Edith Holler | Edward Carey
REVIEWED BY LINDA HILL
Cursed as a baby, 12-year-old Edith Holler may never leave the Holler Theatre in Norwich or it will literally fall down. Living vicariously through stories about Norwich, Edith writes a play about Mawther Meg who was said to have used the blood of Norwich’s children to make the tasty local delicacy Beetle Spread. But truth is stranger than fiction…
Edith Holler: book review & synopsis
Wow. What a book! Innovative, allegorical, mesmerising and fascinating, Edith Holler transports the reader to another era. The theatrical world of 1901 is at the heart of the story so the reader is never quite certain what is true and what is illusion or artifice.
Rippling with allusion to playwrights like Shakespeare and imbued with theatrical life, superstitions and language, this is a story that transcends mere entertainment. There are even wonderful illustrations that can be used as a card theatre.
The entire story is a rich tapestry of literary and social heritage. Echoes of fairy tales, with recognisable figures like wicked step-mothers, giants and cursed children, all swirl through the pages.
Edith Holler is a true maelstrom of events and characters that permeate the reader’s mind, keeping them totally captivated. It’s one of those books that leaves you reeling as if you’ve been on some kind of disorientating fairground ride.
Edith’s first person narrative reads like a memoir, and yet the story is historical, fantastical and part horror. It is a triumph of entertainment, fear, emotion and fascination. Themes of loneliness, family, identity and belonging are vital to the story and are included with deft and convincing sensitivity, so that depth and power underpin the brilliant entertainment.
The book brings Norwich to life…
The depiction of Norwich is quite wonderful. I’d defy any reader not to want to visit the city and it’s every bit as much a character as any of the astonishing people. Googling Edward Carey’s references is irresistible, making the book informative too.
Edith herself illustrates the Victorian concept that children should be seen (occasionally) and not heard. She is forbidden to speak in public. But there’s a clue in her full name of Edith May Holler that hints of her potential. She’s strong, feisty, talented and not without flaws like wilfulness and stubbornness, so she feels very real.
It is actually impossible to review Edith Holler adequately, but if you’re looking for a book that is acutely observed, sharp witted, frequently disturbing, eccentric and utterly fascinating, look no further. Edith Holler has it all in spades. It’s brilliant.
Edith Holler by Edward Carey is out now (Gallic Books, HB, £16.99) and available from Amazon.
Read more fiction reviews by Linda Hill including The Black Loch by Peter May, Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, Small Bomb At Dimperley by Lissa Evans, The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers, Scandalous Women by Gill Paul, Island In The Sun by Katie Fforde and The Trap by Ava Glass.
