Reviews

I love Hitchcock films so after seeing the film, it took me a while, but i finally pickt up the (audio)book. By that time I already forgot most of the details of the film. Ideal, because I now could start this book sort of fresh.
Off course there is a fair amount of swooning of the ladies but Daphne du Maurier makes it so that is sort of funny, or at least I find it funny.
I also like the heroine has her own will and isn't that much independant of male dominance. Of course theire is the fair amout of reverance to male and female division in the house and beyond but not in an overpowering 'this should be the model way'.
An other aspect I like in general of De Mauriers writing is that she has the ability to take you away to far away places and you believe the stories to take part. Eventhough the actual happening of such a tale is highly unlikely.
So all in all I would recommend this in the winter where a coach will (almost) take you down to Jamaica Inn ;).

louiza_read2live's review against another edition

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5.0

Very good! -- Arguably even better than her other book, Rebecca.
The twists and turns are brilliant. The descriptions are gripping, making the characters' experiences yours.

lilyantan's review against another edition

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3.0

Dear Goodreads, as this is the third time I am writing this review, I beseech you, please do something about these review windows. Accidentally clicking on the surrounding screen space results in the whole review getting erased. Can something be done? Please. Thank you.

The Review

Pros

-Brilliant scene painting and tone setting. I got the feel for the dark and Gothic plot instantly, even getting chills at certain scenes.

-Solid Plot and Mystery.

-Never a dull moment, the story maintained a constantly fast pace.

-A simple mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

Cons

-The dialogue fell flat

-For a "Historical Dark Romance", the scenes between the lovers where abrupt, lacking and few and far in between. They only met 3 times during the novel and even then the dialogue and events where just unjustified and unsatisfactory.

-A lot of "Fuck Logic" moments that were ignored and unexplained. For example, at one point the heroine is locked in her room and our hero breaks her window, yet no one in the household seems to hear this breaking, nor do they question her about it when they see it the next day.

-Anti-Climatic ending. The promise kept building up, promising a dark ending. It didn't happen.

It was a good effort, could have been better.

constantine2020's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Classic

The protagonist, a young woman named Mary Yellan, is sent to reside at the remote Jamaica Inn with her aunt and uncle. She quickly learns that her uncle is involved in a dark smuggling operation, and the inn is a haunted house with secrets of its own. Threats and intrigue mount as Mary attempts to survive the inn's terrible conditions and ominous atmosphere, and she investigates the mystery further.

The Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier is a chilling tale that captures the ominous atmosphere of a haunted inn on the desolate Cornish coast. As the tension gradually increases, a tangible feeling of foreboding is created. However, despite the interesting setting and atmosphere, the story was flat and uninteresting.

I went into Jamaica Inn expecting a psychological thriller like Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel. Although the book manages to create an eerie mood, it does not live up to the intricate and suspenseful works that came before it.

The mystery surrounding Jamaica Inn is tangible, and the Cornish setting is described with great detail. The characters, though, are not as interesting or complex as they were in du Maurier's earlier novels. Although adequate, the story lacked the psychological twists that had previously made her books stand out.

orliemcdonie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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