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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Valentine’s Day in the year 1900 was a nice day for a picnic especially at the scenic Hanging Rock. Of the many students and staff from Appleyard College that attended, four of them would never be seen again…
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay is a fascinating Australian mystery without a clear solution but some entertaining commentary on rural Aussie life at the turn of the century…
I rather enjoyed the beginning which consisted of comments on Valentine’s Day cards, school girl gossip, and a nice picture of the life at a young girl’s college in a large gold rush era mansion.
When some of the picnic attendees go missing, many elements of the college and the nearby communities go into action to find out what happened.
I can’t think of too many other examples of interesting post-Victorian mysteries…especially not any set in Australia.
In addition, the author makes use of real world geography and even hints that the story is “based on a true story” (but that all those involved are long dead). Regardless, it’s a fun story worth checking out and possibly adapting for a new audience…
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay is a fascinating Australian mystery without a clear solution but some entertaining commentary on rural Aussie life at the turn of the century…
I rather enjoyed the beginning which consisted of comments on Valentine’s Day cards, school girl gossip, and a nice picture of the life at a young girl’s college in a large gold rush era mansion.
When some of the picnic attendees go missing, many elements of the college and the nearby communities go into action to find out what happened.
I can’t think of too many other examples of interesting post-Victorian mysteries…especially not any set in Australia.
In addition, the author makes use of real world geography and even hints that the story is “based on a true story” (but that all those involved are long dead). Regardless, it’s a fun story worth checking out and possibly adapting for a new audience…
This is a very peculiar book. Is it a comedy of manners? A murder mystery? A ghost story? It contains elements of all three, but the reader is yanked about mercilessly by the fluctuating style.
One thing I can definitely say is it made me laugh out loud several times, and it kept me gripped right until the end.
Things I will definitely remember: the obsession with beauty; the way clocks are always stopping; how nature is lovingly rendered in vivid colours - somewhat overrendered at times in florid sentences; the homoerotic undertones between coachman Alfred and gentleman Mike; the girls flying into an hysterical frenzy in the gymnasium; the bizarre collection of governesses headed by the (possibly homicidal?) head mistress.
I have to say I enjoyed it. It was uneven. It was bizarre. It was sexual. It was gruesome. But I enjoyed it.
One thing I can definitely say is it made me laugh out loud several times, and it kept me gripped right until the end.
Things I will definitely remember: the obsession with beauty; the way clocks are always stopping; how nature is lovingly rendered in vivid colours - somewhat overrendered at times in florid sentences; the homoerotic undertones between coachman Alfred and gentleman Mike; the girls flying into an hysterical frenzy in the gymnasium; the bizarre collection of governesses headed by the (possibly homicidal?) head mistress.
I have to say I enjoyed it. It was uneven. It was bizarre. It was sexual. It was gruesome. But I enjoyed it.
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Irregarding the ampunt of fabricated background around the true hapennings at that time, the story is well written and enticing.
The foreshadowing works well and does not stop the reader to wonder what exactly has happened.
The foreshadowing works well and does not stop the reader to wonder what exactly has happened.
mysterious
slow-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
If you need your books to end nice and tidy with no loose ends, this isn’t the book for you. It’s sometimes a tough read as it is set in the year 1900. However, with all that said, it’s definitely a slow burn mystery with some light supernaturalness.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
A very strong sense of place with a dream like quality and slow deterioration of everything at the school.
This was such an interesting yet ultimately frustrating novel. The central mystery, the disappearance of the three school girls and one of their teachers, is engrossing, but the novel never gives us answer to what happened to them.
The writing is first-rate: the main characters are well developed, and the author slowly and expertly increases the suspense as the story progresses, but the lack of any resolution is a big disappointment.
Of course, some might say that the author could not resolve the mystery as the novel is based on a true story: the author notes, after the list of the cast of characters at the beginning, that the story may be fact or fiction, and it is up to the reader to decide which. I have not yet researched this to see whether it is fact or fiction, but my guess is that it is entirely a work of fiction.
In any case, it was a thrilling read from beginning to end.
The writing is first-rate: the main characters are well developed, and the author slowly and expertly increases the suspense as the story progresses, but the lack of any resolution is a big disappointment.
Of course, some might say that the author could not resolve the mystery as the novel is based on a true story: the author notes, after the list of the cast of characters at the beginning, that the story may be fact or fiction, and it is up to the reader to decide which. I have not yet researched this to see whether it is fact or fiction, but my guess is that it is entirely a work of fiction.
In any case, it was a thrilling read from beginning to end.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated