Shadowplay

The most authentically classic-sounding novel written in modern-day that I’ve ever read, Shadowplay is an immersive experience for those fascinated with Bram Stoker and the historical context surrounding Dracula.

Written as if a series of letters, incomplete stories, journal entries, and transcripts, Shadowplay brings readers to the Lyceum Theatre at a time when Jack the Ripper roams the streets and the three lives of Ellen Terry, Bram Stoker, and Henry Irving converge to change each other forever.

Although the story centers around Stoker and is supposedly written by his hand, the focus is more on delving into the time period during which he lived and wrote, and his insights into the lives of Terry and (especially) Irving while several other famous names, such as Oscar Wilde, make occasional appearances. To add further drama, this historical fiction admits to taking quite a few liberties and is spiced up by some supernatural elements. 

The greatest strength of this story is assuredly the totalness in which it takes you to Victorian-era London, so much so that it truly feels as is Joseph O’Connor is barely a player in the writing of this tale at all and Stoker is the true hand of the writing. The trade-off, however, is that as much as the story immersed me in the time period, it did not immerse me in the story itself. 

Lacking a definitive plot, and rather meandering through Stoker’s life, the book takes on a long period of time and doesn’t always mark its passing adequately. The mix of formats and perspectives, although admittedly incredibly interesting, would switch too often without notice, causing a jarring reading experience. As soon as I became comfortable with one section it would move to the next, usually with a different setting and POV (switching between first, third, and play-like dialogue snippets even within a single chapter), and it would take some time to establish what exactly was happening and who was speaking. And perhaps because of this distraction, it was difficult to feel connected to the characters, who are also somewhat held at arm’s length due to the style. 

However, all of this can be said to be for the ‘greater good’ of keeping up the authentic tone of the book. A compromise that may be worth nailing the overall feeling, in some reader’s opinions. 

But as the story went on, some of the sections became more and more difficult to attribute to Stoker’s hand, and, by the end, I questioned whether segments really made sense in the original scope of the story. The supernatural elements, in particular, although they added interest and drama to the story, were difficult to digest when considered within the premise and it was difficult to discern what to make of them (are they real, Stoker’s stories, an element of magical realism?). The ending was also a bit odd when considered as being a part of Stoker’s works, and went on for too long.

All of this may have been palatable, however, if the story weren’t so rife with incomplete sentences and fragments. Although a style often synonymous with classic novels, it’s the cherry on top of this story’s being difficult to engage with. If you’re not completely and totally invested, paying attention to every sentence, it becomes easy to get lost in the monotonous choppiness of the writing style and miss what’s going on, especially considering that the drama here is a quiet kind (despite the fact it features ghosts, vampires, and the most notorious serial killer of all time).

Highly recommended for those who are used to (and enjoy) reading classics. Likewise, fans of Stoker who are fascinated with learning about him further will want to pick this up, although they’ll want to take the historical context with a grain of salt and not take the facts and timelines too seriously. 

I rated Shadowplay 3 out of 5 stars. An interesting and immersive style, but without enough intriguing parts in the plot itself to interest a wide variety of readers. 

Thank you to Harvill Secker and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!