
Il finale sensazionale e apertissimo, ha salvato questo libro dalla bocciatura perché mi ha lasciato completamente spiazzata!
Arrivata alla fine volevo sapere molto di più!
March 13, 2014
I can't write much about this book without completely ruining the experience, which I refuse to do. And this is really upsetting, because I have a near-perfect read-alike for it, but if I mention it here it will give away the completely surprising plot twist that turns this book on its head about 20% in. So, if you've read this and want my read-alike, let me know. I'll tell you on the DL.
Now, my advice to you: read this book sooner rather than later. Because people be jerks, and it's going to get spoiled. I promise you, the surprise is worth the effort of keeping it a surprise.
This is a very difficult review to write, because I don't even feel like I can write about the characters without giving things away. What I can say, is that the setting was really great. This is London when it was The Old Smoke in truth. Packed with poverty (cheek by jowl with opulence) and pollution and filth. It's the kind of London that sheltered Jack the Ripper, and that should give you a good sense of tone.
But I have said too much. Just read it, K? And then we'll talk!
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Now, my advice to you: read this book sooner rather than later. Because people be jerks, and it's going to get spoiled. I promise you, the surprise is worth the effort of keeping it a surprise.
This is a very difficult review to write, because I don't even feel like I can write about the characters without giving things away. What I can say, is that the setting was really great. This is London when it was The Old Smoke in truth. Packed with poverty (cheek by jowl with opulence) and pollution and filth. It's the kind of London that sheltered Jack the Ripper, and that should give you a good sense of tone.
But I have said too much. Just read it, K? And then we'll talk!
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley
November 15, 2019
garbage
June 19, 2015
‘The Quick’ has a number of surprises for the reader making it almost impossible to review. But, gentle reader, I’ll give it a shot.
The Aegolius club in London dates back to 1705. It has a reputation for secrecy as well as respectability. The membership is invitation only and each invitee must be wealthy. Each prospect must be sponsored by a current member and be able to pay thirty guineas a year. Despite much curiosity and gossip, there has never been a whisper of scandal actually uncovered. But that doesn’t mean everything is entirely normal within its doors….
James Norbury has moved to London. It’s 1892. He has recently graduated from Oxford, but he is feeling a little lost, despite having made firm decisions about his life. He wrote his sister Charlotte, who is staying with Aunt Chickering near the abandoned family country mansion Aiskew, and explained to her his decision to move to London instead of returning home. He has high hopes of becoming a published poet. He is going to polish his writing enough to interest a publisher, but in the meantime, he will need lodgings. He has a small legacy that he inherited when his father died some years ago, which he plans to live on while he writes all day, but he has discovered it does not go very far in the expensive city of London. Even though he is writing poetry as he planned, the first publisher rejected his submittal which has shaken his confidence. He is feeling a little lonely, as well.
Unexpectedly, he runs into an old acquaintance, Geoffrey Margoyle, from Oxford. After a short renewal of their friendship, Margoyle points him to another Oxford man, Christopher Paige. Paige had argued with his family and he had consequently taken rooms with a Mrs. Morris, a distant relation of Paige’s, away from his family residence. Because of the quarrel with his father, his allowance had been cut off and he needed a roommate to share expenses.
James and Paige hit a few bumps as roommates, but they settle into their routines, eventually sharing a closer, more friendly relationship. The months pass, and the two share the delights of a big city as only two young men with money, even if of modest means, can do. They go to parties, plays, dinners.
Paige is invited one day to a party at his father’s house, since Eustace Paige is apparently wanting to forget their argument. James meets a number of Christopher’s relations, some who seem quite attractive; however, Chris is feeling that something is very wrong with his family. Adding to their discomfort is the topic of conversation that everyone is discussing - the mutilated body of a lawyer has turned up, or to be more specific, his throat was mutilated.
Chris and James are discussing what they should do next about the Paige family in the following days, when disaster strikes. A huge, life-changing, enormous disaster, one that will change James forever.
‘The Quick’ is written as if it were a genuine 19th-century Victorian gothic, with every dreadful event described a bit obliquely, and occasionally offscreen on occasion. However, there are modest modernizations of the plot so that it is palatable for the YA reader looking for: confident heroines who rescue people on the side, relationships which would have been severely frowned upon in the 1800’s but are no longer considered so transgressive, and bloody murder done with more buckets of blood tossed in than what would have been actually found in real Victorian gothics. Happily, gentle reader, the sense of evil and epic destruction builds until one is reluctant to quit reading each day.
The purity of its Victorian tone may be a bit compromised, and the language is somewhat simpler and briefer than the original novels of the 19th century, but overall it is close enough to an English gothic as to remind this reviewer of many a classic original. My only complaint is the ending is a bit of a let down
The Aegolius club in London dates back to 1705. It has a reputation for secrecy as well as respectability. The membership is invitation only and each invitee must be wealthy. Each prospect must be sponsored by a current member and be able to pay thirty guineas a year. Despite much curiosity and gossip, there has never been a whisper of scandal actually uncovered. But that doesn’t mean everything is entirely normal within its doors….
James Norbury has moved to London. It’s 1892. He has recently graduated from Oxford, but he is feeling a little lost, despite having made firm decisions about his life. He wrote his sister Charlotte, who is staying with Aunt Chickering near the abandoned family country mansion Aiskew, and explained to her his decision to move to London instead of returning home. He has high hopes of becoming a published poet. He is going to polish his writing enough to interest a publisher, but in the meantime, he will need lodgings. He has a small legacy that he inherited when his father died some years ago, which he plans to live on while he writes all day, but he has discovered it does not go very far in the expensive city of London. Even though he is writing poetry as he planned, the first publisher rejected his submittal which has shaken his confidence. He is feeling a little lonely, as well.
Unexpectedly, he runs into an old acquaintance, Geoffrey Margoyle, from Oxford. After a short renewal of their friendship, Margoyle points him to another Oxford man, Christopher Paige. Paige had argued with his family and he had consequently taken rooms with a Mrs. Morris, a distant relation of Paige’s, away from his family residence. Because of the quarrel with his father, his allowance had been cut off and he needed a roommate to share expenses.
James and Paige hit a few bumps as roommates, but they settle into their routines, eventually sharing a closer, more friendly relationship. The months pass, and the two share the delights of a big city as only two young men with money, even if of modest means, can do. They go to parties, plays, dinners.
Paige is invited one day to a party at his father’s house, since Eustace Paige is apparently wanting to forget their argument. James meets a number of Christopher’s relations, some who seem quite attractive; however, Chris is feeling that something is very wrong with his family. Adding to their discomfort is the topic of conversation that everyone is discussing - the mutilated body of a lawyer has turned up, or to be more specific, his throat was mutilated.
Chris and James are discussing what they should do next about the Paige family in the following days, when disaster strikes. A huge, life-changing, enormous disaster, one that will change James forever.
‘The Quick’ is written as if it were a genuine 19th-century Victorian gothic, with every dreadful event described a bit obliquely, and occasionally offscreen on occasion. However, there are modest modernizations of the plot so that it is palatable for the YA reader looking for: confident heroines who rescue people on the side, relationships which would have been severely frowned upon in the 1800’s but are no longer considered so transgressive, and bloody murder done with more buckets of blood tossed in than what would have been actually found in real Victorian gothics. Happily, gentle reader, the sense of evil and epic destruction builds until one is reluctant to quit reading each day.
The purity of its Victorian tone may be a bit compromised, and the language is somewhat simpler and briefer than the original novels of the 19th century, but overall it is close enough to an English gothic as to remind this reviewer of many a classic original. My only complaint is the ending is a bit of a let down
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