Life Mask

Emma Donaoghue takes her time developing the delicious characters in her book which minces along for 190 pages before she opens the door to the intricacies of these people even a crack. Interwoven with a nice slice of English history at the time of the French Revolution, Donoghue strolls through a hefty dose of classist/elitist thinking through her character of Lord Derby and Anne Damer, as they interact with the common actress Eliza Farren. With twists and turns, the heart of the book slowly reveals itself as Mrs Damer begins to understand and accept her true nature. What is amazing about this book is that it is so tame, twisted, and subtley erotic that the reader gets caught in the tale and is forced to reflect instead of burn through the pages. A great read.

I read this after Slammerkin. I really loved the story and the portrayal of British society life during this period. Thank you, Ms. Donoghue!

I was introduced to Emma Donoghue through her previous novel "Slammerkin", and am currently reading everything she else she has written so far. "Life Mask" is a complex novel, both in it's characters as well as in it's settings. The story follows the loves and lives of Eliza Farrow, actress, Lord Derby who is in love with Eliza, and Anne Damer, a sculptor who also appears to be in love with Eliza. Thus we are introduced to their triangluar relationship and become privy to open and closed secrets. The book is fascinating, although at times the politics of the time overwhelm the story somewhat. I am familiar with European politics having grown up in Austria, but I imagine it could be challenging to someone less familiar. Still, a smashing read!

In her previous novel, Slammerkin, Ms.Donoghue created a superbly realized piece of literature based on a tiny historical footnote: one Mary Saunders, a prostitute, in 1760's England, was put to death at the age of 16 for murdering her benefactor. Out of this tidbit came a vivid, engrossing and deliciously lurid tale. In this, her latest novel, she is quite a bit more ambitious. For now her tale encompasses the lives of not one, but three characters in 18th century England, each of whom is far more complex than poor Mary, being as they are at the forefront of London society, politics and culture. Although the historical record gives Ms. Donoghue more to work with, there is still plenty of room for her imagination to soar, and soar it surely does in this magnificent novel. The notable accomplishment here, and the thing which historical fiction aficionados most desire, is that it wholly transports one to another time and place. More than just recounting events or the clothes one wore, the reader wishes to come to know people. What were their thoughts, their motivations, their fears, their hopes in this long ago period? How were they able to cope, and what were society's expectations of and limitations on them? Ms. Donoghue expertly brings this era to life--the ten year period beginning in 1787 London--through the lives of her three main characters. They are: Eliza Farren, the premiere comedic actress of her day; the Earl of Derby, her suitor, a member of the House of Lords, and the richest man in England; and Anne Damer, a member of the nobility, and a noted sculptress. Eliza Farren was not born to the nobility but finds her ticket out of the dregs is her beauty and superb composure on the London stage. She attains fame, but interestingly in these times, fame does not necessarily translate into wealth, although she does well enough. Nevertheless, she is morbidly aware that a slip, a slur, a misstep, could end her career in a heartbeat. Life in the colorful London theater was fraught with anxiety. During this time she is courted by Lord Derby, who is married but estranged from his wife. We learn that a lady's virtue in 18th century London was of extreme importance, and fascinatingly, throughout the entire lengthy courtship, Ms. Farren never has a single meeting with Lord Derby without the accompaniment of her chaperone mother. In today's day and age, this is almost hard to believe, but back then, a lady's reputation was quite often her only asset. In Miss Farren's case, everything depended on it. But the novel does not simply leave it at that. Their contrived behavior has a profound effect on their relationship. Derby must be almost inhumanely patient, and occasionally boils over with suppressed desire. Eliza over time becomes brittle and distant, resisting as she must the advances of her suitor, while at the same time sublimating ever more deeply the longing in her heart. Derby, as a member of the House o

Judging by Emma Donoghue's second novel, the rabid London scandal sheets haven't changed a bit in the last 200 years. She opens each chapter with a titillating bit of tattle from a (fictional) tabloid focused on the "beau monde" of London high society, or, as they like to dub themselves, "the World." Set during the decade from 1787 to 1797, Donoghue's ("Slammerkin") story revolves around a real-life scandal concerning an actress, an earl and an aristocratic female sculptor. From this vantage point, Donoghue's view encompasses the turbulent politics of the time, from the madness of King George III to the French Revolution. She explores the stratifications of class and the restricted lives of women as she ventures from Parliament to the stage, from the sculptor's studio to the drawing room. While clearly copious, her research never gets in the way as she dresses her characters for intimate dinners of ten, and sets them to talking gossip and politics over lobster au gratin and mutton with gherkins. Eliza Farren is the actress, the Queen of Comedy at Drury Lane who has caught the eye of the Earl of Derby, a man of small stature and huge fortune. He is also, unfortunately, a man in possession of a wife, albeit a disgraced and estranged invalid of a wife. Derby is eager to introduce Eliza to Anne Damer, "an original; she reads Latin better than most of us Etonians." Widowed, Anne enjoys her independence, in every sense of the word. She is a serious sculptor who has always followed her muse and never taken a commission. To their mutual surprise, the women become fast friends. Anne is a well-connected, well-educated aristocrat and Eliza has clawed her way up from the gutter on talent and determination. But in Donoghue's capable hands, neither is a stereotype; both open new worlds for the other. Their friendship is warm, fresh and energized. And then it all comes to a crashing end with one nasty little verse hinting at a lesbian relationship between the two. It's the sort of tabloid innuendo Eliza, who maintains her elegant Mayfair home on her earnings, cannot afford. Meanwhile, Eliza's relationship with Derby is famously platonic. Unlike other actresses of her time, Eliza guards herself from any whiff of scandal. She is never alone with the Earl and accepts no presents other than the use of his carriage. And as the years pass, Derby remains doggedly faithful, waiting for his wife to die so he can marry Eliza. Derby and Anne introduce Eliza to politics, another arena, like friendship, she has never had any time for. Whigs who oppose the autocratic rule of King George III and his Prime Minister William Pitt, they favor expanded suffrage (though not quite to women), more equitable taxes and more freedom in general. The storming of the Bastille is a seminal event for British Whigs - they cheer the new liberality and women wear stone fragments of the smashed prison as pendants. Fashions change to reflect the simplicity of the more egalitarian French