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    The Stockholm Octavo: A Novel
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    The Stockholm Octavo: A Novel
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    The Stockholm Octavo: A Novel
    Ebook514 pages7 hours

    The Stockholm Octavo: A Novel

    By Karen Engelmann

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    One man’s fortune holds the key to a nation’s fate in this sensational debut novel set in 18th-century Sweden.

    The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann transports readers to a colorful Scandinavian world of intrigue and magic in a dazzling golden age of high art, music, and opulent fashion.

    A masterwork of historical fiction in the vein of Patrick Suskind’s classic novel, Perfume, Karen Engelmann’s The Stockholm Octavo is mysterious and romantic—as magical and enthralling as The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern—and features a brilliant and unforgettable cast of extraordinary characters.

    Editor's Note

    Spellbinding & Magical...

    Spellbinding & magical, Engelmann’s debut transports readers to Scandinavia’s golden age, a past full of chaos & curiosities.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 23, 2012
    ISBN9780062190482
    Unavailable
    The Stockholm Octavo: A Novel

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    Reviews for The Stockholm Octavo

    4/5

    39 ratings22 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is an amusing novel set during the 18th c. rule of Gustav III, King of Sweden and Finland. Gustav, an admirer of Voltaire, was a patron of the arts, establishing the Swedish Academy, the Royal Opera, and the Royal Swedish Dramatic Theatre. He was also a believer in absolute monarchy and in the 1789 Act of Unity and Security granted wide-ranging rights to commoners and almost totally curbed the power of the nobility, thus gaining a powerful set of enemies.While political power plays are central to The Stockholm Octavo, the novel, it is at core a historical romance. The protagonist, Emil Larsson, is a bureaucrat in the Customs Office, an inveterate gambler, and in need of a wife if he is to keep his position. He seeks the aid of Sofia Sparrow, a French ex-patriate who runs a gambling house with a famous Tarot-reading business on the side, patronized by the King himself. She agrees to a fortune-casting octavo for Emil, and he becomes her agent of sorts. She needs information about what is going on at the soirees of the Uzanne, Baroness Kristina, arch foe of the King, champion of the aristocracy, and maven of the language of fans. Emil as an eligible young bachelor has entree and serves as her spy.The plot becomes very involved, and if the reader has no patience for tarot-lore or the intricacy of fan usage in 18th c. courts, I would advise him/her to avoid this one (my husband started and stopped reading after about 50 pages). I did find much of it intriguing, and I enjoyed eaves-dropping (with the help of Wikipedia) on the life of Stockholm in the 18th c.
    • 3/5
      Not bad, but it drags.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting book! Different from anything else I've read.
    • 4/5
      Took a two-week break with this one while I read The Drafter.
    • 5/5
      While I was immediately sucked into this book and finished it in two days, I am having great difficulty figuring out why. The main character is a bit of a non-entity, with no real distinctive personality (except perhaps a tendency towards excess) but, like the book, he's somehow endearing. The pacing was perfect, with a constant steady pace and no extraneous historical sidebars, which are often the hallmark of historical fiction and invariably disturb the narrative flow. Card playing and gambling, the art of hand fans and Sweden's political upheavals merge seamlessly with the plot, miraculously and don't feel like tacked-on details to add historical accuracy.

      Highly recommended, especially to those who think they don't like historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      Good story about a niche of history I hadn't read about before. Perhaps the Octavo used to build the story about has some historical basis.
    • 5/5
      Everything I love about a book: interesting characters, court intrigue, historical details about small objects...plus a new city to explore!
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed it overall. The amount of time spent on the fans was excessive. I wish she would have spent more time on the octavo. I think if you like historical fiction it will be an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      This historical novel revolves around the assassination of King Gustav III in 1792. Emil Larson is a low level bureaucrat connected to compelling characters both high and low. They are actively pursuing deposing the king or working to prevent it. A fortune teller’s card reading spurs the events. It’s an interesting narrative about a little known event, at least in the west. The ability for women to communicate through the use of fans grew a bit tedious. One wonders how much need anyone would have for a fan in Sweden. Ladies in the day had very little power so I’ll give it a pass. Recommended for mystery and history aficionados.
    • 3/5
      Interesting history of Sweden, but there's about 20 times more information about fans than any sane person can handle.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun, semi-historical, story that takes place during the 18th century around the time of the French Revolution. A madame who lays the mysterious Octavo (early form of tarot cards) gets herself and a young man involved in actively altering their fate and the fate of the aristocracy.
    • 4/5
      This is about a time period I know fairly well, and a country that I know little of at that time. Add in mysterious cards which function as a tarot, and the secret language of lady's fans, and soon I'm pretty sure I'm not the target audience. But I enjoyed it and recommend it.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books I have read in ages. Loved authors writing style, loved the unusual plot and characters- just loved the book!
    • 4/5
      bookshelves: paper-read, historical-fiction, sweden, gambling, bedside, autumn-2013, stockholm, paris, spies, published-2012, amusing, france, summer-2013Recommended to ☯Bettie☯ by: Jeanette (jema)Read from August 13 to September 07, 2013Dedication: For ErikFrench/Swedish timelines 1770-1792Opening:Arte et Marte(Art and War); Inscription over the entrance to Riddarhuset - The House of Nobles - in StockholmChapter One: Stockholm 1789Stockholm is called the Venice of the North, and with good reason. Travellers claim that it is just as complex, just as grand, and just as mysterious as its sister in the south.A light-hearted and novel way to retell a significant piece of Swedish history. It is not essential to know this history before reading because it is all laid out rather well, however if the history is known there well be more 'aaah' moments in the reading.Needless to say, this had all the right ingredients and I loved it; dare say that Engelmann may be contemplating a sequel, the historical backdrop for what happened next is just as scintillating a subject.-------------------Gifted from Jeanette, and a lovely pack of tarot cards to go with it.Thanks You J, A super gift. And of the postcards, Karin Boye is my favourite. There is such a lovely statue of her near the top of Avenyn, to the left as you climb up towards Poseidon.Also, the photo; is that of sand dunes in Skellefteå? I see you have a swimming pool up there.
    • 4/5
      Stockholm im 18. Jahrhundert. Gegen König Gustav III schmiedet sich eine Verschwörung. Die Kartenlegerin Madame Sparv legt eine Weissagetechnik, das Oktavo, für den Sekretär Emil Larsson und stellt fest, dass Emils Oktavo und ihr eigenes eng miteinander verbunden sind. Gemeninsam spielen sie eine Rolle in der Geschichte Schwedens.Ich halte wenig von Karten- und Fächermystik. Das sind allerdings die beherrschenden Motive dieses Buchs.Trotzdem war es sehr spannend und die Figuren waren größtenteils plastisch und glaubhaft.
    • 4/5
      Englemann's novel reminded me of a much more accessible Tale of Two Cities, albeit it one about Sweden and the plot to assassinate Gustav III. The French Revolution is closely intertwined with this king’s notions of royalty, preserving his right to rule (and that of other sovereigns), yet retaining the love and goodwill of his subjects. Mrs. Sparrow does her best to help Gustav navigate the treachery among members of his court, and her card readings, and the intricate fan messages of the ladies at court, overtake the role of Madame Defarge’s knitting needles as far as messages and instruments of destruction are concerned. Swedish history was a complete mystery to me and Engelmann does a worthy job of providing an overview of its political structure and concerns of the time, while her plot and characters flesh out its social history, mores and workings of the community. The lives of the nobility and their use of pawns in murder plots as they jockey for power and position, corruption and graft within the government, and trends and fashions of the times are all created in historical accuracy, and skillfully rendered prose and dialogue.

      Also of interest were fanaticism and the use of the tarot cards and fortune tellers to determine plans and a path of life achievement. The Octavo is far from infallible and requires a considerable amount of guesswork and fitting facts into its framework- to those caught up in its events it can seem to make sense, but as an outsider to their world I had a healthy dose of skepticism as to its accuracy. Their unwavering belief in it, no matter what happened, was tedious at times. As much as I wanted to shake some of the characters, I could also see how they wanted to buy into the allure of the cards, and how they offered connections to other people- they provided meaningful opportunities for interaction among those who were lonely, new to the country or just needed something to believe in. Engaging characters and a well-integrated historical plot make for a charming and thought-provoking read.
    • 3/5
      Emil Larsson is a contented bachelor living the high life in 1791 Stockholm. He has risen up in the world, managing to purchase for himself the position of sekretaire in the government, and he spends his evenings drinking and gaming in Mrs. Sparrow’s parlor. But when his superior tells Emil he must marry or lose his sekretaire position, Emil is at a loss. Mrs. Sparrow, by now a friend, does a special favor for Emil…a card-based fortune-telling she calls the Octavo. This special layout is meant to define the eight people one must find in order to create the future one desires. Emil is not certain he believes in it, but he goes along with the reading and begins attempting to put together his Eight. In the process, he finds himself caught up, not in a quest for love, but in political manuevering that might end in his death if he is not careful, and King Gustav’s if he cannot prevent it.Fast-paced, colorful, vibrant, and quite unique. The mystical aspect of fortune-telling is subdued with the emphasis on the historical context. Sure to be enjoyed by fans of well-written historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      An intriguing conceit, that one's fate is determined by the interaction of 8 people, forms the basis for this intriguing and well-executed novel of Stockholm circa 1791. The idea is well-developed and the author holds the reader's interest as the characters are revealed in their relevant places as the novel progresses.Many interesting and complex characters are explored here, so well that the reader finds herself loving and hating them with quite a bit of fervor.Lots of political intrigue (it is, incidentally, a story about the French Revolution from a Swedish perspective), plenty of historical details, and some surprising plot twists keep one turning the pages.A most suprerior historical novel.
    • 4/5
      An intriguing conceit, that one's fate is determined by the interaction of 8 people, forms the basis for this intriguing and well-executed novel of Stockholm circa 1791. The idea is well-developed and the author holds the reader's interest as the characters are revealed in their relevant places as the novel progresses.Many interesting and complex characters are explored here, so well that the reader finds herself loving and hating them with quite a bit of fervor.Lots of political intrigue (it is, incidentally, a story about the French Revolution from a Swedish perspective), plenty of historical details, and some surprising plot twists keep one turning the pages.A most suprerior historical novel.
    • 5/5
      That night of cards began two years of exceeding good fortune at the tables, and in time led me to the Octavo – a form of divination unique to Mrs. Sparrow. It required a spread of eight cards from an old and mysterious deck distinct from any I have ever seen before. Unlike the vague meanderings of the market square gypsies, her exacting method was inspired by her visions and revealed eight people that would bring about the event her vision conveyed, an event that would shepherd a transformation, a rebirth for the seeker. Of course, rebirth implies a death, but that was never mentioned when the cards were laid. - from The Stockholm Octavo, page 9 -It is Stockholm in 1791 – France has become a constitutional monarchy, and Sweden has won the war against Russia, but not without a huge loss of life and financial disaster. Emil Larsson, a bureaucrat in the Office of Customs and Excise, is single and enjoying success at cards when he meets Mrs. Sofia Sparrow who tells him she has had a vision. She proposes to lay an Octavo for Emil – a spread of eight cards which will identify eight individuals to help him realize the vision of love and connection. When Emil agrees to accept the Octavo, he has no idea it will lead to betrayal, murder and political intrigue as he navigates Swedish society in search of his eight.The Stockholm Octavo unfurls like a beautiful silk fan, slowly revealing the characters and their real motivations and desires. The characters in this debut novel are seductive and gorgeously drawn. There is The Uzanne, a wealthy woman who collects fans and instructs young women in the art of the fan including Engagement and Domination.“Miss Plomgren, you must learn that engagement is a crucial stage in any battle. If you draw close and are at your most enticing, you can extract your husband’s pension before your revenge.” – from The Stockholm Octavo, page 233 -Johanna Grey (aka Johanna Bloom) is trained in the art of apothicaire and finds herself embroiled in a dark plot she has not anticipated. Mrs. Sparrow is mystical, slightly eccentric, and driven to solve the geometry of the Octavo to better understand her visions. The Nordens are Swedish fan-makers who have fled from the upheaval in France. The Plum (aka Anna Maria Plomgren) is a seductress who uses her feminine wiles to ascend the ladder into a world of the wealthy and politically powerful. There are also historical characters introduced: King Gustav III and his brother Duke Karl, and General Pechlin who was a longtime enemy of the King and led the Patriot forces against him.Karen Englemann constructs her novel like a puzzle, adding the pieces, rearranging them, and finally revealing the complete plot while taking her readers on a delicious romp through 18th century Sweden. By mid-way through the novel, I was hooked and intrigued. Englemann captures the era and adds depth to the complicated history of Sweden which was on the brink of revolution by the end of 1791. The women characters in the book demonstrate the power women wielded during that time period (it is interesting to note that in France it was Parisian women who stormed Versailles in 1789 to protest the escalating bread prices).I thoroughly enjoyed The Stockholm Octavo with its political intrigue, romance, betrayal, murder, magic and the snap of a lady’s fan. This is historical fiction at its best. Readers who love original plots and fascinating characters played out against the backdrop of history, will love this debut. I am looking forward to reading more of Karen Engelmann’s work.Highly Recommended.
    • 5/5
      Emil Larsson is a young man working for the Office of Customs and Excise in Stockholm at the end of the 18th century. A sworn bachelor, he leads a fairly dissolute lifestyle until his superior sets him an ultimatum: marry or lose your position. Among Emil’s acquaintances is a Mrs Sparrow, a refugee from revolutionary France, owner of an exclusive gaming house and fortune teller practising an obscure form of cartomancy. One day she has a vision relating to Emil and offers to lay the Octavo for him; this would enable him to fulfil his destiny of love and connection if he could find the eight individuals who can help him realise it. But by entering into this agreement with Mrs Sparrow, he gets more than he bargained for as he finds himself embroiled in a political conspiracy to kidnap the king and replace him with his brother.This is a historical novel with a supernatural tinge. It shows how the fates of France and Sweden were closely linked from the 1770s onwards up until the horrors of the French Revolution and beyond to the present day. Its title of The Stockholm Octavo refers to a particular form of cartomancy where the fortune of an individual is predicted by the laying and interpretation of playing cards. Told in the first person from Emil’s point of view, the book tells of his search for the eight, and how this quest develops from a personal to a political one of national importance as the king, Gustav III, is threatened. Karen Engelmann’s prose is a delight, her descriptions of the location and period evocative and atmospheric, and the development of her major characters realistic and believable. The initial pace of the novel is, unfortunately, not sustained all the way through, and while I recognise that the lengthy middle section of the novel, where Emil ponders the possible identities of the eight individuals and we learn about the art of the language of the fan, is probably essential to establish the various characters, it also slowed down the narrative momentum considerably. The book feels impeccably researched (the author spent a few years in Sweden herself), and I was very interested to learn about the historic and political background to the plot that’s described in the novel. I would have welcomed an author’s note in the appendix where she elaborated a little on the historic events portrayed in the book, but that is a minor quibble. A very enjoyable (though not perfect) debut offering by a promising new author, I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a well-written, skilfully crafted historical novel. If this book is anything to go by, Karen Engelmann's name will be one to watch.(This review was originally written as part of Amazon's Vine programme.)
    • 5/5
      An extremely impressive debut novel, Karen Engelmann's The Stockholm Octavo takes us to the Stockholm of the early 1790s. Emil Larsson, a minor government functionary in search of a wife, agrees to take part in a lengthy, tarot-like process known as the Octavo. If he can locate the eight people his Octavo reading represents, the fortune-telling Mrs. Sparrow tells him, they'll be able to help him meet his goals. But there's more to the Octavo than is immediately apparent, and Larsson discovers that he's just one component in what turns into a much broader story, with far-reaching political and social implications for Larsson and those around him.Filled with political and social intrigue, and using the mysterious "language of the fan" as a key component of the plot, the book makes for absolutely riveting reading, and was difficult to set aside for any great length of time. Engelmann's created some fascinatingly complex characters, a multi-layered plot that weaves its web with great skill and subtlety, and a book that is a thrill to read, from start to finish.