A fascinating and well written book. I loved how the story was told by different POV, the character development and the plot flow.
This is an engrossing and enthralling book.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If I hadn't know from the blurb that this fictional plot is based on a real advertisement at the end of C18, I'd have thought it was pure fantasy!

"The Warlow Experiment" is set during the European Enlightenment. The experiment was conceived and then carried out by a reclusive, rural land-owner living in the depths of The Marches, someone who did not socialise, nor indeed have any contact with fellow "thinkers" of the Enlightenment, other than an occasional letter to or from an old school acquaintance for whom he never much cared. In fact, the only person he does care for is himself, and he wanted to be recognised as one of the new scientists of the times. This yearning for personal aggrandisement and publicity, coupled with total selfishness and lack of empathy is nothing new; Herbert Powyss types have existed throughout history into the present age.

In short, the experiment involves Warlow's voluntary solitary incarceration for seven years (by Powyss) in relative comfort.

By the dramatic end of the novel, which is very difficult to put down, the reader can see distinct parallels between the effects of self-imposed physical isolation and of self-imposed emotional isolation and the destructive impact of both.

Both an analogy of, and an object lesson for our times.

I have a special fondness for books about science and scientists before the term ‘scientist’ was coined in the 19th century. People interested in natural philosophy tended to conduct all sorts of weird, wonderful and sometimes ill-advised experiments and pursue various areas of study as opposed to only focusing on one like biology or chemistry. In The Warlow Experiment, Herbert Powyss, a gentleman of leisure, keen gardener and botanist comes up with this experiment of observing the effects of solitude on a man, thinking it would make a good paper for The Royal Society. So he sets up some rooms in the basement of his mansion with bookcases, an organ and all the mod cons 1792 can offer and advertises for a suitable subject. John Warlow, a barely literate Welsh farmer with a wife and 6 children to feed is the sole respondent, he will spend 7 years living in Powyss’s basement without seeing natural light or having any human contact. What could possibly go wrong?

With time, Powyss slowly loses interest in the experiment as his obsession with Hannah, Warlow’s wife grows. Warlow, with nothing to do, slowly loses his mind. Meanwhile, unrest is brewing among some of Powyss’s servants, buoyed by the French Revolution and writings of Thomas Paine.

I really enjoyed The Warlow Experiment. It’s well written and the characters well developed. Alix Nathan based the novel on a true story, there was an advertisement by a Herbert Powyss seeking a willing test subject. She wrote two short stories, one from Powys’s and one from Warlow’s points of view before turning the stories into a novel. The narrative moves between the two and also takes in some of the side characters, Warlow’s wife, Powyss’s servants and Dr Fox, his schoolfriend and only correspondent. The setting, tail end of Enlightenment is well done too, there is just enough history for context but it never overwhelms the narrative.

In some ways, The Warlow Experiment reminded me of Francis Spufford’s Golden Hill, which I also really liked. Although the books are very different, they both highlight social and political concerns of the 18th century. The Warlow Experiment is much more about human psyche and the effects of Powyss’s experiment on everyone around him.

One of the best historical fiction novels I’ve read in a while and definitely an author to watch.

My thanks to Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail for the opportunity to read and review The Warlow Experiment.

‘…a reward of 50 pounds for life, to any man who would undertake to live for seven years underground…’

The Warlow Experiment is a fictional story based from a true article published in the 1793 which makes for a great premise. The idea of an author taking that true snippet of information and crafting a world and characters around it to fill in the blanks is really interesting and really drew me in. Unfortunately for me, that was where my interest ended I’m afraid. As mentioned by the author in the afterword this novella started out as a short story and then got padded out to be a short novel – around 200 pages. I really feel that it should have stayed as a short story and it that would have been a lot more interesting I’m afraid. A lot of the chapters felt like filler and it would have been easy to half the number of pages and it would not have made any difference to the plot.

From the blurb I was kind of expecting a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ or ‘Dorian Gray’ style slip into madness from Warlow – something psychologically interesting and perhaps drawing the reader into the madness with him. Warlow however is a difficult character to sympathise with - his writing style is mainly written in short sentences and purposeful bad grammar which makes for hard reading. The character of Mr Powyss isn’t much better either and I would go so far as to say that he is truly unlikeable. In fact, there is no character in the story to sympathise or relate to which makes for a slow and tiresome read. There is a lot of the book which includes base thinking towards women which I didn’t particularly enjoy, there’s an element of politics and class themes brought in as well but without much context so a lot of it was hard to follow. The psychological aspects of the initial experiment which I was most excited to read are not brought to the forefront enough which is a huge shame. In the end I felt like the core plot could have been so much more interesting but everything around it got in the way.

Overall I believe the Warlow Experiment would have fared a lot better as a short story – the filling put in as an attempt to make it a longer novel just does not work on this occasion. Thank you to NetGalley & Serpent’s Tail/Profile Books for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting concept to explore how human mind reacts to absolute isolation and loneliness. It's very dark at times, but fascinating.
The book could be shorter in my opinion, but overall, good writing, interesting concept and good execution.
Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially drawn to this novel because of the premise - a labourer is paid to live alone, under ground but with a furnished apartment and entertainments such as books and an organ, for seven years as part of an experiment. The author was also drawn to this, as it turns out that this is based on a true account from 1797.
Set in a time of unrest and revolution - the French Revolution and Tom Paine's The Rights of Man are often mentioned - the novel examines the hold that rich had over poor and men over women.
The dialogue felt realistic to me and the characters were well drawn. The plot challenged my middle class idealistic preconceptions as I came to understand the false prerogative that indicates that the educated and better off know what is best for the less fortunate as long as it fits to their agenda.

My entire review can be summarised by one thought I had while reading this 200+ page book.
This would have made a great short story.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher Pan Macmillan in exchange for an Honest Review.

Which is funny because when I finally made it to the end of the book I found out this WAS originally a short story! Two in fact. The writer wanted to give both more room to breathe and in doing this unfortunately it created a longwinded and hard to get through coffee table coaster.

The dual perspectives made the book even harder to get through because I only found the perspective of Warlow interesting and I wanted to skim read every chapter from the Doctor's perspective. I call him the Doctor because I have forgotten his name already.

When the chapters switch between the different perspectives there was almost nothing connective them which I feel is a poor narrative choice as it leaves the reader wanting more in a bad way. I understand this may have been done to show the disconnect between Warlow and the outside world but it isn't effective. And on a personal note, not even the Kindle font change option could help this Dyslexic get through the changing styles.

Overall its an underwhelming book with a premise that far exceeds the execution.

In depth ★★★★

The Warlow Experiment is a fascinating exploration of science, class, freedom and psychology, delivered in well-written prose. Readers should note short descriptions of rape and domestic violence, a longer passage describing a fatal battery/strangulation, and a stabbing, which may be triggering.

Inspired by a brief, true account, Nathan's tale is of Herbert Powyss, gentleman and aspiring scientist, and his call for a man to live underground, isolated from all human contact, for seven years. John Warlow, a local ploughman, answers the call, and is duly sealed in chambers beneath Powyss' house. But despite Powyss' preference to keep the outside world at bay, social discontent is fermenting in London, and threatens to ruin all he has built, while Warlow's family exert their own, unexpected influence over his life.

The novel mainly alternates between Powyss, Warlow and housemaid Catherine Croft's perspectives, in reasonably short sections, pulling the story forward and slowly revealing both men's natures.

This story is a tragedy, but we enter it with the same curiosity and, perhaps, optimism as Powyss launching his experiment. As the story progresses, it becomes more and more a parallel of Ursula Le Guin's short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, where the happiness of all is predecated on the degradation of one. Thus the novel becomes a complex moral beast, asking readers to consider Powyss' neglect and hubris against Warlow's bestial nature when weighing the outcomes of their choices.

While the men drive the narrative, the women of The Warlow Experiment are integral to its fabric, showing the compassion and strength the men often lack. Croft, on particular, takes on this role in the latter part of the story.

The Warlow Experiment is rich with symbolism, each instance probing one of Nathan's central themes. Early into his time underground, Warlow is overcome by the ticking of the pendulum clock, and, taking a stick, breaks first the hands, then removes the pendulum itself - as if, with the loss of light, time has no meaning, so spurning it becomes the first step to shedding humanity. While Warlow is below, some of the 'downstairs' staff are swept up in the push for equality, touting Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man and spouting French revolutionary slogans. The book is symbolic of high ideals that humans, by their nature, will always fail to achieve - mirroring Powyss and his experiment - but also highlight the growing awareness of imprisonment of any kind being a social ill.

Nathan also explores the gender power imbalances of the time, commenting on the way women were pulled put of schooling to work, and are subject to the physical dominance of men.

The best historical fiction reflects truths about contemporary life, and Nathan does this with a deft hand. With the question of social media breeding loneliness ripe in our modern consciousness, what better way to probe the idea than isolation taken to the extreme? Likewise, Poywss' self-imposed isolation from politics and the news of the day swipes at our own willingness to look only at what interests us, to curate our worldviews by applying our own blinkers. Nathan's message, of course, is that this is untenable. But perhaps, most importantly, The Warlow Experiment is a timely reminder of the costs of hubris.

A sophisticated, compelling read that will be excellent fodder for book clubs.

I received a review copy of The Warlow Experiment from Serpent's Tail via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is an intriguing read, off the beaten path for sure. Going from a "reasonable human experiment" to "yep, that was to be expected". But the journey, wow!

It's 1793. Powyss, a wealthy man, wants to conduct an experiment to find out how resilient the human mind is when isolated from the world. John Warlow is the only one who volunteers, mainly because the offer of £50 a year for the rest of his life is so tempting. He agrees to live in a luxurious but dark apartment in the basement of Powyss mansion. He and his pauper family outside are very well looked after. So far so good. The book has a good pace, an interesting subject and I'm glued to my Kindle.
Pretty soon though Warlow realises he's on his own. No job, no human contact, nothing to do and his hair and nails are growing steadily. He makes up all kinds of mischief to keep himself occupied, but the first cracks are beginning to show and the mood gets darker. We follow his existance for four years, as well as life upstairs and in the regular world.

There is a good balance in darkness and light, good times and bad, and we get to know all characters indepth. The writing is excellent, I like how language is used to show the ranks in society.
I won't spoil the ending, but as the book progresses, you'll see it coming. How it eventually plays out though is quite stunning.

The Warlow Experiment is food for thought, well crafted and highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Serpent's Tail for the ARC.

A fascinating, dark and very clever book. Often difficult to read, but then aren't all the best books?

A great concept poorly executed. The premise of this book is a pitch black version of Around the World in 80 Days, or even Laika's latest movie Missing Link: a wealthy 'man of science' makes a dangerous wager in an attempt to gain recognition within the scientific community. Of course, he does not place himself in any danger- rather, he hires an illiterate local alcoholic to live in luxurious isolation in his basement for the next five years. I struggled to decide whether Nathan's portrayal of an 'honest country man' was moving or offensive. The hapless guinea pig suffers deeply when his connection to nature is severed; he cannot tell the passing of the seasons due to the endless damp, dark silence of his basement home. He is unable to play the pianoforte or read the books that have been provided to distract him, and becomes increasingly desperate to get back outside and back to work in the fields. He reads like a caricature of the poor, simple-minded peasant class- the ones that must be firmly guided by their aristocratic betters, lest society collapse. His wife, who gains entry to the 'big house' midway through the novel, is intrigued by the scientist's books and artefacts, but can only access them via a secret door in his bedroom. This book has a very strange relationship with women, poor people, and people without access to education. I was unsure who I was supposed to empathise with or root for, and therefore struggled to care about the characters over five years or more. Sadly not the book for me.

‘The Warlow Experiment’ takes in a lot- a study of mental fragility, power, the subjugation of women- and how a little kindness can be dangerous.

Herbert Powys’s is a man committed to the advancement of ‘progress.’ Determined to secure his place in the annals of history, his chosen method of achieving his legacy is to administer an experiment in which a willing participant lives in an underground bunker for seven years (replete with what Powys’s considers to be the absolute essentials:- a comfortable bed, a library and a chamber organ.)

The only person willing to act as a subject is John Warlow, a barely literate labourer with a growing number of mouths to feed. Warlow’s naivety aids Powyss’ exploitation of the master/servant relationship quite neatly, and the dynamic of their relationship and perspective on each other is beautifully observed.

Unfortunately for Powyss, he has chosen to carry out his experiment amidst a febrile atmosphere. Paine’s ‘Rights of Man’ has just been published, pored over by the servant classes and causing unrest. His supposed altruism towards Warlow has an edge, setting in motion a series of events that will end in catastrophic violence.

This is a very full novel; even apparently peripheral characters are of note. Price is a firebrand with relatively brief appearances, but his impact is colossal. Catherine is marked out very early on with her level head and compassion- and is one of the few people to reach the end of the novel with her integrity intact.

This truly excellent novel successfully marries vivid historical detail with psychological observation. Alix Nathan was inspired by the brief details she found about a real life case. In putting flesh on the bones, she brings it vividly to life.

This was fascinating! It's the story of an experiment in human psychology, told from multiple points of view. Each character voice was distinct, building up a sense of the turmoil brewing - both socio-political, and personal. Highly recommend.

It is the later part of the 18th Century and a time of discoveries and experimentation in the scientific world. Herbert Powyss places an advert for a man to live in complete social isolation for 7 years in his cellar. The wages are £50 a year for life – a considerable sum.John Warlow replies to his advert to provide a better life for his wife and family. Obviously things don’t quite go to plan.

I found this book a bit hit and miss. On the whole it was an easy to read book which flowed well though there were some patches which got a bit slow and repetitive. I very much liked the whole idea of the experiment. To us modern readers it is obvious that things will not go well and that John Warlow’s mental health will suffer. It was interesting to see how that manifested itself. I think it was the last quarter of the book which I didn’t enjoy particularly. I didn’t find the ending particularly satisfactory as it just didn’t seem to reflect the story which had already been told.

The characters worked well on the whole. Within the household there are several very strong characters which added to the story. Powyss worked well as a character to begin with but as events unfolded I found him quite unbelievable. Powyss’ descent into addiction – although not uncommon in that period – didn’t seem to fit with the character that had been created. I really couldn’t understand what he was doing at the end and found it totally at odds with the character who had been created.

There is a lot of good in this book – the whole experiment, some political unrest, the class system and the way people lived were all interesting and added a lot to the book. Unfortunately the book just unravelled towards the end and didn’t work for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

What an excellent book. The story was totally gripping right from the start. A beautifully-written and poignant story with a great sense of the historical period. The characters were well-drawn. A very thought-provoking and original novel.

The Warlow Experiment was a gripping read that really caught my attention. The premise comes from a real historical advertisement the author came across, and this is how she imagines the events would have played out. As well as being historical fiction, it is also an intensely psychological piece, looking at both the mental and physical effects of the experiment on all those connected to it. The book made me laugh at some points and had me sobbing in others. It's an emotional work on many levels. I would definitely be keen to read more from Nathan in the future as her writing blends wonderful description with a great understanding of the human psyche.