Thoughts on : The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
Genre : Horror, Historical Fiction
Stand Alone
About the Book :
When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury.
But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks.
Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure–a silent companion–that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of The Bridge are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition–that is, until she notices the figure’s eyes following her.
It’s Halloween, and I couldn’t imagine a more perfect book to review today than The Silent Companions.
I hadn’t heard much about The Silent Companions when I picked it up, but it delivered exactly what I was hoping for : a slow paced historical fiction with a very creepy atmosphere.
I was completely immersed in the story. I loved the historical setting, and I thought the ghost story was very intriguing. The author did a great job of taking the usual tropes and twists of ghost stories and adding her own unique touch to them. In a way, the story felt both comfortably predictable and scary. I kind of expected where things were going, yet I never felt completely sure and I was never bored. And it’s sort of fun to revisit your favorite tropes with a new author, so I didn’t mind the predictable bits.
I also thought the idea was perfectly creepy. I’m not someone who is usually scared of paintings or dolls, but these silent companions (also called dummy boards) were so creepy. I was horrified to discover they’d been a real thing (see here), and I’m surprised (and disappointed) I went through a whole art history degree without learning about them. I find them utterly fascinating – I just don’t want any in my house, especially after reading this book!
The book had a few flaws – some of the side characters felt shallow, I’m not sure about the accuracy of some things, and the pace was at times uneven – but overall it really gave me the gothic, atmospheric vibe I was looking for. And the ending was exactly what I wanted from such a story. I’m already looking forward to reading more by Laura Purcell!
