The Madness

Sixteen-year-old Marnie

ISBN 1471401030
(ISBN13: 9781471401039)

lives in the idyllic coastal village of Clevedon. Despite being crippled by a childhood exposure to polio, she seems set to follow in her mother's footsteps, and become a 'dipper', escorting fragile female bathers into the sea. Her life is simple and safe. But then she meets Noah. Charming, handsome, son-of-the-local-Lord, Noah. She quickly develops a passion for him - a passion which consumes her.
As Marnie's infatuation turns to fixation she starts to lose her grip on reality, and a harrowing and dangerous obsession develops that seems certain to end in tragedy. Set in the early Victorian era when propriety, modesty and repression were the rule, this is a taut psychological drama in which the breakdown of a young woman's emotional state will have a devastating impact on all those around her. 

208 pages

Published March 6th 2014

(Hot Keys)

First Impression

Set in 2nd person The Madness tells the story of Marnie, who had to deal with the "cruel taunts of the village children who would spit and laugh at her" because she had a twisted leg through getting polio at 5. 

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐

The Madness is a slow paced book telling the tale of Marnie (a dipper's daughter) and Noah's (a Lord's son) budding friendship, that turn into a infatuation on Marnie's side.

I feel so sorry for Marnie especially when I found out that her mother was determined not to have a cripple for a daughter, often taking her down to the sea to "plunge her under the freezing waves again and again". 

If Marnie protested her mother would take the horsewhip and "crack over the backs of her legs to 'harden her up'".

As for Noah he makes it clear from his journal that he doesn't see Marnie in any affectionate light.

The ending was very emotional.

I would recommend reading for the historical significance as it was put you in that time from the description.

Quotes