Advertisement ::

Enlarge Cartoon

John Harding’s Florence and Giles was probably the novel I have most enjoyed this year. The cover leaves you in no doubt of what you are in for with Florence’s eyes wildly staring from her freckled face and the comment from The Times review ‘Imagine The Turn of the Screw reworked by Edgar Allan Poe‘. Yes, that just about sums it up.

Florence is fiercely possessive of her little, rather limited half-brother, Giles. The two children are left largely to their own devices by an absent guardian uncle. However, he has left strict injunctions that Florence must not be educated. Educated women are anathema to him after an unhappy love affair.

Florence has taught herself to read and her wonderful language is one of the first aspects of the text that captivates the reader. ‘Captivates’ is not the word for the rest of her behaviour. Slowly we piece together the details of what happened to the previous governess.

Miss Taylor, the replacement poses an apparent threat to Florence and Giles and we watch with growing horror as Florence handles the problem in her own way. We piece together from flimsy evidence including a mangled photograph what is really going on.

This is an irresistible horror story. You will probably read it in one go and it will haunt you for some time afterwards!

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.