This was my first Bridget Collins book and overall I found it enjoyable. It follows the story of Henry Latimer, who works as an aurist for his father-in-law and is trying to come to terms with the loss of his wife. He meets Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy who is attempting to find a way to enable his deaf daughter to hear and speak. Whilst attempting to help Sir Edward's daughter, Henry becomes enthralled in Sir Edwards work attempting to sell "silence" through the spider silk spinning factory he owns, producing sound-dampening, and highly expensive, silk.

This novel left me feeling confused for much of it, but not in a bad way. It's the kind of Gothic, magic-tinged story which leaves you knowing something weird is going on but not being able to put your finger on what. I enjoyed Henry as a character though I was left cringing often at his terrible decision making and inability not to do the most embarrassing thing possible at every opportunity presented to him.

The relationships created in this book initially intrigued me however, I was left a little disappointed by the ending. Perhaps I'm reading into things too much, or perhaps I'm too stupid to grasp the hidden explanations, but I thought there would be some greater reason for the events of the book. Coming to the end and realising there was not made the relationships feel unrealistic and overly-dramatic and left me feeling like there was something missing.

All in all, an enjoyable read and one that I think many fans of Gothic, historic fiction would enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bridget Collins' first novel "The Binding" is still one of my favourites, and she has an almost lyrical, beautiful writing style that fits her unique ideas very well. While I wasn't a fan of her subsequent novel, "The Betrayals", I was eager to delve into her new release. The description reads incredibly intriguing and has just that weird surreal vibe I love about Collins' work, so I was very lucky to get an arc for "The Silence Factory".

This is a dual pov novel set both in the early 19th century, where Sophia is our narrator and on a quest with her husband to find some mythical spiders, and decades later, when young widower Henry meets Sophia's great nephew who uses the very same spiders to produce a new kind of silk able to completely erase sound - but also has some quite horrifying qualities.
Both povs are interesting, though I sadly wasn't that emotionally invested in either of them. Collins' writing is beautiful as ever, but this time I felt weirdly detached from anything going on and I didn't get attached to any of the characters. I found Sophia, in general, the more interesting character of the two, and her lovestory was beautifully told yet tragic. Henry was kind of... dull, to be honest, and for the life of me I could not understand his sudden fascination with Sir Edward. It felt forced and there was no real exploration of these feelings. I did read it more like an obsession born from grief, but even then there was no real complexity to it. The plot was also very slow-moving and lost me during the middle parts, though the ending was pretty amazing.

The saving grace, for me, was primarily the atmosphere. Collins is a very atmospheric writer, and the gothic vibes were spot-on. I could hear the horrible factory, I could feel the workers' despair. She excels at this. Without this impeccable atmosphere, this would probably be more of a 2 star read because I did start skim reading after a while, which is never a good sign. But now I'd say this book is just mid. 2,5 stars, rounding up to 3 - but if you liked the author's previous work, I do recommend checking this one out.

The Silence Factory was a fascinating read and managed to drag me out of my reading slump. As someone who loved The Binding, I thought this was just as wonderfully written, with haunting prose and so much queer yearning that I almost started to root for Henry and Sir Edward despite everything. However, I felt the dual POVs didn't intertwine as much as I would have liked, though I will say the dramatic irony was very well-executed. Would recommend for fans of historical fiction/fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Bridget Collins’ books seem to get better and better! I tried to savour this book but it was just too good and I rushed through it. This was gothic in feel- and the factory town of Telverton was sinister.I wasn’t really sure what to make of the main character- maybe *odd* covers it. Arachnaphobics beware! Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I have not read any previous works by this author, but will soon be putting that right! This was a fantastic read, whose dark, gothic atmosphere enfolds you like a cloak and transports you right into the plot.
Highly recommended.

Bridget Collins is a talented writer who creates familiar worlds with a twist. The Silence Factory has two timelines, two locations and two points of view. In early 19th century Greece Sophia writes in her journal of her travels with her abusive, neglectful husband James who is trying to make a name for himself through scientific research on a particular type of spider sacred to the women of the island. The diaries are poignant and evocative, particularly in Sophia's longing for a child and her friendship with local woman Hira.
In late 19th century England Sophia's nephew Edward owns a factory where silk is made from the spiders' webs. Edward is a brash, harsh capitalist who cares nothing for the lives of his workforce which are being destroyed by the factory conditions. On a visit to London Edward seeks a cure for his daughter's deafness (only because it embarasses him) and seduces young widower Robert who sells hearing aids in his father in law's shop. Robert becomes intricately involved in the silk business to the extent that he is initially naive and then intentionally collusive with the bad practice.
There is so much cruelty in this book that I can not say it was an enjoyable read but it was certainly very well written with superb use of language to describe the Greek island, the factory and the houses. The characters were well portrayed and the themes very clearly evoked through the plot. I was a little disappointed in the ending which I felt resolved things for Robert in a rather too neat way. I would also have liked to return to Hira after Sophia had been taken away from the island although I realise that this would only have been possible by adding another point of view.

Gothic sinister novel with a twist - quite good
Having read The Binding, I decided to read another novel by this author but regrettably it didn't enthrall me. The plot concerns Henry, an aurist from London, who becomes involved with a factory owner making silk from a particular species of spider. It's very much about this character and his interaction with a few other characters (not necessarily likeable) in a bit of a fantasy scenario as well as flashbacks regarding the origin of the spiders. There's a very dark side to the story and this is perhaps why I didn't enjoy it much. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley and HarperCollins!

I've read and enjoyed both The Binding and The Betrayals, so of course I requested this as soon as I saw it on NetGalley!

The writing was great and it had a very unique and interesting concept. It certainly has gothic vibes, with Bridget Collins' signature magical element.

The book has two timelines: Sophia's pov, as she travels to Greece with her controlling husband, in search of a rumoured spider breed with magical qualities. The other pov is Henry, who is coincidentally thrust into the world of Sophia's great-nephew, the owner of a spider-silk factory.

I was interested in the story and curious to see where it would lead, but I didn't particularly care about the characters. The book lost me on the "relationships", which felt very forced and unlikely to me, unfortunately. It made Henry extremely unlikeable with how intentionally blind he was.
The magical element, while a unique concept, didn't lead to anything particularly interesting for me.

Overall, it didn't really stand out and won't be very memorable for me.

This is a good old-fashioned gothic novel, written in a Victorian style. As you might imagine, there are countless examples of attitudes that are no longer tolerated in civil society – misogyny, child-labour, cultural insensitivity and rapine, equation of disability with feeble mindedness, and snobbery to name but a few.
Henry Latimer, a widower aurist, is hired by Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy to try to get his deaf daughter, Philomel, to hear (and speak).
“He had never met a deaf-mute child; from the stories he had heard, they were sullen and feral, on the edge of idiocy, hardly human. This little girl, with her white-frilled pinafore and chalk-smudged cheek, left him entirely at a loss. She was a child like any other; a child like the one he and Madeleine might have had.”
Sir Edward is a stereotypical Victorian capitalist, who owns a factory spinning spider webs into a magical silk cloth that dampens sound. He says, he sells ‘silence’. He inherited his factory and the spiders from James, who stole the spiders from a Greek Island, where they were regarded with religious reverence. James cared nothing for the Greek natives, their religion or culture, and felt that as an Englishman he had the right to take what he wanted – for the advancement of science. Sir Edward cares nothing about the well-being of his workers (“there are always accidents”), only about his profit, and the promotion of his arain silk. The town, Telverton, and its inhabitants are grueomely blighted by the factory. Henry is not able to help Philomel, but can help Sir Edward (whom he regards as a great man) promote the silk.
The qualities of the silk are indeed wonderous – who hasn’t wished occasionally for quiet. But, it turns out that silence is not the only thing that the silk can be used for. Our nice Victorian novel goes from Gothic to full-on horror. As the friendly Quaker, Hinshaw points out:
“The imposition of silence on oneself may be a good; the imposition of it on anyone else is always an evil.”
The book has two connected story lines: one with Henry and Sir Edward, and the other with James, his maltreated wife, Sophia, and her Greek friend Hira. The characters of Sir Edward and James are odious cardboard stereotypes. But Henry and Sophia are well realised, and develop through the novel.
I enjoyed this book the more of it I read. There are characters to love, and to empathise with, and others to utterly detest. And a few horrifying twists.
Definitely recommended.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.

This was another good read by Bridget Collins. I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I gave it a go because I loved The Binding.

I love how she weaves magic into historical fiction- I don't tend to like magical realism, but she does it so effortlessly.

I did get bored for the middle part. Admittedly, I skim read to the end because I lost interest. I did like the ending though.

I think I prefer when she writes in first person, but I liked Henry's character nonetheless. I liked Sophia too, but I got bored of her wanting to be a good wife - I get that this is due to the time period though.

Overall, I think a lot of people would really like this strange gothic story, so I'd rate it 3 stars.

This was my first Bridget Collins book and overall I really enjoyed it. The story is gripping and well paced, and felt dark and gritty which suited the Victorian backdrop well. I will say that the characters let it down slightly for me - Henry was truly lacking braincells throughout this book and came across naive in the extreme. I didn't really buy into his infatuation with Edward but I did enjoy how erratic he became as the story progressed and he was woven further into the silk's web. Overall, a very enjoyable, fast paced read that I would recommend to fans of historical fantasy fiction with a minor romance plotline. (Full review to follow on my TikTok shortly.)

Recently finished #TheSilenceFactory ARC from #netgalley out the 9th May 2024!! A really really intriguing read that has elements of magic, mystery and horror. Having loved Bridget Collins The Binding I was SO excited to be given an advanced read copy of The Silence Factory from #netgalley! It grabs you from the get go. The first chapter immediately has you asking questions and the mind boggling over what this book could be about. Creepy mentions of spiders and a voyage on the sea start the novel off and then we meet Henry, the book’s sad protagonist who suddenly sees an opportunity to make something of his life after tragedy. The writing is poetic and gripping and I couldn’t put the book down. My only reservations would be it was a little convoluted in parts and I would have liked to have known more about the echos and the town itself as this could have been a great add to the suspense and mystery. My favourite story and chapters were those set in Greece. I loved Sophy’s story and again would love to have known more about Hira and the spiders! But congratulations Bridget Collins on another great read with wonderful descriptions that made Henry and Sophy’s worlds come alive

I couldn't get into this one. The writer is clearly very talented, but the whole thing just felt like a chore and I struggled to engage with the plot and the characters. I would give this author another chance for sure

Henry Latimer is a widower when he meets Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy and learns about his strange silk factory. This special silk is produced by a rare species of spider from a remote Greek island.

As Henry gets deeper into the mystery of the silk factory, we read diary entries from Sophia Ashmore, from some years before, who was living on the Greek island where the silk's story began. Sophia's diary provides clues to the silk's origins and the secrets behind it.

While the story starts a bit slow, it quickly picks up pace with lots of twists and turns. Henry and Sophia are both interesting characters, and you'll find yourself rooting for them as they face tough choices and moral dilemmas.
Another great Bridget Collins read 🕷️

I was very interested to read this new novel from this author as I really enjoyed The Binding, but not so much, her second one - The Betrayals.
Loved the dual time line and the intricate imaginative plot line, but I did find the first third of the book a little slow and hard to get into. However, the master storytelling, gothic, sometimes macabre setting, and plot line skilfully pulled me in and I enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

This was actually very different from what I expected. It was very interesting in the way that I didn't know who to trust. And certain characters you think will follow one archetype end up being way different from what you thought they would be.

I did feel there was a lack of closure at the end considering how many characters were involved, however I think this book is good at what it's supposed to be. It's an allegory about colonialism, capitalism, queerness, misogyny and abelism. The inherent evil of those things and whether or not we can ever break free from them, and how.

This is definitely different from other books by the author in terms of the way things played out but if you enjoy the tone of her novels and the lyrical writing style then this will be for you.

Bridget Collins previous books The Binding and The Betrayals were difficult, but ultimately enjoyable, reads. Is the same true of her latest, The Silence Factory? Sadly, not for this reader.

The idea at the heart of The Silence Factory, a cloth woven from mystical spider silk that is able to kill sound, is interesting, but it's hard to care about when the central character, Henry, is so unsympathetic. The fact that he does nothing after the abuses he sees within the titular factory, children in the most part deafened and driven mad by prolonged exposure to the silk, is unforgivable.

Of more interest are Sophia's diary entries chronicling her time on Kratos with her husband that are scattered throughout the narrative. Here is a woman trapped in a largely loveless marriage, her husband obsessed with finding the mystical spiders that will hopefully make his name, her days spent growing closer to the women of the island.

Another issue are the gay/lesbian subplots. If I'm being generous I could put Henry's infatuation with his employer, Edward Ashmore-Percy, down to grief following his wife's death in childbirth, but it just didn't ring true for me. More believable is Sophia's lesbian flirtation. This grows organically through her time spent with Hira and the other women on Kratos.

Thanks to The Borough Press, HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advance copy.

The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins

I've read her other books and enjoyed them . But for me , this one tops the others , a brilliant read.
It has a creeping gothic like horror to it that somehow makes you wish you were reading it in a big old dark house set upon the moors whilst the wind howls around you.
Very atmospheric !

Having enjoyed 'The Binding' I was interested to read the new novel from Bridget Collins.

This follows the story of Henry Latimer. Widowed and working in his father in laws hearing aid shop, Henry is just trudging through life. One day, Sir Edward Ashmore - Percy visits the store looking for help for his daughter. Before he leaves, Sir Edward gives Henry a piece of cloth that , on one side, blocks all sound, and on the other, feint whispers of something can be heard. Soon Sir Edward is hiring Henry to try to cure his daughter, Philomel's deafness.

Upon arrival at Sir Edward's home, Henry meets Philomel's governess, who heartily disapproves of Henry and warns him to leave the town as soon as possible. The backdrop to this story is the Ashmore-Percy silk factory. Previously a lace weaving mill it has been transformed into a fabric mill where Sir Edward's mysterious fabric is produced from the silk of a very special and rare spider. However, all is not as it seems at the factory as the workers endure terrible conditions and suffer 'accidents'.

This novel has a huge helping of gothic about it but it is very slow moving and, quite frankly, confusing. I did not enjoy the pacing of the novel, or the sections set in the past with Sir Edward's aunt and uncle looking for the spiders on an island somewhere. These bits were in diary form told from the point of view of the aunt and I found them equally as baffling as the main story.

All in all I was disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing book. Henry in London works in his father in law’s shop selling aids to improve hearing. Sir Edward enters the shop to try and find a solution for his deaf daughter., Philomel.
Henry is summoned to Sir Edward’s secluded factory to assist and test Philomels hearing. The story then goes back in time to a Greek island where an amazing silk is discovered that has amazing benefits of excluding sound. The idea of being able to not hear anything when you are wrapped in this special silk.
The story returns to Sir Edward, Henry and the factory where the special silk is now being made.
There is adventure, corruption and troubles ahead.
This book was gripping, I loved every page. Well done to Bridget Collins for another fantastic read.