The Whispering Muse: The most spellbinding gothic novel of the year, packed with passion and suspense

Product Information

Caeneus tells his tale over the course of the journey, often to the disgust of Haraldsson, who was not very much taken with it. The other passengers, however, very much enjoyed it, though Haraldsson did come round in the end, as it is he alone that hears the tale of the driftwood and Jason’s last days. The story focuses on just one part of the Argonauts’ adventures – their arrival at the Island of Lemnos. The men arrive, hoping, in particular, to get something to drink but when they enter the taverns on the shore, they find them deserted and barren. They soon find out that the island is inhabited only by women, the women claiming that the men had all left because they did not consider the women attractive enough. The speaking bow advised Jason to leave at once but he saw a huge advantage in having an island full of available women. However, the women emit an awful stench, apparently caused by Aphrodite, as punishment for driving their men away. (In the actual legend, the women of Lemnos had murdered their husbands. Aphrodite had caused the stench as the women had neglected their worship of her. The stench had persuaded the husbands to take concubines from a neighbouring island and, as a result, the women had killed their husbands. Therefore either Caeneus and/or the women who told him the story are unreliable narrators.) Caeneus continues with the story of the Argonauts’ stay on Lemnos which lasts ten months and involves Caeneus himself getting seriously injured and temporarily reverting to his original, female form. Sjón even throws in an Icelandic saga – the Völsunga saga– told by a poetess on the Island of Lemnos and which, as Caeneus states, is actually predicting the fate of Jason. The story-telling is interrupted only once – when Haraldsson persuades the captain to let him give his lecture on fish and how it made the Nordic race superior. The lecture does not go down well. Laura Purcell excels in the territory she has claimed as her own, the dark, disturbing and the tragic in this, with her chilling, atmospheric Victorian gothic storytelling with its elements of horror, with its blood and gore, as she slowly immerses the reader in the drama laden world of the characters that inhabit the Mercury Theatre in London's West End. The narrative is structured around 5 plays that echo the themes and issues of the characters, whilst simultaneously driving the storylines onwards. It soon becomes apparent that it is no accident that the plays include Dr Faustus and Macbeth. Jenny Wilcox is a desperate woman, drowning in a precarious situation exacerbated by her brother Greg, leaving her solely responsible for her family. So when she is made a job offer that she cannot refuse, she accepts, the pay is generous, there is a house and includes much needed essential medical treatment for a sibling, but will she live to regret her decision? I also loved the way the supernatural was presented as something that could be real, or could be an aspect of our characters losing their minds and losing the plot. There was nothing that definitively said "The supernatural elements are real" or "They're all just figments of their imagination" and that uncertainty was quite delicious. The offer was too good to be true, but Jennifer had to take it to be able to provide a better life for her siblings.

The Whispering Muse – Laura Purcell The Whispering Muse – Laura Purcell

Paull, Emily (7 February 2021). "Book Review: The Shape of Darkness reinforces Laura Purcell as a master of building suspense". The AU Review . Retrieved 11 May 2023. This was a fun, gothic read set in a Victorian theatre. I loved all the atmosphere and references to classic tragedies during this novel and the scene setting was vivid and colourful. When Jenny is offered the job of dressing the heroine of Mercury theatre by Mrs Dyer, the wife of the owner, she has every reason to be grateful. Jenny's brother Greg had a bad parting with The Mercury and Jenny is struggling to make ends meet and care for her three younger siblings. This opportunity is a god's gift, and so what if Mrs Dyer wants Jenny to spy on the leading lady Lilith? But as the story progresses, Jenny realises that she has bitten more than she can chew and is soon hanging between the two women, in turn liking and hating both these complicated characters. And then there's the muse and her curse which Jenny feels is destroying Lilith as well as The Mercury. But what can a lowly dressmaker do but watch them all burn?I’d like to thank NetGalley and Bloomsbury for approving me for an ARC of this book. I first came across Laura Purcell when I listened to the audio, The Shape of Darkness, since then I have been collecting her books and couldn’t resist reading this one. I read this with my lovely friend Bex via Storygraph. The theatre is the star of the show here. The stage, in the wings and behind the scenes – these set pieces are just creepy and menacing. There’s so much cultural and theatre references. The plays, the muses, the dark magic! Just breathtaking. The theatre setting worked so well for this story, with the Greek mythology perfectly woven through. Throw in some murders and you have a chilling good time. Home » Iceland » Sjón » Argóarflísin (The Whispering Muse) Sjón: Argóarflísin (The Whispering Muse)

The Whispering Muse | The Modern Novel Sjón: The Whispering Muse | The Modern Novel

Deliciously creepy, riveting and full of heart with compelling characters and brilliant twists ... glitteringly dark and mesmerising' Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne and Elektra Would you ever make a deal with the devil to save someone you love? How much will you be willing to pay to satisfy your ambition? Would you risk everything for a brief moment of fame and renown?As I walked through the Village during my stay in New York for the World Voices Literary Festival, I heard a seagull’s scream: “ ARRK! ARRK!” It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees. As the curtains open on this disturbing Purcell play, your sense should be twitching as every single one is going to be The threat and presence of Melpomene – well I didn’t know much about this but I did wait until after the novel to research it and wow, so much to learn and investigate. I feel Laura must have had some fun researching all of this. Jenny Wilcox is a character you immediately feel sympathy towards, she is desperate, selfless and therefore easily manipulated. Her life has clearly not been easy, abandoned by her father and left in debt by her brother, Jenny must provide for her younger siblings, one of whom has a disability. With very little choices in life for an unmarried woman, she makes do with whatever coin she can earn. It’s easy to see why she agrees to Mrs Dyer's offer, even when her requests become increasingly immoral. Lilith, though more complexly flawed, brazen and more ambitious than Jenny, also comes across as desperate. The way Lilith clings to the idea of Melpomene and her promise of all her desires coming true, shows us that she is desperate too but not just for wealth. Lilith is lonely and is seeking love and adoration by any means necessary.

THE WHISPERING MUSE by Laura Purcell (BOOK REVIEW) THE WHISPERING MUSE by Laura Purcell (BOOK REVIEW)

Set at the Mercury Theatre in Victorian London, Miss Jennifer Wilcox accepts a job offer from Mrs Dyer, the wife of the Mercury's owner. Fallen on hard times - the cause of which is revealed later - Jennifer must provide for her family and despite being brought low by her circumstances, eagerly accepts the position of dresser. Jennifer will need to make and mend all of the costumes, style hair and organise the accessories for the leading actress at the Mercury. Atmospheric, gripping, absorbing – The Whispering Muse is another Gothic triumph from Laura Purcell. It's deliciously creepy, riveting and full of heart with compelling characters and brilliant twists. The theatrical setting and use of the tragedies on stage that are woven expertly into the unfolding story is glitteringly dark and mesmerising’ JENNIFER SAINT A tremor shook Lilith's frame. Her eyes flew open, fixed and staring at the gallery. The audience looked over their shoulders. Did she see something we couldn't?”Jenny Wilcox is a character you immediately feel sympathy towards, she is desperate, selfless and therefore easily manipulated. Her life has clearly not been easy, abandoned by her father and left in debt by her brother, Jenny must provide for her younger siblings, one of whom has a disability. With very little choices in life for an unmarried woman, she makes do with whatever coin she can earn. It’s easy to see why she agrees to Mrs Dyer’s offer, even when her requests become increasingly immoral. Lilith, though more complexly flawed, brazen and more ambitious than Jenny, also comes across as desperate. The way Lilith clings to the idea of Melpomene and her promise of all her desires coming true, shows us that she is desperate too but not just for wealth. Lilith is lonely and is seeking love and adoration by any means necessary. At first it is wordless, like crooning over a cradle, then it swells into a song. The singer is a woman. I love that the story is so immersive, which is down to a clever plot but more importantly believable characters that evolve over the course of the novel. None of the characters are sugary sweet, they all have an agenda which is tested in different ways as the cost of loyalty is tested.

The Whispering Muse: A Novel: Sjón, Cribb, Victoria

Reading The Whispering Muse put me in mind of City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert but I suspect that's only because I haven't read too many novels set in a theatre. The books are set in different countries and eras - 1940s New York and Victorian London - however the leading lady there (Celia) was just as awful as Lilith. In fact, my favourite quote from City of Girls works perfectly for Jennifer and Lilith too! Mrs Dyer wants to prepare Jenny for theatre life and Shakespeare productions in particular. She pays for her to see Dr. Faustus at a local theatre. The actor playing Faustus is well renowned for being the best. But the performance becomes marred with tragedy when the actor dies on stage in a grisly and gory fashion. A small timepiece seems to be connected and Jenny feels distraught at what she’s witnessed.Obsession plays a large role in this book, and is shown through multiple lenses. We have Mrs Dyer, obsessed with bringing down Lilith and determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that happens, and Lilith herself who is so incredibly obsessed with not only performing, but ensuring that she goes out and gives the performance of a lifetime every time she steps on the stage, but both of these characters share one, large obsession, which brings them only darkness and danger and death. Purcell shows just how encompassing obsession can be and how, once we loose focus on it, our world can come crashing down around us, making us a mere shell of who we were before. Purcell blends the magical with the mundane brilliantly, ensuring were never quite sure who is behind the tragic goings on at the theatre, and leaving it open enough for our imaginations to run wild. Nolan, Tom (14 June 2019). "Mysteries: The Phrenologist and the Seamstress". Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 11 May 2023.