The Transformation

by Catherine Chidgey

From the writer described as “the most fabulous New Zealand writer alive” ( Listener NZ) comes a masterful novel, with the power of Patrick Suskind’s Perfume .

Tampa Bay, Florida, in 1898 is a frontier, where the progress of the modern world has not yet won the battle against the voodoo magic of the swamps, but where miracles of transformation are still possible. Dominating the town is the new Tampa Bay Hotel, with its tangle of Moorish minarets, Byzantine domes and new electric lighting, designed by Edison himself — a fairytale castle that is a winter magnet for the best sort of people — bankers and industrialists, stock brokers and shipping merchants, attorneys and architects and celebrities — who come from the northern cities and Europe.

But the hotel does have one permanent year-round Monsieur Lucien Goulet III is the exotic wigmaker to the rich and glamorous, and indeed to any resident of Tampa whose desire for the transformations he creates is keen enough to meet his price. Goulet himself is entranced by the head of hair belonging to the young widow Marion Unger. And as the raw material he needs to complete his great masterpiece becomes harder to come by, so he drives his gifted night-scavenger — a teenage Cuban cigar-maker — to increasingly extreme efforts.

As this unlikely cast of characters becomes entwined, the secret depths of Goulet’s nature rise to the surface, leading to an electrifying conclusion.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Novels, 21st Century, 19th Century, Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Catherine Chidgey is a novelist and short story writer whose work has been published to international acclaim. In a Fishbone Church won Best First Book at the New Zealand Book Awards and at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in her region. In the UK it won the Betty Trask Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize. Golden Deeds was Time Out’s book of the year, a Notable Book of the Year in The New York Times and a Best Book in the LA Times. She has won the Prize in Modern Letters, the Katherine Mansfield Award, the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship, the Janet Frame Fiction Prize, and the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize for The Wish Child. Remote Sympathy was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The Axeman's Carnival won the Acorn at the New Zealand Book Awards - the country's biggest literary prize.

Raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Chidgey was educated at Victoria University and in Berlin, where she held a DAAD scholarship for post-graduate study in German literature. She lives in Cambridge and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Waikato.

Reviews

[Wendy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th time I’ve read this book. The first 3 times it was on hardcover, last two on my kindle. Obviously it’s probably my most favorite book. It has nature in it, I loved reading about the natural setting of Florida, I love the historical fiction, how some characters truly did exist in real life. Seeing a glimp of the past in the 1890s, I truly got lost in the experience of it all. The writer did an excellent job of setting the scene.

The characters, let’s just say...WOW. The main characters couldn’t be any different from each other yet the story interweaves them beautifully together. Each character got the back story it deserves, so you truly understand motive, towards the end the plot really pulls you in to where I’d stay up at night reading. Even though I’d read the book before.

It makes you look at things in a different light completely. If I had to recommend one book, I’d recommend this one. It’s entertaining, you learn a bit of real history, excellent mystery plot, rich characters and beautiful background setting.

It’s unfathomable how lucky we have it now. Gators just causally walking the dusky streets like it’s no big deal, Cubans running from communism leaving their beautiful country side hoping for a life to roll cigars since that was the best they could hope for at the time. The crazy treatments they would try on the ailments of the people from the north chasing the hot humid weather here. All this side information and it doesn’t even include our riveting main characters. I think everyone will have a character to relate too deep inside.


I’ll probably read it again for a 6th time next year.

[Jenny Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful book.Set in Tampa, Florida in the 1890's it charts the story of a wig maker, a beautiful widow and a young Cuban refugee cigar roller. A strange mixture indeed and the author cleverly weaves the story around them in the voice of the wig maker. A deceitful,unpleasant man, besotted with Marion the widow with the stunning white hair whose obsession to make a gorgous hairpiece, indeed a transformation, for her allows nothing to stand in his way. Set against the backdrop of America's involvement against the Spanish in Cuba and the refugees who will do anything to make money. This is a beautifully written book, you feel the heat and smell the perfumes of oranges and tobacco.See the wondrous Moorish minarets of the fashionable Tampa Bay Hotel and learn the secrets of wig making.It reminded me a lot of Suskind's 'Perfume'. A lovely read

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. I will never look at hair in the same way again.

[Jan Rowley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chidgey, without a doubt, is an incredibly talented writer. I read the complete book only to experience the skill she shows in her craft. The two-star rating is given because there was not a single character in the book that I cared about. The Widow Unger was not, in my estimation, fully filled out. The wigmaker, however, was entirely too real and totally repugnant. The kid fell somewhere in between.

This is not a happy story; I felt bogged down in the nastiness of it. This is my first Chidgey read. I may try another, but not soon.

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out reading this book quite enthusiastically. However as it went on, my interest in it dwindled. I got about half way through and wanted to give up entirely but persisted until the end.

[Margaryta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always thrilled when I come across quirky books like "The Transformation", which feel like they're much more than their genres, instead pushing boundaries. I was worried the synopsis, which drew me to the book in the first place, would end up being too similar to Suskind's "Perfume", though after finishing I can say that it was quite misleading, and similar only in the most general of ways.

The novel's charm and perfection lies in the way it balances setting and general world-building with the plot focusing on our three protagonists - the wig maker Lucien Goulet, the widow Marion Unger, and the young Cuban Rafael Mendez. Chidgey clearly put much work into the research component of the book, for it shows in the way the characters organically interact with their environment. As with Morgenstern's "The Night Circus", I do believe that "The Transformation" will find its audience in those who enjoy being instantly immersed in the writing as soon as they pick up the book, for I found it easy to get lost in the novel every time I picked it up. It's not the typical action-driven novel, which I greatly appreciated. The focus is much more on atmosphere and the careful weaving of the craft, which is echoed by M. Goulet himself on numerous occasions throughout the book, when he declares that a true master makes even the simplest things appear masterful. I enjoyed loathing Goulet's character, who is nonetheless brilliantly written in all his egoistical pomp and occasional idiotic logic. The same was with all other characters, for even the minor players were still fleshed out through the lens of Goulet. To feel a connection to Marion, to respond emotionally to her relationship with Rafael, and to feel angered by the protagonist, all at the same time, is a true success. (I also could not get the image of Stanley Tucci as Goulet out of my mind, and the image has forever solidified in my mind now.)

I would, however, warn future readers that "The Transformation" does include racial slurs, misogyny, sexism, and numerous very conservative and outdated modes of thought, some of which I struggled with myself while reading. It's best to approach this novel as a product of the time period it is trying to portray, hence all of the aforementioned aspects should probably be considered more as examples of what the past was filled with as opposed to the author encouraging such a mindset. Most readers might not have issues with it, but I think it's best to put that warning and thought out there for readers who might think of taking things found in books as signs of encouragement and promotion rather than as indirect criticisms or even the sad details of an all too real historical past, necessary for painting a more realistic picture. It was also sadly familiar how some of the things are still found in society today.

[Ro Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just read The Wish Child by this author and wanted to read another of her books.
This was a great story. Set in Tampa Florida in the late 1800's. The Americans were invading Cuba to get rid of the Spanish and The railway had just reached Tampa.
The 3 protagonists were a young Cuban boy working in a cigar factory, a hair artist and an orange farmers wife. Interesting and captured the place and time very well, only problem were too many words. But nevertheless I highly recommend this book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow- what an interesting and intriguing book, especially all the things one never though of regarding people wearing wigs back in the 1800's. Really enjoyed (even the creepy bits)!

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this quite slow moving which felt odd given what a psychopath the perruquier was. His brand of madness was revolting but bland given it was hidden behind an orderly life and a hyper awareness of social mores.

Marion Unger seemed remarkable only because she had long blonde hair and was modest compared to the other women of Tampa. It was difficult to understand what made her get up in the morning as she appeared to have no close friends or interests.

It was kind of interesting to read about the Cuban war which I had known nothing about but I don't think meeting Monsieur Goulet, Marion Unger, or Rafael enriched my life. In fact, I could have done without meeting Monsieur Goulet.

I muddled Catherine Chidgey up with Sarah Quigley! In fact this is the first Chidgey novel I've read.

[Emma McCleary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catherine Chidgey is impeccable when it comes to creating worlds. Absolutely believable; I was right there for this dense, detailed story with enough real life pinpoints to make it enjoyable as a Google prompt too. Alligator-drawn carriages, Victorian hair jewellery, and Tampa Bay Hotel I’m looking at you. A trigger warning for stillbirth.

[Oana-Maria Uliu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure if it deserves 4 stars or 5. I keep comparing it to Remote Sympathy, which was a 5, and I think this one is not quite so good as that one. It is, however, at least as good as some books I rated 5 last year. I'll give it 4 for the time being and I may round it up to 5 along the way if I end up changing my mind.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third novel I’ve read by Chidgey. Pet and The Axemens Carnival were 5 star reads, this one not as good. But she’s an amazing writer. This is historical fiction taking place in Tampa at the turn of the century. The fact that she could write three extremely different books is a tribute to her talent. I’m going to become a Catherine Chudgey completist.

[Karena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this ARC for many years and finally got around to reading it. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would (after reading some reviews on Goodreads). A lot about hair and history and Great Hotels in Florida! #books #Florida #Victorian #transformation

[Sophia is Reading Today · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was her biggest fan but didn't get into Pet and now this. As always such a brilliant writer but it got too creepy for me and life is too short to finish it. I am keen to read "The Book of Guilt" so we'll see what's what there.

[Mariana Mahood · Rating 2 out of 5]

A not of knowledge about wigs and America in that era but the plot was very boring.

[Kendyl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some interesting history. The characters started off ok, but never went anywhere or got better. Story went from strange to just plain bizarre, and boring at times. 1 ⭐️, I did at least finish it.

[Neven · Rating 3 out of 5]

An over-researched Victorian novel that tries hard to convince you it’s a creepy penny-dreadful, but it just can’t pull it off at all. Feels phony, I’m afraid.

[David Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will start by saying that this is a book that is not for someone who requires action in every page, or someone that needs extensive dialogue to satisfy their reading requirements. It’s a highly descriptive book, narrated in several different forms, but mainly through the eyes of three people. The wig-maker Lucien Goulet III, widow Marion Unger who’s flowing white blond hair Lucien obsesses over and a 15 year old Cuban immigrant cigar roller Rafael Mendez. An unlikely trio it seems.

At first I didn’t really enjoy the perspective of Rafael, but that was more to do with the excellent descriptions and back story of Lucien Goulet who’s background in Paris and sordid history slowly unravels as the story progresses. A transformation of the hair piece that Lucien is working on is overshadowed by the clever transformation of Lucien’s character that Catherine Chidgey exposes the reader to step by step. Your feelings to the smart sophisticated wig maker at the start of the novel are vastly different to the impression you are left with at the end.

Very cleverly written, a fast paced story that offers some excellent vibrant scenarios that you can only really appreciate if you take the time to read through the descriptions carefully. A very dark story that gets increasingly darker as you turn the pages. Set in late 19th century Tampa.

I personally really enjoyed this book but I can imagine it’s not for everyone. However if you don’t need or want excessive dialogue then it may be worth picking up. It proved quite hard to put down at times.

[Samantha Leighanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Tampa, Florida in 1898, the story centers around three individuals; Monsieur Lucien Goulet III, a master wig maker, Rafael Mendez, a Cuban immigrant who works in the local cigar factory, and Mrs. Marion Unger, a widow still in mourning four years after her husband's death.

Monsieur Goulet, a Frenchman who immigrated to the Tampa area, prides himself in his craft, which is a dying art form at the turn of the twentieth century. His card reads "Manufacturer of Ladies's Imperceptible Hair-Peices and Gentlemen's Invisible Coverings". He understands his client's needs for him to act with the utmost secrecy.

When Marion Unger comes into his shop to order a 'transformation' for herself, just something to wear to the opera and such, Goulet become enamored with her white-blonde locks and undertakes his greatest project yet, his masterpiece. However, this requires much more hair than that which she has provided, and he soon employs the younger Rafael to help him.

Though I like historical fiction, I did find it somewhat difficult to get into this book. After about the first half of the book, I found the story easier to read. As you learn more and more about Monsieur Goulet, you see that he is not only a master of making transformation for his customers, but he is also a master of transforming himself. I really enjoyed Chidgey's development of his character.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, though as I said, it was slow at points. An easy, quick read, nothing too special though. I would probably give this book a 3 out of 5.

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit. I was intrigued by the cover. And I wasn't disappointed so much as....just....reading it....as thought there were....a lot of.........between everything.

The premise: turn of the 20th century Tampa houses many Cuban refugees who spend their days rolling cigars and hoping that America will engage Spain in war (which they eventually did), thus emptying Cuba of its occupiers. Enter: the wig-maker, a curious and mentally imbalanced soul who does strange things to find the hair he needs to supply the rich and vain with their wigs, or, as they were apparently once known, their transformations. He develops an obsession with the widow Marion who is noted for the exceptionally rare color of her white blonde hair.

The novel drags enough to not be excellent and peps up enough to stay interesting. It has a hazy quality that makes it a bit boring at times, but I get the feeling it was done to emulate some sort of early 20th century literature. Since it's told mostly from first person view, I suppose that's inevitable to establish a credible mood.

The bottom line? Probably not worth the trouble.

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um... yeah... I don't know much about wigs, and I don't know a lot of people who do. If you're really into wigs, than you'll really like this book... if you're not into wigs and don't know much about them, you might enjoy this book, but you'll have a bit of a struggle reading it.

This book is really weird, but in all honesty it's pretty good. I think what makes it so weird is that it's really powered by Mr. Goulet... who is a friggin' psycho by the end of the book. I mean, as the book progresses, you begin to wonder about him, but by the end... dear, Lord.

I liked both Rafael and Marion a lot. Especially Rafael, because despite the odds and stereotypes against him, he's not afraid to dream and actually try and achieve those dreams. He's a level-headed sweet boy.

There's not a lot I have the desire to say about this book. It pissed me off the way it jumped in it's narration and character focus... and... yeah. There's wigs.

It was a strange yet enjoyable book. I'll give you that.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

An egotistical wig-maker with a shady past arrives in Florida in 1898 and goes about charming the men and women in the social scene. He, a young widow and a even younger cigar maker paths are soon entangled. Sounds fairly appealing - right? However, it didn't pan out. The author mentions important events in two of the three characters' lives in an off-hand way while droning on and on about minutiae of the central character. About half way through I started skimming it to just see how it ended. When it started picking back up I was then disappointed with the ending, which fell flat for me. While there was some tension built up, the resolve was more like pffft, rather than ka-boom! (Or anything worth mentioning). While it was interesting to learn about wig-makers, I could have learned that in one non-fiction paragraph and saved myself hours of reading. Save yourself the time and try something else!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was definitely weird. It was a little bit hard to follow in places as one character gets a first person voice and the other two; a widow and a Cuban refugee, are in the third person. This book has been compared to the novel Perfume. However, even though the main character in Perfume becomes terrifying in his pursuit of the ultimate perfume, the wig maker in here just felt like an unpleasant psychopath to me.
I was most intrigued by the Widow's story. And the idea of the importance of hair as a person'e crowning glory is fully explored in the story. But the story is still a littler weird.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never would have imagined there was so much to be said about hair. That said, this book paints a historically accurate picture of Tampa Florida in 1898 - 1899 told mostly from the perspective Monsieur Lucien Goulet III, an unbalanced, narcissistic man, certainly a sociopath, probably a psychopath who makes wigs for the rich and famous of Tampa. Hair is his fetish. Not a fast-paced book but hard to abandon once started.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. It reminded me a lot of Suskind's 'Perfume'.

I loved the character of the wig-maker and looked forward to joining him in the sections he narrated. I loved getting a view into his unusual profession.

Good pace, good selection of characters. Thumbs up for my second Chidgey read.

[Susie]

very strange protagonist who was hard to like. Set in the late 1800's it told a story that made no real sense. Sort of creepy but I still kept reading. I was intrigued that it was written by NZ female authur. didn't really give it 5 stars but I am not sure how to work this website yet. I Give it 3 stars,

[Stina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historically this book was fascinating because it's all about the settling of Tampa, FL in the 1890s. I love all the details about what it was like way back in the jungle era of Florida. However, I found the plot to be rather dull and anticlimatic.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, but strangely compelling. Of the three main characters, Marion bored me, I liked Rafael, and Goulet freaked my shit out and was like a car accident I couldn't look away from. Also, I'm not sure I bought the Jack revelation.

[Therése · Rating 2 out of 5]

i whole-heartedly embrace my two star rating here. i almost regret reading this book. some good points, however.... the characters were enjoyable, at least complete, and ... the beginning was a good read, the first part of the novel... a lot of empathizing with the character.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very conflicted about this book. Liked parts and suffered through others. I wish I could give it a 2.5. The historical parts about Tampa were interesting, while some of the bodies when walking through the everglades parts were a bit disturbing.