Dark secrets haunt the manor house at Selden in Buckinghamshire, where Emilie Selden, motherless, fiercely intelligent and more beautiful than she realises, has been raised in near isolation by her father. John Selden, student of Isaac Newton, is conducting a bold and secret experiment. He aims to turn Emilie into a brilliant natural philosopher and alchemist. Secluded in his ancient manor house, with only their two servants for company, he fills her with knowledge and records every step she takes. In the spring of 1725, ...
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Dark secrets haunt the manor house at Selden in Buckinghamshire, where Emilie Selden, motherless, fiercely intelligent and more beautiful than she realises, has been raised in near isolation by her father. John Selden, student of Isaac Newton, is conducting a bold and secret experiment. He aims to turn Emilie into a brilliant natural philosopher and alchemist. Secluded in his ancient manor house, with only their two servants for company, he fills her with knowledge and records every step she takes. In the spring of 1725, when Emilie is eighteen, father and daughter begin their most daring alchemical adventure of all - an attempt to breathe life into dead matter. But their work is interrupted by the arrival of two strangers, one a researcher into the life of plants, the other a dazzling young merchant. During the course of a sultry August, whilst her father is away, Emilie is caught up in the passion of first love and, listening for the first time to her heart rather than her head, she makes her choice...with consequences that are far-reaching and tumultuous.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. 9780297850854. Size: 8"-9" Tall. Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; ISBN: 0297850857. ISBN/EAN: 9780297850854. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 13831.
It's possible that I did not know what to expect from this book, but I found it to be a bit of a slow start. The more I read of it, however, the more compelled I was by the situation in which the alchemist's daughter found herself. It was well written, and created vivid characters. A worthy book, well worth your while to read.
bookgeek
Apr 3, 2007
Enjoyable.
This is a novel, at it's heart, about disillusionment. Part cautionary tale to virgins, part love letter to Newton, and part romance, this is a unique novel. Young Emilie Selden works as a apprentice to her wealthy father, an alchemist. She spends every day with him, and becomes one of the most talented young scientists of her time. However, she is tragically naive about the rest of the world outside of her own home. She sleeps with the first man she falls in love with, marries him, and finds out that she won't be living happily ever after. The narrative of love, loss, and betrayal is universal. As Emilie learns more about life, and the secrets of her own past, she grows as a woman. Her mistakes are terrible, but she learns from all of them, and emerges as a strong, brilliant woman. The style and content of some of the scenes in the book reminded me of a Jane Austen novel. I really enjoyed all the scenes between Shales and Emilie, because McMahon doesn't feel the need to outline every single nuance in their behavior. This is a book for readers who love to read between the lines, and search for the sub-text during a dialogue. I felt like a few characters were very under developed. Emilie's lover, for instance, was transparent from the very first. The plot was a little predictable, but overall, it was a good read. If you enjoyed THE SCARLET LETTER, or anything by Jane Austen, you'll probably like this book, too.
