This dazzling debut novel brings the spirit of Catherine Dickens–the cast-off wife of Charles Dickens–to life in the form of Dorothea “Dodo” Gibson, a woman who is doomed to live in the shadow of her husband, Alfred, the most celebrated author in the Victorian world. Girl in a Blue Dress opens on the day of Alfred’s funeral. Dorothea is not among the throngs in attendance when The One and … attendance when The One and Only is laid to rest. Her mourning must take place within the walls of her modest apartment, a parting gift from Alfred as he ushered her out of their shared home and his life more than a decade earlier. Even her own children, save her outspoken daughter Kitty, are not there to offer her comfort–they were poisoned against her when Alfred publicly declared her an unfit wife and mother. Though she refuses to don the proper mourning attire, Dodo cannot bring herself to demonize her late husband, something that comes all too easily to Kitty.
Instead, she reflects on their time together: their clandestine and passionate courtship, when he was a force of nature and she a willing follower; and the salad days of their marriage, before too many children sapped her vitality and his interest. She uncovers the frighteningly hypnotic power of the celebrity author she married. Now liberated from his hold on her, Dodo finds the courage to face her adult children, the sister who betrayed her, and the charming actress who claimed her husband’s love and left her heart aching.
A sweeping tale of love and loss that was long-listed for both the Man Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, Girl in a Blue Dress is both an intimate peek at the woman who was behind one of literature’s most esteemed men and a fascinating rumination on marriage that will resonate across centuries.
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Though this is said to be fiction it follows the life of Charles Dicken’s wife. Very interesting and somewhat shocking.
Shows another side of Charles Dickens that most readers didn’t know. Very well written.
A well written story that recreates the life of a woman in these times. Your value was based solely on the man in your life. When he tossed you aside you went alone, especially when that man was a public icon and could do no wrong.
slow and dull
I enjoyed seeing into the personal life of Dickens from the point of view of his wife. This book was well written, entertaining and believable. I would definitely recommend it.
I used to wonder why I could not warm to this incredibly famous and beloved writer. The story of his pursuit of his beautiful young sister in law, her sudden death, his excessive grief, his total lack of concern for his wife… I’d think he had been so awful I couldn’t read any more, and then I’d think surely he must have realized his error and …
her first novel and it was very enjoyable. You won’t be disappointed
Dodo was aptly named
This was a very engaging story which had an unexpected twist at the end. The story gave some indication of what it must have been like for the Dutch living under Nazi occupation in WWII.
I
A fictionalized version of the life of Charles Dicken’s wife. Well-written, although my favourite scene, in which Dicken’s widow visits Queen Victoria, is not based on fact. Most of the book is factual, though, and it gives us a new perspective on Dickens and his times.
The story seemed to be going nowhere, so I quit about halfway through.
In some places in the book, there was too much detail for me. I skimmed those parts & continued because I was interested in the story of Charles Dickens & his wife. The author was very honest about she fictionalized/added to the history, which is fine with me because it made an interesting story.
Enjoyed this book. Amazed me just how bad Charles Dickens was as a husband and father. His hyper activity alone was enough to kill a marriage but throw in a few more character flaws and became a true nightmare.
Historic novel. You’re never sure what’s true and what’s not.
Although this is a fictional narrative about the life of Charles Dickens, it bases many of its details upon real life. His adoring public lionized the author; what they didn’t know, however, was that his personal life was far different than the image he projected. Cold, emotionally distant, and even cruel toward his wife as she aged, put on …