Life Mask

Rating:
Summary: Invest your time...
Review: Being a fan of Ms. Donoghue's previous works (namely "Slammerkin" and "The Woman Who Gave Birth To Rabbits"), I was excited about this new novel. And what a treat it is. Although it sometimes is weighted down with the politics of the era (I think knowing a bit of English history would help a bit), it is ultimately a very moving story.

Rating:
Summary: Dreary, dreary, dreary
Review: How can an experienced author drag you kicking through 600 pages of what should be an exiting and colorful period in English history? I did want to see what happened, but it took so long to develop that at the end I didn't really care what became of the dreary characters. I can't believe I read the Whole Thing!

Rating:
Summary: Much Ado About Nothing
Review: I loved Donoghue's novel, Hood, but Life Mask was a big snore, eventhough I usually love historical novels. I found the writing stilted and the characters boring: they didn't seem very sympathetic or real. I trudged through about one hundred pages before I just started skipping through reading various sections to find out what happens: nothing. I wanted to like this novel, but needless to say I was very disappointed with the book.

Rating:
Summary: Someone let me know how it ends
Review: I made it through 400 pages of this book and I'm not sure how or why I got that far and I can't muddle up the energy to finish it. I found the characters to be overly stereotypical, completely predictable and just plain dull. The only one who had any depth at all was Anne. The conversations were boring, especially the political ones. The entire scandal about lesbianism was anticlimactic and dull - how did anyone find it enticing or exciting?
I expected to love this book as I was captivated by Ms. Donoghue's SLAMMERKIN. This does not even compare. I only wish I hadn't run out and bought it so quickly-should have borrowed it from the library and saved a bundle.

Rating:
Summary: royals, theatre history and a damn good story besides
Review: I recently finished a novel that has enough historical details and basis in fact to appeal to a lot of people here; it is LIFE MASK by Emma Donoghue. Although the three central figures are not royals, they interact with many members of the royal family, including Prinny (later George IV) and his mistresses (one of who is Frances Villiers, the Countess of Jersey). Princess Charlotte makes only one brief appearance. The Theatre Royal has co-billing with some of the lushes homes in London and the countryside, including the Jockey Club.

LIFE MASK is an inside look at The World, what was High Society in London. Based on real people, the novel takes its turns from "what-ifs" in their private lives and relationships; the events are as they happened. The author clearly delineates the facts from the fiction in the epilogue. She states writes "I've tried to stick to the truth where it seemed to matter most."

Edward Smith-Stanley, The Earl of Derby, founder of the horserace, member of Parliament, opposition to Pitt and confidante of Charles James Fox (a leading Whig), co-conspirator with Prinny to have George III declared mad, and ardent theater goer, is the man whose friendship with two women provide the backdrop to the events.

The Honorable Mrs. Anne Damer is a young widow, a sculptor whose work is shown at the Royal Academy, niece of, and heir to, Horace Walpole, and a suspected Lesbian (or, Sapphist, in the language of the day). Her works are in the National Portrait Gallery in London today.

The other lady is Eliza Farren, close companion of the Earl, a leading lady of the stage accepted into higher society as a director of one of their amusements, and the character who brings us into the marvelously described world of the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane and its owner, the parsimonious Richard Brinsley Sheridan, also a Foxite MP. Eliza's painting by Thomas Lawrence (the sittings for the portrait are integral to the narrative) hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Rounding out the cast and brought vividly to life are many you'll know: William, Duke of Clarence; Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire (yes, Diana's ancestor); the Kemble family of actors; assorted dukes, duchesses, countesses, earls, generals, actors, politicians and journalists. Lavishly described are the homes where The World lived, gathered and celebrated each Season.

There is something for everyone: cleverly described events range from cockfighting and horseracing to sessions of Parliament, births and deaths, invalidism, bankrupt theatres and fires, a trip to Spain by an unescorted woman, and all the highlights of various soirees and parties from 1787 through 1797. And the seductions; you need a scorecard to keep track of who's with whom when but the Dramatis Personae at the end cleverly lists each character's inamoratos: for example: "Mrs. Elizabeth `Liz' Armistead, courtesan to many including the duke of Dorset, Derby, Prinny; lover and then wife of Fox."


I loved Donoghue's previous book, SLAMMERKIN, and I highly recommend this book; it illuminates a piece of history that I've always found confusing and it is a hoot to read besides.

The Bookschlepper

Rating:
Summary: Life Among the Ladies and Gents
Review: In her previous novel, Slammerkin, Ms.Donoghue created a superbly realized piece of literature based on a tiny historical footnote: one Mary Saunders, a prostitute, in 1760's England, was put to death at the age of 16 for murdering her benefactor. Out of this tidbit came a vivid, engrossing and deliciously lurid tale.

In this, her latest novel, she is quite a bit more ambitious. For now her tale encompasses the lives of not one, but three characters in 18th century England, each of whom is far more complex than poor Mary, being as they are at the forefront of London society, politics and culture. Although the historical record gives Ms. Donoghue more to work with, there is still plenty of room for her imagination to soar, and soar it surely does in this magnificent novel.

The notable accomplishment here, and the thing which historical fiction aficionados most desire, is that it wholly transports one to another time and place. More than just recounting events or the clothes one wore, the reader wishes to come to know people. What were their thoughts, their motivations, their fears, their hopes in this long ago period? How were they able to cope, and what were society's expectations of and limitations on them?

Ms. Donoghue expertly brings this era to life--the ten year period beginning in 1787 London--through the lives of her three main characters. They are: Eliza Farren, the premiere comedic actress of her day; the Earl of Derby, her suitor, a member of the House of Lords, and the richest man in England; and Anne Damer, a member of the nobility, and a noted sculptress.

Eliza Farren was not born to the nobility but finds her ticket out of the dregs is her beauty and superb composure on the London stage. She attains fame, but interestingly in these times, fame does not necessarily translate into wealth, although she does well enough. Nevertheless, she is morbidly aware that a slip, a slur, a misstep, could end her career in a heartbeat. Life in the colorful London theater was fraught with anxiety.

During this time she is courted by Lord Derby, who is married but estranged from his wife. We learn that a lady's virtue in 18th century London was of extreme importance, and fascinatingly, throughout the entire lengthy courtship, Ms. Farren never has a single meeting with Lord Derby without the accompaniment of her chaperone mother. In today's day and age, this is almost hard to believe, but back then, a lady's reputation was quite often her only asset. In Miss Farren's case, everything depended on it.

But the novel does not simply leave it at that. Their contrived behavior has a profound effect on their relationship. Derby must be almost inhumanely patient, and occasionally boils over with suppressed desire. Eliza over time becomes brittle and distant, resisting as she must the advances of her suitor, while at the same time sublimating ever more deeply the longing in her heart.

Derby, as a member of the House of Lords, has vital, political concerns. George III is on the throne, and resistant to the reforms England so desperately needs. To come into power he and the members of the Whig party to which he belongs feel they must court and cajole the Prince, the loutish, debt-ridden, indecisive "Prinny," an enormously complicated task. In the meantime, events are occurring across the water in France, which also cause a great deal of concern. The narrative, again, makes these events very personal. To us, Marie Antoinette was the woman who said, "Let them eat cake." To Derby, Marie was an acquaintance. News of her lonely execution was both shocking and horrifying, and sent a collective chill of fear throughout his circle.

The most fascinating character in the novel, however, is the widowed sculptor, Anne Damer. Ms. Damer is a member of the nobility, putting on dinners, sponsoring plays, and visiting her clever and distinguished relatives, but always moving with a sense of trepidation in, "the tiny universe of rules and whispers," she inhabits. She eventually becomes ensnared. You see, Ms. Damer is a lesbian, and in the England of the late 18th century, such a thing was not acknowledged, even to oneself. Ms. Damer, emotionally complex and hugely sympathetic, never even considers the possibility. The reader, however, begins to suspect this long before she does. In reaction to her sharp criticism on an unrelated matter, the tabloids unfairly accuse her of "sapphism." Even the whisper of such a thing could bring catastrophic consequences to one's life, and for Anne it brings to her an agonizing journey of self-discovery. When her moment finally arrives, the reader reacts with an almost palpable sense of relief, of joy even. It is an emotionally wrenching, subtle, and intensely erotic scene.

It becomes apparent that the "Life Mask" of the title is quite a bit more telling than simply being a description of the method by which Anne begins her sculptures. In this rigid, rule-bound society, wearing a life mask in one's daily affairs was practically a necessity. And perhaps only slightly more so than the ones we ourselves wear today.

This book is a masterpiece. It is complex, detailed and with multi-layered, nuanced, painfully human characters. At the same time it is a very readable and engrossing entertainment. Admittedly, the opening is little daunting, as one is introduced quickly to a rather large number of Earls and Lords and Ladies and Dukes, but after fifty pages or so, it moves along painlessly. With her previous novel and now this, Ms. Donoghue has established not only that she is an outstanding writer of fiction, she has established that she is currently among the finest writers of fiction in the English language.


Rating:
Summary: Strange and Interesting
Review: LIFE MASK is a complicated novel, set in a moment of political ferment, and filled with characters who were real people.

The time was a fascinating one, and author Emma Donoghue has done thorough research, presenting a detailed representation of the period.

It would help, however, if the reader either has an understanding of English history or, at the very least, a serious interest in that history.

For the most part, the author builds a plausible plot around what is known of her characters, and this plot makes for compelling reading. In the process of telling her story, Donoghue shares some insights into the class structure of England, and an overview of the admittedly limited rights of independent women. Too, I was fascinated to learn that there was a formal lesbian underground in England during the late 18th century.

LIFE MASK is an interesting novel.

Rating:
Summary: Life Mask/ Emma Donoghue
Review: Life Mask was a very good read. Each time I picked it up, I was transported in time. The author made me feel that I knew each character and their motivations intimately. Her ability to express female emotion through the written word reminds me of Tolstoy.
I am a fan of english history and have read a good deal about the french revolution. I believe that added alot to the meat of the story.
As for the sex bits, well, the hint of erotica is always better than the deed.
If you've just finished Tipping The Velvet, don't go right into Life Mask, it'll be way to subtle for you. However I highly recommend Slammerkin. Emma Donoghue is a great find for me, I can't wait to read Hood.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating read
Review: This novel was quite long, I'll admit. However, it was throughly engrossing. Donoghue managed to take a historical footnote and create a rich, 600 page novel that showcases the Beau Monde, theater, and scandalmongering during the late 1700's in England. The effects of the French Revolution on British society and government were interesting. The correlations between British government at that time and contemporary politics was fascinating--Lord Derby ca 1770 mentions "WMD!" A sly social commentary!

Rating:
Summary: Quite flat in places, fails to capture the period
Review: This was a worthy novel, but the whole scope of the book, sixteen years or so, is just too large for us to really grasp the characters and the spirit of the age. At times the book reads like a bad Regency romance. It is too restrained and polite, with none of the sexiness we might hope for from as story of this type. Eliza is arctic in her virginity, Derby pathetic. He doesn't even have the guts to divorce his unfaithful wife. He treats his children like strangers.

Anne Damer is potentially the most interesting character in the book, but even her passions are tame and restrained, and focused mainly on her adorable Italian greyhound. The author's exhaustive research shows with every word, but that might be just the trouble. It shows too much. It is interesting, but fails to capture the exuberance of the age. The characters lack spontaneity, and the author does not, omniscient though she is, give us enough internalization to understand their motives and feelings.

The consummation of Eliza and Derby's marriage is a damp squib, as are Eliza's fears of Anne. Set as it is amid the backdrop of revolution, we would expect some excitement, but there is no sense of living on the cusp of a great age- it is all a tiny domestic drama for all it could be larger in scope. I am glad I read it, but it will not stick in my mind as a great historical novel like, say ,The Crimson and the White, or Star of the Sea.