Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres ever. Especially when they're this good. A captivating plot with superbly-realised characters merged into an enthralling novel with significant themes.

I devoured it in a day.

This is a unique book… it reads like a classic… slower pace… introspective writing. It was not what I was expecting nor what I typically gravitate to but it’s a book that classic lovers should put at the top of their TBR.

We follow Grace, a young woman living in her aunt and uncle’s home in Victorian times after her parents are deemed insane. We simultaneously follow her mysterious cousin, Charles, who returns home after being presumed dead for 10 years. The family struggles to agree on whether this man is indeed Charles or an imposter.

Grace is a unique main character. She is an artist, skilled at reproducing fakes of masterpieces but struggles with prosopagnosia (face blindness), making it hard for her to identify individuals in her own everyday life.

The book revolves around many big themes: art, forgery (of art and maybe of people too), belonging, perspective. It also revolves around key existential questions: What is sanity vs insanity? What is real vs fake?

I found the pace a bit too slow but at the same time, found the writing artful and purposeful. For example, the characters are a bit hard to identify with but I feel this was very intentional on the part of the author, to reinforce the themes and subjects of the book (sense of belonging, face blindness, forgery).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been proselytizing Nell Stevens’ first book, Briefly, A Delicious Life since it came out a few years ago. It’s one of my all-time favorites, the kind of book that’s always in the back of my mind, that I come back to all the time. So I was beyond excited to find out there’s a new Nell Stevens book coming out this summer! And it’s a total banger! I literally couldn’t put this book down. I thought about it constantly while I was reading it. If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what is.

The novel follows a young woman, Grace, who secretly becomes an incredible art forger. Just as she begins to use her talent professionally, a man shows up claiming to be her long-lost cousin—but Grace’s face-blindness makes it impossible for her to know whether he’s really her cousin or not. It’s a novel about fakes and copies and originality and the meaning of art and it has so many delicious layers to unwrap. It’s like F for Fake (1973) by way of Jane Eyre or O Caledonia. It’s thoughtful and haunting and beautifully written. A perfect gothic novel to add to your summer reading list!

“The moral of this story is: never underestimate the power of a generous woman.”
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“When I thought of women, the way I felt about women, I felt smooth, I felt certain. When I thought about husbands, I felt exhausted.”
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“When we fall in love with someone we begin to copy them.”
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In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether a man’s claiming to be her long lost cousin is an imposter or not. It seems obvious right? Except Grace is bad with faces, she can copy a painting to accurate precision, but cannot copy real life, or remember what anyone looks like. After 13 years, and all male heirs dead, Charles comes home to claim the inheritance of the country house. One problem? Many people are speculating he is not who he says he is and others are saying yes of course that’s him are you mad?
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As the title of this book says, this story is a true original. Nell Stevens has such a way of writing that is so beautiful, poetic, and captivating. This is a story that will surely draw you in and make you question everything. I felt so invested in the characters and what their outcomes were going to be.
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This is not going to be for everyone however. It is a slow read and you won’t be ripping through the pages, but it is a methodical and immersive read. I’ll admit some parts drag and I felt bored some bits but overall I was just too enamored with this story I let that slide. Bonus points Grace and Charles are both gay (is that a spoiler? I don’t care I love it.)

I would like to thank Net Galley and W.W.Norton for the opportunity to read this boook as an ARC. This is a hard book to characterize. The blurbs make you think it is a thriller, or a mystery. It does have some of those components, but does not fit into either category. It is not a character study. It is hard to define. The prose is lovely, but the story is lacking, It is the story of Grace. It takes place in the late 1890's, early 1900's in England. Grace lives with her aunts family, as her parents are in an insane asylum. Grace's cousin Charles leaves for a trip and does not return. Some years later,after his father has died, Charles returns. Or has he? No one is certain that he is Charles. Grace, in the meantime, has begun to paint. She doesn't paint originals, but copies of famous works, forgeries. Grace and Charles are caught in a web of their own making.They are looking to make their own ways, with or without each other. As I said, the writing is good, but I didn't care for the plot.

I really really wanted to love this, Steven’s predecessor, Briefly a Delicious Life is one of my favourite books so maybe the expectations should have been tempered.

The writing itself is excellent, Steven’s has a such a way with words the prose does sing. However, the plot and characters left a lot to be desired. The lack of continuity was a struggle. Two characters that are both harbouring secrets, entangled yet I had no sense of connection or self, I wanted Steven’s to dive way deeper and either edit back or go all in it all just felt very flat.

I will still give Steven’s a go she is talented but this story just didn’t work.

"Brought to her uncle's decaying Oxfordshire estate when she was a child, Grace has grown up on the periphery of a once-great household, an outsider in her own home. Now a self-possessed and secretive young woman, she has developed unusual predilections: for painting, particularly forgery; for deception; for other girls.

As Grace cultivates her talent as a copyist, she realizes that her uncanny ability to recreate paintings might offer her a means of escape. Secretly, she puts this skill to use as an art forger, creating fake masterpieces in candlelit corners of the estate. Saving the money she makes from her sales, she plans a new life far from the family that has never seemed to want her.

Then, a letter arrives from the South Atlantic. The writer claims to be her cousin Charles, long presumed dead at sea, who wishes to reconnect with his family. When Charles returns, Grace's aunt welcomes him with open arms; yet fractures appear in the household. Some believe he is who he says he is. Others are convinced he's an impostor. As a court date looms to determine his legitimacy - and his claim to the family fortune - Grace must decide what she believes, and what she's willing to risk.

Is Charles really her cousin? An interloper? A mirror of her own ambitions? And in a house built on illusions, what does authenticity truly mean - in art, in love, and in family?

Deftly plotted and shimmering with Nell Stevens's distinctive intelligence, style, and wit, The Original takes readers on an unforgettable adventure through a world of forgeries, family ties, and the fluctuations in fortune that can change our fate."

I mean, living on a decaying Oxfordshire estate while forging artwork is the dream! Why would Grave want to leave?

Nell Stevens' The Original is a captivating blend of mystery, deception, and art set in a decaying English estate. Grace, an outsider in her own home, finds solace in forging paintings—until the arrival of a supposed long-lost cousin disrupts her carefully controlled world. As tensions rise and secrets unravel, the novel explores identity, authenticity, and the blurred lines between truth and illusion. Elegantly written and rich with intrigue, The Original is a compelling, atmospheric read.

ell Stevens has remained on my radar since I read A Briefly Delicious Life, as the author has such a singular talent for painting intriguing stories with peculiar characters, and I feel very blessed to have received an ARC of this novel.

I enjoyed Grace's perspective as someone with face blindness (and potentially some other neurodivergences), the way she moved through the world around her with a sort of obliviousness, while being attentive to details others would surely miss. I empathized deeply with her social struggles, and the confusion over what potential your life may even be open to.

The premise of intertwining the lives of two copyists was so unique, and when I finished the book I wanted to open it again and start over, to glean every kernel of interest that I may have missed. The visualization of the complicated relationship dynamics of queer people in the Victorian era was well done and welcome, and overall it felt like I was getting a sneaky glimpse into a noble family's privately scandalous life.

The use of the paintings for imagery and how much colour was discussed leads me to believe the author has a background in art, as every reference felt nuanced and thoughtful. Every time a new painting was referenced I had to look up an image of it, and analyze it along with the artist. Reading her impressions of the art was interesting, and triggered a part of my brain I hadn't interacted with much in a long way, I enjoyed that aspect very much.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any fan of Historical Fiction, particularly if you enjoy LGBTQIA+ works, and I will be buying and re-reading it when it is fully released!

this book is a suspenseful tale of deception and identity set in a grand English house in 1899. Grace, an aspiring art forger, must uncover the truth about a mysterious man claiming to be her long-lost cousin, all while navigating family intrigue and her own secrets. A compelling story about authenticity, love, and the price of lies.

The prose is poetic and beautiful, almost dreamlike in places. I did feel the uncertainty over madness that the character grappled with. I found the plot to be rather slow-moving. I did not feel much dramatic tension, even in the context of the events of the book. Overall, not my preference in a book, but lovely for what it was. As a note, I did decide to DNF this about 40% of the way in.

A hesitant 2.5-3 star read for me. I really loved the idea of this book on paper: a historical fiction about an artist who makes illegal copies of famous paintings but also has face blindness. However, the story ultimately ended up falling flat for me.

The main character, Grace, is an orphan whose parents died while living in an insane asylum and who now lives with her rich aunt and uncle in England. While living at their grand estate, she befriends her cousin, Charles, who is the one that first encourages her to take up painting. Charles disappears for a few years in Grace's later childhood, claiming that he is going to become a sailor. However, years later, he contacts the family again, saying he plans to return home. When he arrives, he stirs up a controversy. While his mother believes that it's him, many others claim that the man who claims to be Charles is an imposter. The only person that might be able to shed some light on the mystery of his identity is Grace, who is, conveniently, unable to clearly remember faces.

Again, a really interesting idea for a story, and I loved the discussion of LGBTQ issues and especially the interesting concept of face blindness. The ending was also great - I really didn't expect the outcome of the mystery. However, I did feel that the book was just a bit slow, and I had a particularly hard time connecting with the characters. Considering how little plot there was, the characters need to be particularly strong to make up for the slowness of the story. Yet, I just didn't feel that they came to life as well as they could have. The writing is also beautiful but sometimes tedious to read.

Overall, an interesting premise that I didn't think was executed to perfection.

I have absolutely loved Nell Stevens’ previous books, though I will say I’m more partial to her nonfiction. But this was a really strong fiction entry. The narrative had a casual, storytelling nature that did a great job of immediately creating an intimacy between the narrator and readers. Stevens always wonderfully creates a sense of the time period; it’s clear she has done a great deal of research before writing. The Original blended historical fiction, mystery, and literary fiction to create an enjoyable, captivating read.

Nell Stevens’ “The Original,” in which a young woman becomes a masterful copier of paintings, put me in mind of another recent novel about art, Lucy Steeds’ “The Artist,” in which a similar situation is at play, though a reader is a while coming upon exactly what's going on.
Also true of both novels is a male principal character who’s on the outs with his father – in “The Artist,” it’s for his being a conscientious objector, while in “The Original,” it's for something more intensely personal – something it turns out that’s true for the young woman as well.
Quite the burdened character, Stevens' Grace, both with the secret she carries with the male principal as well as having to live with the knowledge that her parents killed themselves.
But mostly it’s the copyist motif that dominates Steven’s work, which delivers an engrossing treatment of authenticity in art, although it had me wondering at book’s end if I was completely squared away with a final plot development.

Screaming because this is so good! It’s giving ‘be gay do crime’ but with Nell Steven’s beautiful writing style. I loved Briefly, a Delicious Life and I was so excited when I saw this and it definitely hasn’t let me down.

Grace lives in her uncle’s house following her parents' admission into an asylum. She is face blind but has a talent for copying paintings. Her cousin Charles returns after being presumed lost at sea for over a decade to claim his inheritance although there are questions surrounding his true identity.

Parts definitely reminded me of Shirley Jackson, specifically the crumbling manor, the threads of madness that run in the family, and the mc being a strange young woman. Of course the tone is much less horrific overall but I really enjoyed this.

Artworks are woven into the text in a similar way to how music was present in BaDL, adding an additional depth to the storytelling. I was obsessed with the way forgery was used as an act of love and devotion throughout the story.

Overall I adored this and I can’t wait to get a hold of a physical copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Beautifully written and atmospheric, this is a genre-twisting novel that has the gothic broody mood of Jane Eyre (with an poor-relation orphan living with wealthy relatives that take almost no interest in her) combined with a modern-day queer sensibility. A story about imposters/fakers of all kinds -- from a man claiming to be the long-lost heir of a wealthy family, to the heroine's secret talent for painting copies of famous paintings, to those hiding their true sensibilities. A dark and wholly original page-turner!

“The Original” is the latest novel by Nell Stevens that prompts readers to contemplate authenticity, social class, and the values we assign to various aspects of life. The story follows Grace, who is living with her wealthy extended family after her parents succumbed to madness, leaving her orphaned.

Set in the late 19th century, primarily in England, the novel’s premise revolves around Grace, who, despite struggling with face blindness, is a talented forger. She secretly engages in this craft while attempting to save money for herself. Her cousin, Charles, whom she hasn’t seen since childhood, returns over a decade later, seeking to reclaim his inheritance. However, questions arise about his true identity.

Readers will be left wondering whether Charles is indeed the rightful heir and Grace’s cousin or just an imposter. This mystery unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing until the very end. The novel evokes vibes reminiscent of “Jane Eyre” and Sarah Waters’ “The Fingersmith.” Fans of those works, as well as Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” are likely to appreciate this queer, turn-of-the-century mystery.

I highly recommend this book—it was so engaging that I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and WW Norton and Company for providing the ARC.