On being an inspiration

Opposites attract, the laws of physics have taught us. But then, what are opposites? The opposite of boy is girl, but they are both persons. The opposite of a dark room is a matter of switching on the light, but it's still the same room.

Such a delicious conundrum, which could keep a dinner party bubbling over till breakfast time the following morning, fuels Tracy Chevalier's latest novel. Following the success of Girl With a Pearl Earring (Harper Collins 1999), Ms Chevalier has carved a niche for herself with a clutch of historical novels which elegantly blend imaginative fiction with fact. Ms Chevalier writes the kind of literary novels that deserve learned discussion without alienating the leisure reader. A tricky feat to master.

This time, the object of Ms Chevalier's attention is William Blake and his most famous and intriguing work, Songs of Innocence and Experience.

Central London at the end of the 1700s was as bustling and bubbling as it is today, a carnivalesque atmosphere where the never-ending drama of life and death unfolded in dung-strewn streets, dark alleyways, raucous drinking houses and filthy factories. Across the Channel, the French Revolution was about to explode in blood and rolling heads, and political sentiments back home were strongly felt. When the Kellaway family leaves the rural idyll of Dorsetshire for a new life in London, little did they imagine such a stark contrast.

The youngest of the Kellaway family, Jem, strikes up an unlikely friendship with streetwise Londoner Maggie Butterfield. Embodying opposite characteristics - Jem, blond, country boy, hard-working apprentice to his father's chair-making business; Maggie, dark-haired daughter of a conman, bearing a dark secret that cut her childhood short - the two adolescents explore London together and become involved with their new neighbour, William Blake.

Jem and Maggie look up to Blake as some kind of hero, albeit an eccentric one, and as they walk the tightrope between innocence and experience they unwittingly inspire one of Blake's best known works. Meanwhile, Jem's father takes on a new job at Philip Astley's circus and soon the Kellaway women find themselves captivated by the allure of circus life: Jem's mother finds relief from her depression while Maisie, Jem's sister, finds love.

Like Ms Chevalier's previous novels, nothing much really happens in the story but the exquisite richness of the detail and the cleverly calculated pace of the narrative transport the reader into a new world where the past is brought to life in a most vivid manner. There is never a dull moment, just quiet moments that give the reader time to reflect and soak up the atmosphere, elegant pauses interspersed among sounds, colour, smells.

Ms Chevalier once said she prefers writing about the past rather than about contemporary life because she feels "more comfortable analysing [the past] and deciding what is important than I do about the present." While emphasising she is not a historian, Ms Chevalier approaches research for her historical novels as a learning experience: " [...] when I choose a time to write about - 17th century Holland, early 20th century England, 15th century France - I know nothing about it and so have no preconceptions or prejudices. I can be more objective. I learn a lot too, which keeps my mind active."

Her readers certainly need to keep their mind active too especially with her latest title as she puts into context the enigmatic literary figure that was William Blake. After all even Mrs Blake admitted that "there's not many folks understand Mr Blake, not even these songs." However, a degree in literature is not necessary to enjoy Ms Chevalier's masterful turn of phrase. Just like the works of art which are at the centre of her novels - Vermeer's paintings, Belgian tapestry and now Blake's poetry - Ms Chevalier's books are a gem to treasure.

• Ms Bishop lives in Switzerland with her husband, baby son, too many books and not enough bookshelves.

• A review copy of this title was supplied by www.ilovebooks.com.mt