Customer Reviews

Gilded Splendour

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Gilded Splendour by Rosalind Laker is a romantic novel based on the life of the famous cabinet-maker, Thomas Chippendale. In the Author's Note, Ms Laker writes, "Although letters, bills, and receipts authenticate Chippendale's masterpieces as well as the simple household items he supplied, from servants' beds to tea-trays, comparatively little is known of his personal life." From those few details, Laker weaves a magnificent and compelling story about one of the world's most talented furniture designers and makers.

The events which occur in Gilded Splendour center around Chippendale's life, even though he is not always the focus of the story. A fictional character, Isabella Woodleigh, who finds herself linked to Chippendale, also helps to carry the plot. The two separate stories, like individual threads forming a quilt, are slowly woven together until one believes Isabella Woodleigh and Thomas Chippendale were actually involved.

The characters are so well defined you might discover you are gritting your teeth at the thankless and cruel Sarah Woodleigh, sister of the heroine and one of the villain's in this novel. You might find yourself crying out in pain at the lost opportunities of love between a few of the characters. The simple twists of fate that keep certain characters from living happily ever after together will have you gnashing your teeth in exquisite frustration.

The only negative comment I have to make about this novel is sudden appearance of one major character, Owen Marwell. The relationship between him and Isabella Woodleigh, the heroine, develops rapidly with little attention given to their courtship or the flourishing of tender love. Isabella, healing from a loveless marriage and the sudden death of her repulsive marriage, seems to fall into bed with Marwell, and this does a serious disservice to her character, which had been sketched as a woman of straight-laced morals.

Laker, a master at descriptive literature, splendidly details Chippendale's pieces without boring the reader. Chapter by chapter, she painstakingly describes the efforts that went into Chippendale's work and his impressive abilities at marquetery, veneering and gilding.

After reading her novel, I could clearly picture a secretaire and silver looking glass with candelabra. I was delighted to then visit Thomas Chippendale at Harewood House and look at the pieces she described. I could pick them out easily from her descriptions.

The story of the famous furniture maker and his rise from apprentice to artist. I love the way Ms. Laker brings the characters to life and makes you feel as if you are right there beside them, really seeing them. She has a gift for writing that enthralls you and makes it hard to put the book down!

I read this through in one day & one night, it was that good. I have to disagree with the reviewer who thought Isabella's romance with Owen was a sudden occurance with no development. Although I wished she could have ended up with Thomas, Owen made a worthy substitute and there was a bit of foreshadowing in his appearance as her lover. I thought there was adequate development of their romance and I liked the emphasis on Isabella's "new beginning". I recommend this book HIGHLY. I thought the writing was superb.