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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A weird book without a traditional story. Even though I like the genre, this book felt dry and dragged at times. I feel sorry for Sara and Miranda, both, especially the former didn't deserved what happened to seem. I truly wish I knew what happened on hanging rock that awful picnic day, as well as to Sara afterwards.
Started as a compelling read but ultimately unsatisfying.
I will be thinking about this one for a long time. Not really sure how to rate it but it held my attention really well so the way to the final sentence.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On Valentine’s Day 1900 the young ladies from Appleyard College enjoy an outing to a local landmark. After lunch most of the party are content to rest in the shade but a small group decide to scale the rock. Only one girl returns; another is later discovered but the rest are never seen again. Picnic at Hanging Rock looks at the aftermath for some of the girls, the school and the wider community. It is cleverly written to give the appearance of being an actual event and I felt it captured the Australian environment, especially the heat, really well. The overall tone was eerie and mysterious, gothic without the brooding house! The fate of the girls is never revealed, meaning this will be an unsatisfactory reading experience for many. I did struggle a little while reading this one, frustrated by the attitudes and behaviour of the girls which was often petty and classist. I had to remind myself that it was representative of its time. Overall I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve read this Antipodean classic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
ok i definitely wouldn’t have read this if i didn’t have to for english but I’m glad I did. the first half i was kinda 🤨😐 but by the end i was so intrigued. not a lot of character development but I think thats okay for this book as it’s more plot focused. it’s been really interesting discussing this book/the gothic in class - one particularly interesting point that came up was how lindays representation of the white vanishing trope poses a direct juxtaposition to the stolen generation. anyways yeah just some food for thought but a good book, way better than the movie!
Picnic at Hanging Rock - quite a popular Australian novel when first published - tells of the mysterious disappearances of four women while at a picnic at Hanging Rock. Only one of the four is ever seen again, and after her rescue, she is unable to recall any events leading to the disappearance of the other three women. The event is damaging to those left behind, and the mystery of the disappearance is never solved.
This was made into an extremely successful movie.
One of the most alluring elements of the story is the associated uncertainty. Many have speculated on whether or not the story was true or based on true events. Lindsay refused to confirm or deny this during her lifetime, although an earlier draft of the novel includes a chapter that hints towards her thought process. Trust me, don't look for that extra chapter - or info about it until you've read the book. Enjoy the mystery and suspense.
Was i surprised by the ending? Yes, but I am not good at guessing. However, I found the book otherwise a little too slow. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.
This was made into an extremely successful movie.
One of the most alluring elements of the story is the associated uncertainty. Many have speculated on whether or not the story was true or based on true events. Lindsay refused to confirm or deny this during her lifetime, although an earlier draft of the novel includes a chapter that hints towards her thought process. Trust me, don't look for that extra chapter - or info about it until you've read the book. Enjoy the mystery and suspense.
Was i surprised by the ending? Yes, but I am not good at guessing. However, I found the book otherwise a little too slow. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.