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A review by llynn66
By Gaslight by Steven Price
4.0
By Gaslight may have already claimed the prize as 'my favorite historical fiction book read in 2017'. The year, however, is young. I reserve the right to enjoy another title even more later in the year and to revise my opinion. But, in this elegant and rather epic saga of a man hunt that spans post Civil War America, the Victorian London demi monde and the far flung shores of South Africa, Steven Price has entered a superior offering into the mix.
By Gaslight weaves together the real life character of William Pinkerton (son of famed 19th century detective Allen Pinkerton, of the eponymous detective agency) and the fictional character of Adam Foole, also know as Edward Shade. Adam Foole is a skilled professional thief and member of London's 'flash world' of criminals. Once upon a time he was Edward Shade, an orphaned boy of mixed heritage who became caught up in the American Civil War. Before that he was another boy altogether...a boy without a home or family and with a birth name he has shed more than once. Foole has survived through cunning and criminal skill. Yet, as a boy, he had worked for Allen Pinkerton, embarking on a harrowing piece of espionage behind Confederate lines. Pinkerton senior had taken note of Edward Shade's street urchin skills and groomed the boy to work as an operative.
Edward Shade, before he vanished, became another son to Allen Pinkerton...a son not through birth but through the relationships that are forged by battle. Pinkerton senior grew obsessed with the fate of Shade and this mystery clouded his later years. The ''shadow" of this Shade also left a mark on the relationship between Pinkerton and his eldest son, William. After the great detective dies, William, himself, becomes compelled to look for Shade and to learn what his father failed to uncover about the man who may only have existed in myth.
William's quest takes him to the sooty, choleric and dangerous world of London's criminal class in search of the enigmatic boy, Edward Shade, who vanished after the war.
Meanwhile we take in much of the story through the viewpoint of Adam Foole. Foole's life has been one of both misery and splendor. His is a tale of adventure in love (with a female con artist named Charlotte Reckett) and war. I remain unsure as to whether the author intended Pinkerton or Foole to be the main protagonist. Pinkerton certainly would be the traditional choice. He represents the long arm of the law, traversing two continents to learn the truth about his father's complex relationship with a man who may be only a ghost. Yet Pinkerton's character is more difficult to warm to. He is the emotionally reserved and rough detective character we often find in crime fiction. Foole is more vibrant. At times he is a tragic soul, at times a romantic figure, at times nothing more than a slick con man. I rooted for Foole at every turn.
In the final analysis, I believe that both characters share the vital role of protagonist (I was too invested in Foole to view him antagonistically) and that they had a symbiotic relationship in the story. The motivations of one could not be fed without the actions of the other.
By Gaslight is a lush and descriptive work of bravura fiction. The cover art is such that the book screamed 'Read Me!' when I pulled it off the shelf. I compare it to another book I loved twenty years ago..."The Alienist" by Caleb Carr. I do not feel that the design of this book was accidental. In my opinion, readers who enjoyed The Alienist would also be pleased with By Gaslight. -- Finally, readers should note two things: First, this book is long. It is over 700 pages. I often read reviews of door stoppers like this one and find that the reviewer spends paragraphs complaining about how long the book was. I always wonder what they thought they were getting into when they chose the book in the first place! (It feels like me taking an ill advised trip to H&M, selecting a pair of size 4 skinny jeans, purchasing them, and then going home and writing a nasty email to the company about how the jeans were 'too small'. Only the inverse.)
Secondly, several reviewers have pointed out an anomaly in style that was used in this book, to the distraction of some and the downright irritation of others. This was the choice the editors made in not enclosing character dialogue in quotation marks. Many readers found this to be unnecessarily confusing and also a hindrance to their enjoyment of the book. Although I was able to get into the flow of the narrative and get past this stylistic oddity, I do feel like it is a valid complaint. And I wonder if more books will get this treatment, in the future, as we continue to move more toward 'text speak' in our writing. I suppose I am enough of a fuddy duddy to hope that this will not be the case.
That is a small issue in a wonderful larger confection of deft writing.
By Gaslight weaves together the real life character of William Pinkerton (son of famed 19th century detective Allen Pinkerton, of the eponymous detective agency) and the fictional character of Adam Foole, also know as Edward Shade. Adam Foole is a skilled professional thief and member of London's 'flash world' of criminals. Once upon a time he was Edward Shade, an orphaned boy of mixed heritage who became caught up in the American Civil War. Before that he was another boy altogether...a boy without a home or family and with a birth name he has shed more than once. Foole has survived through cunning and criminal skill. Yet, as a boy, he had worked for Allen Pinkerton, embarking on a harrowing piece of espionage behind Confederate lines. Pinkerton senior had taken note of Edward Shade's street urchin skills and groomed the boy to work as an operative.
Edward Shade, before he vanished, became another son to Allen Pinkerton...a son not through birth but through the relationships that are forged by battle. Pinkerton senior grew obsessed with the fate of Shade and this mystery clouded his later years. The ''shadow" of this Shade also left a mark on the relationship between Pinkerton and his eldest son, William. After the great detective dies, William, himself, becomes compelled to look for Shade and to learn what his father failed to uncover about the man who may only have existed in myth.
William's quest takes him to the sooty, choleric and dangerous world of London's criminal class in search of the enigmatic boy, Edward Shade, who vanished after the war.
Meanwhile we take in much of the story through the viewpoint of Adam Foole. Foole's life has been one of both misery and splendor. His is a tale of adventure in love (with a female con artist named Charlotte Reckett) and war. I remain unsure as to whether the author intended Pinkerton or Foole to be the main protagonist. Pinkerton certainly would be the traditional choice. He represents the long arm of the law, traversing two continents to learn the truth about his father's complex relationship with a man who may be only a ghost. Yet Pinkerton's character is more difficult to warm to. He is the emotionally reserved and rough detective character we often find in crime fiction. Foole is more vibrant. At times he is a tragic soul, at times a romantic figure, at times nothing more than a slick con man. I rooted for Foole at every turn.
In the final analysis, I believe that both characters share the vital role of protagonist (I was too invested in Foole to view him antagonistically) and that they had a symbiotic relationship in the story. The motivations of one could not be fed without the actions of the other.
By Gaslight is a lush and descriptive work of bravura fiction. The cover art is such that the book screamed 'Read Me!' when I pulled it off the shelf. I compare it to another book I loved twenty years ago..."The Alienist" by Caleb Carr. I do not feel that the design of this book was accidental. In my opinion, readers who enjoyed The Alienist would also be pleased with By Gaslight. -- Finally, readers should note two things: First, this book is long. It is over 700 pages. I often read reviews of door stoppers like this one and find that the reviewer spends paragraphs complaining about how long the book was. I always wonder what they thought they were getting into when they chose the book in the first place! (It feels like me taking an ill advised trip to H&M, selecting a pair of size 4 skinny jeans, purchasing them, and then going home and writing a nasty email to the company about how the jeans were 'too small'. Only the inverse.)
Secondly, several reviewers have pointed out an anomaly in style that was used in this book, to the distraction of some and the downright irritation of others. This was the choice the editors made in not enclosing character dialogue in quotation marks. Many readers found this to be unnecessarily confusing and also a hindrance to their enjoyment of the book. Although I was able to get into the flow of the narrative and get past this stylistic oddity, I do feel like it is a valid complaint. And I wonder if more books will get this treatment, in the future, as we continue to move more toward 'text speak' in our writing. I suppose I am enough of a fuddy duddy to hope that this will not be the case.
That is a small issue in a wonderful larger confection of deft writing.