Book Review : “Perception and Illusion” by Catherine Kullman

On By Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)In Books! Reviews & chat..., Fiction

I was given an ARC of this book by TBC on Facebook and by kind permission of the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts are my own.

Regency novel pin

Pin for later

All good Regency novels must have a heroine, a hero and a couple of protagonists to really work well.  In Perception and Illusion, we are immediately introduced to the heroine of the piece Lallie Grey…………in 1814 a young woman living with her father’s second family, to all intents and purposes playing the role of governess to her young half siblings and at twenty-four having never experienced her own season or the chance to find a husband in society.  Her own mother died when she was an infant and she lived with her maternal grandparents until their deaths.  Unaware that she is in fact an heiress, Lallie refuses to marry the man who her father schemes for her to wed, in order that he might keep control of her fortune.  But Lallie escapes with her maid and runs into a gentleman whom she has met once before, Mr Hugo Tamarisk. Heir to huge wealth himself, he initially becomes her ally and protector, but I give nothing away by telling you that the hero and heroine fall in love and so the romance, confusion and intrigue begins.

Both Lallie and Hugo are dogged by their family past – Lallie by circumstances that she is not privy to, and Hugo by relationships with his sisters, father and an ex-mistress.  The fairy tale ending comes part way through this book, with the socially naïve Lallie finding herself thrown into a whirlwind of high society and her fairy tale disintegrating as other people invade her space and mind.  Not all the characters are intentionally trying to cause trouble or pain to Lallie and Hugo, but a mixture of miscommunication, half heard conversations and meddling lead to a difficult start to married life.  I am not giving you any spoilers with more plot!

cyprian-s-ball-at-the-argyle-rooms-cruikshank-2_orig
Picture from Ms Kullman’s website

The words Regency novel jumped off the page and I couldn’t have requested it quicker.  I am a huge Jane Austen fan and had to remind myself that I must not make comparisons, but it is difficult not to initially.  The funny thing is my teen is studying Mansfield Park and whilst I was reading Perception and Illusion, she was reading out loud sections of Miss Austen to me in order to stay awake.  She hates it with a vengeance!  I must admit that I had forgotten just how dry some of Austen’s writing can be, but fear not as Ms Kullman writes this period drama with a modern style.  It is easy to read romantic Regency fiction, but not without some grit and very determined characters.  There are also some cheeky references to a couple of Austen’s characters too.

An area where this novel does share similarities with Austen is the role of the female lead.  She is strong, self-aware and knows her own mind – in many ways Lallie is a very modern, feminist woman living in a man’s world dictated to by male rules.  She reminds me of Lizzie Bennett and Emma Woodhouse, both women struggling to have their voices heard in a time when fathers, husbands and brothers had the final word.  The poor communication between the main characters drove me mad at times, and I wanted to shout at them to just talk to each other.  But the circumstances were of the time, and the fact that I was so irritated must show how well Ms Kullman wove this into the overall plot.

I could quite easily write a full period type analysis…but I won’t!!  The characters all grow with the storyline, whether to become admired or diminished by the reader.  The descriptions of the locations, the fashions and the coach rides were painted as vivid and elegant pictures, depicting the era perfectly.  But the most important thing for me is that the novel was really enjoyable and I read it in a matter of days.  A lovely, witty romantic period piece – 4 stars.

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (30 Mar. 2017)

Available at Amazon here:

Perception & Illusion

The Author

Catherine Kullman can be found at http://www.catherinekullmann.com/

Catherine Kullman

From her website:

“I was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted mostly by letter, I moved to Germany where I lived for twenty-five years before returning to Ireland. I have worked in the Irish and New Zealand public services and in the private sector.

I have a keen sense of history and of connection with the past which so often determines the present. I am fascinated by people. I love a good story, especially when characters come to life in a book.

I have always enjoyed writing, I love the fall of words, the shaping of an expressive phrase, the satisfaction when a sentence conveys my meaning exactly. I enjoy plotting and revel in the challenge of evoking a historic era for characters who behave authentically in their period while making their actions and decisions plausible and sympathetic to a modern reader. In addition, I am fanatical about language, especially using the right language as it would have been used during the period about which I am writing. But rewarding as all this craft is, there is nothing to match the moment when a book takes flight, when your characters suddenly determine the route of their journey.”

25 thoughts on “Book Review : “Perception and Illusion” by Catherine Kullman”

  2. This looks wonderful!! Sometimes I will be in the mood for something Austen-esque but not want to read any of the seven works again (I mean, Juvenalia is pretty entertaining but even then, 5 read throughs is a lot!) And I am always on the hunt for something to fit in that niche. You gave it 4/5 stars, what would you change?

    Like

    Reply

  5. Jane Austen is coming up a lot in my world lately. This book sounds good! I can see why readers today sometimes don’t love the paragraph long sentences Austen wrote. Nor the sometimes frustrating pace of people actually saying what they really think. But, her keen observations of people and society, when she could have had no exposure to the cognitive sciences we turn to today are truly masterful.
    It sounds like this book may be on the lighter side, but worth the read. I also enjoyed reading about the author’s passion for history and writing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Exactly, Angela – and pretty much what I said to Lucy when we were reading Mansfield Park together! I have always loved her use of language and the wit that is often overlooked. Some of her descriptions of characters (particularly the upper classes) are strokes of genius – I think Trollope is similar.
      Glad you enjoyed this – I think I will give her other novels a go!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I love that there is a strong, self-aware female lead and that she runs away to pursue her dreams. I also found the author’s “courtship by letter” intriguing; perhaps the fodder for a next novel. Thanks for a great review. And, nice to meet you both.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. A fantastic review, you’ve really done the novel justice. I’m not a fan of this genre myself but I do know someone who would adore this so I’ll pass along the blog post 🙂
    Caz x

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks Caz – I think the Regency era is a matter of taste….as I said Lucy hates Mansfield Park, hates the way the women are treated, the style of writing (why does she use twenty words, mu, when just one would do?)…but it is good to see her so worked up! Thanks for passing it on too x

      Like

      Reply

  9. But for this review I might never have encountered this author and book. Period literature is not as easy to write as many perceive too. Language nuances, setting dynamics and time period attitudes can be tricky, especially in caste traits, women’s rights and the huge gap between affluence and poor.

    Lovely to hear that, as an Austin, fan you had no issues along those lines. I shall add this into my TBR pile right now!

    Like

    Reply

    1. One of the reasons that I love being part of book clubs is the discovery of different authors and at times reading genres that I would never normally consider! Recently our local book club read The City and The City by China Mieville – I really wasn’t sure initially, but by the end thoroughly enjoyed it – it proved to ba a real Marmite book though when we discussed it!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. That’s the beauty of reading. Variety and what some people love, others hate. Since I started writing I’ve actually read more widely across genres I’d not normally consider. I just finished The Roanoke Girls and that was out of my genre, but a very good book. Maybe I should consider actually looking into book clubs here.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Unbound Roots

    Well, Claire, your review was beautiful and now you have convinced me that I need to read this book. I love a good novel where love, history, and turmoil abound. Wonderful post!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment