Edward Carey

"The wry, macabre, unforgettable tale of an ambitious orphan in Revolutionary Paris, befriended by royalty and radicals, who transforms herself into the legendary Madame Tussaud" --

A Novel

Little

This book was a long haul, but it was worth it i think in the end? A literature-esque biopic of Madame Tussauds, from starting in Germany to going through literal hell in revolutionary France and finally dying in London, all whilst creating the most infamous business. It was a very interesting read and I like to think I know more about the anatomy of a body now due to the functioning and creation of waxworks. But it was SO LONG.

Megan McMillan

The wry, macabre, unforgettable tale of an ambitious orphan in Revolutionary Paris, befriended by royalty and radicals, who transforms herself into the legendary Madame Tussaud. In 1761, a tiny, odd-looking girl named Marie is born in a village in Switzerland. After the death of her parents, she is apprenticed to an eccentric wax sculptor and whisked off to the seamy streets of Paris, where they meet a domineering widow and her quiet, pale son. Together, they convert an abandoned monkey house into an exhibition hall for wax heads, and the spectacle becomes a sensation. As word of her artistic talent spreads, Marie is called to Versailles, where she tutors a princess and saves Marie Antoinette in childbirth. But outside the palace walls, Paris is roiling: The revolutionary mob is demanding heads, and . . . at the wax museum, heads are what they do. In the tradition of Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Edward Carey's Little is a darkly endearing cavalcade of a novel--a story of art, class, determination, and how we hold on to what we love.

Beth Bartholomew

TW: Beheadings, death, stillbirth, death of a parent. 

This historical fiction tells the origin story of Marie, the founder of Madame Tussauds, a house of wax sculptures. And what a fascinating story this is! Set across the span of Marie's life, we really feel like we're going on a journey with her! Told with beautiful prose, but not too daunting, this book brings to life a backstory I knew nothing about prior to reading. It is set during the French Revolution and at times could be very brutal and blunt, which added a real shock effect to the events. 

I found myself jotting down so many thoughts as I was reading this book, especially of things I wanted to look up later. It is so fascinating - for example, in the late 1700s, the servants at the palace had to sleep and live in tiny cupboards so as to be close to their masters when needed! 

The writing style was a delight and I loved the way Marie saw the world. There's a specific moment at the start where she notes that whilst she may not have any physically from her parents, she has their nose and chin to carry with her always. I loved that approach! Also, love the illustrations littered throughout this book, they're super creepy, but very unique and add another dimension to the story. 

What a brilliant read to start off the year with!

Export edition (World excluding US and Canada). From little beginnings: the extraordinary story of a singular, diminutive crumb of a servant girl turned entertainment mogul.

Erin.

A startling charming book. The curious description makes it hard to know what exactly you’re getting with this one, but it truly is one of the most original and strangely moving reads of the past few years. The book is well paced and engaging, and Carey’s funny little illustrations add to the warmth and sweet oddness of the book overall. A real hidden gem. 

Little A Novel

Reviews