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helenh1975's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
s_melly's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this blast from the past, winner of the Edgar Award 1960!
zukythebookbum's review against another edition
4.0
A really solid suspense novel with genuinely creepy moments but also a lot of wit. I feel like Fremlin captured the exhausting life of a 50’s housewife well and all the characters here were so well fleshed out!
Considering this was written in the 50’s, it’s feels like it was quite ahead of it’s time in terms of themes. That being said, it is also very much a book of its time with certain language we wouldn’t use now.
Considering this was written in the 50’s, it’s feels like it was quite ahead of it’s time in terms of themes. That being said, it is also very much a book of its time with certain language we wouldn’t use now.
admatthews's review against another edition
4.0
Described as an English Patricia Highsmith but so much more like an English Shirley Jackson.
flyawaytinker's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jodygerbig's review against another edition
4.0
So many truths about motherhood in this gem of a book. The end felt a little contrived, but the first 80% was so spot-on real I couldn’t help but quote it to everyone as I read.
ashleylm's review against another edition
4.0
An early relative of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, a domestic drama with an unreliable narrator (well, she's reliable, but she's so sleep-deprived that she gets confused), and a wonderful sense of lurking danger without being sure what might be coming and who might be the cause.
The author does a wonderful job of capturing the sensation of just-barely-coping with a baby who won't sleep--I'll never forget that--and is worth reading for that alone. It's beautifully written, she's a marvelous writer.
If you're expecting an action-packed thrill ride, this is not the book. Aside from a few moments of high drama, not that much happens. But it's still a page-turner!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
The author does a wonderful job of capturing the sensation of just-barely-coping with a baby who won't sleep--I'll never forget that--and is worth reading for that alone. It's beautifully written, she's a marvelous writer.
If you're expecting an action-packed thrill ride, this is not the book. Aside from a few moments of high drama, not that much happens. But it's still a page-turner!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
msaari's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Celia Fremlin (1914–2009) oli englantilainen mysteeriromaanien kirjoittaja, jonka romaanien Lucy Lethbridge kuvaa artikkelissaan esittävän kodin kammottavan ja intiimin kauhun satamana. Fremlin kirjoitti ensimmäisen kirjansa vuonna 1940 ja tämä Hetket ennen aamunkoittoa vuodelta 1958 on hänen esikoisromaaninsa. Se on myös hänen menestyksekkäin kirjansa ja voitti arvostetun parhaan romaanin Edgar Allan Poe -palkinnon vuonna 1960.
Kotiin tämäkin teos sijoittuu. Kirjan pääosassa on Louise Henderson, nuori äiti jossain Lontoon ankeassa lähiössä. Louisella on kaksi kouluikäistä tytärtä ja poikavauva, joka itkee yöt läpeensä. Itku pitää Louisen hereillä, kiristää miehen hermoja ja suututtaa naapurin. ”Antaisin mitä tahansa yhden yön unesta” on romaanin aloituslause ja monille pienten lasten vanhemmille syvästi totta edelleen.
Louisen on pyöritettävä uupuneena huushollia. Asioita sekoittamaan saapuu neiti Brandon, ”sangen kunnioitettava” opettajatar, joka vuokraa Hendersonien ullakkohuoneen. Vuokralainen asettuu kaikesta kaaoksesta huolimatta kodiksi, mutta jotain epäilyttävää hänessä on. Hänen sininen matkalaukkunsa näyttää omituisesti tutulta ja Louisen mies Mark jää miettimään, missä hän on neiti Brandonin nähnyt. Vuokralainen on kuitenkin latinakoulun opettaja ja kaikin puolin asiallisen oloinen neiti-ihminen, joten Louise yrittää unohtaa huolensa.
Vuokralaisen saapuminen aloittaa kuitenkin omituisten tapahtumien sarjan. Miksi neiti Brandon sanoo lähtevänsä Oxfordiin, mutta viettääkin päivänsä huoneessaan tuijotellen pihalle? Miksi naapurin lapsi väittää nähneensä hänet penkomassa Hendersonien makuuhuoneen laatikoita? Kaikkea Louisen kokemaa varjostaa pohjaton väsymys, joten voiko hän luottaa aisteihinsa ollenkaan?
Hetket ennen aamunkoittoa alkaa uuvuttavana vanhemmuuden kuvauksena ja kehittyy piinaavaksi trilleriksi. Peruskuvio on edelleen pätevä ja perustuu sillä tavalla Louisen väsymykseen, että vaikka moni asia lapsiperheiden elämässä on muuttunut, tarina on silti yhä uskottava ja ymmärrettävä.
On tässä toki vanhentuneet puolensakin. Anna-Liisa Laineen suomennos on onneksi kestänyt aikaa ihan mukavasti, vaikka vähän pumpulipuvuissa kuljetaankin. Louisen ja hänen äitiystäviensä kasvatusmenetelmät ja etenkin vauvanhoito eivät ihan tämän päivän standardeja täyttäisi. Vauva jätetään yksin siksi aikaa, kun äiti vie muut lapset kouluun. Sielläpähän huutaa! Ajankuvaa se. Louisen mies Mark on myös aika sietämätön mieslapsi, jonka satunnaiset yritykset olla Louiselle avuksi vain pahentavat tilannetta, miehellä kun ei ole minkäänlaista kosketusta huushollinhoitoon.
Trilleriä keventää paikoin Celia Fremlinin tarkkaan havainnoiva ja pisteliäskin kuvaus yhteiskuntaluokista ja perhe-elämästä. Tämä napakkuus on yhä raikasta. Kirja kuvaa hienosti älykkäiden naisten turhautumista 1950-luvun perhe-elämään sodanjälkeisen Lontoon niukkuudessa ja köyhyydessä. Ajankuvana Hetket ennen aamunkoittoa on kiehtova ja vielä nykypäivänäkin ymmärrettävä ja toimiva trillerijuoni tekee ajankuvasta mielenkiintoista luettavaa.
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
I was immediately intrigued by this book because it was billed as the original psychological thriller. If you’re a regular visitor to my blog, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of thrillers. This book was originally published in the 1950s. I was interested to see how it translated now.
The Hours Before Dawn tells the story of Louise who has recently had a baby boy who just won’t stop crying. She has two girls and a husband to keep as well. Louise’s life appears to be falling apart and her husband is pretty oblivious to everything around him. He is annoyed about the baby crying all the time and puts pressure on Louise to sort it all out. Others around Louise believe she is spiralling into madness. But is it madness or something else? Louise’s new lodger is not quite what she seems. Louise is suspicious that something is happening with the lodger, but not many believe Louise…
I really liked how the author didn’t seem to throw us any clues. It could have been Louise going mad or the lodger getting up to something. It was hard to believe in a character, they are both quite unreliable and I loved that element of the story. Celia Fremlin was clearly a talented author. She writes such great characters and doesn’t easily give away what’s happening. I found it to be a creepy read and interesting look into 1950s life.
I think part of my problem with the story is that it hasn’t aged as well as it could have done. Sure, if you read it in the mindset that it was the 1950s then you can imagine that Louise was a perfect character to represent a stay at home mum/wife. I think women now are much more likely to fight against that type of life.
I think you’d enjoy this book if you like to read a high quality, mysterious, creepy read.
The Hours Before Dawn tells the story of Louise who has recently had a baby boy who just won’t stop crying. She has two girls and a husband to keep as well. Louise’s life appears to be falling apart and her husband is pretty oblivious to everything around him. He is annoyed about the baby crying all the time and puts pressure on Louise to sort it all out. Others around Louise believe she is spiralling into madness. But is it madness or something else? Louise’s new lodger is not quite what she seems. Louise is suspicious that something is happening with the lodger, but not many believe Louise…
I really liked how the author didn’t seem to throw us any clues. It could have been Louise going mad or the lodger getting up to something. It was hard to believe in a character, they are both quite unreliable and I loved that element of the story. Celia Fremlin was clearly a talented author. She writes such great characters and doesn’t easily give away what’s happening. I found it to be a creepy read and interesting look into 1950s life.
I think part of my problem with the story is that it hasn’t aged as well as it could have done. Sure, if you read it in the mindset that it was the 1950s then you can imagine that Louise was a perfect character to represent a stay at home mum/wife. I think women now are much more likely to fight against that type of life.
I think you’d enjoy this book if you like to read a high quality, mysterious, creepy read.