Louisa Treger

“‘Welcome to Blackwell’s island,’ one of them said. he cleared his throat and spat. ‘once you get in here, you’ll never get out.’”

I fairly leapt at the chance to read Louise Treger’s fictionalised narrative of Elizabeth Cochran who wrote under the pseudonym of Nellie Bly, having always been fascinated by her remarkable story.

Credited as being the world’s first female investigative journalist, in 1887, Nellie had her self committed to the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island in New York City in order to expose the alleged abuses occurring there.

Treger begins her story in 1870 when Elizabeth is a child living a comfortable life in rural Pennsylvania. The daughter of a judge, ‘Pink’ as she was nicknamed by her family, was encouraged to be curious and learn about a range of subjects, including those generally thought to be unsuitable for women at the time. Inspired by her father Pink plans to eschew marriage and pursue a career in law, but his untimely death when she is fourteen curtails her ambition.

Sux years later, working in service to help support her family, an editorial in the Pittsburgh Dispatch revives her aspirations, and she convinces the paper to publish a series of articles, adopting the nom de plume, Nellie Bly. The articles are popular but attract controversy from advertisers, and when she is relegated to writing about the arts, Nellie decides to move to New York.

The New York newspapers are uninterested in Nellie’s previous success, women journalists are not welcome on Park Row. Nellie however refuses to accept no for an answer and somewhat recklessly promises Colonel Cockerill, managing editor of The World, an insider’s story on life inside the notorious insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island.

Though I’m quite familiar with Nellie’s stint on Blackwell’s Island, much of Nellie’s past was unknown to me, so I appreciated learning more about her family life and what led her to her career in journalism during a period when women were actively dissuaded from higher education and white collar work. Nellie’s tenacity was admirable, all the more so for the obstacles she faced.

Blackwell’s Island Asylum was a vile institution. While the asylum housed women with genuine mental illnesses, it also served as a convenient way for men to rid themselves of problematic wives, sisters, and mothers. Once declared insane it was nearly impossible to be declared cured and released. Patients were ill-fed, regularly subjected to torture by the untrained staff, and received very little, if any therapeutic care. Treger ably exposes the cruel treatment and the bleak lives led by the inmates, and the challenges facing Nellie.

Unfortunately, though I find Nellie’s story fascinating and Treger’s details appear accurate, I felt the narrative of Madwoman was simplistic and flat, failing to evoke atmosphere or strong emotion. The third person viewpoint removes the reader from events, I wanted to walk with Nellie, not observing her as a reporter might.

Nellie Bly was a remarkable woman, smart, brave and resourceful, her exposé of Blackwell’s Island Asylum led to important reforms, though the institution was closed seven years later. Madwoman is an avenue to learn more about Nellie Bly and her accomplishments, but lacks Nellie’s passionate spirit.… (más)

"After all, what was sanity, except being able to contain the madness inside yourself?"

Nellie Bly. It was a name I'd heard but I knew nothing about this woman and that is a travesty as, having now read Madwoman, I know she was an incredibly brave, trail-blazing woman.

In this fiction based on fact, Louisa Treger tells the story of Nellie's early life living with her family in 1870s Pittburgh, through some bad times until she decides she wants to make her living as a journalist. At the time, women journalists were virtually non-existent but Nellie was determined, and to make a splash on moving to New York she comes up with the idea of faking insanity to get herself sent to the notorious Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island, and to write about what she experiences there as an exposé.

Madwoman is a brilliant book, beautifully written with empathy and care. I found it completely gripping and utterly compelling. Treger paints such a vivid and disturbing picture of life in the asylum that it was actually genuinely quite disconcerting and I wish I hadn't read the asylum scenes just before bed. It's made all the more powerful because not only did this happen to Bly but this was happening to so many women, many of whom were not actually mad but had perhaps been indiscreet in their marriage or found themselves in poverty with nowhere else to go.

This is a fascinating story in every way. This is a woman who has pulled herself up by her bootstraps and despite opposition has made her mark on history. I found Madwoman to be not only heartbreaking and shocking, but also inspirational. Louisa Treger has taken the facts and weaved them into a spellbinding account of a distressing, but ultimately life-changing episode, both for Bly and for the women who came after her. I thought it was superb and unforgettable. This is historical fiction at its very best.… (más)

The Lodger, by Louisa Treger

I found the novel The Lodger, thinking it was an insight into the life and being H. G. Wells. I was wrong; it's a novel about the life of one of Wells' many mistresses, Dorothy Richardson. I was disappointed at first, being a huge fan of Wells' writing style, and knowing nothing personal about him. But I figured the short novel wouldn't take up too much of my time, and resolved to continue. Then I was somewhat drawn into this storyline.

Dorothy Richardson was an actual person and author. This novel is a fictional portrayal of a part of her life, which I didn't really find that interesting. The writing was done well but wasn't exceptional. Events flowed effortlessly one into another but I wasn't enraptured. The novel was a quick read, with a deceptively simplistic writing style that dragged me from one chapter into the next, seemingly whether I wanted to go or not. The atmosphere of poverty and grime in this story looms heavily the entire time, taking just as central a role as any of the characters do. I felt like the characters (though true) weren't fleshed out enough to hold my attention.

If you are looking for a plot, this is not for you. The book wanders randomly throughout the life of the narrator, Dorothy, and is almost completely character driven. I also found Dorothy somewhat off-putting. The way she remains clueless to her own inadequacies, and seems completely unable to make important decisions in her own life and loves, was too much for me. There was also something that kind of rang false about her. The way she spoke, the way she thought and acted - none of it felt very realistic. She never became a real person for me and I just didn't feel for her. I found myself hoping she was much MORE, in real life. I just needed a little something more from Dorothy to make HER seem real. That said, it was very well written. The words flow together quickly. The descriptions, particularly of places, are vivid and alive.

Bertie, or Herbert G. Wells, is the husband of Jane, Dorothy's school friend. In this novel he's portrayed as a philanderer with sexual appetites that he cannot control. He's always in search of "the perfect mate," which he thought he found with Jane. (Unfortunately, Jane's apparently a little frigid in the bedroom, the poor dear!). So Jane and Bertie have an 'open relationship'; although Jane has an issue with Bertie taking up with Dorothy ... and rightfully so. And, even though Dorothy feels guilty for having an affair with Jane's husband, that doesn't stop her from visiting them nearly every weekend. The romantic relationships seemed fatalistic, to me, and didn't even seem to surprise the main character all that much when they appeared, blossomed, and proceeded swiftly along the tracks to their various endings. But, all of the characters were very engaging and their interactions were nonetheless *somewhat* entertaining for their predictability.

It was an odd feeling his time, peeking into the lives of famous writers from history in this extremely personal, visceral way. Overall, while this novel was a quick read I could have done without it. I like to miss the characters when they're gone. With The Lodger, I wasn't at all sad to see them go. However, if you're interested in this time period, and in peeking into a slice of literary history, then maybe The Lodger is worth a read.

3 stars, for the lead character's inability to control herself, in various ways.… (más)

The Lodger by Louisa Treger is a debut novel that sets the tone for a promising writing career. Set in the 20th Century, The Lodger acts as both a biographical book as well as historical fiction, which makes for intriguing reading. Furthermore, there's a feminist undertone to this book; sexuality and independence are explored.
I've never heard of Dorothy Richardson before I read The Lodger, but I've done some research on her work and I must say that I'm rather disappointed in myself for not knowing about her earlier. H.G. Wells, on the other hand, is one of the most prolific writers of his time (and I know his work quite well). Reading about their personal lives, though, was a rather interesting way to discover more about the world we've left behind. Yes, people still face similar struggles today, but things have still changed a lot.

What I liked the most about this book was the author's writing style. Although this is a debut, Louisa Treger's writing was able to transport me back in time. The beautiful descriptions and her word use is not what I expected from a debut writer, but it was definitely refreshing and it sets the bar high for other writers.

If you're looking for a gift for the reader in your life, The Lodger needs to go onto your shortlist. Historical fiction lovers will love it. Fans of H.G. Wells would enjoy it. And those who want to know more about the interesting life of Dorothy Richardson would want to get their hands on it.

Review originally posted at:
… (más)