Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Raven Books (2017), 384 pages
Description
"When newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge, what greets her is far from the life of wealth and privilege she was expecting. 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. A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, this is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect--much like the silent companions themselves"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member gpangel
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell is a 2018 Penguin Books publication.
The best Gothic Horror novel I’ve read in a long time!
Elsie, recently widowed, and pregnant with her first child arrives in a remote village, with her husband’s cousin, Sarah, to live in an old home, owned by her
While exploring the house, which is full of locked rooms, Elsie finds some old diaries, as well a ‘Silent companion’ – which is a painted wooden figure that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie.
The staff is terrified of the 'companions', but Elsie is determined to learn of their origins. As it happens, diary entries written by Anne Bainbridge back in the 1600s, provides Elsie with plenty of shocking family secrets-
The story is told in three alternating segments-
Elsie, badly burned in a fire, is under the care of a doctor who is attempting to discover her culpability in that fire and her level of sanity. As the doctor slowly draws the story from Elsie we are taken back to her arrival at ‘The Bridge’, as she explains her experiences leading up to the deadly fire. We are also transported back to the 1600’s via Anne’s diaries, where we learn Anne may have dabbled in a little witchcraft to conceive a child- a decision she may come to regret.
Wow! I let this book sit on my TBR list longer than I had intended. For some reason when I picked it up I was under the impression this was a historical mystery of some kind. I was totally taken off guard by the chilly ambience, the overwhelming Gothic tones, and the rip-roaring, spine tingling ghost story!! To say I was pleased is an understatement!
This is one of those stories that makes a good fireside read on a cold, dark winter night. It’s very well constructed, multi-layered, written in a lush, almost beautiful prose. I haven’t read a recently published novel of Gothic horror this good in…. I couldn’t tell you when.
This is what Gothic horror should look like- and feel like. The atmosphere was thick and heavy with impending doom, the suspense was taut, keeping me on edge and practically glued to the pages. I’d never heard of a ‘Silent Companion’ until I read this book. The history behind them is interesting, but in this case, they creeped me out big time.
This is a perfect, shivery, chiller with an OUTSTANDING conclusion that will blow your socks off!
Yep, this one goes on the favorites list, for sure!!
5 stars
The best Gothic Horror novel I’ve read in a long time!
Elsie, recently widowed, and pregnant with her first child arrives in a remote village, with her husband’s cousin, Sarah, to live in an old home, owned by her
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husband, referred to as ‘The Bridge’, which has not been lived in for quite some time. Due to her husband’s wealth, and his sudden death so soon after their marriage, rumors and scandal are breathing down Elsie’s neck, but the villagers and her limited staff are also quite superstitious about her, and the house. While exploring the house, which is full of locked rooms, Elsie finds some old diaries, as well a ‘Silent companion’ – which is a painted wooden figure that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie.
The staff is terrified of the 'companions', but Elsie is determined to learn of their origins. As it happens, diary entries written by Anne Bainbridge back in the 1600s, provides Elsie with plenty of shocking family secrets-
The story is told in three alternating segments-
Elsie, badly burned in a fire, is under the care of a doctor who is attempting to discover her culpability in that fire and her level of sanity. As the doctor slowly draws the story from Elsie we are taken back to her arrival at ‘The Bridge’, as she explains her experiences leading up to the deadly fire. We are also transported back to the 1600’s via Anne’s diaries, where we learn Anne may have dabbled in a little witchcraft to conceive a child- a decision she may come to regret.
Wow! I let this book sit on my TBR list longer than I had intended. For some reason when I picked it up I was under the impression this was a historical mystery of some kind. I was totally taken off guard by the chilly ambience, the overwhelming Gothic tones, and the rip-roaring, spine tingling ghost story!! To say I was pleased is an understatement!
This is one of those stories that makes a good fireside read on a cold, dark winter night. It’s very well constructed, multi-layered, written in a lush, almost beautiful prose. I haven’t read a recently published novel of Gothic horror this good in…. I couldn’t tell you when.
This is what Gothic horror should look like- and feel like. The atmosphere was thick and heavy with impending doom, the suspense was taut, keeping me on edge and practically glued to the pages. I’d never heard of a ‘Silent Companion’ until I read this book. The history behind them is interesting, but in this case, they creeped me out big time.
This is a perfect, shivery, chiller with an OUTSTANDING conclusion that will blow your socks off!
Yep, this one goes on the favorites list, for sure!!
5 stars
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LibraryThing member basilisksam
I hate to diss a new author’s book but I feel there should be some balance to the inexplicable five star reviews it gets on Amazon. The first problem is that the writing is full of clichés, often veering into what I would expect in a Mills and Boon in terms of dialogue. There’s nothing
The worst problem for me, and I’m surprised it’s not mentioned in other reviews, is that the silent companions are the least scary “monsters” I’ve ever encountered. I didn’t experience a scintilla of unease or horror throughout the whole book but kept wondering why the characters were scared of something so mundane.
It’s perhaps unfortunate that I’ve just been reading a biography of Shirley Jackson and re-reading her novels. Even the opening paragraph of “The Haunting of Hill House” is enough to give you sleepless nights and her writing never relies on the graphic horrors used in the Silent Companions (not that I object to graphic horror, it’s just not very subtle especially in a ghost story).
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particularly original in the story and it tries to do a Sarah Waters in terms of a twist but you can see it coming miles away.The worst problem for me, and I’m surprised it’s not mentioned in other reviews, is that the silent companions are the least scary “monsters” I’ve ever encountered. I didn’t experience a scintilla of unease or horror throughout the whole book but kept wondering why the characters were scared of something so mundane.
It’s perhaps unfortunate that I’ve just been reading a biography of Shirley Jackson and re-reading her novels. Even the opening paragraph of “The Haunting of Hill House” is enough to give you sleepless nights and her writing never relies on the graphic horrors used in the Silent Companions (not that I object to graphic horror, it’s just not very subtle especially in a ghost story).
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LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
In 1865, Elsie Bainbridge, newly married, newly pregnant, and newly widowed, arrives at the family home of her late husband. Here she will wait out her pregnancy with only her late husband’s cousin, Sarah, and a bare handful of servants. This setting, far out in the country, is a new thing for
The Bridge, as it is called, is immense, and not in good repair. There are not enough servants to keep it up, and the villagers are afraid to work there. Soon enough, Elsie starts to see why. Mysterious noises fill the night. The nursery is clean and lovely one day, and dusty and filled with falling apart curtains and linens the next. But it’s not until a trip up into the attic (which is locked one minute and open the next) that things really get weird. Elsie and Sarah find two volumes of diaries from 1635, written by Anne Bainbridge, and centering around a visit by Charles I and his queen. These form a different narrative strand. They also find the silent companions- wooden cut outs that are painted very realistically as people. These were a real thing in the 1600s, although mainly in the Netherlands. People would put them in places in the house to startle people or just for décor. These particular companions, though, aren’t quite, stationary decorations. These move- but only when you’re not looking. Like Weeping Angels, you don’t blink if they are after you! For some reason, inanimate objects that pursue seem scarier to me than having a living person after you. And one looks surprisingly like Elsie- even though she’s not a Bainbridge by blood.
The third narrative strand is taking place in 1866; Else is in a mental hospital, in solitary, mute, and horribly burned. Her doctor gives her a pencil, and asks her to tell him what happened. Slowly she unveils the tale of the horror that she and the others went through. And it really is horror. One is never sure if it is supernatural (it certainly seems to be) or if someone is gaslighting Elsie- and if that is true, *who* is doing the gaslighting? It seems like everyone in the house is seeing and hearing the unexplained events. In the end, things still aren’t clear. Someone gains immensely from the situation, but is that person the perpetrator, or simply a very lucky by stander?
I downloaded this book and decided to take a quick look at it… I ended up sitting down and reading the whole thing over the day and evening. I could not wait to see what would happen next. I liked Elsie and found her a very intriguing character; although not so nice things about her turn up over the course of the book, she had reason for doing the bad things she did. Sarah surprised me. Elsie’s brother is an entitled twerp. I was sympathetic to Anne; she was the start of the terror but did it innocently. I was genuinely creeped out by this story, and it takes a lot to do that. I’m looking forward to more books by the author! Five stars.
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her. She grew up in her father’s match factory in London, working there as soon as she was able as a child, and, following the deaths of her parents, bringing up her brother. The Bridge, as it is called, is immense, and not in good repair. There are not enough servants to keep it up, and the villagers are afraid to work there. Soon enough, Elsie starts to see why. Mysterious noises fill the night. The nursery is clean and lovely one day, and dusty and filled with falling apart curtains and linens the next. But it’s not until a trip up into the attic (which is locked one minute and open the next) that things really get weird. Elsie and Sarah find two volumes of diaries from 1635, written by Anne Bainbridge, and centering around a visit by Charles I and his queen. These form a different narrative strand. They also find the silent companions- wooden cut outs that are painted very realistically as people. These were a real thing in the 1600s, although mainly in the Netherlands. People would put them in places in the house to startle people or just for décor. These particular companions, though, aren’t quite, stationary decorations. These move- but only when you’re not looking. Like Weeping Angels, you don’t blink if they are after you! For some reason, inanimate objects that pursue seem scarier to me than having a living person after you. And one looks surprisingly like Elsie- even though she’s not a Bainbridge by blood.
The third narrative strand is taking place in 1866; Else is in a mental hospital, in solitary, mute, and horribly burned. Her doctor gives her a pencil, and asks her to tell him what happened. Slowly she unveils the tale of the horror that she and the others went through. And it really is horror. One is never sure if it is supernatural (it certainly seems to be) or if someone is gaslighting Elsie- and if that is true, *who* is doing the gaslighting? It seems like everyone in the house is seeing and hearing the unexplained events. In the end, things still aren’t clear. Someone gains immensely from the situation, but is that person the perpetrator, or simply a very lucky by stander?
I downloaded this book and decided to take a quick look at it… I ended up sitting down and reading the whole thing over the day and evening. I could not wait to see what would happen next. I liked Elsie and found her a very intriguing character; although not so nice things about her turn up over the course of the book, she had reason for doing the bad things she did. Sarah surprised me. Elsie’s brother is an entitled twerp. I was sympathetic to Anne; she was the start of the terror but did it innocently. I was genuinely creeped out by this story, and it takes a lot to do that. I’m looking forward to more books by the author! Five stars.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
I've always enjoyed a well-told ghost story. The problem is finding one that rivets my attention to the turning of each page. I'm happy to say that I found a Victorian ghost story that suits me right down to the ground: Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions.
I found the beginning of the book to be a
The second timeline is Elsie's in 1865, and both give a marvelous sense of time and place. One of the things I really enjoyed was how my perceptions of each character changed as I read further and further into the story. Even Elsie's seldom-seen brother Jolyon (a medieval version of "Julian") isn't just a foil for showing readers women's place in society and business during the Victorian era.
I know that those two-hundred-year-old wooden figures are supposed to be the scariest things in The Silent Companions, but they aren't what creeped me out. No, that honor goes to Purcell's descriptions of the house, its gardens, and the village. The village was so mired in poverty, superstition, and hostility, the house and gardens with dirt, neglect, and resentment that the menace was palpable. As I read, I felt that eyes in the back of my head were not enough; no, I needed a team of Navy SEALs surrounding me at all times.
If you're in the mood for a good ghost story, I highly recommend The Silent Companions. I still shiver when I think of revisiting that ancient country house, The Bridge.
I found the beginning of the book to be a
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bit slow moving until the locked room was opened and a diary was found and read. Then there were two timelines to follow, and I have to admit that I wish Anne Bainbridge's diary written in 1635 was a lot longer because that story fascinated me with its focus on a visit to The Bridge by King Charles I and his queen, Henrietta Maria.The second timeline is Elsie's in 1865, and both give a marvelous sense of time and place. One of the things I really enjoyed was how my perceptions of each character changed as I read further and further into the story. Even Elsie's seldom-seen brother Jolyon (a medieval version of "Julian") isn't just a foil for showing readers women's place in society and business during the Victorian era.
I know that those two-hundred-year-old wooden figures are supposed to be the scariest things in The Silent Companions, but they aren't what creeped me out. No, that honor goes to Purcell's descriptions of the house, its gardens, and the village. The village was so mired in poverty, superstition, and hostility, the house and gardens with dirt, neglect, and resentment that the menace was palpable. As I read, I felt that eyes in the back of my head were not enough; no, I needed a team of Navy SEALs surrounding me at all times.
If you're in the mood for a good ghost story, I highly recommend The Silent Companions. I still shiver when I think of revisiting that ancient country house, The Bridge.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
The publisher’s note at the beginning of my galley came with the warning that you should not read this book at night. After reading this only at night, I can safely say that this is totally accurate. This is one freaky ass book, folks. Think topiary trees in The Shining scary. You will never look
The novel, like any good creepy one, starts out slowly. Seeing The Bridge through Elsie’s eyes, as a stranger thrust into a new world and life, puts us directly in the story. Because we only know what we see through her, we must trust her feelings of disquiet and apprehension as her time at The Bridge lengthens. That her cousin-in-law mirrors her sense of unease serves to confirm her reliability as a narrator. This, in turn, legitimizes the unfolding horror. Then the really crazy shit happens.
Part of what makes The Silent Companions so intense is the fact that Ms. Purcell puts us directly back into the 1800s and shows us firsthand the limitations women faced in polite society. We only get glimpses of Elsie’s childhood as the daughter of a match factory owner, but none of it is good in that she repeatedly mentions how she was protecting her brother from harsh realities. Later, as a young widow, she is not only forced into a life of solitude given the strict mourning rituals but she has to do so at her husband’s family estate – a place her husband was making ready for her to visit but had deemed inhabitable in the meantime. Even though she used to be considered a partner in the family business alongside her brother, she foregoes that partnership upon her marriage. Now that she is a widow, her brother makes all the decisions on her behalf, even though it used to be she who took care of him as they were growing up together. Even the housekeeper is in charge of the servants, decides which ones to hire and fire, and overseas their work. Through Elsie, we understand the chafing confinement of severe mourning and realize that while having money may have kept Elsie off the streets, it also limited her abilities to think and act in ways that are unfathomable today. You will finish the novel with a better appreciation for every right and freedom women have fought to achieve to date because Elsie’s life is stultifying in too many ways.
Added into the mix, we get the to see the story of Anne Bainbridge, a descendant of the Bainbridge family and the one who first found the wooden figures who feature so prominently in the story. Elsie and her cousin-in-law discover Anne’s diaries in the locked attic alongside the first silent companion. Through the reading of the diary, we see her own experiences with these silent companions and learn a little more about this unusual family. This becomes of vital importance later on as we begin to understand where they obtained their disconcerting appearance.
All of this – Elsie’s confinement, the strangeness of her new life, those damnable wooden figures – build slowly to create an intense story that makes you question your own sanity. Yet even though the novel starts out with Elsie in an insane asylum, we never question hers. We do not do so because of her cousin-in-law’s own reaction to the figures and her corroboration of everything Elsie witnesses. We also do not do so because we know Anne’s story. Because we do not question her sanity, we must then face what Elsie tells us about the silent companions and everything that happens in The Bridge upon her husband’s death, and what happens is not for the faint of heart.
Ms. Purcell, in establishing the creep factor, excels at the long build and the drawing out of the tension. From that first unknown but sinister hiss to the last horror-filled moment, she keeps your adrenaline pumping at higher than normal volumes. She capitalizes on the written word equivalent of the jump scare to keep you awake and set your pulse to rapidly beating. Yet, she also knows when to back off to allow you a chance to catch your breath, all the while lulling you into a false sense of security before she applies the pressure yet again. It is a masterful balance act that keeps your interest without losing the effectiveness of the low but steady stream of adrenaline running through your veins.
The Silent Companions is a true Victorian Gothic novel in that one derives pleasure from the feeling of horror while reading it. That feeling of adrenaline humming through your body is addicting, which is why horror novels are so popular. It also has elements of Edgar Allen Poe’s works with the scenes in the insane asylum. The fact that it takes time for you to get into the story is also reminiscent of Victorian-era novels, where authors believed in the slow burn rather than today’s emphasis on immediate action. For those who can appreciate such things, The Silent Companions is quite the treat. Just don’t read it at night. By yourself. In the dark.
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at wooden figures the same way ever again.The novel, like any good creepy one, starts out slowly. Seeing The Bridge through Elsie’s eyes, as a stranger thrust into a new world and life, puts us directly in the story. Because we only know what we see through her, we must trust her feelings of disquiet and apprehension as her time at The Bridge lengthens. That her cousin-in-law mirrors her sense of unease serves to confirm her reliability as a narrator. This, in turn, legitimizes the unfolding horror. Then the really crazy shit happens.
Part of what makes The Silent Companions so intense is the fact that Ms. Purcell puts us directly back into the 1800s and shows us firsthand the limitations women faced in polite society. We only get glimpses of Elsie’s childhood as the daughter of a match factory owner, but none of it is good in that she repeatedly mentions how she was protecting her brother from harsh realities. Later, as a young widow, she is not only forced into a life of solitude given the strict mourning rituals but she has to do so at her husband’s family estate – a place her husband was making ready for her to visit but had deemed inhabitable in the meantime. Even though she used to be considered a partner in the family business alongside her brother, she foregoes that partnership upon her marriage. Now that she is a widow, her brother makes all the decisions on her behalf, even though it used to be she who took care of him as they were growing up together. Even the housekeeper is in charge of the servants, decides which ones to hire and fire, and overseas their work. Through Elsie, we understand the chafing confinement of severe mourning and realize that while having money may have kept Elsie off the streets, it also limited her abilities to think and act in ways that are unfathomable today. You will finish the novel with a better appreciation for every right and freedom women have fought to achieve to date because Elsie’s life is stultifying in too many ways.
Added into the mix, we get the to see the story of Anne Bainbridge, a descendant of the Bainbridge family and the one who first found the wooden figures who feature so prominently in the story. Elsie and her cousin-in-law discover Anne’s diaries in the locked attic alongside the first silent companion. Through the reading of the diary, we see her own experiences with these silent companions and learn a little more about this unusual family. This becomes of vital importance later on as we begin to understand where they obtained their disconcerting appearance.
All of this – Elsie’s confinement, the strangeness of her new life, those damnable wooden figures – build slowly to create an intense story that makes you question your own sanity. Yet even though the novel starts out with Elsie in an insane asylum, we never question hers. We do not do so because of her cousin-in-law’s own reaction to the figures and her corroboration of everything Elsie witnesses. We also do not do so because we know Anne’s story. Because we do not question her sanity, we must then face what Elsie tells us about the silent companions and everything that happens in The Bridge upon her husband’s death, and what happens is not for the faint of heart.
Ms. Purcell, in establishing the creep factor, excels at the long build and the drawing out of the tension. From that first unknown but sinister hiss to the last horror-filled moment, she keeps your adrenaline pumping at higher than normal volumes. She capitalizes on the written word equivalent of the jump scare to keep you awake and set your pulse to rapidly beating. Yet, she also knows when to back off to allow you a chance to catch your breath, all the while lulling you into a false sense of security before she applies the pressure yet again. It is a masterful balance act that keeps your interest without losing the effectiveness of the low but steady stream of adrenaline running through your veins.
The Silent Companions is a true Victorian Gothic novel in that one derives pleasure from the feeling of horror while reading it. That feeling of adrenaline humming through your body is addicting, which is why horror novels are so popular. It also has elements of Edgar Allen Poe’s works with the scenes in the insane asylum. The fact that it takes time for you to get into the story is also reminiscent of Victorian-era novels, where authors believed in the slow burn rather than today’s emphasis on immediate action. For those who can appreciate such things, The Silent Companions is quite the treat. Just don’t read it at night. By yourself. In the dark.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
Laura Purcell created some very vivid scenes that will have your imagination working overtime. What a great movie or television drama this would make! Poor Elsie. You knew only disaster awaited her from the moment she started on this journey with only her recently deceased husband's strange cousin
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for company. And then there was that house! It all added to the eerie, creepy atmosphere to produce a well done ghost story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathl33n
My, oh my - this was a very excellent creepy read! I had hoped that it would be from the description and I was not disappointed. This is one of those books that makes you feel like you should be peeking over your shoulder to see what's behind you. So good! The author does an exceptional job of
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conveying place and time which perfectly set the backdrop for this reading experience. The plot and timeline switches were perfection. If you love a good creepy read then this is very much worth your time. I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member aadyer
An intriguing in places, yet somehow disappointing tale of Victorian gothic, supernatural malignancy, and family malice that spans the 17th to 19th centuries. At first, I found this slow, then it was brilliant, then ended slightly disappointedly, with a taper off that I found unrewarding. Some of
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the set pieces, were nicely illuminated, and there is a relative fast pace from the middle of the book onwards but it didn't grip me as much as I thought it would. Quite good. Show Less
LibraryThing member ouroborosangel
How do you feel about life-size wooden cutouts that you think may be moving themselves around your already creepy centuries-old manor house? Murder, suicide, eerie children and a couple of super disturbing timelines make for an excellent slow burn of a Gothic horror story. I'm on a
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great-horror-books role here guys. Stay tuned for more... Show Less
LibraryThing member Jane-Phillips
Enjoyable gothic ghost story about a young widow that returns to her deceased husband's estate shortly after his untimely death. The novel switches seamlessly between the present, the past and the more distant past at the aptly named Bridge, the house that bridges the past with the present.
LibraryThing member AmaliaGavea
‘’I am not dead.’’
Goodness me! How can I write a coherent (and non-spoilery) review on a book that has stayed with me, haunting me (no pun intended) ever since I started reading? A novel that has definitely made it to my personal Top-10? A story that is haunting and ghostly, tragic, raw,
Elsie, a young widow, travels to her late husband’s family estate in the 1860s. With her husband’s cousin, Sarah, as her sole companion, she finds an almost dilapidated dwelling, with stern, soulless servants that reflect the coldness of the entire village. As if that wasn’t enough, Elsie is expecting her first child and the nursery is the most mysterious room of the house compared only to the garrett that must remain locked. Sarah finds a diary that transports us to the 1630s, a turbulent era when the terror of rebellion equalled the terror of Witchcraft. The prejudices against gypsies, against the invalids, against women who have a special understanding of Nature. Witches, ghosts, curses and troubled minds. A tapestry directed and supervised by the Silent Companions. But what exactly are these creepy wooden figures?
The Silent Companions or, Dummy Boards, originated in the early 17th century and were popular until the end of the 19th century. They were oil-painted wooden figures that gave the impression of three-dimensional carvings. The reasons of their creation are still unclear, as they usually resembled the occupants of the particular estate. The main explanation is that these figures made an empty house looked as if it was still inhabited so potential burglars and looters were discouraged. Within the context of Purcell’s book, the wooden figures become one of the most disturbing presences in Gothic Fiction.
‘’No one was truly alone. Not ever, not in this house.’’
As should be the case in every ghost story that respects itself, the house becomes a character and the setting of a frightening battle. Purcell communicates the atmosphere in such a magnificent way...The description of Elsie’s journey to the estate in the second chapter is so beautiful, haunting, mysterious. It sets the stage for the drama that is to follow and creates images in the reader’s mind that speak of darkness and death. The word ‘death’ is repeated quite a few times. What could be more foreboding? There are whispers of strange deaths and the people of the village are frightening, unwilling to work for Elsie. And all of a sudden, everything darkens and darkens. The blood toil is unstoppable once it begins and its roots lie in the tragedy of an unfortunate family.
An exciting story needs equally exciting characters and The Silent Companions has them in abundance. Elsie and Anna are the main focus, two brave women whose fate is strangely sealed by unknown forces. I loved Elsie. She absolutely rules. She tells it like it is to everyone who fail to know their proper place, like the awful Mabel and the disgusting Mrs Holt. I also felt for Anna. For me, she was the most tragic character of the novel. Hetta, Josiah, Sarah, Jolyon...There’s not a single character that may be considered a filler or unnecessary.
‘’I need to feel the flames.’’
Purcell took many tropes of Gothic Fiction and wove them into a masterpiece. There are no insubstantial spirits, but hauntings made of wood, as alive as you and me. What should be innocent and kind becomes a demon, an instrument of utter evil. There is no ‘’in-your-face’’ horror that would seem unrealistic but an underlying mixture of uneasiness, an eerie, foreboding, claustrophobic feeling that escalates as the story progresses. There were certain scenes I will never forget. These are only a few of the things that make The Silent Companions such a unique, outstanding novel. And the end….well, it is perfect. I mean, it reaches the levels of perfection of Oliver Bierhoff and Ante Rebić. (If you don’t know them, Google them. Thank me later:) )
‘’You have written of these ‘’companions’’ as you call them. You say you were afraid of them. But do you know what really scares us? It is not things that go bump - or even hiss- in the night. Our fears are much closer than that. We are afraid of the things inside us.’’
Goodness me! How can I write a coherent (and non-spoilery) review on a book that has stayed with me, haunting me (no pun intended) ever since I started reading? A novel that has definitely made it to my personal Top-10? A story that is haunting and ghostly, tragic, raw,
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darkly beautiful? The Silent Companions was everything I thought it would be and more. So much more than a ghost story, so much more than Historical Fiction. It is made from the finest blend of the two genres, it is perfect. In my opinion, at least.Elsie, a young widow, travels to her late husband’s family estate in the 1860s. With her husband’s cousin, Sarah, as her sole companion, she finds an almost dilapidated dwelling, with stern, soulless servants that reflect the coldness of the entire village. As if that wasn’t enough, Elsie is expecting her first child and the nursery is the most mysterious room of the house compared only to the garrett that must remain locked. Sarah finds a diary that transports us to the 1630s, a turbulent era when the terror of rebellion equalled the terror of Witchcraft. The prejudices against gypsies, against the invalids, against women who have a special understanding of Nature. Witches, ghosts, curses and troubled minds. A tapestry directed and supervised by the Silent Companions. But what exactly are these creepy wooden figures?
The Silent Companions or, Dummy Boards, originated in the early 17th century and were popular until the end of the 19th century. They were oil-painted wooden figures that gave the impression of three-dimensional carvings. The reasons of their creation are still unclear, as they usually resembled the occupants of the particular estate. The main explanation is that these figures made an empty house looked as if it was still inhabited so potential burglars and looters were discouraged. Within the context of Purcell’s book, the wooden figures become one of the most disturbing presences in Gothic Fiction.
‘’No one was truly alone. Not ever, not in this house.’’
As should be the case in every ghost story that respects itself, the house becomes a character and the setting of a frightening battle. Purcell communicates the atmosphere in such a magnificent way...The description of Elsie’s journey to the estate in the second chapter is so beautiful, haunting, mysterious. It sets the stage for the drama that is to follow and creates images in the reader’s mind that speak of darkness and death. The word ‘death’ is repeated quite a few times. What could be more foreboding? There are whispers of strange deaths and the people of the village are frightening, unwilling to work for Elsie. And all of a sudden, everything darkens and darkens. The blood toil is unstoppable once it begins and its roots lie in the tragedy of an unfortunate family.
An exciting story needs equally exciting characters and The Silent Companions has them in abundance. Elsie and Anna are the main focus, two brave women whose fate is strangely sealed by unknown forces. I loved Elsie. She absolutely rules. She tells it like it is to everyone who fail to know their proper place, like the awful Mabel and the disgusting Mrs Holt. I also felt for Anna. For me, she was the most tragic character of the novel. Hetta, Josiah, Sarah, Jolyon...There’s not a single character that may be considered a filler or unnecessary.
‘’I need to feel the flames.’’
Purcell took many tropes of Gothic Fiction and wove them into a masterpiece. There are no insubstantial spirits, but hauntings made of wood, as alive as you and me. What should be innocent and kind becomes a demon, an instrument of utter evil. There is no ‘’in-your-face’’ horror that would seem unrealistic but an underlying mixture of uneasiness, an eerie, foreboding, claustrophobic feeling that escalates as the story progresses. There were certain scenes I will never forget. These are only a few of the things that make The Silent Companions such a unique, outstanding novel. And the end….well, it is perfect. I mean, it reaches the levels of perfection of Oliver Bierhoff and Ante Rebić. (If you don’t know them, Google them. Thank me later:) )
‘’You have written of these ‘’companions’’ as you call them. You say you were afraid of them. But do you know what really scares us? It is not things that go bump - or even hiss- in the night. Our fears are much closer than that. We are afraid of the things inside us.’’
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LibraryThing member sturlington
I read a lot of ghost stories, so many that it's rare I come across something truly new and disturbing. And then I read something like The Silent Companions, which is creepy and atmospheric and builds the suspense to unbearable levels, finally delivering a satisfying but unexpected twist at the
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end. The companions of the title are fundamentally unsettling; I could picture them as if in a movie in my mind, but a movie that would freak me right the eff out. If you love ghost stories, as I do, then don't miss this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
Full of tension and the kind of narrative unreliability that leaves you uncertain of anything, I still wasn't entirely enamored of this novel. I liked the multiple layers of historical fiction (Victorian flashing back to the reign of Charles I) and while the two periods were mostly drawn very well
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I did think there were a few incidents where the characters had unrealistically modern attitudes. And that's what really bothered me - because I can defend the characters' prejudices and leaps of logic if they're historically accurate, but they really need to be historically accurate throughout, not just when they're being offensive, and then they can be modern to sympathize with the point of view character. Horror novels aren't usually a font of sensitive representation, but I'd want to slap on some content warnings for unexamined racism and ableism on this one in particular. Show Less
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
Well, I've never yet read a 'ghost story' that actually scared me - the living disturb me more than the dead - but this quickly descended into nonsense. A good idea (I feel like I'm always writing this in my reviews) let down by the writing, Laura Purcell's novel captures the Victorian era in the
Recently widowed factory proprietress turned lady - don't ask - Elsie Bainbridge is shipped out to her late husband's country estate, The Bridge (which sounds more like a trendy gastropub than a historic house), to avoid wagging tongues in London. Elsie, who is expecting, is accompanied by her husband's cousin, Sarah, who has been done out of her rightful inheritance by the the new bride, but doesn't seem to mind. Too much. On her first night in the country, Elsie is woken by a strange rasping noise, and told that the disturbance is coming from a locked garret by the housekeeper, who claims that rats are the culprits. When Elsie and Sarah manage to easily gain entrance to room the next day, they discover the diaries of Sarah's seventeenth century ancestor and a strange wooden cut-out, painted to look eerily like a young Elsie. The first of many 'silent companions' discovered in the house, Sarah is enchanted and rescues the effigy from the room along with the diaries. Needless to say, all does not go well, for the characters or the story from that point.
A low budget The Turn of the Screw, written like a modern CGI-laden horror film, The Silent Companions starts well, and could have been really creepy, but Purcell quickly loses the plot. Is Elsie mad - the story opens with a burned and silent Elsie locked away in an asylum - or is she being made to look like a cliched Hysterical Victorian Lady, and if so, by whom? The whole trope is drawn out and predictable, as is the backstory, a cross between Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist. The history of the house is impressively built up into an urban legend in the early chapters, but Anne's diaries completely ruin the effect with faux historical dialogue and tired tropes like Gypsy curses.
I really wanted to like this novel - the 'silent companions' are a clever concept - but there is absolutely nothing original or remotely frightening here.
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penny dreadful style of the plot, if nothing else, but the seventeenth century 'diaries' - oy! Anachronisms abound, especially in the dialogue.Recently widowed factory proprietress turned lady - don't ask - Elsie Bainbridge is shipped out to her late husband's country estate, The Bridge (which sounds more like a trendy gastropub than a historic house), to avoid wagging tongues in London. Elsie, who is expecting, is accompanied by her husband's cousin, Sarah, who has been done out of her rightful inheritance by the the new bride, but doesn't seem to mind. Too much. On her first night in the country, Elsie is woken by a strange rasping noise, and told that the disturbance is coming from a locked garret by the housekeeper, who claims that rats are the culprits. When Elsie and Sarah manage to easily gain entrance to room the next day, they discover the diaries of Sarah's seventeenth century ancestor and a strange wooden cut-out, painted to look eerily like a young Elsie. The first of many 'silent companions' discovered in the house, Sarah is enchanted and rescues the effigy from the room along with the diaries. Needless to say, all does not go well, for the characters or the story from that point.
A low budget The Turn of the Screw, written like a modern CGI-laden horror film, The Silent Companions starts well, and could have been really creepy, but Purcell quickly loses the plot. Is Elsie mad - the story opens with a burned and silent Elsie locked away in an asylum - or is she being made to look like a cliched Hysterical Victorian Lady, and if so, by whom? The whole trope is drawn out and predictable, as is the backstory, a cross between Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist. The history of the house is impressively built up into an urban legend in the early chapters, but Anne's diaries completely ruin the effect with faux historical dialogue and tired tropes like Gypsy curses.
I really wanted to like this novel - the 'silent companions' are a clever concept - but there is absolutely nothing original or remotely frightening here.
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LibraryThing member passion4reading
After her husband’s death only a few months into their marriage, pregnant Elsie Bainbridge travels to her husband’s family estate, along with her husband’s cousin Sarah as her companion. But the once magnificent house and garden, dating back to the early days of the Stuart monarchs, have been
If you like your ghost stories chilling and full of understated menace, then this is the book for you. From the very first sentence the reader is drawn into the narrative, with the atmosphere and tension so thick and palpable as if you were really witnessing the events as an invisible bystander. Towards the end of the book, as things begin to spiral out of control, I was as tense as a coiled spring and felt I had to relieve the tension by letting out a few screams, but being desperate to know how the rest of the story unfolded.
This is one of the best supernatural horror stories I’ve read in years, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Though I was able to predict the ending by following the scattered clues, this added to the anticipation in my opinion. But while the plotting and atmosphere were virtually flawless until the denouement, I thought the ending was unnecessarily rushed; there were still lots of questions that went unanswered.
Still, a highly recommended read that shows how haunted house and Victorian gothic stories need to be done.
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neglected for decades, and nearly all of the inhabitants of the nearby village of Fayford are hostile. After several peculiar and inexplicable incidents, Elsie hears strange noises coming from the garret, and she and Sarah discover there one of the so-called ‘silent companions’ – wooden boards cut out and painted to appear like a person, popular in the 17th century – in the shape of a girl. But this is only the start of a terrifying journey for Elsie and the other inhabitants of The Bridge.If you like your ghost stories chilling and full of understated menace, then this is the book for you. From the very first sentence the reader is drawn into the narrative, with the atmosphere and tension so thick and palpable as if you were really witnessing the events as an invisible bystander. Towards the end of the book, as things begin to spiral out of control, I was as tense as a coiled spring and felt I had to relieve the tension by letting out a few screams, but being desperate to know how the rest of the story unfolded.
This is one of the best supernatural horror stories I’ve read in years, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Though I was able to predict the ending by following the scattered clues, this added to the anticipation in my opinion. But while the plotting and atmosphere were virtually flawless until the denouement, I thought the ending was unnecessarily rushed; there were still lots of questions that went unanswered.
Still, a highly recommended read that shows how haunted house and Victorian gothic stories need to be done.
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LibraryThing member justagirlwithabook
I feel like this book would've made a scarier movie, you know? This one has been talked up as a really creepy gothic tale, and if I'm being honest, I didn't find it a bit creepy. But did I finish it? Yes. So at least there's that. This tale is about a woman who has suffered through some traumatic
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event and is no longer speaking. As her doctor begins to dig into her past and read her story, we discover she (and the past residents of an old family estate) has been haunted by wooden figures - silent companions, if you will. Are they real or just wood? In gothic fashion, we wonder whether there's something to it or whether our female protagonist is just a bit mad. If you like a decent mystery and a storyline fit for a movie (that could actually maybe be creepy?), this one might be more for you. Overall, I give it a solid "it wasn't bad, just okay" from me. Show Less
LibraryThing member elenaj
I read this for a book club - I am not much of a horror person, and not a gothic novel person, so I am not the intended audience of this one. It was very effectively creepy, but the story also gave me the creeps in a bad way. There were lots of problems with the treatment of Romani characters, and
I don’t like stories about evil children, and I especially didn’t like the implication that disability is connected with evilness, or disability and/or evilness come from trying to go against God (or nature).
The second half of the book was pretty compelling and readable, so at least it had that going for it, even if I didn’t like the answer to where the evil was coming from, or how everything turned out.
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beyond that with the overall plot. It seemed like the author was aiming for a feminist slant, but it didn’t feel feminist to me.I don’t like stories about evil children, and I especially didn’t like the implication that disability is connected with evilness, or disability and/or evilness come from trying to go against God (or nature).
The second half of the book was pretty compelling and readable, so at least it had that going for it, even if I didn’t like the answer to where the evil was coming from, or how everything turned out.
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LibraryThing member SharonMariaBidwell
This gothic chiller takes off slowly but picks up once the ‘companions’ make an appearance. I love the idea of them in this well-plotted gothic mystery. Alas, it’s impossible to tell why without giving away the creepiest part of the book. I’m pleased to have stumbled across this book. The
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only (small) negative is the sound the author describes as a ‘hiss’ does not appear to relate to the cause of the noise. I would liken it more to a rasp, and the narrative does indeed call it a rasping hiss at one point, which made no sense to me, and didn’t seem to relate to what the protagonist experiences. That slight discrepancy aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Triduana
I used to read Gothic horrors quite often but stopped when I realised I was reading the same themes over and over. I've recently re-visited the horror genre and this was one of the first books i picked up. The premise sounded intriguing: painted wooden figures that seem to take on a life of their
I wasn't disappointed. This book gripped me right from the start. The story is written in three different timelines, but at no point did this get confusing and I enjoyed all three equally. I loved the way two of these followed the character Elsie, who was a wonderfully unreliable narrator who kept me guessing all the way through. The characters that surrounded Elsie all had their own storylines too and these were unveiled throughout the book, providing some brilliant twists. The third storyline, involving a character from the past, provided detail of the family's history at the house and how the silent companions came to be there, and was just as compelling.
The story was sinister and definitely creepy, although I never found it scary. The companions were definitely the most entertaining aspect of the story, but for me the real horror came from the characters themselves and the events that were unseen. The intrigue around the characters, particularly Elsie, carried on right to the ending, and I loved how this book ended.
Laura Purcell is a very good writer, I loved her descriptions of the house and the way she drew the characters and there was a wonderful sense of that sinister atmosphere right from the first page. I will definitely be reading more of her work.
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own, a haunted house and family intrigue.I wasn't disappointed. This book gripped me right from the start. The story is written in three different timelines, but at no point did this get confusing and I enjoyed all three equally. I loved the way two of these followed the character Elsie, who was a wonderfully unreliable narrator who kept me guessing all the way through. The characters that surrounded Elsie all had their own storylines too and these were unveiled throughout the book, providing some brilliant twists. The third storyline, involving a character from the past, provided detail of the family's history at the house and how the silent companions came to be there, and was just as compelling.
The story was sinister and definitely creepy, although I never found it scary. The companions were definitely the most entertaining aspect of the story, but for me the real horror came from the characters themselves and the events that were unseen. The intrigue around the characters, particularly Elsie, carried on right to the ending, and I loved how this book ended.
Laura Purcell is a very good writer, I loved her descriptions of the house and the way she drew the characters and there was a wonderful sense of that sinister atmosphere right from the first page. I will definitely be reading more of her work.
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LibraryThing member Longcluse
Victorian (or adjacent) gothic novels are a lifelong obsession for me, and I was grateful to find and read this. That said… I was surprised that the dialogue representing 1800’s conversation was basically ordinary modern speech with contractions removed. Worse, 1600’s dialogue was the same as
That said, points for establishing a comprehensive sense of the environment with beautiful descriptions of the landscape. Household odors and representations of the effects of light in and on the house help put the reader into the scene.
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the 1800’s dialogue with some historical/ obsolete nouns sprinkled in. I understand that this was probably a choice made to avoid alienating more casual readers, but for me it created the vibe of a somewhat forgettable Hollywood-budget movie made by and for Americans. I was also disappointed toward the end of the book, having thought the objects of horror would ultimately be replaced by something much scarier revealed in the denouement. I appreciate the spookiness with which “the companions” are introduced, but I don’t feel they cut it as primary supernatural villains or agents of spirits. Add in some absurd Final Destination-flavored kills and departure from realism as the protagonist notices tiny details and facial expressions in the windows of the mansion from across the grounds or far below in the driveway, and I had to suspend the suspension of my disbelief.That said, points for establishing a comprehensive sense of the environment with beautiful descriptions of the landscape. Household odors and representations of the effects of light in and on the house help put the reader into the scene.
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LibraryThing member LynnMPK
I flew through this book! It was creepy, gross, and compelling. The twists were predictable, but I didn't feel like the author was trying to fool the readers. It was a quick, enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member caanderson
Creepy life like paintings from the past continue to haunt the living.
LibraryThing member Beamis12
An asylum, a menacing house, journals found from the past, throw in Gothic and Victorian and I am all over it. Elsie, pregnant with her first child, travels to her husband's estate, called the Bridge. It is the middle of the 1800s and her husband has just died from unknown causes. Her story is a
Was reading this on Halloween, and it was just creepy enough without being absolutely terrifying. The silent companions, things I had never heard of, make an appearance and keep making appearances despite the fact that they are gotten rid of time and time again. The journals from the past reveal the dabbling in of witchcraft and of terrible wrongs committed. As a reader I was never quite sure what was real and what was imagined. If what Elsie was seeing and experiencing was in her mind or an actual happening. Loved the Gothic, forboding style of this, the constant tension, and the mix between past and present. Other interesting characters are presented and one will have an important part in the twist at the end.
This was a sisters read and many of us had questions at the end. Trying to figure out exactly what happened, but I often think a book that causes one to question what they just read, is the mark of an interesting and worthy read.
ARC from Edelweiss.
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rags to riches one, daughter of a man who owned a match factory, she met and married her wealthy husband when he came to invest in the factory. Elsie herself has secrets held from her past, and the house she finds is not what she expected. Was reading this on Halloween, and it was just creepy enough without being absolutely terrifying. The silent companions, things I had never heard of, make an appearance and keep making appearances despite the fact that they are gotten rid of time and time again. The journals from the past reveal the dabbling in of witchcraft and of terrible wrongs committed. As a reader I was never quite sure what was real and what was imagined. If what Elsie was seeing and experiencing was in her mind or an actual happening. Loved the Gothic, forboding style of this, the constant tension, and the mix between past and present. Other interesting characters are presented and one will have an important part in the twist at the end.
This was a sisters read and many of us had questions at the end. Trying to figure out exactly what happened, but I often think a book that causes one to question what they just read, is the mark of an interesting and worthy read.
ARC from Edelweiss.
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LibraryThing member spiritedstardust
3.25
I found this utterly frustrating
I found this utterly frustrating
Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — Horror — 2019)
Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award (Shortlist — 2018)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-10-05
Physical description
384 p.
ISBN
1408888092 / 9781408888094
Local notes
Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge. With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure - a Silent Companion - that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself.
Goldsboro book of the month club (October 2017). Signed and numbered, black sprayed edges. Die cut keyhole in the cover boards. 1st UK HB.
Goldsboro book of the month club (October 2017). Signed and numbered, black sprayed edges. Die cut keyhole in the cover boards. 1st UK HB.