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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
The Best Friend Book Club book for June 2017. I really enjoyed Lindsay's writing style, especially towards the beginning of the book. I would never want her to describe me, though, because she will either paint you as a goddess on earth or as an underserving imbecile who miraculously has survived despite stupidity and ugliness to whatever unfortunate age you may be. I have many thoughts on the main mystery of the book, so many in fact I might write an essay on it. I also found that I did begin to lose interest in the storyline in the last 50 pages of the book. Most of the major storyline surrounding the missing girls is over and you are left with characters who you have not built an attachment to or are just unlikable. I did watch the movie before reading this, though it was a couple years ago, and I definitely enjoyed the book better especially in regards to the what happened while characters were on hanging rock.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Pleasantly surprised with this one. Enjoyed the boarding school flavour at the start and then got swept up in the mystery. I can see why this is studied in schools - I definitely feel I'd like to talk to someone about it and swap theories!
would rather snort crushed up shards of glass than ever read this again
The premise of Picnic at Hanging Rock reminded me of the urban legend of David Lang, a 19th century American farmer who is said to have vanished into thin air while crossing his field. It's a haunting tale. Lang turned to look back at his family with a strange expression on his face before he just . . . disappeared, and a circle of tall grass later grew on the spot from which his voice could be heard calling for help, ever more faintly before that too was gone. Though often related as a real paranormal or alien abduction case (I read it as a kid in one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" books), it actually seems to have its origins in "The Difficulty of Crossing a Field," a short story by [a:Ambrose Bierce|14403|Ambrose Bierce|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1183231430p2/14403.jpg] that first appeared in the San Francisco Examiner in 1888. (Further reading.)
Picnic at Hanging Rock certainly had an element of such weirdness, but it is much more subtle. Most of the book is actually concerned with the aftermath, in particular the psychological and financial degeneration of Appleyard College and the romantic obsession of a young aristocrat visiting from England. Lindsay did in fact write a chapter explaining that the women had fallen into another dimension through some kind of time warp, but this was wisely cut out and the mystery left unresolved. The focus is not so much the event itself, as it is the effect of such a bizarre, unexplained tragedy on a microcosm of Australian society in 1900. An eerie, vivid, and almost dreamy book.
Picnic at Hanging Rock certainly had an element of such weirdness, but it is much more subtle. Most of the book is actually concerned with the aftermath, in particular the psychological and financial degeneration of Appleyard College and the romantic obsession of a young aristocrat visiting from England. Lindsay did in fact write a chapter explaining that the women had fallen into another dimension through some kind of time warp, but this was wisely cut out and the mystery left unresolved. The focus is not so much the event itself, as it is the effect of such a bizarre, unexplained tragedy on a microcosm of Australian society in 1900. An eerie, vivid, and almost dreamy book.
an absolute masterpiece in the tradition of Henry James, Shirley Jackson, and Joyce Carol Oates.
DO NOT read any introduction, preface, commentary, speculation, etcetera prior to the story itself. read the story, then look into further details. you do not want to ruin this disturbing mystery, as it is so well worth falling into.
DO NOT read any introduction, preface, commentary, speculation, etcetera prior to the story itself. read the story, then look into further details. you do not want to ruin this disturbing mystery, as it is so well worth falling into.
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I honestly don't really know what to make of this one! It's deliciously creepy and atmospheric, and I definitely got the chills, especially when I was reading last thing at night... but I can't deny that it largely feels like a novel in which nothing concrete actually happens.
Picnic at Hanging Rock famously follows a group of Australian schoolgirls in 1900 when they visit the eponymous Hanging Rock and three of them disappear. The whole thing feels incredibly ethereal, like we've accidentally entered Joan Lindsay's subconscious world, and honestly given how it was written I think that's more or less accurate! I enjoyed it, but I was also slightly bewildered by it. I think anyone who likes subtle horror and unresolved tension will like Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Picnic at Hanging Rock famously follows a group of Australian schoolgirls in 1900 when they visit the eponymous Hanging Rock and three of them disappear. The whole thing feels incredibly ethereal, like we've accidentally entered Joan Lindsay's subconscious world, and honestly given how it was written I think that's more or less accurate! I enjoyed it, but I was also slightly bewildered by it. I think anyone who likes subtle horror and unresolved tension will like Picnic at Hanging Rock.
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated