Ratings19
Average rating3.3
Sara Rauch over at Lamda Literary review sums it up better than I could thusly
"In E.K. Johnston’s new novel, That Inevitable Victorian Thing, world history doesn’t look the way we know it to today. There are some similarities, of course—as there are in all good speculative fiction—but it is the differences, the minor yet major tweaks, that define this new world. The biggest, from which the plot of this intriguing novel stems, is that Britain remained a super-power at the behest, and remarkably prescient forethought, of Queen Victoria I. This visionary new world is multicultural in a particular way: marriage matches are (most often) made by the omniscient Computer, transcending race and culture to pair couples by their genetic codes in an attempt to breed a stronger, more thoughtful empire. This situation has resulted in the kind of open and accepting society many people dream of. Biology (with love playing a somewhat more mysterious role) reigns supreme, resulting in a strong, united queendom (because, unlikely though it may seem to present-day readers sludging through the stew of misogyny, the monarchy hands down power via the first-born child, regardless of gender).
In this near-future world, Victoria-Margaret, a teenage girl and direct descendant of Queen Victoria I, is set to inherit the throne. But before she does, her parents have decided to give her one summer of freedom. Off she goes, “disguised” as Margaret of Sandwich, to Toronto, to stay with family friends and experience her “debut”: a teenage rite of passage, which, as in times past, signals a girl’s entrance into the marriage market, but not as in time’s past, is something all genders do. Margaret’s friend, Elizabeth, daughter of the Fleet Admiral of the Royal Canadian Navy, is in on the secret, and the two, though never particularly close up to this point, form a quick bond. On the night of their debut, Margaret and Elizabeth meet Helena Marcus, the daughter of one of the empire’s top geneticist. Helena has come down from New London by unexpected invitation, to debut in Toronto. Practical Helena, who from her childhood has expected to marry August Callaghan, a heir to a shipping conglomerate, accepts the invite out of duty, but upon meeting Margaret, very quickly begins to enjoy herself.
That Inevitable Victorian Thing takes a bit of time to catch—the first few chapters are focused on the large cast of (mostly female) characters and distinguishing between them can take some effort. The Computer’s dominance also requires getting used to: the fact that it borders on arranged marriage and begs questions of piety and fealty is softened by citizens’ acceptance and embrace of the system and offset by the occasional anecdote of marriages that blissfully exist outside of Computer influence. Quibbles aside, once this new world is adjusted to, the plot moves along at a nice pace. The Toronto and Canadian woods of the future are well rendered, and the open society is beguiling—citizens of this empire appear happy, well-adjusted, compliant. Perhaps this is because the book focuses mainly on the upper class and those that work for them. Or perhaps—and it seems entirely possible given the promise of the world Johnston has created—this is because everyone is, actually, content.
As the novel progresses, and Margaret and Helena’s friendship hurtles toward the inevitability of something more, That Inevitable Victorian Thing picks up a lot of steam. In parts, it carries some of the bright sweetness of Sarah Waters’ early books, and the deft manner in which it deals with its protagonists’ sexualities and gender identities is refreshing. Margaret, despite her remarkably privileged upbringing, remains grounded and level-headed throughout the confusion and trials of her summer “vacation,” and Helena, thrown off kilter by unexpected news about her identity, bears her own and others’ secrets with unending grace. Towards the last third of the novel, the plot twists can feel forced, and the main conflict resolves itself a bit quickly with a somewhat naïve pact—but it’s hard to object to young characters exhibiting intelligence, patience, and resilience, especially when their actions conclude with happiness and the continued well-being of the empire".
Very odd. The plot is about as thick as a sweet dream romance but its set in an alternate reality. I wish I knew what point the author was trying to make here.
The ending felt a little rushed. The characters were well-developed and each of them was very individual, while being fully drawn-out.
I'm a bit conflicted on my rating of this book. On the one hand, I loved the characters and the overall concept of the world and the awesome representation. I really liked that understandable secrets led to rational discussions rather than misunderstandings and Big Explosions of Drama.
But on the other hand, the plot was... well, it kind of felt like it didn't exist? I mean, obviously things happened and the characters did things, but everything was so idyllic and the characters were all so sane and level-headed that it never felt like anything bad could even happen. And the pacing of events was so odd — sometimes slow and sometimes very abrupt — that it was hard to really get a feel for the movement of the plot. It felt more like a slice of life comic than a novel, I think.
So, bizarrely, it would seem that my favorite things about this book are also the things about it that ultimately left me feeling not totally satisfied. The world was so nice and the characters were so intelligent that the book just couldn't quite support a properly paced story arc. It definitely needed more conflict.
Overall, I would not recommend this book if you're looking to be kept on the edge of your seat or hit in the emotions, but I definitely would recommend it if you're looking to read something light and feel-good about a cool world of diversity and non-discrimination.
I suggested this book to someone on a whim and then they liked it enough to recommend it back to me. Unfortunately, I didn't like the book as much as them, but I did want to mention their interest in the book because it shows we all like different things and that's okay ^_^ So, as always, take this book review with a grain of salt.
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Straight-up I want to mention how this book is supposed to be a different kind of future–speculative fiction perhaps? I always forget the correct way to use the term. All people, no matter where they live in the world or what they look like are equal. I mean, there is still a Queen, royals, and other leaders, so obviously this isn't financially equal, but supposedly everyone has equal chances. The thing is, some of the comments about equality really struck me uncomfortable.
example: “Margaret's political training had included lessons in how to determine ethnicity based on a person's heritage, and therefore she could often guess a person's heritage without asking.” but as princess and future queen, her job is to make sure no one uses another's heritage to bring them down... (Yeah, let's not even mention how the Queen and princess wear wigs to hide their true hair... that isn't showing positive and negative appearance looks at all rolls eyes)
Like I said, I'm uncomfortable with it because it sounds weird and I don't think it needed to be included, but other people might look at it differently.
Yet, there were some instances of showing diversity which I thought worked out well. I won't mention this more because of possible spoilers, though.
Let me talk more about the romance. I dislike August. I don't think he got the redemption arc he deserved in order to make me like him. Also, he was a bit dull which kind of fit with Helena who is also boring. —To make a interlude here, I think one of my biggest problems is that I found the characters a bit boring.— Anyhow, there is a twist with the romance at the end and I DID NOT LIKE IT AT ALL. Please, talk to me about it. Someone might be able to change my mind, but I'd also like a ranting buddy lol.
Another thing to consider is that I didn't think there was much of a plot. This can be taken as a neutral thing– My Neighbor Totoro doesn't have a plot and I love that movie! If what we are getting is a slice of life and a little conflict at the end, I think I'm okay with it, here I felt like there were many different strings which the book could pull to make it interesting, yet... no? we are left with nothing really changed or happened. This is the beginning of their adventure, one I don't think will end well.
So, will I recommend this again? ...I might. It depends, but I have yet to figure out the parameters for recommending it. Although, if people like this, they might like Glitter ??
(Probably 2.5, rounding down - shelved on fantasy because I don't have an alternate history category)
Well, this was a book. I've had it out from the library since December and just could not get into it (to be fair to the book, I also had a baby in that time period, so it's not entirely the book's fault). I picked it up because I loved the cover design and the title amused me, but I don't think the actual book lived up to that, sadly. The worldbuilding and alternative history of the British Empire was intriguing, and it kind of feels like the author was more interested in that than in the characters - all three of the main characters were pretty flat to me, and I couldn't really get into their heads. Part of that may have been the narration, which is this semi-Victorian tone that I actually liked, but put them all at a remove. I don't know - there was plot, but things all seemed wrapped up quickly and without a whole lot of angst or drama, which would be great in reality but doesn't make for great reading. Like, I don't know, if I were realizing I were a lesbian or intersex and all my plans for the future depended on marrying and having children, it seems like there would be a bit more drama, even if it's just internal conflict. Also, the quick little "oh, no one has periods, that's why Helena didn't know" bugged me, and I don't know why, exactly. Also, I just didn't really care about August at all. This book wasn't offensive or anything, I just wanted it to be more than it was, I think.
Representation, people! This book features a bisexual, intersex young woman. (I say woman, because she is female-presenting and uses female pronouns.) It also features a not-quite-love-triangle that turns into something more like polyamory. (Sorry, that's a bit of a spoiler, but you can see it coming from a mile away, and the cover description heavily implies the same.)
It's not realistic in the least - everything falls together nicely and it's a bit of a “princess saves the day by virtue of being a princess” kind of plot. But the twist on the history is a very pleasant one - and making the British Empire an Empire that values diversity and the melding of cultures and not looking down on anyone because they're different is a really nice change of pace. It's a WONDERFUL bit of escapist fantasy given today's world, I have to say.
I'd actually really like to see the darker side of this same world explored. One of the main plot points in the book is that there is a computer database of genetics. Everyone in the British Empire, when they turn 18, is encouraged to have their DNA sequenced and entered into the computer to find good genetic matches. They then have the opportunity to chat with those matches and eventually meet them. It's accepted custom, and you're definitely viewed as odd if you choose NOT to do it, though Helena's parents were a love match and never had their DNA matched through the computer. Helena's love interest is a boy she grew up with, she really only ran her DNA through the computer for kicks. So it's not mandatory - except for royals. But that this computer and database exists leaves room for a darker side. What about genetic modification? Forced marriages for certain genetic outcomes? That has to be happening somewhere. That Inevitable Victorian Thing really only looked at the fun, light-hearted, good uses of this technology. I'd love to see the other side.
Oh - while the book definitely has a Victorian flavor, it's definitely set in modern day, or perhaps a little past. It's not Victorian era.
Fun little book. A good escape from a racist, homophobic world to a more diverse, accepting one. But a little TOO fluffy bunny for my personal tastes.
You can find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks.