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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
3.5 This is a psychological suspense novel rather than your typical mystery, because it is attempting to go back and uncover why a murder occurred, why the person who did it, did it. And in this instance, it is all fascinatingly meshed with complicated and sprawling family relations and about why people do and don't love. In the end Faith still hasn't decided whether Vera or Eden was Jamie's biological mother but I'm with Jamie--Vera was his mother--she's the one who loved and nurtured him.
This presumptuous, purposely-cryptic novel finally picks up in the last third of the book. It does somewhat redeem itself by the intricacy with which the ending is handled, but not enough to make up for 150+ pages of rambling that may or may not be related to the main plot.
Little tricky to get into and a bit too much toing and froing at the end but overall a very good book. First work as Barbara Vine but it has all the strengths you come to expect of Rendell; superb characterisation and neat plot worked out carefully so there are no stray ends. Love the way it closes leaving things undecided for certain ...
Lacking a little bit of punch that Rendells other books quite often deploy. And even allowing for it being set in the past the story did feel a tad old-fashioned. Will definitely read more Barbara Vine books in the future.
Lacking a little bit of punch that Rendells other books quite often deploy. And even allowing for it being set in the past the story did feel a tad old-fashioned. Will definitely read more Barbara Vine books in the future.
I picked this up on a recommendation from Maureen Corrigan, from her piece on NPR when Ruth Rendall died: "Many years ago, a friend left a copy of A Dark-Adapted Eye, Barbara Vine's first novel, outside my apartment door with a note that said: 'I wish I were reading this novel for the first time.' That was one of the best gifts I've ever received and, subsequently, I've probably bought and given away more copies of that novel than any other."
This is a slow burn. Much more of a why-done-it than a who-done-it, but I found it very compelling. I was a little confused in the first few chapters but it got sorted out, and even though I sort of guessed where it was going, I very much enjoyed the plotting that got to the end.
I have a history with this book. Years ago PBS did an adaptation on Mystery! I remember starting to watch it because of the name, and then getting so engrossed I stayed up late. The next day at work I found other people in the same state for the same reason.
So I remembered finding this story engrossing, but apart from a single scene I couldn't remember anything about the actual story. So I could read the book completely fresh. And yet again, I wound up completely drawn in and engrossed. I don't know what it is about it, but it hooks me.
It's not a mystery in the traditional sense. There's a murder, but w know whodunnit. We even get told mostly the why. The real mystery is in the psychology of the family involved in the scandal--a mid-20th century British middle class family for whom a scandal is the worst thing they can imagine. I'm going to check out other books by this author to see if her other books are as psychologically interesting!
Oh, I should mention that in the end there actually is a mystery, one that will never and can never be solved, because people are like that.
So I remembered finding this story engrossing, but apart from a single scene I couldn't remember anything about the actual story. So I could read the book completely fresh. And yet again, I wound up completely drawn in and engrossed. I don't know what it is about it, but it hooks me.
It's not a mystery in the traditional sense. There's a murder, but w know whodunnit. We even get told mostly the why. The real mystery is in the psychology of the family involved in the scandal--a mid-20th century British middle class family for whom a scandal is the worst thing they can imagine. I'm going to check out other books by this author to see if her other books are as psychologically interesting!
Oh, I should mention that in the end there actually is a mystery, one that will never and can never be solved, because people are like that.
I did like this book, but I was ready to be done with it about 3/4 of the way through. I grew weary of Vera & Eden, since I didn't like either one of them.
A slow beginning but oh boy it did deliver. Don't be dissuaded by the fact that we know the killer, this book has plenty of shocking revelations.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell writing suspense novels) and remembered it being one of the best suspense novels I had ever read. Recently, I saw it on a list of recommended books and decided to see if it would be as good the second time. It was!
The novel is told by Faith, the niece of vera Hillyer, who was hanged for murder in the late 1940s in England. The story begins the day Vera is hanged, and captures the reactions of the family. Then Faith goes backward to her childhood during WW 2 and her interactions with Vera and the rest of the - very complicated - family. I almost had to make a chart to figure out who was who, because Faith mentions these people as if they weren't related to her and doesn't explain everything.
Starting out with the murder makes the reader wonder "who was murdered and why?" As the story develops, the family relationships are explained. Some - like the identity of Faith's husband- aren't explained until the end. By the time I got close to the end, I thought I knew what had happened and why, and I was right. I'm sure this was Vine/Rendell making me think I was so smart.
Great characterization, excellent plotting, and a good feel for the setting all make this an excellent read.
The novel is told by Faith, the niece of vera Hillyer, who was hanged for murder in the late 1940s in England. The story begins the day Vera is hanged, and captures the reactions of the family. Then Faith goes backward to her childhood during WW 2 and her interactions with Vera and the rest of the - very complicated - family. I almost had to make a chart to figure out who was who, because Faith mentions these people as if they weren't related to her and doesn't explain everything.
Starting out with the murder makes the reader wonder "who was murdered and why?" As the story develops, the family relationships are explained. Some - like the identity of Faith's husband- aren't explained until the end. By the time I got close to the end, I thought I knew what had happened and why, and I was right. I'm sure this was Vine/Rendell making me think I was so smart.
Great characterization, excellent plotting, and a good feel for the setting all make this an excellent read.