The Bedlam Stacks (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, #1.5) in Around the World in 80 Books

Feb 03, 2018 Tony rated it really liked it

Shelves: setting-south-america, fantasy, historical-fiction, novels, setting-england

Set mostly in 1860, the book opens with a Merrick, a smuggler/botanist for the East India Company convalescing at his family's ramshackle mansion in Cornwall. As malaria threatens the stability of British India, an old friend (based on a real historical figure) recruits him for an expedition to Peru. There, they hope to be able to steal some cuttings from the tree that quinine is derived from, and sneak them out to be grown in the far East. The near-crippled Merrick goes along with the crazy sch Set mostly in 1860, the book opens with a Merrick, a smuggler/botanist for the East India Company convalescing at his family's ramshackle mansion in Cornwall. As malaria threatens the stability of British India, an old friend (based on a real historical figure) recruits him for an expedition to Peru. There, they hope to be able to steal some cuttings from the tree that quinine is derived from, and sneak them out to be grown in the far East. The near-crippled Merrick goes along with the crazy scheme partly because his father and grandfather traveled extensively in Peru, and partly because if he doesn't do something quick to earn his keep, he'll be forced to become a parson in a dull country town and live out the rest of his life in abject boredom.

After this 50-age prelude/setup, the bulk of the book takes place in Peru, as the men seek to deceive their way to forests protected by monopoly interests who've already killed off previous expeditions. They encounter an outgoing man who hooks them up with a guide named Rafael, who becomes the other main protagonist in the book. As they travel further inland and up into the Andes, the landscape and weather grows increasingly hostile and bewildering. At this point, various elements start to kick in that have resulted in people using the term "magical realism" to describe the book. However, since no one really seems in agreement as to what that actually means, and since it carries a whiff of the pretentious with it, I prefer to say that there are supernatural elements to the story that start to reveal themselves.

I personally quite enjoyed both how those are depicted and blend with indigenous legend, and how they influence the plot. This could have gotten quite precious or twee, but it maintains a tricky balance of wonder and danger. The one thing that held me back from fully loving the book was that the climax doesn't pack the same kind of punch, and things feel rather rushed at the end. The coda back in England years later didn't quite work for me either. But the writing is lovely and it's definitely worth checking out of you like historical fiction and aren't put off by a little bit of the supernatural.

Note: This could be considered a loose prequel to Pulley's debut novel, in that one of the main characters in that book appears in a very minor way here. ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, south-america

This was a really engrossing, fun book. Merrick, a former smuggler for the British East India Company is also the second son of a decayed gentry family. Sidelined at home with a badly damaged leg, he assumes his traveling days are over. However, when his brother threatens to get him a position as a country parson and his old friend, Clem, comes calling with a summons from the company to smuggle cinchona trees from Peru to British India, Merrick feels the call of adventure and heads out.

In Peru, ...more

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