I am so disappointed! I initially thought this novel was a fabulous historical fiction set in the Antipodes, Ã la [b:Oscar and Lucinda|316496|Oscar and Lucinda|Peter Carey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1173712561s/316496.jpg|2304710] or [b:The Luminaries|17333230|The Luminaries|Eleanor Catton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410524246s/17333230.jpg|24064531]. But then the story began to lose momentum two-thirds of the way through before falling apart completely in the final act.

Ooh, but the beginning is so, so good! It is New Year’s Eve, 1902, in the quiet town of Marumaru, New Zealand. Colton Kemp designs window displays for one of the two department stores in town. Although he dedicates himself to work on his mannequins, he is not very good at woodcarving and the results never match his imagination. His rival, a silent man known simply as The Carpenter, is, of course, more talented and works for the other, more successful store. To compound Kemp’s bad luck, his beloved wife suddenly collapses and dies after giving birth to twins.

Strangely, Kemp doesn’t alert anyone to the death of his wife or the birth of his children. Perhaps to distract himself, he wanders alone into town, where everyone is aflutter at the impending visit of the famous strongman Eugen Sandow. The next night, Kemp manages to catch Sandow’s performance – essentially a sales pitch for a workout system – and is struck with an idea that will finally see him triumph over the Carpenter. Let me just say that there are several references to Pygmalion and The Winter’s Tale.

I was really enjoying this book until Craig Cliff decided to delve into the Carpenter’s backstory. And I’m sorry, but I didn’t find the Carpenter very interesting! Other characters that seemed like they would be important – a young Maori man, Kemp’s best friend, a neighbor’s daughter – are just left fallen by the wayside. So my interest began to wane at this point. And then a trope I can’t stand cropped up in the last part and I was just done. It was twincest. I find incest squicky at the best of times, but I am especially tired of that particular variety.

I am actually kind of sad. I thought I would love this! I was loving this! Maybe I’ll pretend I only read the first third and conveniently forget the rest. ( )

(7.5)I found the concept for this novel original. The story opens, in 1902, with the death of Colton Kemp's wife, while birthing twins. Colton is distraught and wanders away from the scene, leaving his young sister-in-law to deal with it. Louisa, his late wife was his love and support in his job as a window set designer. In the small fictional town of Marumaru, there are two department stores and competition is fierce. The other store has the talented carver, Gabriel Doig who is skilled in making mannequins. Colton seizes on the idea of raising his children to be live mannequins. He tells nobody of their birth and it is a few days before he notifies his wife's death and allows the townspeople to believe the children perished as well.
The second part is narrated by Avis his daughter soon to turn 16. On there 16th birthday they will start their work as live mannequins unbeknownst to them, as they believe it is their coming of age reveal which is custom in New Zealand, all children having been raised and educated at home by their parents, with no outside contact. This is what they have been lead to believe. When Gabriel Doig sees the children he realises they are real people and absconds with Avis to rescue her. We then learn Gabriel's backstory which is one of adventure on the high seas and his survival as a castaway on the Antipodes Island. the last section is narrated by Eugen, Avis's twin brother and he brings the story to it's conclusion.
I enjoyed Craig Cliff's writing, however I think his technique of dividing the book into sections narrated by different character reflects his experience as a short story writer, they felt a bit separate. I also wasn't convinced that in a small town he could have raised two children without anyone's knowledge.
There were also far too many deaths in the story. It was an interesting first novel and certainly a bit different. ( )

I’ve been following the progress of this novel via the author’s blog after he came to talk to our book group. When the book launch came up I snapped up a copy and it didn’t disappoint – fresh, quirky and well-crafted. All the different strands dovetail neatly so that everything fits into place. The novel is like an intricately carved cabinet of curiosities, each compartment slightly macabre, with a hidden drawer that contains a disturbing secret.
In 1903, Colton Kemp is a window dresser for a department store in a fictional New Zealand town of Marumaru. In the opening chapter his wife dies, during/after the birth of twins (it's a little vague on the details). After seeing a display by the strongman, Eugen Sandow, Kemp decides to train his children as living mannequins to outdo his rival, a mute sailor known as ‘The Carpenter’.
Part two is narrated by the daughter, Avis Kemp, in the form of a diary. The formal archaic style is at odds with the time period of 1918, and it becomes apparent she’s imitating Victorian novels and has limited experience of the outside world. The twins’ debut as mannequins takes an unexpected turn and Avis is rescued/abducted by ‘The Carpenter’. The focus shifts to his life story, shipwrecked on the Antipodes Islands, which he records for Avis to read. The final section is narrated many years later by Avis’s brother and loops back to the novel’s climax when Avis is found with the Carpenter. Well-researched, but imaginative novel set in the past. ( )