You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by helen_t_reads
Miss Marley: The Untold Story of Jacob Marley's Sister by Vanessa Lafaye
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Orphans Clara and Jacob Marley live by their wits, scavenging for scraps in the poorest alleyways of London, in the shadow of the workhouse. Every night, Jake promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’ and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it, despite the terrible price. Jacob goes into business with Ebenezer Scrooge, and earns his fortune as a hard headed businessman, but a dreadful fate awaits him, and Clara is the only one who can warn him about it...
Miss Marley offers the reader a prequel to A Christmas Carol, and stems from Vanessa Lafaye's curiosity about Jacob Marley. Very little is revealed about him in Dickens' novella, as he died before the action begins. His only appearance is as a ghost who visits Scrooge on Christmas Eve, to herald the visits of the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
But what had shaped Marley's life? What had he done to merit the punishment of carrying for all eternity that burdensome chain, forged by his actions when alive? What does he regret so much about his life that he is impelled to return from beyond the grave to warn his business partner Scrooge?
Well here we find out, with a novella dedicated to a plausible backstory for Marley, featuring an invented character, his sister, Clara, who is depicted as a strong woman, surviving hardship and misfortune, whilst retaining kindness and humanity.
This seasonal story vividly evokes Victorian London, captures the essence of A Christmas Carol and stays faithful to Dickens' moral and meaning within it: that the pursuit of money will not make a person happy; the joy that is found in
family and friends; the importance of giving to those in need; that people have a duty to take care of one another, and the need for compassion, forgiveness, and humanity in all things.
An enjoyable read on a dark December afternoon.
As a side note the author, Vanessa Lafaye, died before she could complete the novel, and it was finished by Rebecca Maskull, but the transition is completely invisible. A remarkable achievement.
Miss Marley offers the reader a prequel to A Christmas Carol, and stems from Vanessa Lafaye's curiosity about Jacob Marley. Very little is revealed about him in Dickens' novella, as he died before the action begins. His only appearance is as a ghost who visits Scrooge on Christmas Eve, to herald the visits of the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
But what had shaped Marley's life? What had he done to merit the punishment of carrying for all eternity that burdensome chain, forged by his actions when alive? What does he regret so much about his life that he is impelled to return from beyond the grave to warn his business partner Scrooge?
Well here we find out, with a novella dedicated to a plausible backstory for Marley, featuring an invented character, his sister, Clara, who is depicted as a strong woman, surviving hardship and misfortune, whilst retaining kindness and humanity.
This seasonal story vividly evokes Victorian London, captures the essence of A Christmas Carol and stays faithful to Dickens' moral and meaning within it: that the pursuit of money will not make a person happy; the joy that is found in
family and friends; the importance of giving to those in need; that people have a duty to take care of one another, and the need for compassion, forgiveness, and humanity in all things.
An enjoyable read on a dark December afternoon.
As a side note the author, Vanessa Lafaye, died before she could complete the novel, and it was finished by Rebecca Maskull, but the transition is completely invisible. A remarkable achievement.