The Nature of Monsters

Aug 05, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2008, gothic-horror, cover-love

I am definitely guilty of wanting to read a book simply because I love the cover, though I do take into consideration the plot as well. But here we have a dark, gothic novel set in the early 1700s, more twisted and mad than Mr Rochester's crazy wife, complete with resourceful heroine and beastly experiments done in the name of science and medicine, set against the stinking refuse, pollution, grime and decay of London, as well as the political and religious freedoms, traditional superstitions and...more I am definitely guilty of wanting to read a book simply because I love the cover, though I do take into consideration the plot as well. But here we have a dark, gothic novel set in the early 1700s, more twisted and mad than Mr Rochester's crazy wife, complete with resourceful heroine and beastly experiments done in the name of science and medicine, set against the stinking refuse, pollution, grime and decay of London, as well as the political and religious freedoms, traditional superstitions and swaggering success (and plummeting fall) of the stock exchange.

Why wouldn't I want to read it? What's not to love?

Eliza Tally is the only child of a village midwife and herbalist, who knows she doesn't have long before the villagers openly declare her a witch, and so seeks to set her daughter up. She misjudges though when the young merchant's son claims they're not lawfully wed, and his father arranges for the pregnant Eliza to be sent off to London, to work as maid servant for an apothecary whom he is paying to keep her out of the way. Eliza goes willingly, expecting the apothecary, Grayson Black, to give her an illegal abortion.

Mr Black, however, has other uses for Eliza. Born with a disfiguring birthmark covering half his face, he is of that society of physicians and scientists looking for proof between the then-popular theory of maternal impressions and deformed babies. A pregnant woman who has a hare cross her path will give birth to a child with a harelip, things like that. It gets more and more grotesque, though, and by frightening Eliza with her fear of dogs Black expects her to give birth to a dog-like monster.

In his household is another maidservant, Mary, an idiot with a cleft palate, hairlip, little sense, and a childlike wonder for things, especially small animals. When his experiment with Eliza fails to bring the results he craves, and his addiction to opium becomes more and more pronounced, he turns to Mary, encouraging her love of monkeys.

It is not until Eliza looks at the pictures inside one of the books Mr Black has her return and collect from the bookseller, a French refugee with his own designs on the servant girl, that she realises what the nature of her master's work really is. A prisoner of his house, which is ruled over by his forbidding wife and the apothecary's assistant, Edgar, Eliza must find a way to rescue herself and Mary, before Mary's baby becomes a freakshow. (Even Eliza believes it will be a monster.)

The story is narrated by Eliza with all her lower-class frankness, nothing dressed up or masked or hidden but all the vulgarities on display, creating a very vivid portrait of the period, the people and her own predicament. Her chapters are separated by Grayson Black's journal entries and "scientific" notes, by letters to and from the apothecary or his wife, playbills for tonics and the like, giving us an added insight into what was going on in Grayson's mind, and what has happening beyond Eliza's knowledge at the time. They are brief but insightful, allowing the reader to piece things together and know more than Eliza, in some respects. (How she came by these documents is explained at the end.)

The prose is engrossing, and while there is little actual dialogue you don't even notice because Eliza relates all with no embellishment, her perspective at once ignorant and astute, her hopes gleaming through the cracks in her awful situation. The characters are morbid and, in their own way, grotesque - surely an irony they failed to see. The question of, who is the real monster? is an apt one - ethics, Clark says in her note at the back, weren't even considered while the emminent scientists of the day vivisected living dogs for study. There was no need for the story to visit a real freakshow; the house of Grayson Black is freakshow enough, simply by dint of its inhabitants being so grotesque. It is frightening what was considered medicine not so long ago, even though it is a foundation of sorts for modern medicine, but all the bleeding, cupping, leeching, and idiotic ideas regarding giving birth are terrifying.

As a historical novel, The Nature of Monsters is alive with detail and a great portrait of the time, albiet from a particular perspective and class of society. As a story, it's at once tense, chilling, gripping and absorbing, its natural morbidity softened by Eliza and Mary, and the hope of a happy ending. It's not a love story, more a story of survival, and the real fascination comes not from the medical freaks, but from those who study them and think to blame all the problems and defects of newborns on women and the theory of maternal impression.(less)

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Jun 19, 2008 Krysten rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Absolutely no one.

The exact words that came out of my mouth after reading this were “Well, that was a waste” as I put the book down, dismayed at what it was I just read. Believe me, the description on the back cover was a much better read then the actual book itself. It seemed at first that this could be an interesting concept, something intriguing. A young girl finds herself pregnant and later forced under the subjugation of a mad scientist during 18th century England. What’s not to like, right? Well, from the m...more

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Sep 11, 2008 Juushika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: status-borrowed

In 1718 England, sixteen-year-old Eliza is recently married, but when she conceives her husband renounces her. She is sent to London to work for an apothecary, Mr. Black, that she believes will rid her of her burdenbut Black has other plans. He is writing a treatise on the effect of female imagination on unborn children, and he intends pregnant Eliza to be his first case study. Taking place deep within the dark and dirty underbelly of 18th Century London, The Nature of Monsters is almost so gri...more In 1718 England, sixteen-year-old Eliza is recently married, but when she conceives her husband renounces her. She is sent to London to work for an apothecary, Mr. Black, that she believes will rid her of her burdenbut Black has other plans. He is writing a treatise on the effect of female imagination on unborn children, and he intends pregnant Eliza to be his first case study. Taking place deep within the dark and dirty underbelly of 18th Century London, The Nature of Monsters is almost so gritty that it's unpleasant to read, and an excess of narration makes some of the plot developments predictable, but Eliza's slow character development are both skillful and realistic. While not particularly memorable, this is a well written, non-romanticized view of historical London. I moderately recommend it.

Midway through The Nature on Monsters, piled beneath misogyny and ill-conceived science, London's poverty and its stinking streets, and bitter characters who refuse to extend a helping hand to anyone, I stopped to wonder: just why was I continuing to read a book that was so gritty and realistic that it failed to be enjoyable? In its premise, the book appears to offer a dark insight into the worst of human naturethe sort of story which is intriguing primarily because it is so discomfortingbut the story itself lacks intrigue. Eliza discovers things as she goes along, but her narration is intersperced with pages from Black's writing which reveal plot points to the reader long before Eliza realizes them, removing any sense of mystery. And there is nothing wickedly romantic about the darkness within the book. Historical, dry, and so deep within the underbelly of London that there is almost no beauty left, The Nature of Monsters quickly becomes unpleasant to read and maintains this level of disgust and dirt for the vast majority of the book.

I continued reading because I hate to leave a book unfinished, and in time the book redeems itself. Slowly, realistically, Eliza evolves to become a character that the reader likes and admiresand respects even because of the setting from which she rises. Such realistic character development is rare and it shows great skill. London herself is never quite redeemed in the same way (indeed, the only solution to its ills seems to be to escape them), but the dark setting nevertheless has a purpose: to act as background and foil for a very real character. Other characters are not quite so realistic, there are some loose ends remaining at the conclusion, but Clark's writing is well-researched and moves at a smooth, even pace.

In short, there is enough meaning in Eliza's character growth to make the book worthwhile if the reader has the patience (and stomach) for the dark and dirty content which proceeds it. The Nature of Monsters is not particularly memorable, and it pales in comparison to other examples of historical fiction that focuses on the underbelly of London (such as the films From Hell and The Libertine), but it is aptly written, well researched, and a strong example of meaningful and realistic character growth in the protagonist. I moderately recommend it.(less)

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Nov 28, 2007 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like body functions

Shelves: fiction, i-can-t-believe-i-read-this, histocial-fiction, own

This is what happens when you have a babysitter, and can browse your local book store without your wee one tugging at your skirts begging for the latest Sandra Boyton book.

Do not be fooled by the well written dust jacket description of this book, for it is a far better read than the book itself. It seemed so intriguing: a book set in early 18th century London. A girl finds herself pregnant, and at the mercy of a mad scientist. You would think, what a good read.

*sigh*

This is why you should never...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Terence rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Terence by: Shannon

Shelves: historical-fiction, horror-gothic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My rating actually falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars:

Clare Clark manages to successfully evoke the claustrophobic world of 18th century London and its society in this novel, which explores the monsters in all of us and what they make us do. Clark's prose is highly polished and rich, and I could lose myself amongst the dark, narrow, filthy alleys (laughingly called "streets") of ancient London. She has a good ear for the telling detail or metaphor that creates a vivid image in the reader's mi...more

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Nov 16, 2008 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars

The story opened with a pregnant woman escaping the great fire of London. The piece was well-written and interesting both in story and characterization. But then the book switches to fifty years later, where we are immersed in the explicit lustings of a sixteen year old farm girl for a gentleman who her mother is trying to ‘capture’ via pregnancy (it works). The problem is that it was too explicit for me and once past all that, not all that interesting.

So I started skimming. And I kept skimming....more

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Mar 27, 2008 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

On a whole, this book is much better when you look at the entire picture than actually reading it. I read the cover and thought that I would possibly be reading a twist on Frankenstein. Not so. The main character is deeply flawed and I had a hard time trying to see her as a heroine. In the end, when she steps up for Mary and stands up to the Master, do you even feel sympathy for her. I do like the concept at the end, well what I felt the overall concept is: you create monsters within yourself. T...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

I just kept wondering when this book was going to get interesting. When was she going to get out....what happened to her baby...so many questions. I felt like the main character was one person in the beginning and totally another at the end....but not in a good way...just in one that did not make sense. I have to admit I was drawn to the book by the cover and the time period.

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Mar 13, 2013 Kristal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, dark-fiction, gothic-fiction

Eliza Tally is young and as is most often the case, she thinks she is in love. But when the man she is supposedly married to dismisses their marriage as only a country ritual, her mother knows what will happen to a pregnant young girl and quickly works out a transaction with the man, sending Eliza to London to work for an apothecary. Since Eliza's mother is a cunning woman, she has seen the results of her mother's craft and assumes that the apothecary will expel the thing growing inside her and...more Eliza Tally is young and as is most often the case, she thinks she is in love. But when the man she is supposedly married to dismisses their marriage as only a country ritual, her mother knows what will happen to a pregnant young girl and quickly works out a transaction with the man, sending Eliza to London to work for an apothecary. Since Eliza's mother is a cunning woman, she has seen the results of her mother's craft and assumes that the apothecary will expel the thing growing inside her and she will then be able to return to a normal life.

Upon arriving at the apothecary's residence, she discovers another young woman there also. Mary is considered an idiot since she was born with a harelip and seems to have only a child's understanding of the world around her. But Mary manages to squirm her way into Lize's life and soon Eliza finds herself looking out for Mary.

Still not understanding what is taking the apothecary so long in disposing of her 'secret', Eliza starts being sent to a local bookseller to exchange books for her master. Although she can not read very well, she is in awe of the vast amount of books and lingers each visit, starting a friendship with the bookseller. Then one day, she happens to look through a book that she is taking to the apothecary and the frightening figures that she discovers between the pages makes her understand exactly what evil experiment her master is attempting to create for his beloved Royal Society and his quest to discover the link between maternal impressions and the monster's that expel from women.

I did have some misgivings at the beginning of the book due to the descriptive writing but once I settled in, I was totally transported to London in 1718. The vast amount of people, the filth, the stinking river, the bitter cold in winter and unrelenting heat in summer. I was surprised to see that this book had received so many 1 and 2 star ratings since I loved it, but I guess that goes to show the varying different between each person's taste. (less)

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Sep 29, 2012 Martina Ovens rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the comments of other Goodreads followers only after I had got about halfway through the book, some I agree with, others, I can see their point of view as I don't enjoy everything that I read either! This book fell into the very enjoyable category which surprised me as it is totally out if my normal reading genre.
London during the rebuilding after the great fire must have been a dreadful place to live if one was of lower class. In this story, servants are treated as belongings and women...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Jane McGaughey rated it 1 of 5 stars

It is a rare thing for me to dislike a book as much as I did this one; even rarer for me to finish it, but I felt I had to, if only to see if things improved. They didn't. This was simply not my cup of tea, and I don't believe that is Clare Clark's fault at all. I was seduced by the back-cover blurb which made it appear that the predominant portion of this novel took place during the Great Fire of 1666. That is a period in English - and particularly London - history which I adore. I'm all about...more

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May 04, 2012 Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, thrillers-mystery

I really enjoyed this very dark novel about life and superstitions in the early 18th century. Clark did a marvelous job of describing the time period especially the squalor of old London. The monsters in the book could have been many of the characters or all of them including the protagonist Eliza's employer and master, the apothecary Grayson Black, his wife, or the apprentice Edgar. Or was Mary, the "idiot" servant who was also vile-looking and generally disgusting, considered a "monster". Or c...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Noelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Atmospheric and darkly suspenseful, Clare Clark’s The Nature of Monsters is a tale in the vein of gothic horror that is as unsettlingly cruel and captivatingly vivid. Essentially a straightforward, plot-driven historical novel wrapped in the macabre nuances of early English medical practices, Clark illustrates the monstrous acts of true evil and those who dwell in it. Her characters are strongly represented and despite her almost unbearable subject matter, where the lines between quackery and sc...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Noorhaina rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nobody

Recommended to Noorhaina by: Nobody to blame but me

It's a fast read, but the prose gets tedious quite fast too. I understand that the author is a history expert of some sort, and that the early 18th century setting of the story calls for a style of writing that matches the time. But it seems unbelievable that a book written from the point of view of a midwife's daughter should contain ample servings of similes, metaphors, and an extensive vocabulary! The author goes overboard with her descriptions and prose, perhaps because of a deep love for th...more

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May 17, 2010 Dora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Clare Clark's "The Nature of Monsters" is an odd little title. I suppose you could call it historical fiction, which is okay, or historical fictional horror, which is even better, but it's not quite that either. Following sixteen-year-old Eliza who is sent away to live in secret as a maid when she gets pregnant out of wedlock. Not that she's letting that get her down; she has every belief her beloved will eventually come for her. But as the days drag by without word, she finds herself having to...more Clare Clark's "The Nature of Monsters" is an odd little title. I suppose you could call it historical fiction, which is okay, or historical fictional horror, which is even better, but it's not quite that either. Following sixteen-year-old Eliza who is sent away to live in secret as a maid when she gets pregnant out of wedlock. Not that she's letting that get her down; she has every belief her beloved will eventually come for her. But as the days drag by without word, she finds herself having to face the harshest truth of all; that she might have to not only come to her own rescue, but also grow up.

Clarke paints a believably grim picture of her sixteenth century setting, which only adds to the heavy atmosphere of the book. In the beginning of the story, the narrative reads a lot like a gothic mystery; as Eliza gradually starts to realise she may be stuck in her current employment, she comes to notice that something much more sinister might be going on within the walls of the apothecary. Something that might threaten not only her sanity, but the safety of her unborn child. Her reclusive master might be less stable than anyone suspects, and Eliza's taskmistress Mrs Black poses a bigger danger with each passing day.

Parts of the book are more cohesive than others, however, and unfortunately Clarke does have a tendency to heap so much tragedy and horror upon her characters that it can border on ridiculous. Also occasionally hard to swallow as a heroine can be Eliza herself early on; she views her unborn child as a worm to be rid of and puts herself through some genuinely horrific "treatments" to try to rid herself of it. In this respect, as well as the way other characters treat her and others, the book might well be a bit too unpleasant for some readers to take.

Ultimately, what feels most rewarding is the emotional and mental transformation protagonist Eliza Tally goes through as the story progresses. Her transformation from a self-absorbed, critical and petulant teenager into an emphatic human being feels natural in a way that makes the events of the book feel all the more real. Her metamorphosis feels genuine, from the way she looks back at her relationship with her mother to the way she comes to view fellow prisoner, "half-wit" Mary, and by the end of the story she's become not just a character in a story but a fully fleshed out person.

In the end, what perhaps best describes The Nature of Monsters is "different". It's not a particularly happy book in a lot of ways, but rather an exploration of the cruel things people do, and the different ways we can be monstrous to one another. Surprisingly poignant and engrossing, The Nature of Monsters is a flawed but satisfying read.(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Karyl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, bookstore-finds

In eighteenth century England, much of science was still in its infancy, as evidenced by the central theme of this book, that whatever a mother experiences while pregnant will somehow imprint itself on the baby inside her. It is these maternal experiences that are the cause of various congenital deformities, according to the knowledge of the day, and the study of these impressions is what the apothecary of the novel, a Mr Black, has devoted his life to studying. In his quest for knowledge, he ex...more

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Oct 25, 2007 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Loved the imagery in this book set in the 1700s. I grew to really like Eliza, the narrator of the book, who goes from being a naive young girl and a pawn in her mother's schemes to a woman who pushed her way to freedom in a time when women did not have as many options. The story underlying this journey was interesting and suspenseful despite the monotony of her life in the apothecary's home, and I kept turning the pages despite myself (and the time of day). :o)

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Jul 28, 2009 Sherry rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I started this book, I almost put it down on page one! It started out with a very graphic description; not salacious, but coarse and rough. I just couldn't imagine reading an entire book with this type of language, but I pressed on, skimming some of the coarser descriptions. I'm glad I did.

The Nature of Monsters is told by Eliza Tally, a coarse (hence the language), headstrong young woman living in England in the early 1700's. The question you consider throughout the book is what really ma...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Flora Bateman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fictin

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wish that we could give half stars, because I would rather give this one 4.5 stars instead of 5 because I could have done without all of the references to body fluids. Is it really necessary to know how the main characters urinate, defecate, vomit or bleed? The story would have been just as good without all of that. Which is why I would say this book is not for everybody. It is certainly not for the faint of heart.

In the early 1700 and young woman finds herself pregnant by a man she believed...more

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Jun 03, 2009 sylvie sevigny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel presents the 18th century in it's full reality. London is a rough, dirty, dangerous town. The divide between rich and poor is well defined and unbreachable. Poverty is prevalent, vulgarity in all it's forms the norm. Clare Clarke doesn't hide behind graceful descriptions, the author gives us a real feel and chills in her writing, London once was a terrifying city to dwell in. It is surprising people survived to adult age, murders, disease and filth where everywhere.
This novel addresse...more This novel presents the 18th century in it's full reality. London is a rough, dirty, dangerous town. The divide between rich and poor is well defined and unbreachable. Poverty is prevalent, vulgarity in all it's forms the norm. Clare Clarke doesn't hide behind graceful descriptions, the author gives us a real feel and chills in her writing, London once was a terrifying city to dwell in. It is surprising people survived to adult age, murders, disease and filth where everywhere.
This novel addresses "Maternal Impression". Throughout the 18th century the British Medical Society believed should a pregnant woman encounter a frightening sight, her child would certainly carry the impression of his/her mothers fright.
We meet Liza the protagonist, she just married a young man from an upper class family . Swiftly, the parents of the groom arrange to separate the newlyweds and arrange for a pregnant Liza to be send to a rooming house in London for the period of her confinement. The rooming house is run by Mr. Grayson Black an his wife. Mr. Grayson Black an apotecharian and scientist will take an exceptional interest in Liza. We also meet Mary, the house keeper, a poor young girl abandoned by her family. Misfortune is brought upon her in the form of a deformity. Born with a hare lip, which in those times is considered a form of retardation and monstrosity.
Clare Clarke obviously researched the subject of this novel thoroughly. I was in turns literally grossed out and surprised at how certain believes where even possible and practices by the London College of Physicians shocking. Only through research is it possible to make progress in the field of medicine., hopefully today some practices have been abolished.
I can remember when visiting small villages in France while pregnant with my first son finding this strange believe of "imprint", it remains an old wife's tale in more remote places. A believe which is well alive in other cultures as well even today.
Clare Clarke is the Author of "THE GREAT STINK" A book which I have not yet read, but will(less)

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Aug 03, 2008 Janice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dark and mysterious, and very Dickensian - which makes it weird that I liked it because I really loathe Dickens.

Does an excellent job of absorbing the reader in London in the early 1700's. I felt absorbed in the world - the writing was incredibly evocative. Think I will pick up Clark's first novel since I enjoyed this one so much.

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Nov 16, 2012 Hope rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 18th-century, england, historical-fiction, birth-defects, teen-pregnancy, medical-experiments, mad-scientist

I don’t normally abandon books. I have this irrational idea that if I start a book, then I must finish it, whether I am enjoying it or not. But occasionally I will come across one that I just can’t finish, and The Nature of Monsters was, unfortunately, one of those rare few.

The thing is, I can’t say definitively what I dislike about it. The story is set primarily in London in 1718 – a time and place that I normally enjoy reading about. The book centers around a 16-year-old girl named Eliza. She...more I don’t normally abandon books. I have this irrational idea that if I start a book, then I must finish it, whether I am enjoying it or not. But occasionally I will come across one that I just can’t finish, and The Nature of Monsters was, unfortunately, one of those rare few.

The thing is, I can’t say definitively what I dislike about it. The story is set primarily in London in 1718 – a time and place that I normally enjoy reading about. The book centers around a 16-year-old girl named Eliza. She is the daughter of a midwife, and in the beginning of the book she gets pregnant by the son of a prominent businessman. Despite her mother’s scheming, the boy’s father sends Eliza away to London to be a maid for an apothecary/scientist who is studying the effects of women’s fears and emotions on their unborn children. A fascinating premise, right? So why did it not hold my interest? I think the answer is in Clark’s writing style. The book, to me, reads like it should be in the young adult section. Which is not to say that the writing is bad, because it is actually pretty good. It just has that YA feeling that doesn’t really appeal to me. And I absolutely could not find anything to like about Eliza. There is nothing about her that suggests she lives in the 18th century. In fact, she could be living today – she comes across as a self-absorbed, disrespectful, vulgar brat who has let her raging hormones dictate the course of her life. Not a character I am all that interested in reading about. Mr. Black (the apothecary/mad scientist) on the other hand, could be a very compelling character if more time had been given to telling the story from his perspective. As it is, his voice is only heard every once in a while through the form of a journal entry or letter. Very disappointing.

I think this book would be great for a young adult, or someone who doesn’t read a whole lot of historical fiction. The language is pretty straightforward and easy to understand, and at 382 pages it is relatively short compared to some of the more epic novels out there. But if you read a lot of historical fiction, and love to completely immerse yourself in every aspect of the time period, I think you will find this book as unsatisfying as I did.
(less)

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Jun 20, 2011 Helen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Eliza and Mary are two maidservants in an apothecary's shop in C18th London. At different points in the story both are pregnant and both of them are the unwitting test subjects of the mad apothecary who is writing a treatise on how the mother's imagination and experiences affect the unborn child. I'm in two minds about this novel. On the one hand, i can't deny that it's a captivating page-turning story with characters i cared about and richly atmospheric, evoking the age in great detail. However...more

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Mar 06, 2010 Heidi rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is one of those books where the synopsis on the sleeve turns out to be better than the story. I wanted to like this book; I actually thought it started out pretty strong but by the middle I was beyond depressed and bored-- strange combination, and not one that goes hand in hand with a good read.

What was flawed... where do I start? The main character was a prisoner in this story despite being described and plucky and brazen... if she had any pluck, she would have fled much sooner and the boo...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am conflicted....

This book is definitely not a waste of time, it was easy to read and it was an enjoyable experience; my 6 hours on this novel was well spent and I took away several critical life concepts/skills from this novel such as "listen to what people say, but listen even more closely to what they do not say"-Ma Tully.

If you are looking for a book to read just for pure entertainment *your not looking for material that will leave an impression on you and blow your mind away when you ar...more

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Apr 11, 2013 David Shakespeare rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read some reviews of Clark's other work, I gather that she has found her niche as a writer of historical fiction by including all the awful details that other novelists and histories have left out, such as how bad everything smelled, how unclean everything was, and how difficult life could be. She does these details well, but they occasionally become too dominant. The synopsis on the back cover intrigued me and I had some high hopes for this one, so perhaps it deserves a bit more than 3 s...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Mortalform rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-possibles, deserves-re-read, historical

An apothecary in the 1800s, determined to prove the validity of his scientific observations, attempts to create monsters by terrorizing two pregnant women. Perhaps due to the amount of books I've been reading in the past while, but as interesting as this book's subject is, it failed to fully capture my admiration. Not even sure if I'm going to keep it to read again or if I'm going to pass it on.

"Books are like people. They do not bear loneliness well. Those that remain unnourished by another's...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I knew that this book took place in the 18th century I was thinking monsters like Frankenstein. It took me almost the entire book to realize it meant "monsters" in the sense of unusual people, people with birth defects, etc., culminating in the Elephant Man a century later and finally petering out with the end of the freak shows in the 20th century.

Since I've read a lot about Maternal Impressions and other "scientific" theories about how abnormalities come about, I put my confusion down...more

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Apr 05, 2010 BarkLessWagMore rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Book ring book for Bookcrossing.com . I had forgotten all about this one. Must read and send on before Apr 4.

Set in the 1700’s. The book starts out with a woman fleeing from a devastating fire. Then it jumps ahead 50 or so years and we meet Eliza who is a young woman all worked up over a sexy young man. The opening scene was something akin to an erotica novel but you won’t hear me complain. Eliza’s mother is the local midwife but fears being accused of witchcraft and wants to have her daughter...more Book ring book for Bookcrossing.com . I had forgotten all about this one. Must read and send on before Apr 4.

Set in the 1700’s. The book starts out with a woman fleeing from a devastating fire. Then it jumps ahead 50 or so years and we meet Eliza who is a young woman all worked up over a sexy young man. The opening scene was something akin to an erotica novel but you won’t hear me complain. Eliza’s mother is the local midwife but fears being accused of witchcraft and wants to have her daughter safely wed to someone with lots of cash and property before it happens. Thus she encourages her daughter towards the wealthy and randy young fellow and performs a hand fasting ceremony. Pregnancy immediately follows and once the dupe realizes he isn’t legally wed he hightails it out of there and she’s left penniless, ruined and nauseous because of the “worm” in her belly. Ah, the best laid plans.

Eliza, worm still in the belly, then finds herself shipped off to London by her greedy mother to work with a mysterious apothecary. Doc Black believes strongly in the power of imprinting. But it’s not the Stephanie Meyer type of “you were meant for me” creepy imprinting. This imprinting is even more twisted. Doc Black believes that fears and events experienced by the mother can alter the unborn child in bizarre ways. For instance, if she fears a kitty and one crosses her path the kid may be born with whiskers and a purr. Or somesuch. It sounds nutty but supposedly there is documented proof that a certain sector of physicians actually believed this to be true way back when. In the author’s notes she even includes some freaky sketches of naked humans with animal heads, the result supposedly of material impressions and monstrous birth. Strangely enough they fascinate me and my eyes keep drifting to those last few pages when I should be reading the book . . .

Later: The premise of this book appealed to me and some of the plot twists were horrible but the book was too meandering and to be blunt, boring, for me to continue and I gave up about halfway through. The ideas were good but the writing style didn't work for me and unfortunately I was unable to find any sympathy for the main character who I found off putting and unlikable.
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Mar 12, 2008 Cathy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cathy by: NY Times

It's an interesting idea but not a great story. The author's note on London of the early 1700's at the end of the book was much better than the book itself.

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title link	preview: The Nature of Monsters
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/923497.The_Nature_of_Monsters?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328876783l/923497.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/923497.The_Nature_of_Monsters?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark[/url]

The Nature of Monsters

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