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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Murder
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic friendship
Several uses of the g***y slur
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"Dead men tell no tales, Mary."
A few months ago, I read My Cousin Rachel and absolutely loved it, it left me eager to discover more of Daphne du Maurier's books. I didn't want to read Rebecca straight away, because it's her most popular, but thought I would give a chance to Jamaica Inn, as it seemed so intriguing.
This novel follows Mary Yellan, a 23 year old orphan who has to go live with her aunt at Jamaica Inn, in Cornwall. There, she discovered that her aunt is married to the violent and abusive Joss Merlyn, the innkeeper, who is involved in dubious business.
I absolutely loved the gothic atmosphere du Maurier created in Jamaica Inn. It is set in the 1820s in a lonely area of Cornwall, in a mysterious inn honest men avoids at all costs. This creepy atmosphere is complete with scenes in the middle of the night and riding on the moor. This novel depicted all the darkness you can find in human nature, through Joss, who was the epitome of that, but also through secondary characters who lie and steal without questioning their morals.
The characters were deeply flawed and weren't written to be likeable. Mary Yellan is an isolated orphan, who was very brave and clever, I was happy to have her as the main character, for she was the most likeable character. Her uncle (by alliance) Joss Merlyn was a violent, alcoholic and abusive man, while her aunt Patience was scared, passive and obeying her husband in all things. It was very interesting to read about abuse in this situation, because the author showed that it wasn't okay through Mary Yellan's reactions, but also depicted the victim's reactions through Patience, which helped the reader to take both points of view into consideration: it's harder to recognize an abusive relationship and to get out of it when you are yourself the victim. Mary Yellan also had a questionable love interest, Jem Merlyn, her uncle's (by alliance) younger brother, in whom you could see the seeds of Joss' behaviour.
The inn itself was almost a character, because it is the focus of the entire novel and the plot. It was such a creepy place but I absolutely loved it. Besides, I enjoyed the plot a lot, it was full of twists and I didn't discover them right away.
Once again, this is a novel which made me excited to read more of Daphne du Maurier's novels and short stories.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Daphne Du Maurier's writing. It completely sucked me into the story from the very beginning to the last page. However I couldn't give it a high rating as I didn't particularly love the story, especially compared to Rebecca, and it felt a little too overblown and dramatic even to me. It was worth the read but I would suggest reading Rebecca if you want to try the author.