I definitely missed something about this book. Though all the characters were unexpected, their convergence and interactions always lacked a certain logic or believability and thus I felt like I grasped for a hidden meaning to the dolls that I failed to grab.

While leafing through a magazine Andrew is drawn to a request asking for help with her research into Ewa Chaplin, a famous dollmaker and author. He doesn’t answer adverts normally but feels compelled to write to Bramber Winters and offer his assistance as he himself is a dollmaker of some repute. The two begin a correspondence in which secrets and fears are eventually unraveled and ends in them meeting in the most unusual way and place. It is, in my opinion, a story of the damage that life can sometimes inflict and how people can heal in the most wonderful but unusual way.

Nina Allan has written a beautifully descriptive book with interesting characters though I must own up to not liking Andrew very much but I adored Bramber. Throughout the novel there were short stories by Ewa Chaplin which Andrew was reading in the story and I really enjoyed these as they were original and entertaining and broke up the book nicely.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my opinion.

This story take place through a series of letters from Bramber to Andrew (who are united through their love of dolls), a series of short stories and Andrew’s journey to meet Bramber. on the edge of Bodmin Moor. I loved the idea of this book with its beautiful cover but I did struggle with it at some points.. It is definitely a book that needs reading to the end to be truly appreciated as the story blends together. It is very well written and I particularly liked the collection of short stories within the book that were reflected back in the main narrative of the book. This will be one of those books that will stay with me for a while as I continue to live with and reflect on the characters more. I look forward to reading more of Nina Allan’s work and to follow where her imagination takes us next.

The Dollmaker by Nina Allan is the oddest book I have read this year and, quite probably, of any year. Yet, because of this, it is unforgettable. This curious but fiercely original novel will stay with me for some time.

In it we follow Andrew and Bramber, two lonely individuals who have never met, but who quickly develop a love affair via letters as they become penpals following Bramber’s advert in a doll collectors’ magazine. Only it’s not just distance that make the burgeoning relationship of these two doll obsessives complicated – Bramber is institutionalised and hasn’t told Andrew, and, similarly, Andrew has not informed his new ‘queen’ that he was born with proportionate dwarfism.

How will they feel when their secrets are revealed? That is what is at stake when Andrew suddenly undertakes a trip across England to surprise his queen with an unannounced visit.

Yet, if you think this is all that this story has at stake, well, you are in for a hell of a surprise. With a spirit that blends Angela Carter with Margaret Atwood at her darkest, Nina Allan sets this story off kilter, feeding in fables of murderous dwarfs, time manipulators, fairies and changelings. This she does by cutting in supposed short stories from Andrew and Bramber’s favourite writer – Ewa Chaplin, a supposed esteemed dollmaker who also wrote the darkest fantasy stories with powerful themes of love, obsession, disfigurement and revenge.
The question then becomes, how are these two streams in the book tied? To what extent will the themes in Ewa Chaplin’s books shape our unusual protagonists?

I could write pages about this book – the way Nina has crafted the language so that, even though the novel is rooted in contemporary England, this feels like a Grimm Brothers fairy-tale, a little unworldly; the sense of porous walls between the central love affair and the stories written by their shared favourite author – how these dark tales seem to merge with reality until you wonder whether this is coincidence or forewarning. And just that darkness and the strange blend of the gothic and the contemporary. Brilliant and unforgettable.

This was my first foray into Nina Allan and I am so so pleased I read this book, this follows, this story is written in a unique fashion with the main story interweaved with small short stories that carry the plot within it. We first meet Andrew Garvie in adulthood as he makes exquisite handmade dolls in the antique style you would now see in a museum. They are unique and beautifully sought after items and so when he is reading a collector's magazine he decides to reply to a personal ad contained within it.

This starts a correspondence with the intriguing Bramber Winters who with each passing letter reveals more of her unusual story (whilst residing in an institution based on Bodmin Moor), as they begin to get to know each other, we see that tragic events in her childhood are the reason for her entrapment and as their bond becomes stronger, Andrew decides to come to her rescue.

As Andrew sets out on his journey to save Bramber he takes to reading the fairy tales of Ewa Chaplin which, much like her lifelike dolls blur the edges of reality and fable in his mind.

This story is a darkly compelling tale of love between two extraordinary individuals. The dark subject matter at times links to sexual grooming, the symbolism of dwarfism with Andrew stating "if I were a couple of inches taller I wouldn't even qualify as a dwarf, I would just be a shortarse...", this also draws on the diminutive stature and beauty of the dolls and how he is drawn to collecting them.

The writing is so compelling within the main and sub stories that time seems to be mirrored within them both and that time sets a feeling that you don't know where it is going or what it might do but it is important.

The way that Nina Allan approaches this story gives it a magical and yet elusive feeling, I have given it 4* as I did struggle on some of the longer short stories within this book however you are left with a book you will not forget, it will haunt you and make you question if the place your started visiting with Andrew is the same city or whether he returns to a different one.

A literary, often unsettling road trip novel about dolls, dwarves and fairy tales. Andrew, a proportional dwarf who makes and collects dolls, enters into a correspondence with Bramber, a woman he hasn't met but who he comes to believe to be his soulmate. The unannounced journey he makes across the west country to meet her provides the narrative thrust of this novel. Interspersed with this are - obviously - Andrew's backstory, the letters Bramber continues to write while he is travelling, and a series of haunting, slightly spooky fairy tales that bear echoes of the narrator's own experience. To enjoy it, you have to concentrate hard, and suspend your disbelief even harder - but it's worth it. The writing is beautiful, the plotting clever, and the entire thing - despite my initial doubts - an emotionally fulfilling read.

Thanks for the copy via Netgalley.

The blurb: Stitch by perfect stitch, Andrew Garvie makes exquisite dolls in the finest antique style. Like him, they are diminutive, but graceful, unique and with surprising depths. Perhaps that is why he answers the enigmatic personal as in his collectors magazine.
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Letter by letter, Bramber Winters reveals more of her strange, sheltered life in an institution on Bodmin Moor, and the terrible events that put her there as a child. Andrew knows what it is to be trapped; and as they knit closer together, he weaves a curious plan to rescue her.
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A love story of two very real, unusual people, The Dollmaker is also a novel rich with wonders: Andrew's quest and Bramber's letters unspool around the dark fables that give our familiar world an uncanny edge. It is this touch of magic that, like the blink of a doll's eyes, trick our own...
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Wasn't able to read and review book before it was removed from my e-reader


Stitch by perfect stitch, Andrew Garvie makes exquisite dolls in the finest antique style. Like him, they are diminutive, but graceful, unique and with surprising depths. Perhaps that's why he answers the enigmatic personal ad in his collector's magazine.

Letter by letter, Bramber Winters reveals more of her strange, sheltered life in an institution on Bodmin Moor, and the terrible events that put her there as a child. Andrew knows what it is to be trapped; and as they knit closer together, he weaves a curious plan to rescue her.

On his journey through the old towns of England he reads the fairytales of Ewa Chaplin - potent, eldritch stories which, like her lifelike dolls, pluck at the edges of reality and thread their way into his mind. When Andrew and Bramber meet at last, they will have a choice - to remain alone with their painful pasts or break free and, unlike their dolls, come to life.

A love story of two very real, unusual people, The Dollmaker is also a novel rich with wonders: Andrew's quest and Bramber's letters unspool around the dark fables that give our familiar world an uncanny edge. It is this touch of magic that, like the blink of a doll's eyes, tricks our own . . .

An atmospheric and questioning storyline with interesting characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy.

Unusual, surprising and beautiful. I really enjoyed reading the e-ARC and I will definitely buy a copy of the book.

One of the rare books that I didn't finish. In theory it had everything to transfix me but ultimately I didn't care enough about the characters to continue.

Such an unusual book. The cover really is beautiful, which was the first thing that drew me in. The book itself was a really lovely surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Dollmaker, and would recommend it to others.

I had no idea what to expect from this novel and as such it took me a while to get around to reading it. The book is one which deserves to be read obsessively, to the exclusion of all others. It requires the full attention and immersion of the reader, for which we are justly rewarded. I cannot even begin to imagine the process involved in writing a work which is so intricate and nuanced. Each character has a distinctive voice. The converging storylines are fascinating. Personally, I would love to own a separate copy of the Ewa Chaplin stories as well! I was a little disappointed by the ending as I felt that some of the threads of the story were left loose when I had expected everything to come together neatly. Overall, it was a good read.

The Dollmaker for me, unfortunately remains unfinished. The premise of the book seems like it could develop into something interesting, but unfortunately the first two fifths or so didn’t participate grip me, and felt a bit of a slog.

I liked the sound of The Dollhouse when I read the blurb but in reality, it was quite hard to get in to. In reality I didn’t manage to get more than about a chapter into it because I couldn’t concentrate. I think it would be quite a good read for some people, but I just didn’t get on with it.

Ever since Andrew was a young boy, he has liked dolls. As an adult he is a collector and maker of dolls.

One day he answers an add in one of his collector’s magazines and begins exchanging letters with a woman who has spent most of her life in an institution.

Dolls have a very special place in popular culture. On the one hand they’re a symbol of childhood and innocence, on the other hand they’re a staple of the horror genre. Something about them unnerves many people and I find that contrast fascinating. Personally I was never that into dolls, partly because my parents never caved to my complaints that everybody else had them. I left them behind pretty quickly, yet I love the darkness that infuses them in horror movies. It’s the idea of corrupted innocence, I guess, that clings to them. In The Dollmaker Nina Allan puts dolls and those who collect them in the spotlight, while twisting readers expectations. Thanks to Quercus Books, riverrun and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dolls are not my favourite thing, and yet I've previously found myself fascinated by them in fiction. A story that springs to mind immediately is 'The Doll' by Daphne DuMaurier, in which a young man falls ardently in love with a woman who is enraptured in turn by a doll. The doll, in many ways, becomes a major character in the story, without being truly alive. Similarly in The Dollmaker, dolls are central to the lives of its main characters. They are lifeless representations of how we see ourselves. Or perhaps they hold a piece of us as well. Many of us have a childhood doll or stuffed animal hidden away somewhere, not needing it present in our bedrooms and yet not capable of getting rid of it. In The Dollmaker dolls are both a narrative device as well as the cog upon which the whole novel turns. They bring a Gothic atmosphere to the novel, unsettling the reader every so slightly and thereby opening them up to the questions Allan's novel asks.
The Dollmaker revolves around Andrew Garvie, diminutive himself, crafts dolls with utter care, making them as lifelike as possible. And yet, he is unable to truly infuse them with life. Responding to a posting in a monthly doll collector's magazine, he begins to communicate with Bramber Winters, a woman living in a rather mysterious institute. He decides to surprise her with a visit, hoping that it will spark something more than just a friendship, and the novel follows his slow journey to her. In some ways The Dollmaker is a coming-of-age novel for Andrew, forcing him to finally face his fears of rejection and his own traumas. It is also a contemplative novel, questioning what it means to be alive and how we see ourselves. How does what happened to us affect us now? Can we leave the safety we have found, even if that safety in and of itself poses a threat? Allan doesn't claim to have all the answers, and at times I found myself frustrated by a lack of clarity. Once I finished the novel I still felt like I didn't really know Bramber as an independent character. We see her solely through Andrew's lens, who has idealized her in the same way he has his dolls.

Nina Allan has crafted a very intricate and complicated novel. On the one hand we have Andrew's travel narrative. On the other hand we have Bramber's letters, slowly unraveling the mystery of her life. And then, on a surprising third hand, we have the short stories of Ewa Chaplin, a dollmaker and short story writer that Bramber is obsessed with. Chaplin's stories are mysterious and fantastical, with odd links to Andrew and Bramber's lives. I have to admit that "Ewa Chaplin"'s stories were my favourite part of The Dollmaker. They're atmospheric, dark and full of stunning imagery. I was enraptured by them, which had the consequence that I found myself racing through the rest of the plot just to get to the next story. I wish the same tension and magic had been present in the novel's other story lines, but there was only a faint trace of it here and there. Overall I did enjoy The Dollmaker, even if not all parts of the novel captured me equally.

The Dollmaker is an atmospheric novel which questions how we see ourselves and what we are willing to do to free ourselves. Although not consistently successful, Allan creates some stunning imagery in her novel and crafts a stunning structure. I recommend this novel to those looking for a challenge and interested in the Gothic.

The Dollmaker follows the story of a man and woman who are both doll enthusiasts, and begin a friendship by letter. The man then decides to travel to visit the woman, and the story of that journey also unfolds in the book. On his journey he reads a book, and the short stories in that book are woven into the main storyline.

This book is certainly not what I expected it to be. The writing is very traditional, and quite straightforward but elegant. There is a clear difference between the writing of the main plot and the short stories, in which the writing is more embellished and even more old fashioned. I enjoyed reading both, and they very cleverly come together in subtle ways to create a complete picture and thought process within the story. You could not have one without the other, even though the short stories are also separate tales of their own. I found it a little strange to read at times, but it worked. The characters felt very real, and I got a strong sense of many worlds and times coming together as one.

I wouldn't know how to categorise this book - it isn't a drama as such, and it is neither contemporary or period, but rather a bit of both. It is intelligent and thoughtful, and possibly more suited to a female audience because of the romantic air, although I wouldn't say this is a romance novel either because it's just a little bit too strange - in a good way.

This book was a slightly different choice for me and I chose it because the premise sounded like something I would enjoy. I’m so glad I did, as it was actually a very pleasurable and intriguing read. "The Dollmaker" was strange, complex, magical, multilayered and very unusual, although based around a simple love story. It had elements of creepiness and Goth to it which I think added to the tale in a positive way and the short stories contained within created depth and substance. Nina Allan's writing style was very clever and individual and I am keen to read more from her. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Quercus Books/ Riverrun via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for a fair review.
It has taken me two months to finish this book, which is unheard of for me, but 70% of that was over the last two days!
The Doll Maker tells of Andrew, a little person living in London who has several acquaintances but no real friends. His passion in life is dolls - buying them, making them, mending them, reading about them... - and it’s through this passion that he meets Bamber, a fellow doll fan. They communicate through letters until Andrew decides to take a leap and travel to Bodmin to meet her.
It took me a while to get into the book as the story tends to jump around, but I demolished the final
70%. I loved the interspersing of the folk tales which echoed Andrew and Bamber’s stories - in fact I think I would have given 5 stars if it had just been a book of those!
The ending was a bit anticlimactic, so paired with a slow start means it’s a 4* from me, but I would recommend for the unusual short stories peppered throughout!

When I final;y finished this novel, I wasnt quite sure what to think. I didn't dislike it as a story but I also didn't feel any particular degree of like for the tale either. It just kind of was.

I initially requested this novel from Netgalley based upon the beautiful cover art and the blurb which drew me in. I have never read a Nina Allan novel before but due to the description and cover, I thought I would give it a go.

The Dollmaker is split into 3 portions, that of Andrew G - a lover of dolls from a young age, insitutionalised Bramber, and tales of the eccentric Eva Chaplin, a Polish Jew dollmaker of the past. In The Dollmaker Andrew and Bramber exchange penmail while he makes his way to her in order to save her from her meagre existence. Threaded throughout are the tales of Ewa, bridging the gap in correspondence.

Going in I was extremely hopeful for an enthralling experience but alas, after around 25% I really started to lose interest. I think the main point that turned me off was Ewa's obsession with dwarves which I found strange and isolating for her character.

Overall, as I said previously it was not a 'bad' novel nor was it fantastic. It simply just was.