Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Penguin Books (2015), 288 pages
Description
"A darkly satirical novel of love, revenge, and 1950s haute couture-- After twenty years spent mastering the art of dressmaking at couture houses in Paris, Tilly Dunnage returns to the small Australian town she was banished from as a child. She plans only to check on her ailing mother and leave. But Tilly decides to stay, and though she is still an outcast, her lush, exquisite dresses prove irresistible to the prim women of Dungatar. Through her fashion business, her friendship with Sergeant Farrat--the town's only policeman, who harbors an unusual passion for fabrics--and a budding romance with Teddy, the local football star whose family is almost as reviled as hers, she finds a measure of grudging acceptance. But as her dresses begin to arouse competition and envy in town, causing old resentments to surface, it becomes clear that Tilly's mind is set on a darker design: exacting revenge on those who wronged her, in the most spectacular fashion"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham is an historical novel set is rural Australia during the 1950’s. Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage has returned to Dungatar, Australia (a town full of quirky townspeople) after being sent away when she was a child. Her mother, Molly (the locals call her Mad Molly) is ill
Then an accident happens. Ted dies in a tragic accident. The townspeople blame Tilly. They no longer go to her for dresses. They actually bring in a designer from Sydney (who is terrible). Then her mother, Molly, passes away. Tilly comes up with a way to get even with the town before she leaves.
If you can get through the first forty percent of The Dressmaker, the rest of the book is interesting to read. The first part of the book is very confusing. There are a lot of townspeople thrown at you along with their information (written with Australian slang and terminology). I give The Dressmaker 2.5 out of 5 stars. I did enjoy the last part of the book. I loved the revenge plot that Tilly concocted and executed. The clothes that Tilly designed sounded beautiful. How anyone could stand living in this town, I do not know. The people were mean, cruel, selfish, nosy, and big gossips. I am shocked that this book is being made into a movie. I really hope it is much better than the book.
I received a complimentary copy of The Dressmaker from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
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and needs her assistance. Tilly has never been treated kindly in this town. Mostly because she is illegitimate. Tilly is a fashion designer and seamstress. She starts off wearing her creations around town which intrigues the citizens. After designing a dress for Gertrude to get married in, the ladies of the town slowly come to her for unique, one of a kind dresses. Soon Tilly is in great demand. Tilly starts seeing Ted McSwiney. Ted comes from a large family that lives on “The Hill” along with Tilly and her mother. Ted was the local football star and is well regarded in town. Sergeant Horatio Farrat is the local police officer for the town. He wears is uniform in public, but what he wears underneath it (ladies underwear) and at home (ladies clothes that he sews himself) he keeps to himself. He is thrilled that Tilly came to town. She can help him with his clothing.Then an accident happens. Ted dies in a tragic accident. The townspeople blame Tilly. They no longer go to her for dresses. They actually bring in a designer from Sydney (who is terrible). Then her mother, Molly, passes away. Tilly comes up with a way to get even with the town before she leaves.
If you can get through the first forty percent of The Dressmaker, the rest of the book is interesting to read. The first part of the book is very confusing. There are a lot of townspeople thrown at you along with their information (written with Australian slang and terminology). I give The Dressmaker 2.5 out of 5 stars. I did enjoy the last part of the book. I loved the revenge plot that Tilly concocted and executed. The clothes that Tilly designed sounded beautiful. How anyone could stand living in this town, I do not know. The people were mean, cruel, selfish, nosy, and big gossips. I am shocked that this book is being made into a movie. I really hope it is much better than the book.
I received a complimentary copy of The Dressmaker from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
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LibraryThing member siri51
fabulous first novel by a great friend - now looking forward to the movie - she said I perhaps could be an extra!!
LibraryThing member tezz
Heartbreaking. Loved every minute of it.
LibraryThing member Ali.Stegs
A wild romp of a story with a cool Gothic flavour
LibraryThing member brangwinn
This is good escape reading about a young Parisian dressmaker who returns to her isolated Australian town to care for her mother and has to confront her past. Her mother never married and she was an outcast the entire time she lived there. But her dressmaking skills force people to come to her. Add
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a kind-hearted town policeman who is a cross-dresser and loves to sew, and unexpected romance, and a variety of townspeople and you’ve got the elements for a good story that ends in delightful revenge. Show Less
LibraryThing member lesleynicol
A good story, but not a good book, in my opinion. A girl who has run away from home and made a successful life for herself, returns home to a her little "one horse" home town to look after her ageing mother. The townsfolk although still resenting her because she is different, all have there own
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peculiarities and hidden lives. In fact there does not seem to be one conventional character in the whole book except the hero, who if anything is too good to be true. The story is very confusing at times but should, if simplified, make an excellent movie. With such a strong cast of quirky characters played by some great Australian actors it should be a "hoot". Show Less
LibraryThing member jillrhudy
Starts off okay but with far too many characters and shallow characterization. I had to make a list of who was who. About 75% into it, the author decided she needed a really exciting ending and made a complete hash of it. The fashion was the most interesting thing about it and the reason I'm giving
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it three stars instead of two. Hopefully the movie will remedy the flaws of the book, in the spirit of Chocolat, another overdone book about outcasts in a closed-minded small town with a heavy dose of magical realism. The only reason I would be tempted to see the movie is to see how Hugo Weaving does with Sergeant Ferrat--far and away my favorite character. Show Less
LibraryThing member Edwinrelf
I couldn’t get a handle on ‘The Dressmaker’. The characters are all described, or what they are doing is described. We do not get any insight to their motives; their interiority. Reading it was a process of going along and tripping over the author’s misuse of some words, wayward third
At about the halfway mark I thought I had it; that the book was about gathering all these types of possible people in an Australian country town in the 1950’s as analogous to gathering oddments of fabric to make some strange patchwork gown that is symbolic of something. I figured it could only be a witch’s cape. But then the novel changed tack.
Out of the blue, the author kills of the romantic lead. Very odd. The book goes down hill from there; tripped into poor slapstick. Mad Molly, the mother, who has been good for a chuckle with her absurdities, suddenly goes all mumsy and then dies of a stroke. Others in the town get bumped off by the author – or by the Grecian ‘Fates’ hooking them on their flaws. Some of this is very funny but best of all is when the limp OCD wife of the Councillor, now wised up by Tilly, unleashes on her philandering husband. Oh such delicious bitchery. And a nasty way to waste him at the Achilles tendon – more Grecian gods of devilry. It is all out of tone of the first part of the narrative.
Overall, the novel is not well structured and needed much better editing. It is all a bit too silly but there are some nice crazy people in it and there are some good laughs to be had – possibly inadvertently. It is the characters and particularly the cross dressing town policeman who earn the two stars.
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person pronouns, and the want of better punctuation. Oh for some semi colons to separate out the author’s reconsidered second object to the subject of her sentences. Where was the editor?At about the halfway mark I thought I had it; that the book was about gathering all these types of possible people in an Australian country town in the 1950’s as analogous to gathering oddments of fabric to make some strange patchwork gown that is symbolic of something. I figured it could only be a witch’s cape. But then the novel changed tack.
Out of the blue, the author kills of the romantic lead. Very odd. The book goes down hill from there; tripped into poor slapstick. Mad Molly, the mother, who has been good for a chuckle with her absurdities, suddenly goes all mumsy and then dies of a stroke. Others in the town get bumped off by the author – or by the Grecian ‘Fates’ hooking them on their flaws. Some of this is very funny but best of all is when the limp OCD wife of the Councillor, now wised up by Tilly, unleashes on her philandering husband. Oh such delicious bitchery. And a nasty way to waste him at the Achilles tendon – more Grecian gods of devilry. It is all out of tone of the first part of the narrative.
Overall, the novel is not well structured and needed much better editing. It is all a bit too silly but there are some nice crazy people in it and there are some good laughs to be had – possibly inadvertently. It is the characters and particularly the cross dressing town policeman who earn the two stars.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Ugh. I have no idea what to say about this book. It's not my thing at all. Hearing the narrator talk about Dungatar and its inhabitants, I kept imagining a lemon meringue pie with maggots under the fluffy golden meringue top. With the exception of Tilly, her mother, Teddy and the sergeant there
But the writing is beautiful, and the narration excellent. The narration was melodic, poetic, and always matter-of-fact, which added to the horror of the events as they unfolded.
I can't say this is a bad book at all - I totally understand why people would love it and why they made a movie of it (which I will not be watching). But these types of dark, twisted stories aren't why I read fiction; I want to feel better, or at least thoughtful, after I've finished a book, not as though my soul has been tainted by the experience.
I'm not rating this one - at least not yet - because while I think as a book it merits a high rating, I don't want to imply that I liked the story. I didn't. Neither do I want to low ball the rating and imply the book was sub-standard. Perhaps after I've sat with it a while I can come back and rate it objectively.
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were no redeeming characters in a book and town brimming with them. They were all sick, twisted, inhumane caricatures, and ultimately that's what kept me listening to the book after the pivotal moment; I had no sympathy to give to any of the characters (barring Tilly), allowing me to detach and distance myself from the narrative.But the writing is beautiful, and the narration excellent. The narration was melodic, poetic, and always matter-of-fact, which added to the horror of the events as they unfolded.
I can't say this is a bad book at all - I totally understand why people would love it and why they made a movie of it (which I will not be watching). But these types of dark, twisted stories aren't why I read fiction; I want to feel better, or at least thoughtful, after I've finished a book, not as though my soul has been tainted by the experience.
I'm not rating this one - at least not yet - because while I think as a book it merits a high rating, I don't want to imply that I liked the story. I didn't. Neither do I want to low ball the rating and imply the book was sub-standard. Perhaps after I've sat with it a while I can come back and rate it objectively.
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LibraryThing member Fleur-De-Lis
An interesting Story of a girl, who returns to her home town to look after her sick mother, after making dresses for Vionnet amongst other famous designers in Paris. She is welcomed home with caution, as she has an insavory past but manages to win over the townsfolk with her wonderful dresses.
I really enjoyed this book and love the way it is written. I like the way that Ham shows what is happening in the townsfolks lives aswell - none of them have perfect lives.
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Although tragedy does strike.I really enjoyed this book and love the way it is written. I like the way that Ham shows what is happening in the townsfolks lives aswell - none of them have perfect lives.
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LibraryThing member elizabethcfelt
Tillie Dunnage returns to her small, rural Australian town to care for her mentally ill mother. Something mysterious happened many years ago that make the residents of Dungatar loathe Tillie. She is called a bastard and a murderer, a whore's daughter. The reader doesn't know what happened, where
Dungatar is filled with vile and quirky characters: an old-maid peeping-Tom gossip, a male policeman who makes and dresses in women's clothing, a lesbian postal officer who goes through everyone's mail, and a pharmacist who does not believe in treating sinners with functional medicine, to name a few.
Ham's descriptions of the materials, colors and fashions of the 1950s is detailed and fun. Tillie's secrets are revealed slowly and skillfully, and the final scene is brilliant. The revenge component was a little dark for me, but I can understand why so many people like this book.
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Tillie's been or for how long she's been gone. Tillie keeps to herself, cares for her mother, and begins to be wooed by the sun of the garbage dump keeper. Tillie's mail, opened by the postal official, shows that she must have lived in Spain and France. Her boxes are filled with herbal mixtures, fancy material, patterns, and fashion magazines. When Tillie makes a wedding dress for a local girl, the women of the town realize that she has a talent they can make use of. Strangely, Tillie is obliging.Dungatar is filled with vile and quirky characters: an old-maid peeping-Tom gossip, a male policeman who makes and dresses in women's clothing, a lesbian postal officer who goes through everyone's mail, and a pharmacist who does not believe in treating sinners with functional medicine, to name a few.
Ham's descriptions of the materials, colors and fashions of the 1950s is detailed and fun. Tillie's secrets are revealed slowly and skillfully, and the final scene is brilliant. The revenge component was a little dark for me, but I can understand why so many people like this book.
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LibraryThing member tronella
Unpleasant and badly written.
LibraryThing member reader1009
fiction (1950s small Australian town full of awful people, dressmaking and neighbors' secrets, but mostly revenge). I was expecting more of a period sewing story, so was pretty surprised by all the dark and twisty (and kind of bloody and horrifying) parts. I enjoyed parts of it, but probably would
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not recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Ugh. I have no idea what to say about this book. It's not my thing at all. Hearing the narrator talk about Dungatar and its inhabitants, I kept imagining a lemon meringue pie with maggots under the fluffy golden meringue top. With the exception of Tilly, her mother, Teddy and the sergeant there
But the writing is beautiful, and the narration excellent. The narration was melodic, poetic, and always matter-of-fact, which added to the horror of the events as they unfolded.
I can't say this is a bad book at all - I totally understand why people would love it and why they made a movie of it (which I will not be watching). But these types of dark, twisted stories aren't why I read fiction; I want to feel better, or at least thoughtful, after I've finished a book, not as though my soul has been tainted by the experience.
I'm not rating this one - at least not yet - because while I think as a book it merits a high rating, I don't want to imply that I liked the story. I didn't. Neither do I want to low ball the rating and imply the book was sub-standard. Perhaps after I've sat with it a while I can come back and rate it objectively.
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were no redeeming characters in a book and town brimming with them. They were all sick, twisted, inhumane caricatures, and ultimately that's what kept me listening to the book after the pivotal moment; I had no sympathy to give to any of the characters (barring Tilly), allowing me to detach and distance myself from the narrative.But the writing is beautiful, and the narration excellent. The narration was melodic, poetic, and always matter-of-fact, which added to the horror of the events as they unfolded.
I can't say this is a bad book at all - I totally understand why people would love it and why they made a movie of it (which I will not be watching). But these types of dark, twisted stories aren't why I read fiction; I want to feel better, or at least thoughtful, after I've finished a book, not as though my soul has been tainted by the experience.
I'm not rating this one - at least not yet - because while I think as a book it merits a high rating, I don't want to imply that I liked the story. I didn't. Neither do I want to low ball the rating and imply the book was sub-standard. Perhaps after I've sat with it a while I can come back and rate it objectively.
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LibraryThing member sriddell
Loved this book. It's dark with a little glimmer of hope. And then all hope is dashed and everyone comes to a very bad end.
Tilly Dunnage returns to her small hometown after a 20 year absence to take care of her elderly and sick mother. As the book progresses, we see Tilly's past in flash-backs.
Tilly has a complex and difficult past with just about every single inhabitant of the town, but with her return as a successful adult she's gaining acceptance she never had as a child.But then a tragedy occurs and the whole town shuns Tilly again. She has the last laugh and leaves the town in ruins.
Tilly Dunnage returns to her small hometown after a 20 year absence to take care of her elderly and sick mother. As the book progresses, we see Tilly's past in flash-backs.
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Tilly has a complex and difficult past with just about every single inhabitant of the town, but with her return as a successful adult she's gaining acceptance she never had as a child.
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LibraryThing member ElizabethCromb
Read this after really enjoying the film. Prefer to read a book first but was interesting to read the differences between the 2.
LibraryThing member astridnr
This one was definitely not my cup of tea, and I certainly hope the movie is more enjoyable than the book. I found it very difficult to stay focused while reading. Was wondering if it was the writer's style that made it an unpleasant read for me. As for the content of the book, I found this remote
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and insular Australian town and its people so disturbing. Yet, the heroine is a character I was drawn to. Loved her honesty, her resilience, and how she brought chic European fashions to the women of they small town. There is a massive redemptive gesture in the book's conclusion, which will make it memorable. Show Less
LibraryThing member fred_mouse
I read this because it was a gift. It is well outside my comfort reading zone in many ways, although I do like recent-history stories, and Australiana.
However, I struggled with reading the story, typically only getting through 2-3 pages at a sitting. I found the majority of the characters
However, I struggled with reading the story, typically only getting through 2-3 pages at a sitting. I found the majority of the characters
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unlikeable at best, and many of the reflections on small town life to be particularly unpleasant. Essentially a dystopia set in 1950s rural Australia. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000
Physical description
288 p.; 5 inches
ISBN
0143129066 / 9780143129066
Other editions
The Dressmaker: A Novel by Rosalie Ham (Paperback)