Review of ‘The Silence Factory’ by Bridget Collins
Release Date May 9th, 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
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REVIEW
The Silence Factory is an unsettling and riveting gothic historical read. Original and thought provoking. I cannot say I was very comfortable reading it as it provoked a lot of eerie images but I was certainly moved at many levels. I felt numerous emotions from being horrified (by the nightmarish dark activities) to elated (with some of the more positive outcomes) and certainly captivated by the stunning poetic prose Bridget Collins delivers.
There are so many shades of atmospheric mystery in The Silence Factory. The story invites us into a world surrounded by a special silk, spun by unique spiders from Greece and shows us that nature cannot be harnessed without serious consequences. It cannot be managed ‘like a machine’ as one character states and ‘has more power than you realise.’ Some say this silk is enchanted, cursed even: so frighteningly dangerous. It definitely has a power that reminds me of Gollum’s ring (from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings) in how it possesses its wearer and deforms and twists the body and mind. There is a loss of common sense and willpower and it makes a victim willing to conform to another’s wishes. It is a high price to pay for silence. And Henry is a man who seeks quiet and peace for he has lost two dear people in his life. When Sir Edward comes along with a silk sample and mentions his plans of ‘prosperity and hope,’ Henry falls into a deep well, or one might say a huge web of deceit. He is eager to please the silk factory tycoon and takes risks he may never have done before. I really got a clear picture of Henry’s personality: his flaws but also later his humanity.
The story is told from two viewpoints and timelines. Henry provides quite a vivid detail of the plot that unfolds in Sir Edward’s plans with his silk factory. The thirst for control, power and wealth certainly are high in the tycoon’s motives. But many lives are put at risk and destroyed by the production in the factory of this unusual silk. Henry slaves away trying to help his host initially without realising the part he is playing in releasing a great evil on the world. Until much later when a shocking truth comes to the surface, he then begins to question it all.
The second viewpoint is told by Sir Edward’s Great Aunt Sophia who gives us the history of how these spiders made it to England. They have been brought from Greece by Sir Edward’s Great-Uncle James who was like Odysseus travelling all over the Mediterranean. As Sir Edward says when discussing the painting of his ancestor: ‘He starved and struggled and suffered to bring the spiders back. They are his legacy to the world.” But Henry notices the ‘misery’ on the woman’s face beside James. What story does she tell? Well, we get to hear her account. Plus, her journal remains and it warns of the silk’s wicked powers. This valuable account is given to Henry by Miss Fielding, the governess to Sir Edward’s daughter. She plays an important role in warning Henry many times of the dangers of the silk. Her attempt to set things right and provide knowledge of the past are quite valuable, if only Henry would listen.
Secrets are revealed, plots unveiled and there’s freedom for some who are imprisoned or ensnared. The outcome for Henry is redeeming and I was glad of how the threads came together in a positive resolution for him. Though there is plenty of mayhem and on the edge of your seat hold your breath drama before that point! I won’t say anymore or risk giving away the plot. But the story is well-written, imaginative and one you won’t soon forget. If you don’t like spiders (and I don’t!) the descriptions could be uncomfortable but it did not keep me from reading it and certainly held my attention to the last page. 4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thanks to HarperCollins Australia and Netgalley for my review copy.
