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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Entertaining and atmospheric despite several improbable plot points.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Black Rabbit Hall is a captivating multiple-era “Gothic”, a snack-sized “Kate Morton” that popped up on the used bookstore shelf at exactly the right moment for me....a perfect two-bite brownie mid-winter read, gobbled up in one day, when faced with a sky high to-read pile. I think I shall hang on to this book and revisit it at my leisure.
A bi-linear family mystery/drama reminiscent of the work of Kate Morton or Kate Mosse. Nothing jaw-dropping and revolutionary about this piece, but still quite entertaining. Chase manages to negotiate a climax reveal that is fairly easy to anticipate but still manages to hold a few surprises for the reader. The conclusion is bundled up with a classic, cheesy happily ever after, but also somehow feels like idealist comeuppance for the multi-generational characters.
This is a tightly-woven family saga you'll enjoy if you're into manor houses and obscure, weather-beaten British landscapes. Chase divulges just enough, but not too much, as the novel progresses, alternating between two female characters and two time periods. It's excellent writing with good dialogue and a vivid, mysterious setting. Also, a twisty climax and satisfying ending!
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much if I was reading a physical copy. I would have gotten tired of the family drama; but as an audio-book, it was quite enjoyable.
3.5. It’s a well written book but I’m reminded of many other better novels in a similar vein, the past story and present story back and forth until all is explained. Good, not great, not a 4.
As seems to always be the case with these dual-timeline books, one story wins out over the other in terms of plot, characters, and intrigue. The other story was lackluster and contrived, and Lorna was simply grating as a character. The only relief to that timeline was the presence of Caroline Alton, a figure who I thought was handled most unjustly over the course of the story: yes she is manipulative and grasping, but at the core of it she was just a scorned woman hoping to make something better of her life, with a scumbag who had left her in the first place to boot! I had more sympathy for her than for Amber, in all honesty. And I can't abide the sappiness and implausibility of her and Lucien's relationship, and that it was sustained, and lasted, very nearly from cradle to canes. That the incest was fabricated by Caroline was such a cop out; the story would have been better had it been true. (Or maybe I just despise happily ever afters.) And the twist was rather poorly concealed, or maybe I just saw it coming—otherwise why give the POV narrative to Amber instead of Peggy, right? The 1960s narrative was much more compelling and would have served as a strong story on its own. Taken together with Lorna's contrived narrative and it suffers.
I love gothic themed literature with vague possibilities of ghostly undertones, therefore it was no wonder I was immediately enthralled by the description and the cover of Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase. She creates a wonderfully rich atmosphere of Cornish family heritage, old money regality, and the vanishing secrets of a disintegrating clan. Every summer the family vacations at Black Rabbit Hall where hours pass differently and no clock reads an accurate time. After tragedy strikes the family, some members are more willing to move on than others with devastating consequences. Decades later, the saga unfolds when a curious Londoner finds the mansion listed as a possible wedding venue. Although no major supernatural elements come into play, there is still a haunting tone lurking about. If this is the author’s debut novel, I anxiously await what she’ll create next. Fans of Diane Setterfield’s, "The Thirteenth Tale" will enjoy this! -Lisanne E.