I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed this book. Historical fiction is pretty much the last genre I'll pick up willingly so to find one that I was actually interested in was surprising. I wouldn't call this a quick read although it's fairly straightforward. It is fairly dense and tends to ramble in places, especially near the end. But man, does it make up for it with emotional impact! I wanted to throttle the already-dead Alfred for being the biggest possible...I can't think of a word severe enough. And poor Dorothea. I think it's been quite a while since I've come to genuinely care for a character as much as I did her. Such a sweet woman who deserved so much more than that scumbag that's for sure.It's definitely not an uplifting story either so I'll ditto some of the other reviewers who have said to steer clear if you're already feeling down. But if you like historical type things and you hate men, this is probably right up your alley. I thoroughly enjoyed this! Based on the marriage of Charles Dickens through the eyes of his wife Catherine. The names of the characters were changed for the purpose of this book but the foreword confirms the family on which it is based and the level of research done.Alfred (Charles) was an endearing, colourful character who fell in love with the timid Dorothy (Catherine) when she was still young and pure. Once she had given birth, he turned his affections to her younger virginal sisters though insisted it was all above board and was horrified if anything else was suggested. You can imagine what this must have been like for Dorothy, who after giving birth to ten children, became fat, scared, withdrawn and everything Alfred despised. Later in life, he met a young actress and left his wife virtually penniless. When he died 10 years later, she wasn't even invited to his funeral.A very poignant sentence in the afterword read - Catherine wanted to keep his letters so the whole world would know that he loved her once. Great read and not surprised it was nominated for the booker prize in 2008
Do You like book Girl In A Blue Dress (2008)?
Charles Dickens was a great writer and loved by his many fans, but he wasn't much of a husband.
—clm
Not very good-I couldn't stop reading only because it was like watching a train wreck.
—Shayren
Interesting historical fiction tale about the estranged wife of Charles Dickens.
—AndieF
Excellent- about Charles Dickens and his family life and mistress.
—Wier
