Angel

Angel follows the rise and fall of Angelica Deverell, a headstrong young woman who transforms herself from a shopkeeper's daughter into a bestselling romance novelist in early 20th century England. The novel traces Angel's journey from her first literary endeavors through her meteoric success writing popular fiction, capturing her relationships with her publisher, family members, and eventual husband. Her fantastical stories bring her wealth and fame, but her inability to separate reality from her romanticized worldview creates growing tensions in her personal life. The narrative spans several decades as Angel navigates both professional triumph and personal isolation, maintaining her grip on a carefully constructed universe of her own making through changing times and circumstances. At its core, Angel is a complex character study about the power of self-delusion and the price of living entirely in a world of one's own creation, raising questions about the nature of art, truth, and the relationship between a writer's life and work.

Readers describe Angel as a darkly comic character study that stays with them long after finishing. Many note the complexity of the self-deluded main character, who manages to be both unlikeable and compelling. Readers liked: - The sharp psychological insights into ego and self-image - Taylor's subtle wit and irony throughout - The period details of Edwardian England - The bold choice to center an unsympathetic protagonist Common criticisms: - Pacing feels slow in the middle sections - Some found Angel too difficult to empathize with - The supporting characters lack depth Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (80+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.0/5 (300+ ratings) From reviews: "Like watching a slow-motion train wreck - horrifying but impossible to look away from" (Goodreads) "Taylor makes you understand Angel's delusions while never asking you to excuse them" (LibraryThing)

Emma by Jane Austen. The story follows a headstrong protagonist who, like Angel, lives in a world of her own creation and must confront the consequences of her self-deception.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The novel explores themes of narcissism and artistic ambition through a protagonist who, similar to Angel, becomes consumed by vanity and delusion.

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. This tale of a woman who escapes into romantic fantasies parallels Angel's retreat into her imagined world of literary success and grandeur.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. The protagonist's social climbing and self-destructive choices mirror Angel's determination to rise above her circumstances through manipulation and self-delusion.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This portrait of a young writer's descent from literary ambition into isolation shares themes with Angel's journey of artistic aspiration and psychological deterioration.

🌟 Elizabeth Taylor (the author) shared her name with the famous actress but was actually one of Britain's most underrated 20th-century writers. 📚 The novel was loosely inspired by the life of Marie Corelli, a bestselling romantic novelist of the Victorian era known for her melodramatic style and eccentric personality. 🎬 In 2007, the book was adapted into a French film titled "Angel" directed by François Ozon and starring Romola Garai in the lead role. 🏰 The grand estate described in the novel was based on Paradise House in Gloucestershire, a real mansion that Marie Corelli once lived in. 📖 Despite its 1957 publication date, the novel was set in the Edwardian era (1901-1910), a period marked by significant social change and the rise of popular fiction in Britain.