I was mesmerized by this story. It was unique and suspenseful and Ms. Schlitz had me convinced of its plausibility (even when manifestly fantastical). Grisini was a terrifying and believable villain, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall were complex and loveable main characters, and the witch was horrifyingly captivating.
Splendors and Glooms follows two orphans (not related) who are apprentices to a master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, who is resolutely dissolute. They put on a show at the birthday party of a young girl about their age, Clara, who lives in a wealthy home with two loving parents, but also is the only surviving child of her parents' five kids. The next day, Clara disappears. Lizzie Rose starts to suspect Grisini and the plot thickens!
There is a scene at the beginning in which Clara watches the puppet show at her birthday party and finds one act with a skeleton puppet particularly entertaining. She is so overcome with amusement, in fact, that her loud, uncontrollable laughter disgraces herself in front of her parents and all her party guests. Her party ends disastrously. And while reading that scene, I unequivocally related to Clara. Sometimes you just can't control yourself!
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