ladyhighwayman's review against another edition
4.0
Set in 1840 and 50s New York, Captivity is an engaging story revolving around the infamous Fox sisters, who single-handedly started the spiritualist movement in America. The sisters Maggie and Kate used 'tapping' to communicate with the dead while their sister Leah led from the background.
Intertwined with the Fox sisters' story, is the story of fictional character Clara, who is originally from London. Now living in New York with her father, Clara is a recluse with mystery and gossip swirling around her. She comes across Maggie and Kate as they occasionally play the role of servant in her home. Maggie and Clara eventually accumulate a strong bond.
Captivity didn't have a whole lot of dialogue, but I barely noticed. The writing was so entrancing with a different sort of style which I hadn't experienced beforehand.
During the first part of the story we encountered flashbacks of Clara's life in London in the 1830s and of a love which she had never let go of. The events that we eventually come across in these flashbacks explains why Clara is the way she is. These flashbacks were especially gripping.
Deborah Noyes has written a novel about an interesting time in American history. During the time in England where people had an unusual interest in the dead, we find out it was no different in America. People would hang on to anything and believe anything, thinking that they were communicating with their dear, departed love ones. And people like the Fox sisters were there to play on desperation and take these people's hard-earned money.
I had heard about the Fox sister in various accounts, such as a biography about Victoria Woodhull I had read called Other Powers, but I'd never read a book - fiction or non - where the sisters were prominent. I am fully interested in learning about them: their rise to fame and they eventual downfall.
I highly recommend Captivity for historical fiction lovers. It is a gem.
Intertwined with the Fox sisters' story, is the story of fictional character Clara, who is originally from London. Now living in New York with her father, Clara is a recluse with mystery and gossip swirling around her. She comes across Maggie and Kate as they occasionally play the role of servant in her home. Maggie and Clara eventually accumulate a strong bond.
Captivity didn't have a whole lot of dialogue, but I barely noticed. The writing was so entrancing with a different sort of style which I hadn't experienced beforehand.
During the first part of the story we encountered flashbacks of Clara's life in London in the 1830s and of a love which she had never let go of. The events that we eventually come across in these flashbacks explains why Clara is the way she is. These flashbacks were especially gripping.
Deborah Noyes has written a novel about an interesting time in American history. During the time in England where people had an unusual interest in the dead, we find out it was no different in America. People would hang on to anything and believe anything, thinking that they were communicating with their dear, departed love ones. And people like the Fox sisters were there to play on desperation and take these people's hard-earned money.
I had heard about the Fox sister in various accounts, such as a biography about Victoria Woodhull I had read called Other Powers, but I'd never read a book - fiction or non - where the sisters were prominent. I am fully interested in learning about them: their rise to fame and they eventual downfall.
I highly recommend Captivity for historical fiction lovers. It is a gem.
playmysti4me's review
1.0
Not for me. Gave the book more than 50 pages and put it down. Never could get interested in both story lines. Most of the time I kept thinking I was in adjective hell.
an_enthusiastic_reader's review against another edition
3.0
I'd love to read this. Via review: http://brainblossom.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/captivity-deborah-noyes/ My favorite indie press, Unbridled Books.
melissajayne's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed at Jayne's Books.
It took me about half of the book to get into it and it was after a podcast that I heard on the Fox sisters that I actually got into the book.The one thing that bugged me about the book was the constant back and forth between the storyline for the Fox sisters and Clara and it was a huge thing that I couldn't read it for sometime. I probably missed things that were important to the story, but by the last few readings of the book, I just wanted to get it done.
It took me about half of the book to get into it and it was after a podcast that I heard on the Fox sisters that I actually got into the book.The one thing that bugged me about the book was the constant back and forth between the storyline for the Fox sisters and Clara and it was a huge thing that I couldn't read it for sometime. I probably missed things that were important to the story, but by the last few readings of the book, I just wanted to get it done.
whatsheread's review against another edition
4.0
Captivity is an intriguing mystery, social commentary and psychological drama that explores the lives of two very different, and yet similar, women. On the surface, Maggie and Clara have nothing in common, and their burgeoning friendship helps propel the story forward while drawing the reader further into the mystery of the rappings and at the same time examining the significance of the novel. It is a beautifully, carefully written novel that demands the reader's undivided attention and forces the reader to take a stand on certain murky happenings. Compelling is too generic a term to describe Captivity fully.
The mystery of the novel involves the mysterious rappings that occur around Maggie and her sisters. The Fox sisters were real women, and they did indeed help found the Spiritualism movement because of these rappings. Ms. Noyes focuses on one of the sisters, allowing us to explore her feelings as her world explodes because of the confusion around these "spiritual" happenings. The truth behind the rappings remains murky, and Ms. Noyes capitalizes on this through her deliberate word choice. Were the Fox sisters truly spiritual mediums or were they charlatans? Ms. Noyes hints at both truths, leaving it up to the reader to make the final decision.
The psychological drama focuses on on these rappings and on Clara's own isolation. Captivity is very much a novel where nothing is as it seems. However, just when the reader realizes this, the story changes and things are exactly as they seem. This builds a tension that never eases, forcing the reader to continue with the story to seek a resolution that never quite seems to appear.
The social commentary is, to me, the most intriguing part of the novel. The 1840s were a time of limited options for women and even worse for single women. The title is an extremely significant indicator of these options. Were women captive to society, to matriarchs or those in authority, to self, to truth, to love, to death? Is anyone really free?
"every person's a slave to choice" (pg. 174)
Maggie is very much captive between two worlds: the living and the dead, her farming past and the rich milieu in which she is suddenly thrust, staying true to her sisters and staying true to her beau.
"we're all prisoners but carry around little worlds inside us that make us free" (pg. 174)
Clara is also struggling to avoid being held captive. It is my belief that her isolation is her attempt to avoid captivity by others, specifically her aunts, gossip and even her father. Regardless of what the reader thinks of the mysterious rappings, Maggie's and Clara's individual struggles through a society with such strict guidelines and expectations give Captivity its heart.
At first, the switching of narrators is confusing, but as each woman's voice becomes clear, the reader settles down to explore the nuances of the story. It has a twist in the middle that literally left my heart racing and me gasping for air because it was so unexpected. The language itself is simply gorgeous in its ability to weave the social commentary around the mystery without appearing obvious or jarring. Captivity is simply literary fiction at its finest.
The mystery of the novel involves the mysterious rappings that occur around Maggie and her sisters. The Fox sisters were real women, and they did indeed help found the Spiritualism movement because of these rappings. Ms. Noyes focuses on one of the sisters, allowing us to explore her feelings as her world explodes because of the confusion around these "spiritual" happenings. The truth behind the rappings remains murky, and Ms. Noyes capitalizes on this through her deliberate word choice. Were the Fox sisters truly spiritual mediums or were they charlatans? Ms. Noyes hints at both truths, leaving it up to the reader to make the final decision.
The psychological drama focuses on on these rappings and on Clara's own isolation. Captivity is very much a novel where nothing is as it seems. However, just when the reader realizes this, the story changes and things are exactly as they seem. This builds a tension that never eases, forcing the reader to continue with the story to seek a resolution that never quite seems to appear.
The social commentary is, to me, the most intriguing part of the novel. The 1840s were a time of limited options for women and even worse for single women. The title is an extremely significant indicator of these options. Were women captive to society, to matriarchs or those in authority, to self, to truth, to love, to death? Is anyone really free?
"every person's a slave to choice" (pg. 174)
Maggie is very much captive between two worlds: the living and the dead, her farming past and the rich milieu in which she is suddenly thrust, staying true to her sisters and staying true to her beau.
"we're all prisoners but carry around little worlds inside us that make us free" (pg. 174)
Clara is also struggling to avoid being held captive. It is my belief that her isolation is her attempt to avoid captivity by others, specifically her aunts, gossip and even her father. Regardless of what the reader thinks of the mysterious rappings, Maggie's and Clara's individual struggles through a society with such strict guidelines and expectations give Captivity its heart.
At first, the switching of narrators is confusing, but as each woman's voice becomes clear, the reader settles down to explore the nuances of the story. It has a twist in the middle that literally left my heart racing and me gasping for air because it was so unexpected. The language itself is simply gorgeous in its ability to weave the social commentary around the mystery without appearing obvious or jarring. Captivity is simply literary fiction at its finest.
ashleyh's review
4.0
Captivity is a beautiful and enthralling story that weaves together fact and fiction. From the fictional Clara Gill and her work at the factual menagerie at the Tower of London to the imagined personalities of the real Fox Sisters. Nothing felt awkward or out of character. It's obvious that Deborah Noyes did her research into the time period before she began writing. I am glad, though, that my knowledge of the Fox Sisters and the American Spiritualist movement was minimal before reading the book as I believe it would have distracted from Noyes' lyrical language and the haunting tale that she was spinning.
As for the characters, I found Maggie Fox irritating at the start of the book due to her self-centred nature, but came to appreciate Noyes' artistic portrayal of her as she matured. Maggie began to see the sisters' performances as more than a game and to consider the results of her actions. In comparison, I liked Clara from the start. It was hard not to empathize as it became obvious just how withdrawn from society she was and how obsessed she was with an unknown tragedy in her past. And I have to admit, I was intrigued by the mystery of what that tragedy was, and loved how Noyes expertly prolonged the suspense by offering only a bit of Clara's backstory at a time. Though in the end, I was surprised by the revelation as I'd been expecting something simpler and more innocent.
Overall, Captivity is a book that I'd recommend to other readers, but one that I'd be selective in recommending. It's a wonderful and entangled read, not something for those just looking for a quick afternoon's diversion. But those willing to give it a try will be rewarded.
Thanks to Unbridled Books for the ARC of Captivity. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on Captivity, check out the Unbridled website.
As for the characters, I found Maggie Fox irritating at the start of the book due to her self-centred nature, but came to appreciate Noyes' artistic portrayal of her as she matured. Maggie began to see the sisters' performances as more than a game and to consider the results of her actions. In comparison, I liked Clara from the start. It was hard not to empathize as it became obvious just how withdrawn from society she was and how obsessed she was with an unknown tragedy in her past. And I have to admit, I was intrigued by the mystery of what that tragedy was, and loved how Noyes expertly prolonged the suspense by offering only a bit of Clara's backstory at a time. Though in the end, I was surprised by the revelation as I'd been expecting something simpler and more innocent.
Overall, Captivity is a book that I'd recommend to other readers, but one that I'd be selective in recommending. It's a wonderful and entangled read, not something for those just looking for a quick afternoon's diversion. But those willing to give it a try will be rewarded.
Thanks to Unbridled Books for the ARC of Captivity. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on Captivity, check out the Unbridled website.
ladyhighwayman's review
4.0
Set in 1840 and 50s New York, Captivity is an engaging story revolving around the infamous Fox sisters, who single-handedly started the spiritualist movement in America. The sisters Maggie and Kate used 'tapping' to communicate with the dead while their sister Leah led from the background.
Intertwined with the Fox sisters' story, is the story of fictional character Clara, who is originally from London. Now living in New York with her father, Clara is a recluse with mystery and gossip swirling around her. She comes across Maggie and Kate as they occasionally play the role of servant in her home. Maggie and Clara eventually accumulate a strong bond.
Captivity didn't have a whole lot of dialogue, but I barely noticed. The writing was so entrancing with a different sort of style which I hadn't experienced beforehand.
During the first part of the story we encountered flashbacks of Clara's life in London in the 1830s and of a love which she had never let go of. The events that we eventually come across in these flashbacks explains why Clara is the way she is. These flashbacks were especially gripping.
Deborah Noyes has written a novel about an interesting time in American history. During the time in England where people had an unusual interest in the dead, we find out it was no different in America. People would hang on to anything and believe anything, thinking that they were communicating with their dear, departed love ones. And people like the Fox sisters were there to play on desperation and take these people's hard-earned money.
I had heard about the Fox sister in various accounts, such as a biography about Victoria Woodhull I had read called Other Powers, but I'd never read a book - fiction or non - where the sisters were prominent. I am fully interested in learning about them: their rise to fame and they eventual downfall.
I highly recommend Captivity for historical fiction lovers. It is a gem.
Intertwined with the Fox sisters' story, is the story of fictional character Clara, who is originally from London. Now living in New York with her father, Clara is a recluse with mystery and gossip swirling around her. She comes across Maggie and Kate as they occasionally play the role of servant in her home. Maggie and Clara eventually accumulate a strong bond.
Captivity didn't have a whole lot of dialogue, but I barely noticed. The writing was so entrancing with a different sort of style which I hadn't experienced beforehand.
During the first part of the story we encountered flashbacks of Clara's life in London in the 1830s and of a love which she had never let go of. The events that we eventually come across in these flashbacks explains why Clara is the way she is. These flashbacks were especially gripping.
Deborah Noyes has written a novel about an interesting time in American history. During the time in England where people had an unusual interest in the dead, we find out it was no different in America. People would hang on to anything and believe anything, thinking that they were communicating with their dear, departed love ones. And people like the Fox sisters were there to play on desperation and take these people's hard-earned money.
I had heard about the Fox sister in various accounts, such as a biography about Victoria Woodhull I had read called Other Powers, but I'd never read a book - fiction or non - where the sisters were prominent. I am fully interested in learning about them: their rise to fame and they eventual downfall.
I highly recommend Captivity for historical fiction lovers. It is a gem.
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