Little

Born in Alsace in 1761, the unsightly, diminutive Marie Grosholtz is quickly nicknamed 'Little'. Orphaned at the age of six, she finds employmet in Bern, Switzerland, under the charge of reclusive anatomist, Dr Curtius. In time the unlikely pair form an unlikely bond, and together they pursue an unusual passion: the fine art of wax-modelling. Forced to flee their city, the doctor and his protégée head for the seamy streets of Paris where they open an exhibition hall for their uncanny creations. Though revolution approaches, the curious-minded flock to see the wax heads, eager to scrutinise the faces of royalty and reprobates alike. At 'The Cabinet of Doctor Curtius', heads are made, heads are displayed, and a future is built from wax.

'Rich and engrossing, there is an extraordinary potency to Carey's material ... A visceral, vivid and moving novel'

'In this gloriously gruesome imagining of the girlhood of Marie Tussaud, mistress of wax, fleas will bite, rats will run and heads will roll and roll and roll. Guts'n'gore galore: I bloody loved it'

'A tale as moving as it is macabre' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'One of the most original historical novels of the year... Macabre, funny, touching and oddly life-affirming, Little is a remarkable achievement'

'Beautifully published… poignant… absorbing' **LITERARY REVIEW

'Clever and intriguing'

'Marie's story is fascinating in itself, but Carey's talent makes her journey a thing of wonder'

'By turns witty, ghoulish, poignant and curiously life-affirming, Little is a historical novel unlike any other'

'It is Carey's uniquely inventive style that makes this novel so completely, wickedly, addictive'

'Edward Carey is one of the strangest writers we are privileged to have in this country'

'Carey creates an indelible character in Little, sprinkles idiosyncratic drawings throughout and folds his narrative in cunning ways…'

'Full of rich historical detail and beautiful illustrations … a rare treat of a novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page'

'Compulsively readable: so canny and weird and surfeited with the reality of human capacity and ingenuity that I am stymied for comparison. Dickens and David Lynch? Defoe meets Atwood? Judge for yourself...'

Autorentext

About twenty-five years ago I worked in Madame Tussaud's in London. I stopped people from touching the wax models and also made a nuisance of myself keeping very still and frightening tourists. When I was there I first learnt the history of Marie Tussaud and couldn't believe how extraordinary her life had been, and how amazing it was that she not only escaped France and the Revolution alive but that she became a brilliantly successful business woman. I stood beside the wax works she made for hours on end, it felt somehow like a way of getting to know her. Her story is one of those tales about history happening to other people, the little people caught up in it...she was a foreigner too, a Swiss, and the Swiss were despised by the French after the Swiss Guard fired on a crowd of protesting civilians. Being Swiss at that time was almost a crime.

Klappentext

LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020 
 LONGLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2019 
 LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2019 
 LONGLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2019 
 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA CROWN AWARDS 2019 
 A Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year, Little tells the extraordinary story of a singular, diminutive crumb of a servant girl turned entertainment mogul. 
 'A startlingly original novel' Times 
 Born in Alsace in 1761, the unsightly, diminutive Marie Grosholtz is quickly nicknamed 'Little'. Orphaned at the age of six, she finds employmet in Bern, Switzerland, under the charge of reclusive anatomist, Dr Curtius. In time the unlikely pair form an unlikely bond, and together they pursue an unusual passion: the fine art of wax-modelling. 
 Forced to flee their city, the doctor and his protégée head for the seamy streets of Paris where they open an exhibition hall for their uncanny creations. Though revolution approaches, the curious-minded flock to see the wax heads, eager to scrutinise the faces of royalty and reprobates alike. At 'The Cabinet of Doctor Curtius', heads are made, heads are displayed, and a future is built from wax. 
 From the gutters of pre-revolutionary France to the luxury of the Palace of Versailles, from casting the still-warm heads of The Terror to finding something very like love, Little is the unforgettable story of how a 'bloodstained crumb of a girl' went on to shape the world...