The Journal of Dora Damage

Sarà che ho letto così tanti libri che ormai è difficile che un racconto mi sorprenda: intuisco fin troppo facilmente gli sviluppi delle trame e così mi "guasto" la lettura. Così è stato per questo romanzo: alcuni episodi li ho trovati un po' scontati, ma devo dire che in altri punti sono stata piacevolmente sorpresa. La trama è avvincente, la caratterizzazione dei personaggi li rende quasi vivi, le atmosfere della Londra del XIX secolo sono perfette. Si legge di un fiato: è una meraviglia.

Dora Damage is the wife of a lesser-known bookbinder in Ivy-street in London. Her husband suffers from rheumatism, and her daughter has epilepsy, also known as the Falling Sickness. When Peter Damage becomes to sick to continue with his work, Dora finds herself taking over the business, and she takes on a client who wants her to bind copies of salacious literature. Dora becomes acquainted with the client’s wife, who enlists Dora’s help in finding a job at the bindery for an American slave named Din.

I was on the fence about this book. On one hand, I love the atmospheric setting; London in the 1850s and ‘60s is a great place to escape to when reading historical fiction. And although the characters are well-defined, that’s not show more necessarily a good thing; some of the characters descend into being stereotypes (the silly, empty-headed noblewoman, the cardboard cutout villain, or the fallen woman-turned maid-of-all-work). The dialogue of the African-Americans didn’t ring true, either.

The plot of the book requires the reader to suspend their sense of disbelief, too (one example is the character of Sylvia, who seemed to drop her old life in Berkeley Square at an astonishing speed, later taking on lovers with blatant disregard for what might happen). I thought the author cheapened the book a bit by including the romance part. And I could see the ending coming from a mile away. But the book’s strength is recreating a time period that’s long-gone; Victorian London is described in painstaking detail. I also enjoyed Starling’s descriptions of the art of bookbinding. show less

Ottima la ricostruzione storica della Londra soffocante e pruriginosa dell'epoca vittoriana.
I personaggi sono un po' tagliati con l'accetta, con poche sfumature, e a volte la trama lascia un po' a desiderare.
Un discreto romanzo per una lettura veloce.

1859 London and Dora has to take over the family bookbinding business when her husband's arthritic hands fail. She finds herself binding pornography as well as dealing with runaway slaves and dangerous people. A fresh and entertaining look at Victorian society and also a really good read, especially as a first novel. Unfortunately the author passed away shortly after completing this book.

Historical Fiction. When Dora's husband's illness reduces the family to penury, Dora takes over his bookbinding business, little suspecting that this move will bring her into contact with the seamy underbelly of Victorian London. Very atmospheric, but sometimes a little rudderless, which is perhaps not surprising given the number of themes it includes: Victorian medicine, social conditions, the role of women, race, slavery and pornography are all jostling with the minutiae of bookbinding for space. 3½ out of 5, with the caveat that it's definitely not for the squeamish.

I’ve got to say I don’t quite know about this one. Immediately I was turned off by the tone. There was something not quite right about it, almost if it were trying to sound too Victorian.

The comparisons with Dickens where in the worst possible sense, his blunt, forceful moralising creeps up instead of letting the reader get their own impression of the situation. While the novel comes across as well researched it’s more to do with the facts crammed, often irrelevantly, in to each sentence.

The character of Dora too comes across as slightly too twee, her daughter Lucinda even more so. As I got to the end of the story and read through the fictional epilogue, the ‘look how it was in real life’ afterword, and the note on the author show more I was wondering when I’d get to the back page.

Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The team of misfits assembled - the working woman, the black man, the gay chap, the rape victim and the fallen socialite - were lovable despite their cliché. The story was slightly predictable but compelling all the same.

I still don’t know if I loved this book or not, but it is well worth the read. show less

A pretty good book, though the topic (Victorian pornography) may not be to everyone's taste. I found some areas to be a little too squeamish for me.

Set in Victorian London, Dora is the poor wife of a bookbinder living hand to mouth in Lambeth. Her husband can no longer work, so when she is paid handsomely to bind some unusual works, she does so but gets in deeper and deeper with some odd fellows...

The focus in the latter part of the book is less on Dora's job, but the importance of love, friends and family. Thankfully the ending wasn't cliched. The writing was descriptive and easy to read after a long day at work, but the subject was thought provoking. A good book.