| Title | : | The Daughter of Doctor Moreau |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593355334 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593355336 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 306 |
| Publication | : | First published July 19, 2022 |
| Awards | : | Hugo Award Best Novel (2023), Locus Award Science Fiction (2023), Goodreads Choice Award Science Fiction (2022) |
Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.
Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.
The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.
All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.
For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau Reviews
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NPR, New York Times and Times Best of 2022!
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Description: “This is historical science fiction at its best: a dreamy reimagining of a classic story with vivid descriptions of lush jungles and feminist themes. Some light romance threads through the heavier ethical questions concerning humanity.”—Library Journal (starred review)
Q&A
Is this a sequel or a prequel?
Neither, it's not a pastiche either. It has a similar setup of a reclusive scientist conducting questionable experiments, and explores some of the same themes of the original (religion, science, power, and morality) while also discussing concerns Wells never tackles (colonialism, class, womanhood).
What genre is this? The original was horror, right?
I call it science fiction and historical. The thing is, Wells wrote 'scientific romances.' Basically science fiction didn't exist as a category, but neither did horror. But scientific romance sounds weird nowadays and has a different connotation. It's definitely not a horror novel but I can't stop people from tagging it whichever way they want. Just a warning that if you expect gore, you shouldn't.
How did Wells make his creatures? How are your creatures made?
Dr. Moreau in the original uses vivisection, basically slicing animals apart, to make animals that behave like humans. Also conditioning. Vivisection was a huge concern around that time and it's when we first get into questions of ethics of using animals in experiments. In my novel, Moreau is not a vivisectionist. He probably figured out CRISPR technology more than a hundred years before anyone else.
Where is the novel set?
Mexico, in the southern peninsula of Yucatan which was isolated from the rest of the country and therefore sometimes portrayed as an island.
Is your book set in the same time period as the original?
Roughly the same time period. The events in "Island" are supposed to take place around 1887 and my book has the bulk of the action in 1877.
Should I read the original?
You don't need to but I like reading 19th century literature. It's free online at Project Gutenberg and it's only 40,000 words.
What if I want to learn more about the politics and history of this time period?
Start by reading my author's note at the back of the book and then begin reading the novel. You'll get an idea of the setup. There's also a book kit:
http://www.randomhousebooks.com/wp-co... -
3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 on GR. Super slow burn but once the doctor’s experiments are revealed things get interesting. I liked the two central characters, their relationship, and the rising tension with the antagonists’ entrance. There were opportunities for the plot to have more drama and high stakes that I wish the author took, but the writing is still lovely even for a straightforward story.
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Finally a brand new, refreshing, creative retelling of H. G. Wells’ “The island of Dr. Moreau” with feminism vibes, taking place in Yucatan peninsula during the war of Maya people who fight for their freedom against Mexican tyrants.
After seeing 1996 movie adaption which was totally cringefest ( or Brando freak show as the critics mentioned) I was a little worried about any other retelling or adaptation of the book but Silvia Moreno Garcia’s creative story telling, her clever way to blend this sci-fi story of hybrids into Mexican war and real historical events help me to enjoy the entire execution.
Carlota was interesting, peculiar, unconventional character and the other narrator Montgomery’s sad back story and secrets he’s carrying help you engage with him.
The riveting style and intense horrific elements keep your attention intact.
And let’s not forget to give my praises for this hypnotizing and vivid cover!
In the beginning I got a little hard time to get into the story because of scientific terminology but after the introductions of the characters, I finally pick up my pace and focus on the entire progress. Dr. Moreau, an eccentric French scientist, lost his wife and daughter, moving to Yaxaktun, in the jungle for opening a sanatorium to conduct his scientific searches for hybrids, raising his daughter Carlota who is suffering from blood disease, being injected a medicine keeps her alive.
We witness his meeting with Montgomery: an Englishman with dark past, suffering from debts and tragedies, healing himself with alcohol, who is going to be a new mayordomo, assisting him with a number of chores.
Montgomery has hesitations for taking the job but his debts to Moreau’s funder Mr. Lizande and a violent unexpected incident forces him to change his mind.
Then we move forward to six years and see the arrival Eduardo Lizande who becomes obsessed with Carlota changes the dynamics in the household.
This is great historical and gothic approach to the classic sci-fi story I truly enjoyed and absolutely recommend you to read!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Del Rey for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy of one of the most anticipated books of the year in exchange my honest opinions.
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The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is the latest by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night, solidly earning it a spot on my most anticipated books for July.
Inspired by The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells, this book focuses on Carlota Moreau, the daughter of Doctor Moreau. Set in a remote Mexican location, Doctor Moreau has created a hybrid, a new creation. However, the doctor is struggling financially. When two young men come to town, one of them the wealthy son of his patron, will all of his fears be eased if he can marry Carlota off to one of them?
Well….let’s start off by making a confession. My expectations for this were sky high. Velvet Was the Night has one of the most skillfully crafted endings that I have read. However, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau didn’t compete with Velvet Was the Night.
First, the storytelling needs refining. The first 10% of the book is so boring that I had to put it down and pick it back up again. The next portion of the book is better; however, it seems that most of the conflicts boiled down to a version of “Did not!” “Did too!” “Did not!” “Did too!”
Second, the identity of this book is lost on me. What exactly is it trying to accomplish? The sci-fi portion of this book is really underwhelming. Is this book about Carlota’s relationship with her father? Is this book about a love triangle? A romance? Is this book about crafting ones own family and own identity? It seems to try to be the answer to everything but succeeds in nothing.
Part of that is that there are too many characters: Montgomery, Doctor Moreau, Ramona, Lupe, Hernando Lizalde, Eduardo, Cachito, Aj Kaab, Pinta, Aayin, K’an, and many others.
Third, the ending is entirely forgettable and lackluster.
Overall, I didn’t connect with The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
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↠ 5 stars
In a secluded estate far removed from the conflict on Yucatán’s peninsula, Carlota Moreau lives an isolated existence. The only daughter of the venerable scientist Doctor Moreau, she spends her days surrounded by the beauty of the Yaxaktun property and the hybrid creatures held captive by their domineering creator. Backed financially by the wealthy Lizaldes, Doctor Moreau is sent a new overseer, the pensive Montgomery Laughton, to assist in his experiments. Six years pass and the fragile atmosphere at Yaxaktun is altogether upended by the arrival of two unexpected gentlemen, one being Eduardo Lizalde, the son of Moreau’s benevolent benefactor. With the sudden arrival of their unforeseen guests, the problems outside the bounds of the jungle loom ever closer, and as Carlota becomes more inquisitive, her father's secrets threaten to expose a truth far more harrowing.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia astounds with a gothic science fiction historical set against the background of late nineteenth-century Mexico. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a fascinating reimagining of H.G Wells's novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” that completely extends upon the original with its themes of colonization, class, and subjugation. Stepping into this novel felt akin to wading into a crystalline pool, as main character Carlota slowly draws together a hazy picture of her world, one that is refined and sharpened as she begins to question her reality and gain agency. Similarly to Mexican Gothic, this novel seizes a quiet pace, bringing forth an enthralling expose into the obsessions of a mad doctor, and just who the real monsters are. Dual narrators Carlota Moreau and Montgomery Laughton are altogether delightful, providing the opposing perspectives necessary to relay the unsettling nature of the entire narrative. Where Carlota is the quiet lonesome voice in the darkness, Montgomery is the brooding moody tone in contrast. While it can be said that both characters captivate, Carlota is beyond a doubt the one who dazzles. Her escape from the clutches of her father’s influence, to uncovering the truth about his creations, and unleashing the monster within was absolutely earth-shattering. Moreno-Garcia interlays a gripping examination of possession, prejudice, and the relationship between creator and subject beneath it all. With an added afterword on the history of the Yucatán region and the caste war, the influence of historical events from the text is all the more apparent. It seems as if every time I find myself reaching for a new book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I have to prepare for the fact that it will surpass all of my expectations and leave me completely dumbfounded. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a powerhouse, and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a startling addition, wonderfully romantic and intense in its resistance.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing the arc
Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, blood, death, gun violence, suicide -
extremely well-written, deeply atmospheric, and an array of really intriguing characters. and yet, i just never found myself caring…
i feel very apathetic about this one, unfortunately. by all counts, this is a great story and i love that this is a loosely inspired reimagining of an old classic. its quite creative and i think many readers will love the new historic spin on a familiar tale. but its just missing that little spark of something to get me hooked. i feel like im walking away from this having read an objectively good book, but not feeling anything towards it one way or the other.
so not a loss by any means, but i do wish i could have gotten more into the story.
↠ 3.5 stars -
When I first heard about The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, this was my exact response:
What in the heck is this!?!? OMG, I'm so exicteddddddddd!!!
I hear THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU and I'm sold. We all know Moreno-Garcia can bring that toe-curling body horror to the page and we love to see it!!
That's quite a reaction, I'll admit. I can be dramatic.
Unfortunately, I struggled with this story from the very start. I was kindly gifted an e-ARC and started it at least a week prior to its publication date. Two weeks later I was still at 25% with zero desire to continue.
I made the decision to put it back on the shelf and wait for an audio copy through my local library. I finally received the audiobook on August 16th and read it in three days.
It made all the difference for me. The narration by Gisela Chipe was fantastic. They brought this story to life for me and actually succeeded in keeping me engaged. With this being said, the story still wasn't anything I was crazy about.
This is a good book, with solid character work and a wonderfully-developed historical setting, however, I was here for the SFF-Horror and I just didn't get it.
Maybe I set myself up for disaster thinking this was going to be something that it wasn't, but regardless, that's the experience I had with it. I was bored and underwhelmed.
This doesn't detract from the fact that Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an incredibly-gifted storyteller whose work I will continue to pick up from now til forevermore. This just wasn't my favorite of her work.
I am happy that I gave this one a second chance though and that I was able to get through to the end. It is a sweet story, sad and dramatic. I think a lot of people will really love this one. Particularly people who enjoy Historical Fiction with complicated familial relationships.
Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, for providing me with a copy to read and review. It's always a pleasure to see what Moreno-Garcia has developed and this was no exception.
I'm looking forward to her next release! -
Carlota Moreau and her father Dr. Moreau live a calm and balanced life in a secluded estate, along with the doctor’s creations: the hybrids. But when a member of the family which funds the doctor’s experiments arrives, it sets off a dangerous chain of events. An unputdownable read.
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Silvia Moreno-Garcia's latest offering is an extraordinary science fiction-historical fiction retelling of a classic, HG Wells The Island of Dr Moreau, Moreau is a vivisectionist, a story with its focus on ethics, monsters, religion, power and science. Here, the setting shifts to 19th century Mexico, with its sweltering heat in the southern Yucatan peninsula in the 1870s, echoing the original dark themes of a genius or deranged scientist's development of human-animal hybrids. The beautiful Carlota Moreau with her striking presence, grows up on a remote hacienda, plagued with fragility, her life overseen by her father, having the company of Ramona, the housekeeper, Lupe and Cachito. The melancholic British Montgomery Laughton, with his past trauma, is hired as Dr Moreau's assistant. Moreau's scientific experimental creations are being funded by a man with his own agenda, Hernando Lizalde, from Merida, with a son, Eduardo, who turns up at the hacienda.
Carlota is set to lose her naive innocence as she begins to ask questions, secrets that lie behind locked cabinets and padlocked doors are set to be revealed, what is the truth that lies behind her father? The author ventures into territory Wells never did, the turbulent history of the Yucatan and the caste war, exploring class, exploitation, the role and status of women, and colonialism. This is a richly atmospheric sensory delight of a disturbing and vibrant novel, unsettling, captivating and enthralling, with a romance, and its complex characters, asking what is it to be human, who exactly are the monsters and raising the issue of what limitations should be placed on science, given the potential horrors and dangers that could arise.
In many ways, this multilayed retelling improves on the original, I particularly enjoyed the development of Carlota into a strong and determined character. I have no hesitation in recommending this wonderful piece of sci-fi historical fiction highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC. -
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
this is a gothic-historical science fiction rework of
The Island of Dr. Moreau, set in 1871-1877 and transplanting the broad outline of wells' classic tale of messin' with science to the yucatan peninsula, a region rife with conflict and rebellions.
carlota moreau has spent her whole life on her beloved father's property where, along with gloomy-drunk overseer montgomery laughton, she cares for the human-animal hybrids her father has created and she considers extended family.
these hybrids are not brute beasts—although their appearances are shocking, with their animal features and abilities, they are capable of speech and higher thought, and help run the estate; a beautiful, sprawling property, isolated for reasons.
dr. moreau's experiments are financed by his wealthy patron hernando lizaldes, who has supplied money to fund his own desire for workers more manageable than humans, but he is becoming frustrated by moreau's lack of progress in that department.
mistakes were made. secrets were kept. and when lizaldes' bratty son eduardo arrives, falling for carlota and getting in the way of montgomery's unexpressed, unrequited love for her, things are bound to go badly.
like
Mexican Gothic, this is a spectacularly atmospheric character-driven set piece, and it contains many paradoxes—it's a fast read that builds slowly toward its conclusion, where it explodes with an unexpected, tho' somehow also inevitable, revelation.
if you're into retellings and genre mashups with sweeping social and psychological themes, this one's a keeper.
come to my blog!! -
Update 7/19/22: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!
“The study of Nature makes a man at last as remorseless as Nature. Knowledge is not freely granted.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine for sending me an ARC of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau in exchange for an honest review.
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Days like this never ended well. They were soaked in blood.
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“Although I have made monsters, I have also performed miracles.”
Carlota Moreau is a beautiful young woman living with her father in a secluded hacienda on the Yucatán peninsula in 1870s Mexico. Her father is, of course, the legendary Doctor Moreau, creator of a secret collection of human-animal hybrids. Montgomery Laughton, an emotionally broken alcoholic who never recovered from being left by his wife, works for Doctor Moreau, procuring animals for his experiments and serving as the hacienda’s mayordomo. But their steady existence is broken when Eduardo Lizalde—the aggressive yet charming son of Doctor Moreau’s financial backer—comes to the hacienda one day and immediately sets his sights on marrying Carlota.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is, of course, based upon H.G. Wells’s
The Island of Doctor Moreau. This novel could not exist without the original, and it retains the original’s fundamental idea of a mad scientist creating human-animal hybrids. On that score, the new novel does a better job of describing the ‘science’ behind the hybrids than the original (which was pretty unconvincing). And this novel cleverly weaves references and themes from the original—about Doctor Moreau as a god figure, about the usefulness of pain—into its story.
But
The Island of Doctor Moreau is a dark novel about the dangers of science gone too far, and the hubris of scientists who believe they can and should wield the power of creation. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is more interested in the interpersonal dynamics. Carlota’s presence not only adds a coming of age story but her relationships with her father, with Montgomery, and with Eduardo, flesh out all of their characters. Her arc is a stand-in for the way women of that era were constrained, controlled, and not permitted to strive for their full potential. Additionally, placing the novel within the time and location of Mayan uprisings on the Yucatán peninsula against the Mexican government gave the story lots of atmosphere and makes the storyline about the hybrids feel more like a commentary on slavery, worker exploitation, and societal inequalities generally.
Isaac Newton famously said “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” And I thought of that as I realized that I liked The Daughter of Doctor Moreau more than
The Island of Doctor Moreau. It feels wrong, because H.G. Wells is one of the titans of science fiction for a reason. But Ms. Moreno-Garcia took the best parts of the source material, stood on those shoulders, and used it to tell a richer, fuller, more human story. Recommended. -
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a master of the horror Gothic genre. There is nothing I like more than the retelling of a classic horror story and subtly reshaping it. Moreno-Garcia's take on H.G. Well's classic is brilliant and riveting. She manages to make the humans into the real monsters. There are so many twists and turns that you really have no idea how it will end.
The two main characters, Carlota, the gorgeous and obedient daughter and Montgomery, his broken and drunken assistant are rich and nuanced. Like real people, neither are all good or bad, mostly flawed, but trying to do the right thing. The setting is in 1870s Yucatan, with a civil war going on between the Mexican landowners and the native Mayans, who are forced to work their haciendas in a feudal system.
The hybrids are created by Dr. Moreau to labor on the farms for free. Dr. Moreau has no feeling for his creations, they are just things to feed his god complex. Things fall apart. -
"I must confess that I lost faith in the sanity of the world." (H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau)
Misery and pain take on a myriad of forms. Some of it comes along in the course of natural life. Some of it is smacked out in pulling levers that should never be handled or the manipulating of the biological chains once pronounced sacred.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia has outdone herself in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. She's recreated a different vibe from the original H.G. Well's The Island of Dr. Moreau. (Check that one out for some unsettling events.) Garcia implements a softer female influence through her chosen lead character. We are drawn deeply into this storyline with its striking descriptors of lush jungles and the fragrance of blooms in the northern territory of the Yucatan peninsula.
Carlota Moreau stands in the doorway of her father's hacienda. She is used to the isolation since she was a child. Young Lupe and Cachito are her companions as well as Ramona, the very competent housekeeper. Her father, Dr. Moreau, keeps a watchful eye on her as she suffered from fevers and nerves as a child. Carlota's beauty fills every room. From her amber eyes to her long black hair, she is immediately noticed upon her presence.
Garcia will introduce us to Montgomery Laughton, the most complicated and intriguing of the characters. Laughton, shaggy and untidy, is an Englishman who spent time in the British Honduras. He's recently been hired as the mayordomo with talents in engineering, taxidermy, and biological sciences. Laughton bears the pains of his previous life and the deep disappointments in the aftermath. We'll feel the heaviness of his demeanor cast into this already peculiar setting.
Dr. Moreau's research and scientific experimentations have been financed by Hernando Lizalde who lives in Merida with his son, Eduardo. Locked cabinets and padlocked doors will eventually give up their secrets as Carlota seeks to understand her father's obsessions.
And the curtain will part and we will observe the "hybrids" that live beyond the walls of the hacienda close to rebel territory. You'll be drawn in as we come to notice physical features and dispositions best kept close to the page. Moreau becomes more and more threatened by the possible loss of his patron's backing. We'll get this uncertain feeling as this escalates throughout.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is not paranormal or horror driven. Garcia lines this more with a sci-fi filament. She dangles the question of what exactly constitutes humanity? And what is the end result from manipulating and deviating from the standards of life? There will be individuals pinned against one another fighting for their dignity and for their lives. And may I mention the fact that where there is a Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel, there will always be a stunning cover that leaves you as breathless as its contents.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House and to the talented Silvia Moreno-Garcia for the opportunity. -
Well, that was out of my comfort zone!
A mixed bag for me. I went in blind and probably should have read the synopsis, or at the very least researched the novel The Island of Doctor Moreau, which this is a reimagining.
You might be expecting horror, but this one is historical with a heavy science fiction angle. The author's settings and vivid descriptions always captivate me. This one is set Mexico in 19th century, in an estate called Yaxaktun. The mansion has a laboratory for the mad-scientist, Doctor Moreau to do his "experiments". He lives there with his daughter, Carlota, housekeeper Ramona and the "hybrids" (cringe).
There was a lot happening in this novel. The pacing went from quick to snail's pace at different points. I couldn't help but think Dr. Moreau was unethical and creepy. At one point, I gasp so hard I almost jumped out of my skin. There is also a bit of a light romance, some Beauty and The Beast feels, a gun fight, hands like claws, and other unexpected side effects of Dr. Frankenstein, I mean Dr. Moreau!
Thanks to NG and Ballentine for my arc! OUT July 19, 2022 -
I’m finally free god bless
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Right after I finished The Daughter of Doctor Moreau my thoughts were a mess and I honestly didn't know how I felt about the story in whole.
I knew I liked Mexican Gothic better than this one, but also those two stories are totally different that it would be unfair to compare them.
Once again, Silvia Moreno-Garcia managed to give the atmosphere a role itself, and the place of the story was unique, well described and easy to imagine.
This historical retelling was told in third person following two perspectives: Carlota's, who is the daughter of the doctor, and Laughton's who is an employee.
Getting into Laughton's head was more interesting to me, especially because of his battle with his own demons that made him take the job in this peculiar place.
The only thing that didn't make much sense to me was the motivation to keep up with the project.
At first it was to have free labour from crestures who wouldn't have human rights (now when the slavery was illegal), but when experiment after experiment failed, one had to wonder why waste all that money on laboratories when it can be used to decently pay people for their work instead.
Overall, this was a good book with some action packed scenes and historical references.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it. -
forever hanging off of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s every word
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Shaking Up the Island
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a wizard… or just an incredibly gifted writer unrestrained by literary genre. Her most well known novel, “Mexican Gothic,” strikes its note in the horror genre, “Velvet Was the Night” is historic fiction and noir, while “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” has taken the science fiction outline of H. G. Wells’ “The Island of Doctor Moreau” and retools it with a fusion of modern themes.
During the 1870’s in a remote spot in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula, Doctor Moreau and his beautiful daughter Carlota run a secret sanitarium. The patients are unusual, creations of the doctor himself, they are part human, part animal hybrids. This operation is funded by a wealthy landowner, Hernando Lizalde, whose primary interest is finding a source of cheap labor. Traditional slavery is gone, the indigenous population is rebellious, and importing Chinese or European labor has become costly. Doctor Moreau’s labor force will be Lizalde’s to own, unconditionally.
The Doctor takes great pride in his early results, fantasizing about accolades awaiting him during a fanciful European tour. He has given the world life forms which have never existed. He also has a controlling power over these hybrids. They are dependent on him for life-sustaining injections containing a formula he keeps secret.
Carlota is the dominant voice of this story. A devoted daughter, she feels herself being pulled apart as she perceives her father’s callousness to the creatures he has produced. It dawns on her that he has been needlessly cruel: “He shaped pain into flesh.” She feels a responsibility to assume control at the same time she is being pressured into a future she has no control over.
The third main character, Montgomery Laughton, is recruited to oversee the operation of the residence, the post of mayordomo. He is a disillusioned wanderer, burned by love and fueled at this point by alcohol. After an initial shock he befriends the hybrids and finds himself adjusting well to his position and the relative anonymity it provides. He is significantly older than Carlota and strong protective feelings emerge– as well as a physical attraction he understands would be doomed by the age difference.
This paradise starts to unravel as Doctor Moreau’s results are not paying off satisfactorily for his investor. Then, as now, the world demands support from the cheapest labor pool. Business demands results. Morality and ethical questions are insignificant when faced with the bottom line.
“The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” is an intoxicating read, transporting us to another time and place in history. The various movie treatments of the H. G. Wells original bring expectations of ridiculous-looking special effect creatures. Here the written word mixes with the imagination to provide stronger images and to enhance the enjoyment rather than spoiling it.
Thank you to the Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for providing the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheDaughterofDoctorMoreau #NetGalley -
2/2.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Welp, I was hoping for more with this retelling of Doctor Moreau.
In fact, I read The Island of Doctor Moreau before tackling this one. I've never read the classic and wanted to give this new book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia justice with my review and rating.
I'm glad I read the classic since I was able to understand the characters motivations and overall plot for this new retelling.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau has the same type of setting and general idea for characters from the original.
Doctor Moreau is and Montgomery is
Where the book struggles is the lack of suspense and horror elements.
The pacing is glacier, and the slow build doesn’t deliver in the end with that type of slogfest for the first 75% of the book.
In fact, I’m not sure what this book was going for in a genre: horror, thriller or sci-fi?
It ended up being none of the three.
I enjoyed Mexican Gothic more and hope her next book will not be so tame along with having more suspense and horror in it! -
Video review:
https://youtu.be/ZxBmzSWp74g
4.5 stars rounded up
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is incredibly talented and writes in basically every genre. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a historical fiction novel with sci-fi elements. It retells The Island of Doctor Moreau, but set in Mexico and centering on Moreau's bi-racial daughter. The novel is definitely a slow burn, and the first part of the book could drag at times, but it's also carefully building the world, the characters, and the real history of the Yucatan Peninsula in the late 1880's. So by the time the action picked up, I was fully invested in all of it.
Moreno-Garcia writes messy, complicated characters who feel very human (in this case that includes Moreau's human-animal hybrids who you come to love). What's incisive about this retelling is that it questions what we consider to be monstrous while also pushing back on the racism, colorism, and colonial forced labor (basically enslavement) of indigenous people that were happening in Mexico during that time. Not to mention the common treatment of non-white people as less human and more animalistic. All of that is highlighted here in stark ways. And of course, because this is a Moreno-Garcia novel, woven throughout are the problems of misogyny and the infantilization of pretty young women.
I think you should go into this not knowing too much, but I loved it. Despite the slow pacing toward the beginning, this sucked me in and made me care so much about Carlota and her found family. AndI love the ending. I love that this author doesn't go for the easy, obvious, or expected ending. Rather it's the one that feels authentic to the characters and the story. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Content warnings include medical experimentation, physical abuse, violence, loss of a loved one, verbal abuse, racism, gaslighting, misogyny, grooming. -
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books are always hit or miss with me (I loved Mexican Gothic, I yawned through Velvet Was the Night, I questioned my journey with this author after Gods of Jade and Shadow, but I liked Certain Dark Things), however THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is a grand slam for me! This book is certainly going to be a hit for this author's fans!
The story is a retelling-esque version of the classic novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau, taking place in 1870s Yucatán, Mexico. The story focuses on young adult Carlota Moreau, the daughter of scientist Doctor Moreau, a man with scientific achievements that can change the world as we know it. Living in this lonesome and quiet estate, Carlota also lives with the family's housekeeper Ramona and the hybrids. A group of creations of the doctor—half human, half animal—followers of the doctor. After hiring Montgomery Laughton, a man who was referred to by Doctor Moreau's patron funding this research for his own desires, all of them live together trying to survive and create. That is, until the Doctor's research leads to dire consequences.
I don't want to give too much of this story away, as I actually didn't even read the synopsis before jumping in. I just really enjoy the author and fell in love with this cover. UM HELLO, YES PLEASE. I can honestly say that this will be in my favorites of the year for sure and if you enjoy this author's works, you will be so happy to pick this one up. If you struggled with this author's writing style before (slow burn with elaborate atmospheric storytelling), you will not the reader for this book. This one is definitely strictly science fiction and drama, the genres that this author has crafted so beautifully in her stories. What a joy—I can't wait for Silvia Moreno-Garcia's next book. -
3.5 stars
Sultry, slow, and dripping with tension-filled nods to a classic novel—The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a unique reading experience. (Aren't they all, when it comes to this author?) Silvia Moreno-Garcia strikes again! It's a shame that this particular one didn't hit the favorite zone for my reading tastes.
Concepts: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★
Character connection: ★★★
Sense of atmosphere: ★★★
This is going to be an interesting review. I didn't love it, but let me gush about it anyway and try to get you to pick it up...
Carlota is growing up on her father's remote estate in the wilderness of the Yucatan peninsula. It's the late 1800s. Her father is a disgraced French scientist—with the name of Moreau. Carlota's childhood is strange. It's filled with medications, an odd cast of friends and servants with physical peculiarities, and the constant reminder from her overbearing white father to keep calm and hide behind the verses of the Bible.
Laughton Montgomery is a middle-aged Englishman accidentally entrenched in the Mexican scene. He's an alcoholic with a sad backstory, and he's in serious debt to Eduardo Lizaldes, a wealthy light-skinned Spanish-Mexican man holding all of the cards in this story: including both Montgomery's debts and the estate funding holding up Moreau's life in the wilderness.
Moreau needs a man on site to help with his work. Montgomery needs to do what Lizaldes tells him to. Carlota finds herself involved and intrigued by the things simmering around her.
As the years pass by, Montgomery and Carlota find themselves at the heart of a slowing unfolding drama involving experimentations, Mexican/Maya politics, and the meaning of humanity.
Will they find (or lose) themselves along the way?
Mm, mm, mmm. Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to rock pretty much anything she sets her mind to. So far, I've personally seen her kill it in body horror, 1970s crime noir, futuristic urban vampire dramas, 20th century Mayan death god adventures, and high fantasy quests. There is seemingly nothing she can't conquer—and in this case, her sights are set on a culturally rich interpretation of an H.G. Wells classic, The Island of Doctor Moreau.
I think this novel is going to be like all of her other ones: it's going to REALLY work for some people, and it's going to REALLY not work for others. The added complexity to this particular story is the restraints placed upon it. By tying it to the H.G. Wells concepts, this adaptation was already roughly structured to follow certain ideas, tropes, and trains of thought. Whether subverted or followed, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was going to have certain elements addressed.
And that's, I think, where I struggled a bit and others will love this.
I love Moreno-Garcia for her ingenuity, her turns of concepts, her bizarre way of writing sentences that make me slow down. Linger. Absorb.. These are stories with interesting characters that do things you don't expect or approve of, and they're often not very likeable or relatable. I've always liked that—the distanced yet intimate journeys with people I don't understand and therefore can't predict.
However, this particular story deviated from those expectations. I found Carlota and Montgomery—our two points of view—to be both predictable and weirdly bland, and yet the most likeable of all of her characters. I personally neither liked nor disliked them. Frankly, I think the characters were a lower priority in this story compared to the setting and interweaving of the Moreau/H.G. Wells template and the late 1800s Mexican conflicts that Moreno-Garcia wanted to address. Which, again, is both a negative for readers like myself and yet a huge positive for fans of historical fiction and atmosphere.
Was it lush? Yes. Was it filled with dripping gothic tension? Yes. Was it a jungle dream of animal hybrids meeting Mexican interpretations? Yes. But was it a personal, Amy favorite? Nah.
I was looking for surprise, for character-driven ingenuity. For an atmosphere I didn't want to leave and felt was sucking me into its pages. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau didn't do that for me. But I think that's more due to the fact that I have an unsustainably high standard for each Moreno-Garcia work that comes in my path and an expectation for characters rather than flaws within this particular story.
This book would be a shining star in other circles, and I think it is shining for those who have loved it and are potentially new to this author's work and/or interested in historical fiction. For us returning folks (and those of us who don't care about the H.G. Wells original), I'm not sure.
Go into it with a historical and atmospheric expectation, and see what happens. I'm curious about what you'll find...
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“I’m two paces from loving you, two paces from having my heart destroyed,” he said and smirked.
Sometimes SMG writes really slow burns I come to love by the end, but this time the slow pacing just continued throughout and there was no bigger plot to hang on to, only luxurious writing. To be frank, Montgomery singlehandedly saved this book from a lower rating. I love him, your honor. My crush for him just took precedence over everything in this book, and nothing really mattered to me except for his happiness. Which is a lot to say since he's the most cynical and grumpy guy I've ever seen lol.
Pretty much for the entirety of this book I was bored. Montgomery's chapters gave me something to look forward to, and I liked the intrigue coming from Eduardo courting Carlota, but I needed something more. This probably wasn't the right retelling for me, as I even found the hybrids part to be too weird. As a genre this is close to South American/Spanish magical realism which I historically don't like very much (although there definitely are exceptions), and the absence of a real plot made it even more difficult for me to like it. Nonetheless, I was interested enough to read till the end and that's on its own a good sign too. -
I need to go and read the original Island of Doctor Moreau now before I can comment on this! Ok- I’m back. I rated the original by HG Wells as 4 stars too but for different reasons. ‘Island’ gives more detail about the creations of Moreau whereas Silvia Moreno-Garcia gave less detail but I loved the much fuller context in terms of culture and the society surrounding them. I found it very much in keeping with the original and I am glad it wasn’t overdone- it could have turned into something more sensational but less satisfying. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
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Beautifully written, like lyrically beautiful. But like in a lullaby way and it put me to sleep to be honest. I just couldn't connect to the story. The characters weren't relatable and their predictability made them kind of annoying.
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3.5 ⭐️ Rounded Up for the fantastic last 1/3 of the Book.
If you are looking for Creepy, the home where Dr. Gustave Moreau lives with his daughter, Carlota in the secluded town Yaxaktun on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico certainly is the place to go. Silvia Garcia-Moreno does a great job laying the perfect feeling for the place. Isolated, in the jungle, large desolate house, and Dr. Moreau certainly enjoys his experiments.
He is currently working on mixing humans with animals. This started since his daughter has a rare illness that will kill her if a cure is not found. He does perfect an injection using jaguars’ DNA to save Carlota. These creatures are called the hybrids and he has never quite tweaked them to be able to work the lands of the haciendas, as his benefactor, Hernando Lizalde would like. Each of the hybrids must take a Formula, since each has different ailments, most painful and in constant need of care. Mr. Lizalde is not concerned with this, as he is trying to rid the area of the indigenous Mayan Indians who work as near slaves. Yet, if he can never completely exploit the Mayans, the hybrids would work perfectly instead.
Dr. Moreau hires Montgomery Laughton to come and help with the hybrids and care for the place. Two hybrids, Lupe and Chicito grow up in the house and are sort of part of this family. Carlota loves living in Yuxaktan and can not imagine ever leaving. She adores her father and does not question this living arrangement.
This book is broken into three parts. The problem I had is that for the first two parts, I found the book dragged quite a bit. I was not invested in the characters since I didn’t feel each was brought to life much. Montgomery is a central character and I came to understand that he is a flawed man, but one who cares about those at Yuxaktan. Carlota, is an empathetic, if naive young woman. As the book starts progressing, she becomes much bolder and begins having many questions.
Part Three is when the book comes to life. I finally got to really know this strange family. The hybrids Lupe and Chicito are amazing and are brave and loyal. Montgomery also shows his character and willingness to look after Carlota and the hybrids as well. People may not be as expected, but are still accepted. Yet, Part Three starts 70% into the book. I wish the entire book was like this last third. It was so good then. We certainly get to know if Dr. Moreau is a madman or a genius. We know the intentions of the Lizaldes. We know how those with power can and often will try to destroy those perceived as weaker then themselves. Yet, since things are not as they seem, we learn who can be trusted and who can not. There is a very strong feeling of family. So, the ending was fantastic and loved this.
Overall, the book didn’t come together for too long and I did find this disappointing. I really enjoy Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing and the way she sets scenes. I knew the making of hybrids was disturbing, but did not know where this was going to go which was ok. I was unsure if everyone would turn out to be evil, some characters, or if there were elements I did not know which would explain everyone’s actions. It was the pacing that was so problematic. Then when the entire story does come out, it is really well constructed.
Thank you NetGalley, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Randon House Del Ray for providing this book. I am always happy to leave a review. -
FINISHED MY RE-READ (this time on audio, thank you PRH for the advanced copy!) AND LIKED IT EVEN BETTER. I swear, FULL WRITTEN REVIEW COMING THIS WEEK.
EDIT #2: I posted another Tik Tok about this book because I can't help myself
HERE if you want to check it out.
EDIT: I posted my Tik Tok review
HERE.
I'M FINISHED!!!
I WILL POST MY REVIEW CLOSER TO PUBLICATION BUT PLEASE BEHOLD SOME
MEMES IN THE MEANTIME
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Truly a genre-bending mastermind, SMG does it once again! The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an evocative and lush story that immediately envelops you. Her writing instantly transports me back to a wilder Mexico, ensconced and lovingly embraced by the jungle, heat, and sun against foreign forces and conquistadors looking to cash in on its riches.
“Women were butterflies to be pinned against a board.”
Within this story there are many layers that echo the similar theme of subjugation. There’s the colonizer layer that is ever present, we’re reminded that Dr. Moreau is French, he is funded by rich Spaniards trying to break Mexico into lining its pockets, and the undercurrent of tensions between them and the rebels and native indigenous people is rampant. It demonstrates a country in flux, on a precipice in history as forces collide. We also have Montgomery, a British man for hire running from his past and choices while at the same time enslaved to debt and addictions. The tensions between classes, between countries, and stemming from slavery and colonization is palpable which lends this a lot of grit and nuance.
But then there’s also Carlota’s layers, her quiet but growing chafing against her confines, no matter how gilded they are. We see her naïveté transform slowly as she begins to question her world, her father’s true motivations, and how to use the social constructs of the times to her advantage. We see how she comes into her own power and strength to upend the world of men, which was fascinating and satisfying. Both a character you can root for, and one which inspires you to be better and appreciate the life and world around you, her growth journey was, when looking back it, remarkable. It’s a testament to SMG’s talent that she’s able to walk us through such a transformation in a painstakingly detailed yet intriguing way that to the reader doesn’t feel preachy and heavy. It’s natural.
I will say, having known the source material for this, I was prepared for more difficult passages on animal experiments. While there is one scene relatively early on that was a bit unsettling, by and large the hybrids are simply characters unto themselves with unique personalities, which I appreciated. While the health and pain of the hybrids is by no means brushed away, it’s not overtly or salaciously described so for fellow animal lovers like me - fear not, you can get through this!
While the main ‘twist’ or reveal felt like a long time coming by the time its revealed, it certainly landed with an impact and was very well executed.
Though the second half did have pockets of pacing issues, in hindsight I think it did need those slower moments to provide space for the story. This isn’t about action back to back, but about small and some big moments that define the characters and their paths ahead. Giving this a few days in my head after finishing definitely makes me appreciate this much more. Still, Carlota’s stupid naïveté at the end was at odds with how quickly she was scheming and learning while courting Eduardo, but maybe that’s more a reflection of my own personality than anything else because I would spare NO ONE from my wrath.
This is a favorite of mine from the author. Perfectly atmospheric, engaging, complex, and full of elegant storytelling. -
Aptly titled novel featuring the most pisces ass main character I’ve ever read… the rich historical and social backdrop of this book feels deeply researched and pretty smart, but the characters and writing itself definitely aren’t as smart as the thematic elements and concepts driving this book. The animal/human hybrids, “mad scientist,” adoring daughter, beloved house and natural landscape, and the conflict of research funding and who controls the money and land and capital were really interesting to me, and the love triangle/unrequited love situation was also fine I guess. The exploration of male violence and exertion of power made some parts of this novel difficult to read. The alternating perspectives of Montgomery and Carlotta was an interesting decision made by the writer, but not one I’m sure I totally fuck with?? All in all, an enjoyable, immersive, and compulsively readable book, but still frustrating at certain points. Would recommend for enjoyers of historical science fiction that feels pretty grounded in reality.
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I am on the road to read every SMG book ever
