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stronggirlreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a quick read, I had it done in a day. The story was interesting and creepy but it did really hold much for me. I haven't read Weathering Heights and I'm not sure if I knew the story I would understand this a little better. I think if you've read it this book might be nice. Overall it was creepy but I'm not going to be raving about it to anyone
singularitme's review against another edition
2.0
More like a 2.5 but I can't score it a 3 so I rounded down. Spoilers to come if you plan on reading this book (but I would suggest a pass).
I'm not exactly sure what I read. It's certainly not a bad book but it's not a good book either. I thought it would be a good, quick read but I think the length of the book is part of the problem. Ideas are introduced but there isn't enough time allotted to address them all.
Tabby and Himself find two wax dolls, male and female. The male doll is stuck with straight pins. Are they voodoo dolls? I get that they're supposed to represent the Maid and the Master but what other reason is there for them?
They discover that the Seldom House is actually 4 different buildings that surround a courtyard. Why? What is the reason besides to have a courtyard in the story? Couldn't the house just have been built with a courtyard?
The biggest problem is the heathen ceremony that takes place at Seldom House by the Master and the villagers. It's never explained why this is done (to keep the house...? Maybe?) and the rules are very convoluted. Example: the ceremony requires that the master (or proxy) must not be christened, but the maid can be christened (Tabby is). Also sitting on the Master's Chair (or throne or whatever) renders the christening null? What? I just don't get this. Also WHY are the ghosts haunting Himself and Tabby? Tabby says she thought it was to warn them but then she realizes at the end it's really to gloat. Ok...? I mean, they're partially the reason Tabby discovers so much about Seldom House but still, it doesn't make sense. The plot turns in this story weren't very intuitive. Yes, I want to be surprised with where a story goes but I also want it to make sense. There really aren't clues that allude to anything about the ceremony. When they first came upon the courtyard with all the bones I thought there was some secret curse on the house. The master and the maid would die under mysterious circumstances and their bodies would be dumped in the courtyard. That would make more sense.
Because this is a prelude to Wuthering Heights I was fully expecting there to be more references and foreshadowing to the aforementioned story. Instead, it was all wrapped up and explained in the last chapter of the book. Tabby ends up being the real-life housekeeper to the Bronte family and she tells the children her creepy stories. Great, that makes sense and it's a cool way to tie the two books together. But then it's also explained that Himself is picked up by a man who names him Heathcliff (due to something he misheard) and taken to a place called Wuthering Heights. So Himself is both an inspiration for Heathcliff and the real Heathcliff himself? I wish the author had chosen one or the other because it just makes the ending messy. It's more like a well written but bad fanfiction, if you know what I mean. The author's writing style is compelling and even though it's not exactly the same it fits in with Wuthering Heights. The storyline is just so disjointed and underdeveloped.
I'm not exactly sure what I read. It's certainly not a bad book but it's not a good book either. I thought it would be a good, quick read but I think the length of the book is part of the problem. Ideas are introduced but there isn't enough time allotted to address them all.
Tabby and Himself find two wax dolls, male and female. The male doll is stuck with straight pins. Are they voodoo dolls? I get that they're supposed to represent the Maid and the Master but what other reason is there for them?
They discover that the Seldom House is actually 4 different buildings that surround a courtyard. Why? What is the reason besides to have a courtyard in the story? Couldn't the house just have been built with a courtyard?
The biggest problem is the heathen ceremony that takes place at Seldom House by the Master and the villagers. It's never explained why this is done (to keep the house...? Maybe?) and the rules are very convoluted. Example: the ceremony requires that the master (or proxy) must not be christened, but the maid can be christened (Tabby is). Also sitting on the Master's Chair (or throne or whatever) renders the christening null? What? I just don't get this. Also WHY are the ghosts haunting Himself and Tabby? Tabby says she thought it was to warn them but then she realizes at the end it's really to gloat. Ok...? I mean, they're partially the reason Tabby discovers so much about Seldom House but still, it doesn't make sense. The plot turns in this story weren't very intuitive. Yes, I want to be surprised with where a story goes but I also want it to make sense. There really aren't clues that allude to anything about the ceremony. When they first came upon the courtyard with all the bones I thought there was some secret curse on the house. The master and the maid would die under mysterious circumstances and their bodies would be dumped in the courtyard. That would make more sense.
Because this is a prelude to Wuthering Heights I was fully expecting there to be more references and foreshadowing to the aforementioned story. Instead, it was all wrapped up and explained in the last chapter of the book. Tabby ends up being the real-life housekeeper to the Bronte family and she tells the children her creepy stories. Great, that makes sense and it's a cool way to tie the two books together. But then it's also explained that Himself is picked up by a man who names him Heathcliff (due to something he misheard) and taken to a place called Wuthering Heights. So Himself is both an inspiration for Heathcliff and the real Heathcliff himself? I wish the author had chosen one or the other because it just makes the ending messy. It's more like a well written but bad fanfiction, if you know what I mean. The author's writing style is compelling and even though it's not exactly the same it fits in with Wuthering Heights. The storyline is just so disjointed and underdeveloped.
dodie's review
5.0
I was warned not to read this while alone at night, and that was good advice! The House of Dead Maids is a terrifying and smart read, perfect for fans of ghost stories AND lovers of classic literature. A little Poe, a little Austen.
velveteen67's review
4.0
Very creepy and left me wanting to find out more about Heathcliff and his journey. Will have to check out Wuthering Heights.
xterminal's review
3.0
Clare B. Dunkle, The House of Dead Maids (Holt, 2010)
The current craze for revising and updating classic works of literature rolls on with Clare Dunkle's The House of Dead Maids, a prequel to Wuthering Heights with an intriguing twist. In this one, Tabby (the real-life maid of the Bronte family, mentioned by biographers as the source of Emily's gothic leanings), formerly an orphan at a knitting school, is chosen by an old biddy named Miss Winter to be the new governess at a secluded mansion. She finds the driver, Arnby, far more companionable than Miss Winter. When they all get back, she's told she has the run of the place until the young master gets there. (A pause to mention that with all the moaning about how she felt useless in the same breath as how dusty everything was, you'd have thought she'd clean something.) Then cometh the young master, the savage lout who will grow up to become Heathcliff. (While this bit of information is not revealed until the Epilogue in the actual text, one can't really call it a spoiler; it's in the first sentence of the jacket copy.) There is something very odd afoot at Seldom House, and it falls to Tabby and Himself, as she calls Heathcliff, to figure out what's going on, and why the ghost of Izzy, Tabby's predecessor at the house, keeps appearing to her.
Running at just one hundred forty-eight pages, this is a tract that an adult lover of Wuthering Heights would be able to take down in an afternoon, and I'd think even reluctant YA readers would get through it in a scant weekend. It's got more than enough in the way of mystery, suspense, and the occasional gore to capture the imagination of male readers in a way that the Bronte sisters never quite managed to, but Bronte fans will likely be charmed by Dunkle's cleverness with language; she's quite obviously influenced by Emily Bronte without ever sacrificing her own voice to that of her spiritual predecessor. Me, I've never been a Bronte fan myself, but I liked this all right. Definitely worth picking up for the scary-story lover in your house. ***
The current craze for revising and updating classic works of literature rolls on with Clare Dunkle's The House of Dead Maids, a prequel to Wuthering Heights with an intriguing twist. In this one, Tabby (the real-life maid of the Bronte family, mentioned by biographers as the source of Emily's gothic leanings), formerly an orphan at a knitting school, is chosen by an old biddy named Miss Winter to be the new governess at a secluded mansion. She finds the driver, Arnby, far more companionable than Miss Winter. When they all get back, she's told she has the run of the place until the young master gets there. (A pause to mention that with all the moaning about how she felt useless in the same breath as how dusty everything was, you'd have thought she'd clean something.) Then cometh the young master, the savage lout who will grow up to become Heathcliff. (While this bit of information is not revealed until the Epilogue in the actual text, one can't really call it a spoiler; it's in the first sentence of the jacket copy.) There is something very odd afoot at Seldom House, and it falls to Tabby and Himself, as she calls Heathcliff, to figure out what's going on, and why the ghost of Izzy, Tabby's predecessor at the house, keeps appearing to her.
Running at just one hundred forty-eight pages, this is a tract that an adult lover of Wuthering Heights would be able to take down in an afternoon, and I'd think even reluctant YA readers would get through it in a scant weekend. It's got more than enough in the way of mystery, suspense, and the occasional gore to capture the imagination of male readers in a way that the Bronte sisters never quite managed to, but Bronte fans will likely be charmed by Dunkle's cleverness with language; she's quite obviously influenced by Emily Bronte without ever sacrificing her own voice to that of her spiritual predecessor. Me, I've never been a Bronte fan myself, but I liked this all right. Definitely worth picking up for the scary-story lover in your house. ***
ceruleanjen's review
2.0
This book is geared more toward middle grade though I found in the Young Adult section, but I decided to read on. The cover is what drew me, though the synopsis sounded interesting. And although I personally hated Wuthering Heights, I decided to read it anyway.
This was one of those books that took me a while to get through, even though it's short in length. The author failed to hook me at the beginning and I just felt "meh" about the entire story and most of the characters.
The only character I truly liked was Himself. The main character, Tabby, got on my nerves. She was so self-righteous that I wanted to strangle her most of the time. While her faith did eventually come in handy, I still didn't care for her.
And while the illustrations before each chapter are kind of creepy, this book wasn't as creepy as I was expecting. The plot near the end made little sense to me, especially concerning the tie to Wuthering Heights.
Not the worst book I've ever read, but I don't plan on ever re-reading it nor recommending. Could have been better.
This was one of those books that took me a while to get through, even though it's short in length. The author failed to hook me at the beginning and I just felt "meh" about the entire story and most of the characters.
The only character I truly liked was Himself. The main character, Tabby, got on my nerves. She was so self-righteous that I wanted to strangle her most of the time. While her faith did eventually come in handy, I still didn't care for her.
And while the illustrations before each chapter are kind of creepy, this book wasn't as creepy as I was expecting. The plot near the end made little sense to me, especially concerning the tie to Wuthering Heights.
Not the worst book I've ever read, but I don't plan on ever re-reading it nor recommending. Could have been better.
lawralthelibrarian's review
This cover grabbed me. I walked past the girl with no eyes probably a dozen times before I decided I just had to have a copy of this book. That girl on the cover is so enthralling. And a little disturbing. And she doesn't disappoint. This book is enthralling. And a more than a little disturbing. Tabby's life at Seldom House is odd, creepy, and plagued by ghosts, some seemingly kind and some openly menacing.
The House of Dead Maids has a wonderfully creepy and complicated set-up. It is hard to guess what is really going on at Seldom House with its old maid and young maid, neither of whom are actually maids, and its old master and young master, neither of whom act like the wealthy landowners they're supposed to be. Everything is a bit...off, from the way the house is run to the way the townspeople react to those in it. In the beginning, it's not so weird that it alarms Tabby, every town and house has its quirks, but it does make her feel vulnerable and a little off-kilter. It's in this state that she starts to encounter the ghosts, one in particular that she might have know in their lives before Seldom House. The mood ranges from a little dark to pretty darn scary. When we finally see what is really going on at Seldom House, there are a few holes left in the story, but they do not detract from the rapidly increasing creepy factor that just keeps getting higher the more things are explained.
Much has been made of The Heathcliff Connection in this book. Himself, or Heathen Git, is supposed to grow up to be Brontë's Heathcliff, and Tabby, a real historical person, grows up to be the Brontës' maid and teller of late night ghost stories. While this is kind of cool, I do think that The Heathcliff Connection is being emphasized a bit too much. It didn't seem to have too much to do with the stories, The House of Dead Maids or Wuthering Heights. Tabby's real life connection to the Brontës, on the other hand, was pretty interesting, especially when an explanation involving the hauntings at Seldom House is given for why the real life sisters cared for this maid so devotedly for her entire life. The epilogue offers more information about the historical Tabby, which I found very interesting and much more related to the story in this book than the (I felt) forced Heathcliff Connection. The epilogue also contains a plug for the author's website where there is more information about the historical Brontës, Wuthering Heights, and Tabby Ackroyd.
This is a very spooky, scary story that is a perfect Halloween read, and with the extra awesome cover it will be perfect for Halloween displays as well. For Brontë fans, The Heathcliff Connection will be an added bonus to a book that is a great keep-the-lights-on story for the rest of us as well.
Book source: Arc picked up at ALA.
PS - And there are illustrations! Little ones at the beginning of each chapter. Some of which make that cover art look as harmless as a tea party.
The House of Dead Maids has a wonderfully creepy and complicated set-up. It is hard to guess what is really going on at Seldom House with its old maid and young maid, neither of whom are actually maids, and its old master and young master, neither of whom act like the wealthy landowners they're supposed to be. Everything is a bit...off, from the way the house is run to the way the townspeople react to those in it. In the beginning, it's not so weird that it alarms Tabby, every town and house has its quirks, but it does make her feel vulnerable and a little off-kilter. It's in this state that she starts to encounter the ghosts, one in particular that she might have know in their lives before Seldom House. The mood ranges from a little dark to pretty darn scary. When we finally see what is really going on at Seldom House, there are a few holes left in the story, but they do not detract from the rapidly increasing creepy factor that just keeps getting higher the more things are explained.
Much has been made of The Heathcliff Connection in this book. Himself, or Heathen Git, is supposed to grow up to be Brontë's Heathcliff, and Tabby, a real historical person, grows up to be the Brontës' maid and teller of late night ghost stories. While this is kind of cool, I do think that The Heathcliff Connection is being emphasized a bit too much. It didn't seem to have too much to do with the stories, The House of Dead Maids or Wuthering Heights. Tabby's real life connection to the Brontës, on the other hand, was pretty interesting, especially when an explanation involving the hauntings at Seldom House is given for why the real life sisters cared for this maid so devotedly for her entire life. The epilogue offers more information about the historical Tabby, which I found very interesting and much more related to the story in this book than the (I felt) forced Heathcliff Connection. The epilogue also contains a plug for the author's website where there is more information about the historical Brontës, Wuthering Heights, and Tabby Ackroyd.
This is a very spooky, scary story that is a perfect Halloween read, and with the extra awesome cover it will be perfect for Halloween displays as well. For Brontë fans, The Heathcliff Connection will be an added bonus to a book that is a great keep-the-lights-on story for the rest of us as well.
Book source: Arc picked up at ALA.
PS - And there are illustrations! Little ones at the beginning of each chapter. Some of which make that cover art look as harmless as a tea party.
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