Mr. Timothy: A Novel
by Louis Bayard

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Book Reviews of Mr. Timothy: A Novel

Book Review: A dark, atmospheric reinventing of Dickens.
Summary: 4 Stars

We first encounter Timothy, during the Christmas season of 1860. He's vexed by the discovery of two dead 10-year-old girls, each branded with the letter "G"--one found in an alley, the other fished from the Thames River by Cratchit and his "diamond in the rough" best friend Gully. What follows, is a tale of horror and a wonderfully breathless flight through the teeming markets, shadowy passageways and the rolling, sinister foggy London of the 1860's. Bayard brings the sights, sounds and smells of 19th century London vividly to life. The smoky, stinky atmosphere of London pubs; the claustrophobic feeling of Mrs. Sharpe's brothel; "the kitchen grease, the rat droppings and the spit-laden gin"; the muddy streets of London with the "shattered frothing cisterns, and the wrenched-off water spouts, clogged with black ice."

Totally atmospheric on substance and tone, Bayard reinvents Dickens for the modern reader, and provides us with a very clever story that is perfect for Christmas. You also don't need to have read A Christmas Carol or know anything about the story to enjoy this novel. My only criticism is that I wish Bayard had included some gay content in his story - even a subplot involving a gay or lesbian character would have sufficed for showing us what life may have been like for our community in 1860's England. Nevertheless, Mr. Timothy is a wonderfully inventive and meticulously researched read.

Michael

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