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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
4/5
Quelle aventure !
Tout débute lorsque La Motte, sa femme et son domestique quittent Paris pour fuir la justice. Au cours de leur périple, ils croisent une compagnie de brigands qui les force à repartir avec une jeune femme en détresse, nommée Adeline. Ils trouvent finalement les ruines d'une abbaye dans lesquelles ils décident de s'arrêter. Logée au coeur de la forêt, cette abbaye est dite hantée par les habitants des villages environnants...
Une fois les cinquante premières pages passées, on est bousculé, poussé, entrainé, dans une aventure rocambolesque, complètement folle peuplée d'esprits, de criminels et de cadavres. Il y a parfois un petit côté "téléfilm Disney" avec une happy ending qui clos tout bien joliment et des retournements de situations dignes d'une télénovela argentine. C'est un roman surprenant, je m'attendais à quelque chose de beaucoup plus éthéré et méditatif et même si j'ai entièrement retrouvé l'atmosphère inquiétante que j'attendais, on est très loin d'un roman méditatif. Ce qui m'a un peu agacé sont les réactions de notre héroïne Adeline. Ce côté un peu candide qui s'évanouit tout le temps, ça va quoi. Je me demande si c'est une invention romanesque de l'époque ou si les femmes étaient toutes des "oies blanches" (ce dont je DOUTE FORT).
Quelle aventure !
Tout débute lorsque La Motte, sa femme et son domestique quittent Paris pour fuir la justice. Au cours de leur périple, ils croisent une compagnie de brigands qui les force à repartir avec une jeune femme en détresse, nommée Adeline. Ils trouvent finalement les ruines d'une abbaye dans lesquelles ils décident de s'arrêter. Logée au coeur de la forêt, cette abbaye est dite hantée par les habitants des villages environnants...
Une fois les cinquante premières pages passées, on est bousculé, poussé, entrainé, dans une aventure rocambolesque, complètement folle peuplée d'esprits, de criminels et de cadavres. Il y a parfois un petit côté "téléfilm Disney" avec une happy ending qui clos tout bien joliment et des retournements de situations dignes d'une télénovela argentine. C'est un roman surprenant, je m'attendais à quelque chose de beaucoup plus éthéré et méditatif et même si j'ai entièrement retrouvé l'atmosphère inquiétante que j'attendais, on est très loin d'un roman méditatif. Ce qui m'a un peu agacé sont les réactions de notre héroïne Adeline. Ce côté un peu candide qui s'évanouit tout le temps, ça va quoi. Je me demande si c'est une invention romanesque de l'époque ou si les femmes étaient toutes des "oies blanches" (ce dont je DOUTE FORT).
challenging
slow-paced
A classic that’s verbose and a curiosity. Worth a read if you’re into classics and literature.
slow-paced
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Adeline is cast out by her father and finds shelter with her new friends, the La Motte family, who are on the run from the law. The family find a refuge in an old ruined Abbey in the depths of the forest, where they hide from prying eyes, always terrified that they will be discovered and forced from their pitiful home.
The Marquis who owns the dilapidated Abbey, discovers them living on his land, but inexplicably allows them to remain, making a mysterious alliance with Mr. La Motte. Ghoulish skeletons, mysterious manuscripts, and gruesome secret rooms are lying around all over the Abbey, and the dark forest holds secrets of its own.
The friendly Theodore warns Adeline that her life is in danger, but he is called away to his regiment before he can explain or help her. Adeline goes through every kind of disaster and terrifying mishap, fleeing for her life when she is betrayed by those she trusts.
This is Gothic melodrama at its best! I lost count of how many times Adeline fainted, but it must have been more than twenty times. She dissolves into tears, is frozen with terror, collapses under the strain of horror, and is prostrate with grief in every single chapter. Several other ladies, not to be outdone, also fainted on several occasions, and even the men collapsed into a chair overcome with emotion every once in a while. Everyone is constantly exclaiming, "Alas, woe is me!"
Everything that possibly can go wrong for Adeline does go wrong in the plot. It's one catastrophe after another for the entire book! There are so many lucky coincidences and timely misfortunes that it became funny, and when that plot twist finally arrived, it was so obvious that I didn't bat an eye.
The writing is laboriously descriptive and extravagant, peppered with pompous poetry which various characters recite or compose on the spot. I started skimming over the descriptive passages, and skipped the poetry altogether.
I was both charmed and frustrated with Adeline. She's sweet and virtuous and adorable. She's pitiful and weak and spineless. She's intelligent, but unresourceful. I just wish that she would take action, and DO something.
There are only TWO scenes in the entire book where she does something without the help of a man. (She explores a secret passage by herself in one chapter, and later on in the book she jumps out of a window.) There were at least a dozen scenes where she could have taken more action, but instead decided that wringing her hands and composing poetry were the more prudent decisions.
Even so, I did love her character. She's just too charming and sweet!
Despite the chaotic plot and the sensational melodrama, I really enjoyed reading this book! It's so mournful that I found it funny!
The Marquis who owns the dilapidated Abbey, discovers them living on his land, but inexplicably allows them to remain, making a mysterious alliance with Mr. La Motte. Ghoulish skeletons, mysterious manuscripts, and gruesome secret rooms are lying around all over the Abbey, and the dark forest holds secrets of its own.
The friendly Theodore warns Adeline that her life is in danger, but he is called away to his regiment before he can explain or help her. Adeline goes through every kind of disaster and terrifying mishap, fleeing for her life when she is betrayed by those she trusts.
This is Gothic melodrama at its best! I lost count of how many times Adeline fainted, but it must have been more than twenty times. She dissolves into tears, is frozen with terror, collapses under the strain of horror, and is prostrate with grief in every single chapter. Several other ladies, not to be outdone, also fainted on several occasions, and even the men collapsed into a chair overcome with emotion every once in a while. Everyone is constantly exclaiming, "Alas, woe is me!"
Everything that possibly can go wrong for Adeline does go wrong in the plot. It's one catastrophe after another for the entire book! There are so many lucky coincidences and timely misfortunes that it became funny, and when that plot twist finally arrived, it was so obvious that I didn't bat an eye.
The writing is laboriously descriptive and extravagant, peppered with pompous poetry which various characters recite or compose on the spot. I started skimming over the descriptive passages, and skipped the poetry altogether.
I was both charmed and frustrated with Adeline. She's sweet and virtuous and adorable. She's pitiful and weak and spineless. She's intelligent, but unresourceful. I just wish that she would take action, and DO something.
There are only TWO scenes in the entire book where she does something without the help of a man. (She explores a secret passage by herself in one chapter, and later on in the book she jumps out of a window.) There were at least a dozen scenes where she could have taken more action, but instead decided that wringing her hands and composing poetry were the more prudent decisions.
Even so, I did love her character. She's just too charming and sweet!
Despite the chaotic plot and the sensational melodrama, I really enjoyed reading this book! It's so mournful that I found it funny!
Loved it! It kept me on the edge of my seat, so to speak. The only negative I found was that the explanatory notes were worthless. I believe this novel to be better than "Mysteries of Udolpho" and "The Italian"
I liked this one much better than Udolpho. The way the Gothic features here is interesting. Radcliffe seems more interested in like family dynamics and lost women than the male Gothic authors I’ve read. Also less interested in real and over-the-top supernatural elements, much more like the horrors of tyrannical fathers/father-figures. I read this fairly quickly so I’ll need to refresh on the cast of characters because I think I missed some of the connections/revelations. Fascinating as a pair with Udolpho for how quickly we get to the action here, where we are almost immediately in some dire straits and at a Gothic location. Potentially useful for conversations about time and family alongside The Monk. Interesting.
4.5/5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were a few parts where it dragged on a little bit, but overall it was entertaining, spooky, and romantic.
I picked this book up because of my dissertation for this year, so it was not one of these books in which you enter certain you love everything. It was an unavoidable read for someone studying Gothic novels.
It's true that this kind of book is not fast-paced, not action-packed, that some readers may be bored. But, in fact, there is action: after all, Adeline is going through a lot! And there is always something going on, intertwined with reflections of the characters and poems.
What really surprised me in this book was Adeline. I read everywhere that Gothic heroins such as the ones in Ann Radcliffe's works were unbearable, naive, and super annoying. I didn't think this reading the book; on the contrary, I thought Adeline had some personality, she doesn't let people walk all over her - even if she still is a girl in distress confronted with people wanting to harm her. She still faints a lot, and is really, really, REALLY kind to people who don't deserve her kindness. But I was surprised not to be more annoyed with her. And one prejudice overcome, one!
Concerning Ann Radcliffe's writing, I have to say it is really good; but, as she describes, or when there are not dialogues for a long time, it can become a little lengthy, mostly between two great actions.
This book is not a five-star read because, when I read Gothic fiction, I love to get supernatural elements, and there were none here. We are led to understand that, when there is supposed to be a ghost, it's just Adeline's imagination, or fear. There are dreadful events, and secrets revealed, "haunted" places and themes like [SPOILER] incest [END OF THE SPOILER], but no "magic" we'll say. In fact, "ghosts" are simply results of guilt, the criminal assailled by remorse.
Of course, the end is stereotyped too; [SPOILER] there are some elements from fairy tales, such as the recognition in the end, or the happy (double!) wedding [END OF THE SPOILER].
To conclude, a very good book that gives some essential Gothic elements.
It's true that this kind of book is not fast-paced, not action-packed, that some readers may be bored. But, in fact, there is action: after all, Adeline is going through a lot! And there is always something going on, intertwined with reflections of the characters and poems.
What really surprised me in this book was Adeline. I read everywhere that Gothic heroins such as the ones in Ann Radcliffe's works were unbearable, naive, and super annoying. I didn't think this reading the book; on the contrary, I thought Adeline had some personality, she doesn't let people walk all over her - even if she still is a girl in distress confronted with people wanting to harm her. She still faints a lot, and is really, really, REALLY kind to people who don't deserve her kindness. But I was surprised not to be more annoyed with her. And one prejudice overcome, one!
Concerning Ann Radcliffe's writing, I have to say it is really good; but, as she describes, or when there are not dialogues for a long time, it can become a little lengthy, mostly between two great actions.
This book is not a five-star read because, when I read Gothic fiction, I love to get supernatural elements, and there were none here. We are led to understand that, when there is supposed to be a ghost, it's just Adeline's imagination, or fear. There are dreadful events, and secrets revealed, "haunted" places and themes like [SPOILER] incest [END OF THE SPOILER], but no "magic" we'll say. In fact, "ghosts" are simply results of guilt, the criminal assailled by remorse.
Of course, the end is stereotyped too; [SPOILER] there are some elements from fairy tales, such as the recognition in the end, or the happy (double!) wedding [END OF THE SPOILER].
To conclude, a very good book that gives some essential Gothic elements.