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lk222's review against another edition
3.0
My first book of the new year was...just decent. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks is a gothic “mystery” that takes place in a mildly unsettling estate known as Byrne Hall. After discovering a portrait of her dead sister inside the estate, Freya Lyell returns to Byrne Hall to gather any clues she can about her sister’s suicide five years ago. She meets Cory and Diana Byrne, the handsome son and ill mother isolated inside their massive and barren home. They accept Freya’s arrival without any of the standard questions one might ask when someone, let alone a stranger, arrives at/in one’s home, and suddenly Freya’s abandoned her life, such as it is, for a world inside Byrne Hall’s creaky walls. The manse does whisper, but nothing more than ambience comes of it. Before long, Freya’s found herself in an obsessive relationship with Cory, a mediocre painter who casts Freya as his muse. As the story progresses, pieces of the Byrnes’ history and Freya’s sister’s disappearance are revealed, which, I admit, keep the pages turning until the grisly end.
The nostalgia of a once-grand manse fallen into disrepair in the hands of an odd mother-son duo is appealing, and strung me along well, turning this nearly 400 page book into a quick read. However, the “mystery” reveals itself rather early on and without any real surprises or exciting spins on the genre. Cory felt a bit cliche, always asking to draw Freya like some parody of Jack and Rose aboard the Titanic. However, what really bugged me was Freya’s decision-making. I won’t spoil the plot, but dear lord, she makes some horrible choices, especially toward the end. Decisions that aren’t just questionable, they’re plain dumb. However, if you’re looking for a spooky tale in an ambiguously haunted British estate that’s beautiful on the outside and rotten on the inside, that has the je-ne-sais-quoi of a Gothic read but no actual scary bits, this might be the book for you. It’s well-written, just not my perfect cup of tea.
The nostalgia of a once-grand manse fallen into disrepair in the hands of an odd mother-son duo is appealing, and strung me along well, turning this nearly 400 page book into a quick read. However, the “mystery” reveals itself rather early on and without any real surprises or exciting spins on the genre. Cory felt a bit cliche, always asking to draw Freya like some parody of Jack and Rose aboard the Titanic. However, what really bugged me was Freya’s decision-making. I won’t spoil the plot, but dear lord, she makes some horrible choices, especially toward the end. Decisions that aren’t just questionable, they’re plain dumb. However, if you’re looking for a spooky tale in an ambiguously haunted British estate that’s beautiful on the outside and rotten on the inside, that has the je-ne-sais-quoi of a Gothic read but no actual scary bits, this might be the book for you. It’s well-written, just not my perfect cup of tea.
laurenbea814's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
frecklefarmer's review against another edition
Dry. Flat. Fine premise but WOW I have no interest for ANY of these characters??? Felt bad to DNF then saw the average 2.8 review 🫠
flintsloveofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise that unfortunately fell a little flat. All the right elements were there but it just didn’t grab me.
mary00's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
This book had promise and was fine overall. I was compelled to keep reading, but ultimately it was a little too odd for my taste and I did not like any of the characters.
This book had promise and was fine overall. I was compelled to keep reading, but ultimately it was a little too odd for my taste and I did not like any of the characters.
magenmosley's review against another edition
3.0
Specifically 3.5/5 because of what I felt was an anticlimactic ending
chapterll's review against another edition
3.0
Most of this rating is for the author's writing. She's got beautiful prose that's really atmospheric. If the book took more time to delve into the antagonists or even leaned more heavily on the more supernatural elements, I think the plot could have been more compelling. It ended up being a bit like a postcard, really beautiful, but not much story to it.
hkburke2's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.75
So much was introduced and left unexplored - I didn't need for the to be a twist, but this one felt like a reveal of something everyone but the MC already knew, so it fell really flat for me. I could draw some connections to Rebecca but the involvement of the house here was ultimately disappointing/superficial. Not for me. (Also did not really vibe with the narration.)
gwalt118's review against another edition
2.0
Gothic literature is my favorite genre. Tin House is my favorite publisher. I assumed this would be a winning combination, and I admittedly failed to manage my own expectations of this novel. It took me a few days to figure out why this one didn't work for me, and I have three reasons:
1) Diana's point of view really threw me off. I only wanted there to be one woman in distress, and there were two, and I generally didn't like it. It distracted me. When I first encountered Diana's point of view, I actually thought it was the point of view of the house...and I would have likely loved that.
2) There were some very bizarre plot points and a few things that I thought were either very weird or too obvious. It felt like the Gothic elements were checkboxes rather than aspects woven into the plot or characters.
3) The ending is not a standard Gothic novel ending. And that's all I'll say. Message me if you want to know more.
Overall, this was a frustrating read for me. I still love Gothic novels, Tin House, and reading my shelves though!
1) Diana's point of view really threw me off. I only wanted there to be one woman in distress, and there were two, and I generally didn't like it. It distracted me. When I first encountered Diana's point of view, I actually thought it was the point of view of the house...and I would have likely loved that.
2) There were some very bizarre plot points and a few things that I thought were either very weird or too obvious. It felt like the Gothic elements were checkboxes rather than aspects woven into the plot or characters.
3) The ending is not a standard Gothic novel ending. And that's all I'll say. Message me if you want to know more.
Overall, this was a frustrating read for me. I still love Gothic novels, Tin House, and reading my shelves though!