The Museum of Extraordinary Things: A Novel

Alice Hoffman

Feb 2014 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

The “spellbinding” (People, 4 stars), New York Times bestseller from the author of The Dovekeepers: an extraordinary novel about an electric and impassioned love affair—“an enchanting love story rich with history and a sense of place” (USA TODAY).

Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the sinister impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a Coney Island freak show that thrills the masses. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father’s “museum,” alongside performers like the Wolfman and the Butterfly Girl. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man taking pictures of moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River.

The dashing photographer is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his community and his job as a tailor’s apprentice. When Eddie photographs the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman’s disappearance. And he ignites the heart of Coralie.

Alice Hoffman weaves her trademark magic, romance, and masterful storytelling to unite Coralie and Eddie in a tender and moving story of young love in tumultuous times. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is, “a lavish tale about strange yet sympathetic people” (The New York Times Book Review).

Ratings and reviews

This really looks and sounds like my kind of book. I did like some things, but it never really grabbed my attention and held on. It moved slowly at times, and maybe I was a little distracted while reading and didn't connect as well as needed. When I felt something it was mostly down feelings. There's not much in the hope and happiness side to level out the sadness and depression vibe. I wanted Coralie to stand up for herself WAY before she finally made the decision. I was actually able to empathize with Eddie a lot more. There wasn't anyone that really stood out to me as a character that I loved. I think I would have liked to know the Wolfman's story more than the ones given. All I took away from this was a major thankfulness that I wasn't alive during that time period. It must have been hell on earth.

This is the first book I had read by Alice Hoffman and I found it interesting if a bit hard to read. I enjoyed the historical writing of the author but found the characters to be hard to connect with. I did enjoy the idea behind the plot but found some of the content hard to get through.

It just wasn't for me. There were times I was pulled in, but mostly the chapters are extremely long and boring.

About the author

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Book of Magic, Magic Lessons, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick), the Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Marriage of Opposites, and Faithful. She lives near Boston.