Angelica: A Novel (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Anne Montague, Constance Barton, Princess of the Tulips (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Victorian England, Phillips's impressive third novel uses four linked viewpoints to explore class, gender, family dynamics, sexuality and sciences both real and fraudulent, ancient and newly minted. Joseph Barton, a London biological researcher, orders his four-year-old daughter, Angelica, who's been sleeping in her parents' bedroom, to her own room. Joseph's wife, Constance, resists this separation from her child and the resumption of a marital intimacy that, given her history of miscarriage, may threaten her life. Soon Constance notices foul odors, furniture cracks and a blue specter that appears to attack Angelica while she sleeps. When she reports these supernatural visitations to the unimaginative Joseph, the rift between them widens. Desperate, Constance turns to actress-turned-spiritualist Annie Montague for help. Phillips (Prague) captures period diction and detail brilliantly. At its strongest, the multiple-viewpoint narration yields psychological depth and a number of clever surprises; at its weakest, it can slow the book's momentum to an uncomfortably slow (if authentically Victorian) pace. Author tour. (Apr.)
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From The New Yorker

Phillips’s third novel, set in Victorian London, starts as a ghost story. When Joseph instructs his wife, Constance, to have their four-year-old daughter, Angelica, moved from their bedroom into a room of her own, Constance becomes convinced that a seductive spectral force is preying on the child. The catastrophe that follows is relayed from the perspectives of Constance; of her supposed redeemer, an actress turned exorcist; and of Joseph—each view ultimately being rendered by the adult Angelica. What at first appears a rather glib ghost story predicated on Victorian clichés of sexual repression and patriarchal tyranny turns into a spectacular, ever-proliferating tale of mingled motives, psychological menace, and delicately told crises of appetite and loneliness. Phillips sustains a pastiche of Victorian writing and ideas with enticing playfulness, and without making his characters or their complex fears and desires laughable.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Random House (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812972600
• ISBN-13: 978-0812972603
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,975 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional Novel, April 13, 2007

By	Francie (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angelica: A Novel (Hardcover)

It's rare that a contemporary writer can offer a compelling plot and such marvelous language skills that his reader is totally transported to another place and time. Phillips does exactly that with his latest novel, ANGELICA. I was drawn in with the opening sentence and completely fascinated until the last paragraph. It's a wonderful read, filled with insights - both historical and psychological - and will be perfect for my book club to discuss.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Achievement, April 12, 2007

By	Laurie Viera Rigler - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Angelica: A Novel (Hardcover)

ANGELICA is a book I could not put down. I could have finished it in two days but saved the last thirty pages for the following day, because I didn't want it to end. Aside from the masterful storytelling that gave me all the suspense and excitement of a good read, this is a brilliant and thought-provoking book on several levels. It is a deeply important book that explores the nature of reality, memory, and identity. If you are a woman, it is a must-read. It addresses our deepest secrets and our worst fears in a most imaginative and insightful manner. I still can hardly believe a man wrote this book. He is clearly a tremendously compassionate person who has done a great service by writing this book. I could discusss ANGELICA for hours--which makes it a perfect book group choice.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His best work yet, April 12, 2007

By	A Reading Writer "A Reading Writer" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angelica: A Novel (Hardcover)

I've read all three of Arthur Phillips's books and liked each one more than the last. Any moments of uneveness evident in "Prague" had disappeared by the time he wrote "The Egyptologist." It is rare in this disposable era to watch a writer grow into his talent, but that is exactly what Phillips has done. "Angelica" is a stellar, completely assured work. Whether you like Victorian ghost stories or just strong writing, this is your book.