BelEdit Book Reviews
The House of Barbary is a thoroughly gripping and immersive historical novel. It’s an intriguing, vivid (and gory) story that definitely earns a place among my top ten books of the year.
I would urge fans of historical fiction — and indeed any readers looking for a book that’s original and special — to try to ignore the less-enthusiastic reviews. Sure, some readers found it somewhat violent and gory. What I found is a surprising and original novel, with so much to offer.
First, it’s set in a world I knew nothing about; I don’t remember ever reading a novel set in Switzerland (can you think of one?) and I don’t think I’ve ever read a story set in Bern, never mind Bern in the middle of the 17th century. Schuler achieves a strong sense of place and I was intrigued from the start. It was fascinating to learn that there was a bear pit in the middle of the city. I mean, wow! And it plays a role in the story…
Secondly, its characters are vivid and complex. We are introduced to the protagonist, Beatrice Barbary, a young woman mourning the murder of her beloved father, a powerful city ruler. Beatrice has had an odd upbringing: her father kept her quite isolated from life outside her home but also educated her. She’s an intelligent woman with a passion for the study of biology, anatomy, science and other such topics generally considered unsuitable for women. The more we learn about her, the more unusual and interesting she becomes. Other key characters are Johann Schor and her maid, Imerla. As the story progresses, we learn more about these characters and their roles in Beatrice’s life. Dark secrets are gradually revealed.
Powerful men conniving in crime
The story is also layered and complex. While the central events on which it is built may be based on a folktale (it is VERY loosely based on the story of Bluebeard), that tale is not specially relevant. What we have is a story of a group of powerful men who consider themselves above the law, tied together through deviant crimes committed together in a horrific secret cult. If their hubris and their connivings and conspiracies to conceal their crimes seem far fetched, we just have to look at the current scandals around contemporary deviant powerful figures (*cough*Epstein*cough*).
The more Beatrice delves into the past, the more her own trauma overtakes her, sending her into a spiral of violent revenge. I found this transformation extremely convincing and authentic. I don’t agree with reviewers who have argued on the lines of ‘lots of people with trauma don’t go bad’; I think her psychological development is totally convincing when you remember that her trauma is not based on a single hitherto forgotten event in the past but on the trauma of a gradual discovery that her entire life has been built on a now-disintegrating foundation of horror, lies, pretence and manipulation. Imerla and Johann are also complex characters whose actions and motivations are very convincing.
Schuler’s writing is beautiful. It’s easy to become totally immersed in the scenes, captivated by the unfolding narrative. The jumps between the two timelines (Beatrice’s childhood, 1639) and the present (thirteen years later) are smooth and help to keep the pacing balanced.
I do love the imagery of bears in the novel. I see them as a metaphor for Beatrice’s father: I’ll refrain from explaining to avoid spoilers.
All in all, I highly recommend The House of Barbary for fans of immersive historical fiction and of novels with interesting characters and, notably, an intriguing female lead character. It’s one to enjoy and remember.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
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