Customer Reviews

The Dark Lantern: A Novel

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jane Wilbred takes a new position as the second maid in a London household to escape the injustice of her service in the country for a family who knows of her past. But Jane may have made a poor choice in accepting a position at the Bentley household because it is full of unkind, even manipulative people who also have secrets.

The matriarch of the Bentley family is dying. Second son Robert, who is an enthusiast of the study of anthropometry (the science of identifying criminals by the measurements of certain parts of their bodies), and his wife Mina, have returned home from Paris. Also there is the first son's widow-he had married without informing the family-and then died in a shipwreck on his way home from India.

There's a butler who likes his drink more than his job; a cook; Mrs. Bentley's ladies maid; a first maid who searches through her employer's things or stands outside of doors to overhear what is going on; a simple scullery maid; and Jane. Everyone has secrets and is less than stellar representatives of the human race. Put them all together and you have an intriguing look at life in a Victorian England household filled with deception and mystery.

Jane is doing more than her share of the work, blackmailed by the first maid who figured out who Jane is, and pressured by the mistress of the house to spy on her fellow servants-or lose her position without a character reference. How can Jane survive in London where she knows no one and her position is becoming intolerable?

I was captivated from the first page of the story and held prisoner all the way to the end, trying to guess what would happen next, who was a good guy and who was a bad guy, and who would survive the obvious coming downfall of the household of a Victorian England family that is teaming with secrets and deception. It is fascinating to watch the plots and plans unravel around the people there. And through it all, poor hardworking, mistreated Jane is just trying to survive.

Armchair Interview says: Although it sounds like a miserable story, it is not. It is a wonderful set of interconnected mysteries that will leave you glad that you didn't have to serve as a servant in Victorian England!

This is one of the best books I've read all year! I honestly had a hard time putting it down it was so riveting. If you're looking for a great mystery, look no further, this is it! I REALLY hope she writes another which takes place during this time frame or earlier, that would be awesome.

What a lovely read. Perfect for a summer afternoon. Well-paced, good characterization, thoroughly engaging, clean direct prose, wonderfully intriguing. I read it in two sittings and consider it time well spent. Enjoy.

Set in London in 1893, the story centers around the Bentleys and their servants. Robert Bentley is involved in the study of anthropometry, the study of identifying criminals by their measurements. His wife, Mina, struggles to escape from her past. They are joined by the supposed widow of Robert's brother, Henry, drowned at sea. In addition, there are the servants: Cartwright, the butler; Mrs. Johnson, the cook; Elsie, the scullery maid; Sarah, the shifty first housemaid; and Jane, the second housemaid. The novel opens when Jane arrives in London, trying to escape the secrets that she, too, harbors. A few days after her arrival, a burglar breaks into the Bentley home and rifles around in the study, triggering a series of events that are shrouded in mystery.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Although the premise is intriguing, I thought that this book isn't quite as well-thought-out as it might have been. There are way too many things in Mina's past that are merely hinted at; same thing goes for the widow and Jane. There's not much in terms of explaining each character's motives, and certain characters' manipulation of others was a little too overt. I thought the comparison between anthropometry and fingerprinting was absolutely fascinating, however. And the ambience of the novel was deliciously chilling. But at the same time, I thought that the relationship between the Bentleys and their servants was a little too unrealistic. Yes, there probably was a lot of distrust on both sides, but not, I imagine, to the extent that the Bentleys distrust their servants here. Also, I thought the ending was a little half-baked; too many loose threads. Other than that, though, the book is quite convincing as an historical period piece, in an era where class distinction was quite rigidly defined.

Set in the final years of the reign of Queen Victoria, the Dark Lantern is a novel about 3 women with dark secrets. The youngest, Jane, must support herself as a house maid, always fearful of possible exposure of her identity as the daughter of a murderess. She lands a job in the London household of Robert Bentley, whose wife Mina has a hidden past that haunts her and requires constant subterfuge. Downstairs, the servants live in the atmosphere of a viper's nest, with constant spying and backbiting. Upstairs, the family is awaiting the imminent death of their matriarch. The sudden death of the elder brother upsets the equilibrium, and after the woman who claims to be his widow arrives, things will never return to what passed for normal.

This well crafted, atmospheric plot plays out against a rich background of class differences, the fog and facelessness of London, the developing science of criminology, and always, a sense of fate and foreboding. Excellent first novel.

one of the better victorian style novels. It intertwines the real goings on in the lives of housemaids , etc. which has you feeling the real experiences of the times and sadness for the houseworkers who's work literally never ends and when too old are left out in the cold to fend for themselves unless they managed marriage and tried to survive together . the good old days ..hah !

Then there's the feel of old London with it's famed ( for the times ) " Pea soupers " , of fog, smut and dirty air even which the rich Londoners could not escape unless they also owned homes far out in countryside.

Mystery aspect .....

along with pulling you into the lives of the servants , this author gives you a great mystery which I couldn't figure out with all the twists and turns and many colorful characters ( easy to follow ) til the last page and I am a true mystery buff so KUDOS Ms. Brightwell . Thanks for the great read I couldn't put it down .

Another smart Victorian novel that does not disappoint. Brightwell craftily depicts Victorian London from behind the draped curtains of middle-class society. This is a book that holds actual thematic weight and not just a promising plot. Through the weaving and interaction of characters the class line is drawn, but also crossed, which gives the story a classical feel and is probably due to the author's schooled background in literature studies. Even though class separates the characters, secrets connect them, which places them all on a similar level of sorts. This idea had me thinking long after the story was finished and for that gem, I think it is intelligent and worth the reading time invested. I am a bit surprised this novel does not have higher ratings on other sites.

The story begins with Jane and although she remains a primary focus, Mina emerges to equal attention. This is an interesting topic for discussion, but had me asking for a moment, `Is this Jane or Mina's story?' There was a slight shift in importance when I believe the character's story (Mina) could have been told without lessening the emphasis on the heroine Jane. Also as a reader, I found myself a tad cheated when it came to Sarah. I was taken in by the description of her and I kept waiting for this wilily maid to play a bigger role, but she never did. I was baited on the build up and was kicked out in the cold when her fate was so quickly swept a side.

Not a great novel but good as a first one. Plot is well outlined by the other reviewers. An effortless read with no dead boring spots. An enjoyable page turner with good pacing of storyline.

Gives a good feel for the claustrophobic life of Victorian servants stuck day after day in a repetitive exhausting routine during the era when London was a fogged/smogged in, cold and coal-dirty big city.

Characters are distinct and consistent. I was sorry when the book ended as there were some characters I would've liked to spend more time with as they continue their sagas through life.

The various characters' secrets are complex enough to be both interesting and believable.

Overall, definitely recommended for a satisfying light read.

An excellent read with good character development, especially for a first-time novelist. The title might imply a dark mystery; but the story is more about the life and drudgery of a maid in the home of a well-to-do couple in mid-19th century London. Many of the actors, however, have unpleasant secrets, which the author unveils cleverly as the story progresses. Besides enjoyment of a lively narrative, the author's meticulous research provides detailed insight into how an upper class English household functioned during this era.

Gerri Brightwell's "The Dark Lantern" opens in London in 1893. Sixteen-year-old Jane Wilbred, an orphan whose mother was hanged after being convicted of murder, has forged a letter in order to obtain a position as second housemaid for the Bentley family. She left her job working for a heartless and domineering mistress and traveled five hours by train, hoping that her new situation will be a step up for her. Little does this naïve creature realize that she is a fly about to be caught in a spider's intricate web. Jane will soon settle into an arduous and backbreaking routine. She will be exhausted from her daily grind of hard labor followed by a few hours of rest in a freezing room. She will have almost no time to herself and her hands will become red and raw from incessant scrubbing and cleaning.

The mistress of the Bentley household is an elderly woman who is lying on her deathbed. Her son, Robert, and his wife of four years, Mina, have left Paris to take care of matters during his mother's illness. Robert and Mina are almost penniless. They have been living on money that Mina inherited, but their funds are almost gone. Although he does not earn any income, Robert spends his time promoting anthropometry (the science of identifying criminals using body measurements), which he learned from the esteemed Monsieur Bertillon in France. Robert would like the English government to adopt this system, which he claims is superior to dactylography (fingerprinting) as a means of identification, but he has not yet convinced British officials that his method is both efficient and accurate.

"The Dark Lantern" is a multilayered story in which Brightwell exposes the lies, deceptions, hypocrisy, inequitable class system, and restrictive gender roles in nineteenth century British society. Almost everyone has something to hide; servants spy on their masters and vice versa. Those harboring secrets live in fear that they will be found out and they desperately resort to bribery and subterfuge to avoid exposure. In turn, those who are in a position to expose the guilty recognize an opportunity to engage in blackmail. With pitch-perfect dialogue and excellent descriptive writing, the author delves into each character's inner thoughts, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, laying their psyches bare. She is particularly successful in her indictment of the enslavement of the "lower classes" by the ladies and gentlemen who underpaid and overworked them. In addition, she makes clear that in the nineteenth century, women with few resources at their disposal were often forced by circumstances into compromising positions.

The characters are beautifully delineated: The reader will identify with the unfortunate Jane, who quickly finds herself a lamb among wolves; Mina Bentley frantically tries to hide her shady past from her husband and fears that her vengeful enemies may be on her trail; Sarah is a cunning servant who quickly gains power over Jane and shamelessly takes advantage of her; Robert is madly in love with Mina but he is, in many ways, an impractical and clueless individual; Victoria Dawes claims to be the widow of Robert's brother, Henry, but could she be a con artist who wants to steal Henry's estate from Mina and Robert?; Teddy is a young man who appears to fancy Jane, but is he genuinely interested in her or does he have ulterior motives? Brightwell skillfully balances her large cast and intricate plot and she concludes her suspenseful novel with some fascinating (although not entirely realistic) twists and turns. "The Dark Lantern" is a gripping family saga, an enthralling and atmospheric mystery, and an absorbing look at the thorny relationships between masters and servants in Victorian England.