Taking place in the early nineteenth century in southern England, Art & Grace, a regency era novel, follows a mixed-race maid, Bess, as she struggles to ensure a stable and safe future. The premise of the story intrigued me by the inclusion of aspects of slavery and race which is so often left out in the writings of Dickens and Austen. Indeed, in his book The World, the Text and the Critic, Edward Said points out how the underlying context of colonialism serves as the unspoken funder of the rich and wealthy during this period. Author Catherine E. Chapman brings this understanding front and centre.
I have been obsessed with Jane Austen since I can remember, which we have made clear on the blog previously. So much so that it drew me to many of her contemporaries including the Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens. The period exploration of social behaviours and habits, with a healthy dose of propriety and restraint was addictive. So, when Catherine E. Chapman approached us and offered a copy of her regency era romance novel, Art & Grace, in exchange for an honest review, I immediately jumped at the chance thinking it to be perfectly up my alley.
Indeed, in a very Austen-esq style, many of Chapman’s characters were reminiscent of the well-known ones from beloved novels. For example, the protagonist determination to keep pushing even through hardship but her recklessness with her emotions reminds me in equal measure of two of the Bennett sisters, Elizabeth and Lydia. Other characters, such as Adam Bryce bear heavy resemblance to George Wickham, though these elements are subverted as the novel goes on. Some of the most entertaining parts of the novel personally were the familiar tropes such as love triangles and questions of inheritance.
I will admit that, at first, I struggled to get into the book. Though relatively short overall, comprised of numerous short chapters, the writing seemed abrupt and the story fast-paced. Dropped in media res, the action of the novel begins right away, and the reader is left playing catch up while you put together the character relationships and their behaviours. Additionally, the use of contractions throughout the novel seemed at odds with the tone of a regency era novel. I do have to admit, however, that I am quite biased as punctuation and the formality of grammar is something I generally prefer in a novel as I feel it makes it more formal. Much of that has to do with my background in academia which raises its own questions of elitism that is a topic for another time. However, as a result of the writing style and the shorter chapters, the novel moves quickly and is an easy read and very soon I found it difficult to put down the novel as I was invested in the outcome of the story. Indeed, the story is the main draw of the book.
The engagement with the topic of the colonial slave trade, though made obvious by the protagonist is surprisingly rarely dealt with beyond the obvious racist sentiments regarding miscegenation from those around Bess. Nevertheless, the novel continuously brings up the question of the legal rights not simple of those of colour, but those born of interracial backgrounds. I could not be sure how much of the depiction is accurate to the time, in line with the history, however it is regardless intriguing to address.
Indeed, it was the topic of possession (of the body, of the mind, as well as physical and financial) that I found the most complex within the novel. Elements of position, wealth and gender influence the dynamics of power and hence possession. Wholly fictionized or not, I was frequently left wondering how Bess intended to carve out a space of autonomy when she found herself coming from a place of utter financial insecurity. How she achieves it is unexpected and a welcome difference from stories previously heard.
Chapman has created a curious group of distinct characters whose interactions with one another are complicated, surprising and decidedly frustrating which makes it all the more addictive. If you are a fan of quick reads with a penchant for regency era novels and romance, this is definitely the novel for you.
You can find Catherine Chapman on the following social platforms:
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
She also has her own WordPress blog which you can find here.
You can find the book on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon UK and US.
~S~
