Rating: 
Summary: The best read in a very long time
Review: Holman does an absolutely wonderful job in this novel. Although a bit wordy in the begginning, Holman pulls the reader into a dark tale which keeps you guessing and enthralled. Her characters are unique, dark, and facsinating. This is the first book I've read where the ending actually surprises me! A keeper to read over and over again!
Rating:
Summary: A new style of historical novel.
Review: This one graphically encapsulates the horror of abject poverty in Victorian Britain and gives it voice through the mouths of its brittle, degenerate victims. Multi-level plot, loaded with shocking intrigue. Skillfully written in a taut, acidic style. No florid text, syrupy romance or latter-day Dickens here. Great dust jacket graphics as well. Author Sheri Holman is a force to be reckoned with. She ranks with the best of them.
Rating:
Summary: A dark, disturbing and page-turning tale...
Review: I am a huge fan of historical fiction so I knew I would like The Dress Lodger at least in that respect. But about 2 or 3 chapters into the story, I realized I was going to LOVE The Dress Lodger for many more reasons. This book will transport you, make you feel as if you, too, walk the slummy streets of Sunderland, England in the midst of the cholera epidemic. The Dress Lodger twists together two lives -- one of 15-year-old potter's assistant and prostitute, Gustine, and shunned doctor and anatomy instructor, Henry Chivers. Set back in the early 19th century, this novel describes Sunderland, England's political state as well as its health and how the two intertwine. Dr. Chivers knows there is no way to study anatomy or teach his students properly without bodies, and there is no way to legally procure bodies. He had already gotten in trouble once by being associated with Burke and Hare, the famous body snatchers and murderers from London. Determined to start anew in Sunderland, Dr. Chivers waits patiently for his day to arrive.... Then there is Gustine who is in a desperate search for a miracle. Her 4-month-old baby was born with a rare deformity -- his heart lives on the outside of his chest cavity. Gustine works her two jobs in an effort to support her son, but it is Dr. Chivers with whom she places her hope, praying that he will be able to cure him of his condition. Gustine strikes a deal with the doctor -- help her and she will help him...by finding him dead bodies. This brief encounter becomes the pivotal moment in the story, the ledge from which we jump, down, down, down, a freefall to devastation and perhaps a little hope. Sheri Holman's narrative style is a little different in this book. Readers are not really sure who is telling the story, and we are actually placed as a character in the book at one point (or at least seems that way). It took a few chapters to get used to it, but then it starts to read just like any other story, except that this one is fascinatingly incomparable to many. Sheri Holman's writing is exquisite and haunting, and her descriptions of dreary Sunderland leave vivid pictures in your mind. I loved this novel, everything about it, and I can't wait for more from this author.
Rating:
Summary: Complex, Intellectually satisfying, liberally appealing
Review: This novel (the tale of which is well described in other reviews here) was one of the best I have read this year. As a physician, I found the main character, Dr. Chivers, fascinating. There is a complex interweaving of symbolism in the characters and events (slum lords, pet ferrets, a girl named pink, a plague of frogs, a plague of cholera morbus, dissecting of bodies, the human side of a prostitute, a hated woman with an all seeing eye and a blind eye, a beloved child with the heart on the outside of its body...to bring up a few). This would be a really fun "book club" read (though I didn't use it in that context). I am surprised it didn't win a pulitzer. I had no expectations when I picked it up, which is why I am perhaps so pleased to say that this is true literature.
Rating: 
Summary: A dark and haunting tale
Review: While the narration and writing style was beautiful and well done, this macabre tale was dark and haunting. The black and white cover with the brilliant blue contrasting dress tells it all: I was never able to visualize anything of bright color or beauty while reading this book. From one-eyed old hags to a baby with grotesque birth defects to foul-mouthed old drunkards to grave-robbing doctors to a young prostitute trying to make it in the world, this book covered life's worst representatives. Oh, I forgot, detailed descriptions of death by cholera are also sprinkled throughout. Although the ending (the last 4-5 pages) makes a small effort to bring a touch of optimism to the story, the remainder is dark, depressing and disturbed.
My favorite books are about late 19th century England, and admittedly, stories about the prostitutes of the time, but this book was alittle too heavy and too dark. If not for the beautiful writing style and narration, I probably would have put it down without finishing it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good
Review: It is a very good, detailed story. Sometimes i was confused, but then i got what was going on. The books gets better, so force yourself through the first 2 chapters! Overall, very good.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting characters and subject
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are so well described they could walk right off the page and the story line is very engaging. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A good airplane read
Review: I picked up this book on a business trip and finished it in a day. It moves right along, from the opening page to the closing scene. I took the liberty to "ruin" the novel by reading the reader's guide questions and the author's notes in the back--which didn't reveal all that much. A body snatching doctor, a young, street-smart urchin/mother/prostitute and a sea of struggling poor--it sets a good backdrop for a interesting story. By no means is this book a feat of literary genius, nor will you want to rush out and get a hardbound copy, but a trade paperback and a couple of spare hours in a hotel room will leave you satisfied. You won't have to waste your mind on drivel, but you will be able to relax from the highbrow likes of Milan Kundera (who I well love, but by no means can read in a stuffy hotel room.) Bring this book on a trip or to the beach.
Rating:
Summary: This history hasn't been "prettied up"
Review: Very interesting historical fiction set in Sunderland, England at the time the first of the cholera outbreaks struck. The novel is graphic in its portrayal of poverty, prostitution and dissection of cadavers, so if you don't want the gory details, you probably should avoid this book. The author uses a unique narrative style with multiple mystery narrators and frequent questions of the reader. At first, it annoyed me, but it grew on me after awhile. If you like historical fiction and aren't put off by the subject matter, I think you'll enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a Read
Review: A potter's assistant by day, a 'dress loger' by night, 'Gustine' becomes a very likeable character, in a very involving story, etched into the reader's mind. What slows down the pace is author Holman's lengthy writing style, which tends to drag the book in parts. A minor flaw that a sharp pair of (editor's) scissors couldn't take care of before publishing.
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