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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
every page of it was significantly used to tell a brilliant story of an experiment about life after death with an underlying mystery. the sci-fi aspects were also great and Daphne Du Maurier did a great job at making readers connect to the characters even in such a short book. can't wait to read more of her work.
As always, du Maurier is a master at setting the scene and creating an evocative and tangible atmosphere that instantly transports me. In this tale, however, she shows her diversity by delving into the realms of sci-fi.
The juxtaposition of the rugged beauty of the landscape and the technology of the research facility worked really well. I also loved the moral ambiguity of the story. The fact that the 'weak' (a terminally ill young man, an animal, and an 'idiot child') are used as guinea pigs in the experiments instantly calls into question an abuse of power, and the often murky problems of consent and ethics involved in scientific experimentation.
The eerie feel of the story culminates in an obvious though nonetheless unsettling warning about the danger of pushing science too far and meddling with mother nature. The ending itself could be read as hopeful or disturbing, depending on your approach, and this hint of the sinister always lurking beneath the surface is the trademark of classic du Maurier.
The juxtaposition of the rugged beauty of the landscape and the technology of the research facility worked really well. I also loved the moral ambiguity of the story. The fact that the 'weak' (a terminally ill young man, an animal, and an 'idiot child') are used as guinea pigs in the experiments instantly calls into question an abuse of power, and the often murky problems of consent and ethics involved in scientific experimentation.
The eerie feel of the story culminates in an obvious though nonetheless unsettling warning about the danger of pushing science too far and meddling with mother nature. The ending itself could be read as hopeful or disturbing, depending on your approach, and this hint of the sinister always lurking beneath the surface is the trademark of classic du Maurier.
So I read ‘The Breakthrough’ but for some reason it shares an ISBN with another book?
Anyway this book was really good and I was quite frustrated when it finished. I need to know more!!
Anyway this book was really good and I was quite frustrated when it finished. I need to know more!!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content
Minor: Grief
Ableism
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Note to future self - you did not read this book, you read The Breakthrough, a short story by Daphe Du Maurier. You were frustrated that it wasn’t longer because you were really enjoying it, and were also annoyed that your goodreads shelves are ruined because two books share the same ISBN for some bizarre reason.