Dan Leno & Limehouse Golem: Amazon.ca: Peter Ackroyd: Books

Product Description

In this novel the light and the dark sides of 19th-century London flow into each other, attracting the attention of famous names such as Marx and Gissing, but also of less well-known characters, who play a significant role in a tale that is a mixture of fable, adventure and Gothic comedy.

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Victorian master piece in paperback, Jul 18 2004

By	Pinaki Ghosh "Libri Mundi" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem (Paperback)

"Here we are again!" - these are the last words of Elizabeth Cree and primary character of the book and over time we will find how true these words are. I have never read any book by Ackroyd before but the first experience was pleasantly surprising. Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem is a neat little book which can be praised in the best possible fashion. We will find as history repeats itself through generations and through the acts of the generation it's like a play being reenacted.
I found the book in a garage sale and was thrown back a little by the picture in the cover but once I started reading it then there was no stopping. The author must have done enormous studies on Victorian London - the environment, the pulse of the society and the characters in that society.
Actually from the very beginning (or something close to it) we already know the villain, the motive but still there are some details left in the painting which forces the reader to keep on reading. The few primary characters in the book are Dan Leno, Elizabeth Cree her husband John Cree and well well well Karl Marx, George Gissing (quite a mix and range). The author effortlessly travels from one decade to another or from one year to another but strangely as a reader you never lose track of time. His descriptions of London in the 1880s are as good as it can get.
If you get a chance read this book and you will love it. --This text refers to the edition

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Victorian master piece in paperback, Jul 4 2004

By	Pinaki Ghosh "Libri Mundi" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dan Leno & Limehouse Golem (Hardcover)

"Here we are again!" - these are the last words of Elizabeth Cree and primary character of the book and over time we will find how true these words are. I have never read any book by Ackroyd before but the first experience was pleasantly surprising. Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem is a neat little book which can be praised in the best possible fashion. We will find as history repeats itself through generations and through the acts of the generation it's like a play being reenacted.
I found the book in a garage sale and was thrown back a little by the picture in the cover but once I started reading it then there was no stopping. The author must have done enormous studies on Victorian London - the environment, the pulse of the society and the characters in that society.
Actually from the very beginning (or something close to it) we already know the villain, the motive but still there are some details left in the painting which forces the reader to keep on reading. The few primary characters in the book are Dan Leno, Elizabeth Cree her husband John Cree and well well well Karl Marx, George Gissing (quite a mix and range). The author effortlessly travels from one decade to another or from one year to another but strangely as a reader you never lose track of time. His descriptions of London in the 1880s are as good as it can get.
If you get a chance read this book and you will love it.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal Victorians, Mar 29 2003

By	A Customer - See all my reviews

I thought that "Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem" was a very entertaining novel. Ackroyd succeeded in evoking a dark, dirty Victorian London, in which the main form of popular entertainment was the "music hall", in which Dan Leno reigned supreme. Ackroyd uses real-life characters to enliven his narrative (such as Karl Marx, George Gissing and of course Dan Leno). The novel comprises several time sequences: Ackroyd jumps from one to the other and back again, chapter by chapter. He does this very skilfully, so the overall pace of the novel is not compromised, and it makes it more interesting to read.

G Rodgers

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 8 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Ackroyd is a Master
This is a wonderful book. Like many of Ackroyd's works it has a strong metafictional component (though I can't say why as that spoils the plot! Read more

Published on Jan 4 2002 by sigfpe

3.0 out of 5 stars Great writing but left me a bit cold.
Peter Ackroyd is a great writer. His seemless mixture of styles, techniques, a brooding sense of place and time jumps creates some of the best fiction being written today... Read more

Published on April 30 2000 by Craig G Cram

4.0 out of 5 stars A life can be repeated, if only you are a monster
The concept of time folding in and repeating itself, retracing ones own steps, spreads throughout this book. Read more

Published on Sep 28 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking and gripping
An excellent twisting novel that leads the reader further in to understand the depths of the characters minds. Read more