Tricky ... Exists in a between place that takes place in its own time but asks us to weigh its depiction of the past against the present. Stevens’ book, divided into brief cleverly-titled chapters, is attentive to the language and manners of England’s late Victorian era while also looking ahead.
Wittily updates many Victorian novel tropes, weaving in art, fakery, secrets, and queer romance ... While it feels grounded in research, the book has a breezy approach to historical fiction.
