'Chatterton' by Peter Ackroyd

Genre: Historical Mystery Fiction

Peter Ackroyd’s ‘Chatterton’ is not like any other novel I have read before or after it - although its structure may be similar to any other book, its plot really captivated me.

‘Chatterton’ explores the life and death of real-life eighteenth-century poet Thomas Chatterton through the unrecognised poet Charles Wynchwood. Charles becomes intrigued with Chatterton and uncovering the mystery of how he died all those centuries ago - but as he dives deeper into the life of Chatterton, Charles becomes lost in his mixing of dreams and reality.

I have always been drawn to stories that use multiple perspectives, so having the narrative switch back and forth between Charles in the modern age and Chatterton in the 1700s is incredibly effective for the disorientated feeling Ackroyd is trying to achieve. As Charles gets closer and closer to finding out for certain what happened to Chatterton, the reader has to question has Charles maybe lost himself, and therefore lost hold of everyone and everything around him - will he ever find his way back to reality.

I believe what makes this novel have such an appeal is a mixture of things; for starters, the subject matter is partially based on truth, and then the mystery and enigma that Ackroyd creates throughout keeps you flipping page after page to discover is Charles is any closer to solving the mystery of Chatterton.

Of course, this is not a very uplifting story - only a quick Google search of the eighteenth-century poet will reveal his infamous death in the painting by Henry Wallis, and this hangs over the entire plot. So, if you are looking for an uplifting story, ‘Chatterton’ may not be the novel for you, but it is nothing but interesting.

Rating: * * * * *