The Doll Factory

By Elizabeth Macneal and Eli Gilić

Book Overview

The #1 International Bestseller

New York Times Editor's Choice

The New York Public Library Best Books of 2019

"A lush, evocative Gothic." --The New York Times Book Review

"This terrifically exciting novel will jolt, thrill, and bewitch readers." --Booklist, starred review

Obsession is an art.

In this "sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art, and obsession" (Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train), a beautiful young woman aspires to be an artist, while a man's dark obsession may destroy her world forever.

In 1850s London, the Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and, among the crowd watching the dazzling spectacle, two people meet by happenstance. For Iris, an arrestingly attractive aspiring artist, it is a brief and forgettable moment but for Silas, a curiosity collector enchanted by all things strange and beautiful, the meeting marks a new beginning.

When Iris is asked to model for Pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly, her world begins to expand beyond her wildest dreams--but she has no idea that evil is waiting in the shadows. Silas has only thought of one thing since that chance meeting, and his obsession is darkening by the day.

"A page-turning psychological thriller" (Essie Fox, author of The Somnambulist) that will haunt you long after you finish it, The Doll Factory is perfect for fans of The Alienist, Drood, and The Historian.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 198210676X
• ISBN13: 9781982106768
• Release Date: August 2019
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Pure gothic bliss

The Doll Factory is quite the atmospheric and authentic portrayal of grim, lower-class Victorian London. Macneal’s vivid, unsettling descriptions and her immersive writing style effectively conveys themes of fear, desperation, jealousy, and obsession. This is one of those books set in Victorian England that does not focus on women’s elaborate gowns or the glimmering lights of the ball rooms inside a wealthy estate. Conversely, it reveals the downtrodden, under belly of Victorian London. We experience the collected filth and grime covering the walls of narrow streets, the visions of urine and excrement around the dark corners, in addition to glimpsing into the lives of women of the night. While I found the dual narrative uneven, I was especially captivated by Silas, whose disturbing psychology and villainous presence were far more compelling than Iris, whose storyline and romance felt comparatively weak. I suspected a darker outcome as the story neared its end, given how deeply the book draws readers into Silas’s mind. Reaching the last 10% of the book, with Iris still being held captive, I expected she would succumbed to Silas and became a piece of his artwork in the end. I visualized parts of her body would end up in various specimen jars inside his dark and damp cellar, or that she would be placed in a beautiful display (such as his butterfly wing collection). Does that make me dark and root for the villain? I suppose so, since we spent so much time inside Silas’ mind, clearly having committed a crime or two in the past. Although somewhat predictable, the novel remains engaging due to its tension, foreshadowing, and emotional depth. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys exploring the eerie, shadowed corners of Victorian England.