Once a Monster: A Reimagining of the Legend of the Minotaur
London in the winter of 1861. Oliver Twist meets Beauty and the Beast might be a pitch for Once a Monster. But it would be a crude one that would do a grave disservice to this ambitious, multi-layered novel. This is the story of four people: Nell, an orphaned mudlark; Murdstone, her Fagin-like master; Sophia, a ballet dancer fallen on hard times; and Minos, the enigmatic man/monster of the title. Dinsdale takes his time to establish the characters in an oblique manner. We only fully understand his intention a quarter of the way through. This is a book that repays the reader’s patience and concentration with bravura set pieces and a finale that will live long in my memory.
Dinsdale’s style is reminiscent of Michel Faber’s 2002 novel The Crimson Petal and the White, especially when he directly addresses the reader. This is particularly effective in the arresting opening and extraordinary ending. It can be intrusive, disrupting the narrative flow. Dinsdale has a gift for crafting memorable images, for example: “The rain that coursed across Benjamin Murdstone had already turned the streets of London to an atlas of shimmering arteries.” Prose of this quality bejewels the novel.
This is a slippery read. Is it historical fiction, magical realism, or even young adult? Of course it’s all of these, and more. At times, the novel feels burdened with the weight of Dinsdale’s inventiveness and ambition. But the rewards are plentiful. He is brilliant at allying historical description to action and character. I was completely transported to Victorian London. The crystalline prose, deep characterisation and compelling story carry you along. Highly recommended.
