The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

“The Island of Doctor Moreau” (H.G. Wells, 1865) on which this book and others are based, has come into vogue of late. Silvia Moreno-Garcia transforms the old sci-fi horror classic into a lush Mexican love story while softly sifting through the idea of what makes a monster and what makes a human. While I wasn’t as creeped out and deliciously disturbed by this rendition as I have been by other re-tellings of the famous Doctor Moreau’s story, I was wonderfully surprised by the depth of characterization and world building present here, not to mention a few different moments in the story itself that caught me off guard. Silvia Moreno-Garcia truly made this story her own. I am hoping fervently for a sequel.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau reimagines H.G. Well’s The Island of Doctor Moreau set in 19th-century Mexico. I adored the setting for this story and all the fun historical details. They added a lot of beautiful texture to behind a reasonably engaging story.Carlota Moreau is Doctor Moreau’s daughter and only child. They live on an isolated estate where the Doctor can conduct his research in secret. He creates animal-human hybrids which serve as workers on the farm. Outside of the estate, everyone believes the Doctor runs a sanatorium.Montgomery oversees the estate, and the story is told from both his and Carlota’s perspective. He has a troubled past, which he escapes by working at the isolated estate, and he slowly develops feelings for the doctor’s daughter.The pacing of this book is slower than I’m accustomed to, so I feel like the story doesn’t cover a lot of ground, but I really enjoyed reading it. Moreno-Garcia tackles a few themes: what makes a monster, their physicality or actions; can one truly escape their past; and where’s the line between human and animal? Some of the characters have attitudes toward slavery that I found truly repulsive, but it was closer to the end of the book, so at that point, I was too invested to stop reading.I enjoyed a reveal that happens halfway through the book—I can’t think of a way to hint at it without ruining it, but I’ll just say it’s sort of unexpected and totally satisfying.I didn’t like Doctor Moreau’s motivation for creating his hybrids. His true driving force was never revealed, and it seems like his research doesn’t make much progress throughout the book. The reader is left wondering what he’s trying to accomplish and what steps he’s taking to achieve that goal.Overall, I’d say this book is much more historical than sci-fi. I wish there were more romantic elements, but I understand that wasn’t the focus of the story Moreno-Garcia wanted to tell. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and wants a thoughtful examination of remarkable characters.

This was my fifth work from SMG and my least favorite. I think part of the reason is that I just may have been too close to the original work (Dr. Moreau’s Island) and have read too many of the retellings on this classic before. My favorite being <i>The Madman’s Daughter</i> by Sara Shepherd.Of course SMG’s writing style was very good, but the pacing of this one was just too slow. And there just wasn’t enough new to add to the already multiple books on this retelling. Overall, my goal is to still read more of her works, as I think she is a fantastic writer, but this one was a bust for me.

Another magical historical Mexican mystery from Silvia Moreno-Garcia! This time it’s the secluded Yucatán Peninsula in the 1870s, a backdrop of warring factions, British colonialism and isolated haciendas in the jungle with a fairly mad scientist, his majordomo, and his daughter finally being visited by curious and imperious outsiders.This is a retelling of H.G. Wells’ 125 year old pioneering science fiction novel, made famous in its time as science was experimenting with the awful practice of “vivisection” and the English were concerned about the degeneration of the human race. Ms. Moreno- Garcia’s book adds a daughter and elements of feminism not in the original (although the themes of class distinctions and castes were there in 1896). The story centers on Carlota, the daughter, and the alcoholic Montgomery, Dr. Moreau’s right hand man. The original novel was more about Edwin, a castaway who discovers the secrets of the Moreau compound, but here we have Edouard, the rich patron’s son, suitor of Carlota, and here an interloper.If you’ve never read the original or seen any of the terrible adaptations, I won’t reveal what Dr. Moreau is doing in the jungle, but it’s safe to say that what happens in the jungle should stay in the jungle. The narrative is atmospheric — the sense of isolation and danger is palpable. Yet, even without the incursion of strangers we know that Carlota is growing up and Dr. Moreau is growing older and that means something must eventually change, but will it be a good outcome for the inhabitants of the hacienda, or a terrible ending?I have loved all of Silvia Moreno-Garcia incredible books — horror and magical mystery and now science fiction, and it’s the surrounding history of the time period that makes all of them exotic and unique. 4.5 stars rounded up!Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Eduardo has the green eyes, which draw Carlota’s attention.Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The jungle is lush and the crops grown were typical of 19th century Yucatán.

Great love and friendship story on a Mayan backdrop with fantastic characters perfectly narrated. It made me feel I was there with Carlota and her friends.

Mas que revisión del clásico de Wells , Moreno Garcia nos ofrece una reescritura muy en la línea de su "Mexican Gothic".

Despite having a sense about what the reveals and repercussions would be in the storyline for Carlotta, the natural daughter of Dr. Moreau, I enjoyed my reading experience. I liked the shared narration between Montgomery and Carlotta. Loved the romance, action, and family relationships in this story.

I thought it was going to be ‘mad doctor creates creatures, focusing in the line between human and something else’ but instead it was ‘doctor creates creatures but they are all friends with his daughter’. And that’s just a subplot. It’s an okay book, perhaps if I knew it wasn’t the book I thought, I would have liked to better. I tend not to go for romance, but a 35yo falling in love with a 20yo who basically grew up with him? There’s a line, and this is very close to crossing it.The author also uses words like ‘invalid’ and ‘cretin’ which are ableist terms and they provide nothing towards the plot so were unnecessary.

Another fantastic book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Loosely based on The Island of Doctor Moreau, this excellent book takes place in 19th century Mexico and focuses on Carlota, the doctor's daughter. The point of view of the book is split between Carlota and Montgomery, an Englishman with a tragic past who has been hired to run Moreau's "facility". While the existence of the hybrids and Moreau's work drive the story forward, the relationships between all main characters makes for a compelling read, especially once the drama ramps up in the second half. Exquisite characterisation, engaging interactions and wonderful pacing lead to a highly enjoyable read.