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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
Atmospheric, mysterious and beautiful. Just like Hanging Rock itself.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Recently had the pleasure of visiting Hanging Rock, the setting for this book, and I accidentally almost lined up the timing. This made it very easy to imagine the rich setting Lindsay creates, and I enjoyed reading this book. The initial mystery is unveiled quickly at the beginning, and then we see the effects and consequences ripple out throughout the rest of the book, but it all feels tightly and neatly contained. Throughout the book Lindsay plays with the themes of dreaming/sleeping; giving the book an unmistakeable Gothic feel, and the air of mystery is never dispersed.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very distinctly Aussie. Very involved in the Australian environment and how quick we are to cringe away from it in fear and disgust. And perhaps rightly so! We understand so little about us and it simply thrives on killing people. It only makes sense we invent ghost stories about it -- what else do we attribute such unknowable hostility to?
The last few pages elevate this from "huh?" to "holy shit."
The last few pages elevate this from "huh?" to "holy shit."
4.5 Stars
This book was a page turner, especially the ending. I was hooked by the story and bewildered by the mystery. I know that this book will stay itched in my memory for a long time. I could spend hours contemplating and developing theories to solve the mystery but none of them seem to fit or make sense. It was just the most bizarre book but I really enjoyed it!!!
Lindsay's writing was beautiful, I could picture everything. As an Australian I loved the imagery used to describe the landscape. I felt like I was in the early 1900's and a side person viewing the story. While it is a true story it feels impossible to imagine what happened at Hanging Rock did. Those poor school girls, the governess and the head mistress (although it was hard to have pity for her at times). It is a terribly sad story.
This book was a page turner, especially the ending. I was hooked by the story and bewildered by the mystery. I know that this book will stay itched in my memory for a long time. I could spend hours contemplating and developing theories to solve the mystery but none of them seem to fit or make sense. It was just the most bizarre book but I really enjoyed it!!!
Lindsay's writing was beautiful, I could picture everything. As an Australian I loved the imagery used to describe the landscape. I felt like I was in the early 1900's and a side person viewing the story. While it is a true story it feels impossible to imagine what happened at Hanging Rock did. Those poor school girls, the governess and the head mistress (although it was hard to have pity for her at times). It is a terribly sad story.
I read this for a book club, set in 1900 and moves kind of slowly but then DANG it got so scary. I did not think it was that creepy until last night when I got to the end and had to sleep with the lights on. Definitely outside of my typical BOTM reading selections but worth checking out, especially if you see yourself as part of the Australian elite like I do
Fall is coming and with it my need to read something mysterious and captivating. Picnic at Hanging Rock was a good choice. A fast, easy read, it's well written with a good cast of characters, including the curious monolith itself. Set in Australia in the year 1900, three girls exploring the Rock disappear. I was completely engaged in the story and I was left feeling the author was very clever in the setup and never disclosed if it was a true story or not. Read the forward last, as it examines the story and offers some insight into the bits of weirdness in the tale. It was a good story with loads of unanswered questions, which makes me smile and feel the author was clever enough in her storytelling to have a little fun with her readers and see if they would catch on to what she was doing with it.
Wow, what an incredible book! It’s mysterious, atmospheric and so easily builds empathy and distrust for the characters within. Picnic at Hanging Rock is up there with The Beach for me, living on a pedestal. I think this will be a book that I recommend to anyone with an interesting in reading.
A classic novel set in Australia full of eeriness and uncertainty. A group of boarding school girls and two chaperones go to Hanging Rock for a picnic one summer day. Four girls wander off to explore the rock but only one comes back. What happened to the other girls? The search for answers and the impact of event take dark turns. There was a really strong sense of place but I found the ambiguity quite frustrating.
After reading the book I discovered that the author had written a more conclusive final chapter. I'm not sure if I would have been happier knowing the truth or not when reading the book.
After reading the book I discovered that the author had written a more conclusive final chapter. I'm not sure if I would have been happier knowing the truth or not when reading the book.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated