329:, and has "a real spook-factor". But Walklate was critical of some aspects of the book. It is full of "nineteenth-century stereotypes" with little character development, in particular the narrator, Kerner. While Walklate acknowledged that Kerner is an unreliable narrator, his actions are so "illogical" it makes it difficult to feel anything for him. Walklate also felt that Littlewood's use of "archaic language" is "florid and forced", and a weak attempt at emulating Victorian literature. Finally, Walklate criticised the book's failure to explore the social issues it raises, for example a women's place in Victorian society, and the impact on those labelled "mad". Instead, the narrative slips into "full-on
744:
303:
Littlewood's "best ... by far". She said the author's knowledge of the
Victorian era and its medical practices "is outstanding". Bond praised Littlewood's "mixing atmosphere and language", and her portrayal of Crakethorne Manor, which "is so vivid" it becomes one of the book's characters. She said
241:
of the literature of the time. Littlewood found researching the treatment of mental illness in
Victorian times "disturbing", in particular the processes used to certify a person insane. This raised the question, "Is there an empirical line that you cross where you become mad, or is it a question of
249:
because the story is told from his narrow perspective, which includes his perception of Mrs
Harleston. She said, "it's interesting when the reader can start to make their own judgements about who's in control of the situation, and are things really as they seem." Littlewood added, "I like to read
225:
in the hope of breaking through her defences, but all it does is to awaken dormant abilities in her. She discovers that she herself can mesmerise people, and changes from being quiet and reserved to dominant and manipulative. By now Kerner in infatuated with her and quickly falls under her spell.
220:
Kerner is assigned Mrs
Harleston, a patient from London committed to the asylum by her husband. He demands that she be cured of her hysteria and delusions so she can be returned to him as his faithful wife. Mrs Harleston is beautiful and demure, and Kerner is immediately drawn to her. He tries
29:
217:
who believes that the shape of a person's skull determines their mental stability. Kerner, on the other hand, subscribes to a new approach of talking and listening to the mentally disturbed.
288:"is a well-written and entertaining story" that explores "the murk of mental illness" and its treatments in 19th-century England. He described Kerner as "the epitome of the
304:
the ending is open-ended and
Littlewood leaves it up to the reader to decide what to make of Kerner's "very unreliable ... account", but Bond described the
664:
237:
is set in
Victorian England, and Littlewood said she "read ... widely" about many aspects of Victorian life to create the novel's setting and emulate the
806:
629:
596:
395:
128:
826:
747:
292:", making it difficult for the reader to know what to believe, and said his obsessions with Mrs Harleston leads to a madness of his own.
791:
821:
811:
801:
268:
as "a sublime blend of the psychological and the supernatural" that is "eerie and unsettling". He said
Littlewood has produced a
781:
657:
786:
796:
612:
816:
776:
771:
766:
545:
650:
281:
504:
513:
296:
180:
729:
424:
634:
429:
260:
183:
289:
246:
142:
68:
179:
generally received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The book was nominated for the 2018
721:
705:
674:
618:
592:
588:
580:
471:
463:
434:
362:
158:
154:
150:
123:
82:
42:
554:
358:
317:
277:
273:
697:
330:
269:
238:
210:
166:
146:
72:
28:
760:
689:
202:
350:
326:
250:
books where the reader has to do some of the work and draw their own conclusions".
198:
162:
623:
242:
how many people you have on your side and how many people are buying into this?"
305:
214:
642:
475:
438:
366:
206:
170:
322:
222:
221:
talking to her but cannot get her to open up. He calls on the help of a
213:
at
Crakethorne Manor. The facility is run by Doctor Algernon Chettle, a
396:"Enter the Crow Garden: An Author Interview with Alison Littlewood"
226:
Using her new-found abilities, Mrs
Harleston escapes Crakethorne.
153:. It was first published in the United Kingdom in October 2017 by
646:
165:
who becomes infatuated with an enigmatic patient of his at a
258:
Reviewing the book in the
British science fiction magazine,
681:
272:with an atmosphere and descriptions reminiscent of
122:
114:
106:
98:
88:
78:
64:
56:
48:
38:
658:
209:to take up a position as a "mad doctor" at a
8:
315:"a delightfully indulgent read". Writing in
21:
665:
651:
643:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
389:
387:
385:
383:
184:August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel
27:
20:
418:
416:
197:is narrated by Nathaniel Kerner, a young
342:
245:Littlewood stated that Nathaniel is an
498:
496:
494:
492:
457:
455:
423:Davison, Alister (22 September 2017).
394:Thornton, Jonathan (7 December 2017).
630:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
205:. In 1856 he travels from London to
7:
503:Bond, Charlotte (26 January 2018).
308:as "brilliantly and subtly done".
14:
743:
742:
807:Novels set in Victorian England
355:Science Fiction Awards Database
16:2017 novel by Alison Littlewood
321:she said the story centres on
1:
462:Kemp, Douglas (August 2018).
351:"British Fantasy Awards 2018"
544:Walklate, Jen (7 May 2018).
468:The Historical Novels Review
264:, Alister Davison described
827:Novels by Alison Littlewood
514:The British Fantasy Society
843:
284:, Douglas Kemp wrote that
792:Historical fantasy novels
740:
26:
299:, Charlotte Bond called
282:Historical Novel Society
149:novel by English writer
822:Jo Fletcher Books books
812:Novels set in the 1850s
802:Novels set in Yorkshire
297:British Fantasy Society
181:British Fantasy Society
161:, the book is about an
782:English fantasy novels
280:. In a review for the
787:British horror novels
730:The Cottingley Cuckoo
628:title listing at the
550:by Alison Littlewood"
400:Ginger Nuts of Horror
797:Novels set in London
295:In a review for the
817:Fiction set in 1856
777:2010s horror novels
772:2017 fantasy novels
767:2017 British novels
639:at FantasticFiction
311:Jen Walklate found
290:unreliable narrator
247:unreliable narrator
33:First edition cover
23:
581:Littlewood, Alison
278:the Brontë sisters
254:Critical reception
143:historical fantasy
69:Historical fantasy
754:
753:
706:The Hidden People
675:Alison Littlewood
619:Jo Fletcher Books
598:978-1-78648-525-0
589:Jo Fletcher Books
464:"The Crow Garden"
425:"The Crow Garden"
203:Victorian England
190:Plot introduction
159:Victorian England
155:Jo Fletcher Books
151:Alison Littlewood
134:
133:
129:978-1-78648-525-0
99:Publication place
83:Jo Fletcher Books
49:Cover artist
43:Alison Littlewood
834:
746:
745:
667:
660:
653:
644:
602:
567:
566:
564:
562:
555:Strange Horizons
541:
526:
525:
523:
521:
500:
487:
486:
484:
482:
459:
450:
449:
447:
445:
420:
411:
410:
408:
406:
391:
378:
377:
375:
373:
347:
318:Strange Horizons
270:Victorian gothic
239:gothic tradition
90:Publication date
31:
24:
22:The Crow Garden
842:
841:
837:
836:
835:
833:
832:
831:
757:
756:
755:
750:
736:
714:The Crow Garden
677:
671:
636:The Crow Garden
625:The Crow Garden
614:The Crow Garden
609:
599:
585:The Crow Garden
579:
576:
571:
570:
560:
558:
548:The Crow Garden
543:
542:
529:
519:
517:
507:The Crow Garden
502:
501:
490:
480:
478:
461:
460:
453:
443:
441:
422:
421:
414:
404:
402:
393:
392:
381:
371:
369:
349:
348:
344:
339:
313:The Crow Garden
301:The Crow Garden
286:The Crow Garden
266:The Crow Garden
256:
235:The Crow Garden
232:
195:The Crow Garden
192:
177:The Crow Garden
138:The Crow Garden
107:Media type
91:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
840:
838:
830:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
804:
799:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
759:
758:
752:
751:
741:
738:
737:
735:
734:
726:
718:
710:
702:
698:A Cold Silence
694:
685:
683:
679:
678:
672:
670:
669:
662:
655:
647:
641:
640:
632:
621:
608:
607:External links
605:
604:
603:
597:
575:
572:
569:
568:
527:
509:. Book Review"
488:
451:
412:
379:
341:
340:
338:
335:
331:penny-dreadful
325:and Victorian
255:
252:
231:
228:
211:lunatic asylum
191:
188:
167:lunatic asylum
132:
131:
126:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
102:United Kingdom
100:
96:
95:
92:
89:
86:
85:
80:
76:
75:
66:
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
839:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
764:
762:
749:
739:
732:
731:
727:
724:
723:
719:
716:
715:
711:
708:
707:
703:
700:
699:
695:
692:
691:
690:A Cold Season
687:
686:
684:
680:
676:
668:
663:
661:
656:
654:
649:
648:
645:
638:
637:
633:
631:
627:
626:
622:
620:
616:
615:
611:
610:
606:
600:
594:
590:
586:
582:
578:
577:
573:
557:
556:
551:
549:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
528:
516:
515:
510:
508:
499:
497:
495:
493:
489:
477:
473:
469:
465:
458:
456:
452:
440:
436:
432:
431:
426:
419:
417:
413:
401:
397:
390:
388:
386:
384:
380:
368:
364:
360:
356:
352:
346:
343:
336:
334:
332:
328:
324:
320:
319:
314:
309:
307:
302:
298:
293:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
262:
253:
251:
248:
243:
240:
236:
229:
227:
224:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
189:
187:
185:
182:
178:
174:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
139:
130:
127:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
87:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
19:
728:
720:
713:
712:
704:
696:
688:
635:
624:
613:
584:
561:17 September
559:. Retrieved
553:
547:
520:17 September
518:. Retrieved
512:
506:
481:17 September
479:. Retrieved
467:
444:15 September
442:. Retrieved
428:
403:. Retrieved
399:
372:12 September
370:. Retrieved
354:
345:
327:spirituality
316:
312:
310:
300:
294:
285:
265:
259:
257:
244:
234:
233:
219:
215:phrenologist
194:
193:
176:
175:
137:
136:
135:
94:October 2017
52:Leo Nickolls
18:
574:Works cited
333:hysteria".
761:Categories
337:References
306:denouement
230:Background
722:Mistletoe
673:Works by
476:1471-7492
439:0955-114X
430:Starburst
367:0047-4959
323:mesmerism
261:Starburst
223:mesmerist
207:Yorkshire
171:Yorkshire
157:. Set in
79:Publisher
748:Category
583:(2017).
199:alienist
163:alienist
110:Hardback
57:Language
405:28 June
274:Dickens
60:English
733:(2021)
725:(2019)
717:(2017)
709:(2016)
701:(2015)
693:(2012)
682:Novels
595:
474:
470:(85).
437:
365:
147:horror
73:horror
65:Genres
39:Author
359:Locus
141:is a
115:Pages
593:ISBN
563:2022
522:2022
483:2022
472:ISSN
446:2022
435:ISSN
407:2021
374:2022
363:ISSN
276:and
145:and
124:ISBN
617:at
201:in
169:in
118:372
763::
591:.
587:.
552:.
530:^
511:.
491:^
466:.
454:^
433:.
427:.
415:^
398:.
382:^
361:.
357:.
353:.
186:.
173:.
71:,
666:e
659:t
652:v
601:.
565:.
546:"
524:.
505:"
485:.
448:.
409:.
376:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
