Not being overly fond of gothic novels, I rarely read them. Somehow, though, I ended up reading two in close proximity. The first, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, is a gem studded with literary references and chock-full of twists and turns and a strong female protagonist. The other, The Portrait by Emilia Kelly, is less successful.
The novel is set in London in the 1850s when the famous Crystal Palace is being built. Despite its great atmosphere, the book was rather disappointing.
The protagonist of The Portrait, Iris Sheffield seems to be the archetype of the Victorian woman as set forth in Coventry Patmore’s narrative poem, “The Angel in the House,” a Victorian best-seller. Like this idealized vision of womanhood, Iris is modest, submissive, moral, and all-sacrificing. Her formerly wealthy family has had to sell the estates and move to London. She plans to marry a man she doesn’t love in order to provide medical care and security for her father and tubercular little sister. Things begin to go astray when her fiancé arranges to have her portrait painted by London’s most talented painter. Iris ignores all the warning signs regarding her husband-to-be and lacks the wherewithal to get herself out of the morass she’s gotten herself into. Rather than being a self-actualizing woman, she relies on others to rescue her.
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The Portrait (Independently published, September 13, 2022) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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You can read my review of The Thirteenth Tale here.
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