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jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
I had a lot of fun with this. It was well written and it had pirates. 4.5. After finding out that Daphne Du Maurier wanted to be a man, her protagonists make so much sense.
budzickova's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
booksandbabble's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
aiaiana's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bibliogouine's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
darkanddreary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
davidb71's review against another edition
4.25
I thought this was very enjoyable; very, very different to the other du Maurier books I've so far read. This is really an escapist fantasy, a romance, a pirate love story set in, I think, the 1600s. It's bold, it's audacious, it's bordering on being ridiculous, but she completely pulls it off. I thought it was terrific fun, but also more than just fun - as always with du Maurier there are deeper themes being explored here, beautifully written characters, and real emotional depth.
The story revolves around the character of Dona - Lady St. Columb - and her retreat from her husband and her life in London to the family's country estate in Cornwall. Here, along with her two small children, she seeks solitude and refuge from the superficiality of her London life. She crosses paths with a group of French pirates, who are staging raids along the coast, much to the consternation of the locals, but rather than being appalled by them, she becomes fascinated by their leader, Jean-Benoit Aubéry, whom she finds a surprisingly cultured, sophisticated and charismatic man, and she agrees to join them, disguised as a cabin boy, on a mission to steal a ship belonging to one of her neighbours.
It sounds ridiculous, but in its execution, it isn't ridiculous at all. Dona is escaping herself, the person that she had become, questioning her role as a woman, a mother, a wife, throwing caution to the wind, and at the same time helplessly, irrevocably, overwhelmingly, falling in love.
As always with du Maurier, I found the writing to be wonderful - with such precise attention to detail, in just the right way. The characters are brought to life in vivid detail, as are the locations and the scenery of the wind-swept Cornish coast. It is a fun novel, with a lot of humour in it, but I also found it very intense and dramatic at times. It's a roistering, boisterous novel, knowingly over-the-top, maybe at times a little tongue-in-cheek, but at its core it is exploring serious themes of identity, duty, maybe maternal responsibility, and it doesn't seek to give glib answers. I enjoyed everything about it. I enjoyed the dialogue very much - always very sharp and witty. I enjoyed how Dona's character developed over the course of the novel, into a person much more comfortable in her own skin. I enjoyed all of the subsidiary characters very much. I enjoyed the adventure Dona went on and the relationship that developed between her and Jean-Benoit, which was very compellingly and convincingly written.
The one tiny caveat I have is in regard to the opening chapter. It is a strange chapter, set in what would have been the present day when the book was written - around 1941, I think - and it involves a person being at the Frenchman's Creek of the title - the place where Dona first encountered the pirate ship - and sort of seeing, or imagining, these figures (Dona & Jean-Benoit) from the past; the present and past blurring together.
I didn't see what the point of this chapter was. Thankfully, it's mercifully short, but I still found it somewhat of a chore to read, and it almost put me off continuing with the book. It's not bad, as such, but I found it a little confusing to read and I don't know why the book needed it. It does provide a bit of foreshadowing, I suppose, but personally I'd have preferred it if the book had just started at Chapter Two, with Dona and her children travelling to the Cornish estate, which is the start of the story proper.
But overall, a terrific and hugely enjoyable novel that I had a great time reading. It doesn't feel quite as substantial a piece of work as the other du Maurier book's I've so far read, but I still think it's great - a very singular, memorable book.
The story revolves around the character of Dona - Lady St. Columb - and her retreat from her husband and her life in London to the family's country estate in Cornwall. Here, along with her two small children, she seeks solitude and refuge from the superficiality of her London life. She crosses paths with a group of French pirates, who are staging raids along the coast, much to the consternation of the locals, but rather than being appalled by them, she becomes fascinated by their leader, Jean-Benoit Aubéry, whom she finds a surprisingly cultured, sophisticated and charismatic man, and she agrees to join them, disguised as a cabin boy, on a mission to steal a ship belonging to one of her neighbours.
It sounds ridiculous, but in its execution, it isn't ridiculous at all. Dona is escaping herself, the person that she had become, questioning her role as a woman, a mother, a wife, throwing caution to the wind, and at the same time helplessly, irrevocably, overwhelmingly, falling in love.
As always with du Maurier, I found the writing to be wonderful - with such precise attention to detail, in just the right way. The characters are brought to life in vivid detail, as are the locations and the scenery of the wind-swept Cornish coast. It is a fun novel, with a lot of humour in it, but I also found it very intense and dramatic at times. It's a roistering, boisterous novel, knowingly over-the-top, maybe at times a little tongue-in-cheek, but at its core it is exploring serious themes of identity, duty, maybe maternal responsibility, and it doesn't seek to give glib answers. I enjoyed everything about it. I enjoyed the dialogue very much - always very sharp and witty. I enjoyed how Dona's character developed over the course of the novel, into a person much more comfortable in her own skin. I enjoyed all of the subsidiary characters very much. I enjoyed the adventure Dona went on and the relationship that developed between her and Jean-Benoit, which was very compellingly and convincingly written.
The one tiny caveat I have is in regard to the opening chapter. It is a strange chapter, set in what would have been the present day when the book was written - around 1941, I think - and it involves a person being at the Frenchman's Creek of the title - the place where Dona first encountered the pirate ship - and sort of seeing, or imagining, these figures (Dona & Jean-Benoit) from the past; the present and past blurring together.
I didn't see what the point of this chapter was. Thankfully, it's mercifully short, but I still found it somewhat of a chore to read, and it almost put me off continuing with the book. It's not bad, as such, but I found it a little confusing to read and I don't know why the book needed it. It does provide a bit of foreshadowing, I suppose, but personally I'd have preferred it if the book had just started at Chapter Two, with Dona and her children travelling to the Cornish estate, which is the start of the story proper.
But overall, a terrific and hugely enjoyable novel that I had a great time reading. It doesn't feel quite as substantial a piece of work as the other du Maurier book's I've so far read, but I still think it's great - a very singular, memorable book.
mirandascastle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
libeccio's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5