kecb12's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book to be an interesting take on Dickens’ characters after the action of “A Christmas Carol.” Definitely a little dark, but I thought the author asked some interesting questions about the Cratchit family and how Scrooge’s changed nature toward them might have affected them long-term. The central plot was VERY dark but it fit in with Victorian England and some of the treatment of humans that I’m sure was going on. I liked the characters overall and the vocabulary in the book was an added bonus. I had to look up a number of words, which was fun! I am not sure I would read it again (which feels like my current scale of judgment for a book), but I am glad I read it this time.
karen_barrington's review against another edition
2.0
I almost put this down. It was a struggle in the beginning because 1. there didn't seem to be anything going on, 2. the format, 3. the over abundance of words that didn't seem needed but then later almost a change in language style.
Finally about 1/3 of the way in it started to progress. Enough to enjoy it? No. Enough to keep going? Yes. You want to know if certain characters get what they deserve.
Unfortunately, while I understand why it was done for the story, the best character in the book has the most horrible end. That broke my heart and I was actually angry at the author for killing off what I felt was the best person in the story.
Plus I felt many of the characters didn't fit with those of Dickens - even Scrooge, taking the Christmas thing literally with decorations up all the time but letting them get dusty? Or being shrewd in business but in charity it seems he just gave to anyone with a story. I would think he'd at least seek out who would best use the money for the poor or start his own charity.
The story might have been better had it had independent characters and thus you had no previous idea of how they should behave. Using the characters from A Christmas Carol added nothing to the story.
It might have been partially my fault for thinking this was more of a Christmas story than it was.
Finally about 1/3 of the way in it started to progress. Enough to enjoy it? No. Enough to keep going? Yes. You want to know if certain characters get what they deserve.
Unfortunately, while I understand why it was done for the story, the best character in the book has the most horrible end. That broke my heart and I was actually angry at the author for killing off what I felt was the best person in the story.
Plus I felt many of the characters didn't fit with those of Dickens - even Scrooge, taking the Christmas thing literally with decorations up all the time but letting them get dusty? Or being shrewd in business but in charity it seems he just gave to anyone with a story. I would think he'd at least seek out who would best use the money for the poor or start his own charity.
The story might have been better had it had independent characters and thus you had no previous idea of how they should behave. Using the characters from A Christmas Carol added nothing to the story.
It might have been partially my fault for thinking this was more of a Christmas story than it was.
weaselweader's review against another edition
5.0
A Dickensian treasure - charms and thrills at the same time!
Timothy Cratchitt, now fully grown with his crippling childhood infirmity reduced to a limp and a chronic ache in bad weather, is sadly mindful of his financial dependence on his uncle. Somewhat disappointed in himself for that, he lives in Mrs. Sharpe's brothel, earning his room and board by teaching the madam of the house how to read. He and his dear friend, Captain Gully, scrape together spending money by trolling the Thames for lost treasures and even by recovering the corpses of the odd suicide or murder victim. With the help of a brash, resourceful young street urchin, Colin the Melodious (who also happens to be an exceedingly talented boy treble), Timothy rescues Philomela, a terrified young Italian orphan girl, on the run from an unscrupulous aristocrat who runs a brutal child sex/slavery ring. Using Timothy's powerful and eloquent first person narration, Bayard pulls us relentlessly through a deeply atmospheric Victorian crime story that, oddly enough, will charm readers at the same time as it thrills and horrifies them.
The charm arises out of Bayard permitting us to witness Timothy's personal growth as he sadly comes to a realization that, as a young crippled boy, he was entirely self-centred and self-pitying, unaware of his father's strength, self-sacrifice and intense devotion to his family. In an obvious reference to Mr. Timothy's forerunner, Dickens' Christmas Carol, Bayard uses the device of ghostly sightings of Timothy's father and conversations or letters to his deceased father to reveal Timothy's contemplations on his personality, the realization of the magnitude of his losses, the maturation of his relationship with his surviving family members and his uncle "Neezer" and, ultimately, the release of his father's spirit to its final happy rest.
The thrills arise out of hair's breadth escapes, high speed chase scenes (believe it or not!), and Timothy's relentless pursuit of Philomela's abductors to the heart of a crime ring whose perversions will run chills up and down the spines of even the most-hardened readers! The story is driven by extraordinarily well-developed characters, realistic dialogue and quintessential 1860 Victorian London atmosphere and settings. As with any novel that purports to be fundamentally Dickensian in character, there are some positively hilarious comedic moments as well that, rather than distracting from the overall story, simply add to the astounding development of its characters.
This novel is a treasure!
Paul Weiss
Timothy Cratchitt, now fully grown with his crippling childhood infirmity reduced to a limp and a chronic ache in bad weather, is sadly mindful of his financial dependence on his uncle. Somewhat disappointed in himself for that, he lives in Mrs. Sharpe's brothel, earning his room and board by teaching the madam of the house how to read. He and his dear friend, Captain Gully, scrape together spending money by trolling the Thames for lost treasures and even by recovering the corpses of the odd suicide or murder victim. With the help of a brash, resourceful young street urchin, Colin the Melodious (who also happens to be an exceedingly talented boy treble), Timothy rescues Philomela, a terrified young Italian orphan girl, on the run from an unscrupulous aristocrat who runs a brutal child sex/slavery ring. Using Timothy's powerful and eloquent first person narration, Bayard pulls us relentlessly through a deeply atmospheric Victorian crime story that, oddly enough, will charm readers at the same time as it thrills and horrifies them.
The charm arises out of Bayard permitting us to witness Timothy's personal growth as he sadly comes to a realization that, as a young crippled boy, he was entirely self-centred and self-pitying, unaware of his father's strength, self-sacrifice and intense devotion to his family. In an obvious reference to Mr. Timothy's forerunner, Dickens' Christmas Carol, Bayard uses the device of ghostly sightings of Timothy's father and conversations or letters to his deceased father to reveal Timothy's contemplations on his personality, the realization of the magnitude of his losses, the maturation of his relationship with his surviving family members and his uncle "Neezer" and, ultimately, the release of his father's spirit to its final happy rest.
The thrills arise out of hair's breadth escapes, high speed chase scenes (believe it or not!), and Timothy's relentless pursuit of Philomela's abductors to the heart of a crime ring whose perversions will run chills up and down the spines of even the most-hardened readers! The story is driven by extraordinarily well-developed characters, realistic dialogue and quintessential 1860 Victorian London atmosphere and settings. As with any novel that purports to be fundamentally Dickensian in character, there are some positively hilarious comedic moments as well that, rather than distracting from the overall story, simply add to the astounding development of its characters.
This novel is a treasure!
Paul Weiss
stbeatrizsoria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I was fascinated by this book as it's an excellent novel and the language could date it back to XIX century.
It's dark, well plotted, full of twists, and gripping.
An excellent story that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
It's dark, well plotted, full of twists, and gripping.
An excellent story that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
crlpedigo's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Rape
sobolevnrm's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not totally sure why, but I really loved this book -- it was very entertaining.
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
It's almost Christmas, but Tiny Tim Cratchit is no longer a child. Having lost both parents & several of his siblings, twenty-three year old Tim is trying to forge his own path in life. Currently reliant on handouts from 'Uncle Neezer', he lives in a room in a brothel in London, & pays his way by teaching the madam to read. One day he finds the dead body of a young girl who has a peculiar branding on her shoulder - the letter G. When he fleeting sees another young girl with the same branding, she is gone before he can speak to her. He engages a young urchin, Colin the Melodious, a ten-year-old street kid to track her down. Together they find the girl, Philomela, but when a strange woman & richly dressed man try to kidnap her off the street,Timothy realises that she is in grave danger. Philomela is placed with a friend & Timothy works to gain her trust, & she finally reveals that the rich man is running a human trafficking operation, bringing in young girls for the sex trade.
The book gets off to a slow start & it takes a while for the pace to actually pick up. I found it worth sticking with though as the author paints a vivid picture of life in Victorian London with its deprivations & squalor. Colin is a great character, he seems to be somewhat reminiscent of the Artful Dodger - a young boy who has had a tough life for his tender years & had to grow up quickly to survive on the streets. He's more engaging than the main character, Tim, who until at least halfway through the book is rather timid & bland. The book deals with some dark subjects including paedophilia, human trafficking, & murder. I found some sections difficult to read due to the subject matter, & there were several scenes which became rather ridiculous, including the ending. Overall, a slow burner which covers some dark subjects, & for me, it ultimately fails at providing a main character to be invested in. 3 stars
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, John Murray Press/Baskerville, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
The book gets off to a slow start & it takes a while for the pace to actually pick up. I found it worth sticking with though as the author paints a vivid picture of life in Victorian London with its deprivations & squalor. Colin is a great character, he seems to be somewhat reminiscent of the Artful Dodger - a young boy who has had a tough life for his tender years & had to grow up quickly to survive on the streets. He's more engaging than the main character, Tim, who until at least halfway through the book is rather timid & bland. The book deals with some dark subjects including paedophilia, human trafficking, & murder. I found some sections difficult to read due to the subject matter, & there were several scenes which became rather ridiculous, including the ending. Overall, a slow burner which covers some dark subjects, & for me, it ultimately fails at providing a main character to be invested in. 3 stars
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, John Murray Press/Baskerville, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia and Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence
bookbelle5_17's review against another edition
2.0
Most are familiar with the classic Christmas tale written by Charles Dickens; whether you’ve actually read it or you have seen one of the many adaptations you probably know the story. There is even a movie that tells a fictionalized version of how “A Christmas Carol” came about. Tiny Tim is a secondary character at the heart of the story. He is the crippled son of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s underpaid clerk, and the boy is a saintly as an angel. He says things like, and I’m paraphrasing, “I hope people will see me so they’ll be reminded of how God heals the sick”. Of course, we have the famous ending line “God Bless us, everyone”, but this novel debunks that. Dickens was known for writing angelic children if they were a main character, and I imagine back then it was not as big of a deal, but by today’s standards for literature it is annoying.
In “Mr. Timothy” Tiny Tim and is not so tiny and trying desperately to escape his childhood reputation and not be dependent on his Uncle N aka Scrooge. In Scrooge’s story, Tiny is only a secondary character, but one that is the catalyst that is the turning point for Scrooge, but in this story, Scrooge is a background character in Tim’s life. He played a role in Tim’s growing up but as an adult Tim wants to live his own life. Scrooge is definitely overcompensating for his greedy and cruel ways from the original. He has been making sure the best doctors take care of Tim and is constantly giving money to charities, but it leaves the rest of the Cratchit children in the dust. This aspect is only the secondary plot as Tim gets mixed up in criminal activity. Preteen girls are being prostituted and found dead. Tim comes across a potential next victim, ten-year-old Philomena, and he takes her under his protective care.
As I said, this debunks Tiny Tim’s saintly persona, which you realize he resents and felt pressured to live up to. Now he lives at a brothel and offers to teach the Matron of the house to read for free room and board. The thriller part of the story shows the darker of London. We know it’s bad in “A Christmas Carol”, but this story is actually active in showing the underbelly of London, not just brief glimpses. Philomena is only ten years of age and so are the other girls being sold to old men as brides. One of the women helping with the “business” hides behind a religious guise so no will believe that she guilty of such disgusting crimes as prostituting young girls. There are sightings of ghosts in this story, but their presence is only hints of them with little involvement in the character’s lives. They do not need the same kind of guidance Scrooge did. Bayard does not shy away from vulgar and suggestive language such as the F word and of course, showing the “business” of prostitution. He pays homage to Dickens beautiful writing with his sentences having a similar flair, but written in a modern way that’s not as long winded. Bayard shows his love for “A Christmas Carol” and Dickens but does his own thing with his characters.
In “Mr. Timothy” Tiny Tim and is not so tiny and trying desperately to escape his childhood reputation and not be dependent on his Uncle N aka Scrooge. In Scrooge’s story, Tiny is only a secondary character, but one that is the catalyst that is the turning point for Scrooge, but in this story, Scrooge is a background character in Tim’s life. He played a role in Tim’s growing up but as an adult Tim wants to live his own life. Scrooge is definitely overcompensating for his greedy and cruel ways from the original. He has been making sure the best doctors take care of Tim and is constantly giving money to charities, but it leaves the rest of the Cratchit children in the dust. This aspect is only the secondary plot as Tim gets mixed up in criminal activity. Preteen girls are being prostituted and found dead. Tim comes across a potential next victim, ten-year-old Philomena, and he takes her under his protective care.
As I said, this debunks Tiny Tim’s saintly persona, which you realize he resents and felt pressured to live up to. Now he lives at a brothel and offers to teach the Matron of the house to read for free room and board. The thriller part of the story shows the darker of London. We know it’s bad in “A Christmas Carol”, but this story is actually active in showing the underbelly of London, not just brief glimpses. Philomena is only ten years of age and so are the other girls being sold to old men as brides. One of the women helping with the “business” hides behind a religious guise so no will believe that she guilty of such disgusting crimes as prostituting young girls. There are sightings of ghosts in this story, but their presence is only hints of them with little involvement in the character’s lives. They do not need the same kind of guidance Scrooge did. Bayard does not shy away from vulgar and suggestive language such as the F word and of course, showing the “business” of prostitution. He pays homage to Dickens beautiful writing with his sentences having a similar flair, but written in a modern way that’s not as long winded. Bayard shows his love for “A Christmas Carol” and Dickens but does his own thing with his characters.