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sarahrheawerner's review against another edition
1.0
GUYS. I do not even know what to say about this book.
Well, I do, actually. It was weird as hell, especially for esteemed mystery madame Elizabeth Peters. Light spoilers ahead, so be warned.
A quick primer: Elizabeth Peters is the pen name of Barbara Mertz (a.k.a. Barbara Michaels as well), and she's well known for writing clever, adventuresome thrillers and mysteries with romantic and often gothic twists. Her heroines are realistic (exception: Vicky Bliss), her heroes are lovably Byronic, and her writing is superb.
Sadly, Ms. Peters passed away in 2013, so of course I have turned into some kind of mad creepy hoarder who is trying to space out the remaining books I haven't yet read by her so that they last me the rest of my lifetime. (Yes, I have made peace with my weirdness.)
So imagine the scenario: I decide that IT'S TIME, lift one of my few precious unread Elizabeth Peters book from its pristine pile, open the cover, and... WTF, The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits?!
It starts off like most Elizabeth Peters (and many Barbara Michaels) mysteries do: an intelligent, naive-yet-proto-feminist young woman laments the dull trivialities of everyday life, and shares with us a relatable flaw or two before being whisked away to some exotic location where she'll have to solve a mystery and fall for a brusque yet charming Byronic hero...
Okay, so our heroine has a pre-existing boyfriend. That's fine. It's just unusual for Ms. Peters' novels (where the heroines are generally fed up with men), and because of that, I think it's important. More on this later.
We get to meet Danny a little further on in Chapter One, and he's... well:
Drugs? College-age protagonists? Off-kilter 1970s jargon? A female character who bows to the Almighty Boyfriend, who in this case appears to be at least somewhat emotionally abusive?
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ELIZABETH PETERS?
The novel, unsurprisingly, continues. Our protagonist, the rather drab and forgettable Carol Farley, receives a Mexican newspaper clipping containing a photo of her father—whom for years she had thought dead. (HOORAY! ADVENTURE!) So she and Danny zoom off to Mexico to figure out what's going on.
But not before Danny has another rant:
Danny is a treasure.
Actually, this is another first for Ms. Peters, whose characters are often so powerful because you love them. And you love them because she loves them—even the bad guys. She revels in every character she writes, delights in them, in their heroic moments and flaws alike.
But Danny is the first Elizabeth Peters character I've come across who creates a reaction of disgust—an actual physical twinge—in my gut. As the novel progresses, he becomes more and more of a caricature, his actions more and more despicable. He is an emotionally abusive drug addict, and he is loathsome, and this is noteworthy for Ms. Peters, as I think Danny is the first character she's ever written who she herself has actively hated. More on this later.
So anyway, they arrive in Mexico, and then DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS. Seriously. Danny buys a bunch of drugs from some dude named Jesus, and then they...
...find Carol's dad, who, in addition to being mixed up in a heroin ring, is really poorly written.
And (in addition to the drugs), that's the next very non-Elizabeth Peters point about this book: overall, the characters act like inexpertly animated marionettes, jerky and halfhearted. I still can't figure out what she was going for with the character of Carol's father, George:
Uh, what? You think your father is dead for years and years, you track him to Mexico... and when you find him, you SHAKE HANDS, and then he politely invites you inside his secret Mexican drug house like NOTHING IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY?
I'm an extremely empathetic person—too much so, sometimes. So it's usually very easy for me to understand characters' motives, take a walk in their shoes, all that good stuff.
But I am genuinely baffled by this exchange. Carol's reunion with her father is a huge letdown. Even now in rereading it, I simply don't get it. Why are they being so stiff and weird? It's been revealed that Carol is a passionate person. Why is she acting like this?
Anyway. George has moved in with this hot lady and her hot son, both of whom have inexplicably Russian names despite being Mexican. (Seriously, the hot son's name is Ivan Oblensky.)
Anyway. Weird, stilted dialogue follows, as does a tour of Mexican hotspots. Danny and Ivan do a bunch of drugs. They talk about legalizing pot. They talk about LSD and "snow" (heroin), as well as mushrooms and teonanacatl and peyote and dex and bennies and NO I AM NOT KIDDING THIS IS AN ELIZABETH PETERS NOVEL.
Many more drugs later, Carol realizes she's being followed by a Mystery Man. Ivan's hot mom tries to talk Carol into leaving town. Carol beings to suspect her dad is involved in the drug trade. She then goes to a party, where Danny does a bunch more drugs and makes out with some random girl (one of many steps into said loathsomeness). The book trundles along much like our protagonist's drunk/stoned/strung-out boyfriend, leaving us, like her, more than a little confused and disappointed.
Continue reading my review on my website, the Book Junkie Blog!
Otherwise... One out of five stars.
I love Elizabeth Peters. She is absolutely one of my favorite writers, and I hope that has come across in this review. The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits is a rare misstep that can likely be attributed to unpleasant ripples in her personal life.
Die-hard Peters fans like myself may wish to read this novel, but casual readers may wish to skip this particular installment.
Well, I do, actually. It was weird as hell, especially for esteemed mystery madame Elizabeth Peters. Light spoilers ahead, so be warned.
A quick primer: Elizabeth Peters is the pen name of Barbara Mertz (a.k.a. Barbara Michaels as well), and she's well known for writing clever, adventuresome thrillers and mysteries with romantic and often gothic twists. Her heroines are realistic (exception: Vicky Bliss), her heroes are lovably Byronic, and her writing is superb.
Sadly, Ms. Peters passed away in 2013, so of course I have turned into some kind of mad creepy hoarder who is trying to space out the remaining books I haven't yet read by her so that they last me the rest of my lifetime. (Yes, I have made peace with my weirdness.)
So imagine the scenario: I decide that IT'S TIME, lift one of my few precious unread Elizabeth Peters book from its pristine pile, open the cover, and... WTF, The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits?!
It starts off like most Elizabeth Peters (and many Barbara Michaels) mysteries do: an intelligent, naive-yet-proto-feminist young woman laments the dull trivialities of everyday life, and shares with us a relatable flaw or two before being whisked away to some exotic location where she'll have to solve a mystery and fall for a brusque yet charming Byronic hero...
"I didn't want to talk about anything else but Danny... blond, blue-eyed, handsome, and brilliant..."
Okay, so our heroine has a pre-existing boyfriend. That's fine. It's just unusual for Ms. Peters' novels (where the heroines are generally fed up with men), and because of that, I think it's important. More on this later.
We get to meet Danny a little further on in Chapter One, and he's... well:
"You aren't high, are you, Danny? Not now?"
His long, sensitive mouth—my barometer for measuring his moods—tightened, and then relaxed.
"Honey, you are so hopelessly square. I don't get high on pot. Nobody gets high on pot, they just get a happy glow. If you'd try it yourself... You know I don't smoke when I'm driving." [...]
"I'm sorry," I said humbly.
"Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry."
Drugs? College-age protagonists? Off-kilter 1970s jargon? A female character who bows to the Almighty Boyfriend, who in this case appears to be at least somewhat emotionally abusive?
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ELIZABETH PETERS?
The novel, unsurprisingly, continues. Our protagonist, the rather drab and forgettable Carol Farley, receives a Mexican newspaper clipping containing a photo of her father—whom for years she had thought dead. (HOORAY! ADVENTURE!) So she and Danny zoom off to Mexico to figure out what's going on.
But not before Danny has another rant:
"And he thinks grass is the devil's weed."
"Oh," I said helplessly. That's about all I could say. Any hint of 'I told you so' would have enraged Danny.
"That was all Hermie needed. He wouldn't care if I got stoned on Scotch every night—so long as it was the best Scotch. But pot! No, no, bad boy!"
Danny is a treasure.
Actually, this is another first for Ms. Peters, whose characters are often so powerful because you love them. And you love them because she loves them—even the bad guys. She revels in every character she writes, delights in them, in their heroic moments and flaws alike.
But Danny is the first Elizabeth Peters character I've come across who creates a reaction of disgust—an actual physical twinge—in my gut. As the novel progresses, he becomes more and more of a caricature, his actions more and more despicable. He is an emotionally abusive drug addict, and he is loathsome, and this is noteworthy for Ms. Peters, as I think Danny is the first character she's ever written who she herself has actively hated. More on this later.
So anyway, they arrive in Mexico, and then DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS. Seriously. Danny buys a bunch of drugs from some dude named Jesus, and then they...
Spoiler
***SPOILER ALERT***...find Carol's dad, who, in addition to being mixed up in a heroin ring, is really poorly written.
And (in addition to the drugs), that's the next very non-Elizabeth Peters point about this book: overall, the characters act like inexpertly animated marionettes, jerky and halfhearted. I still can't figure out what she was going for with the character of Carol's father, George:
"Carol," the man said.
He moved forward... Tongue-tied, I struggled for a response.
"Carol? he said again; this time there was a questioning lift to his voice. He took another step forward. "It is you, isn't it? You look just as I expected you would."
[...] I didn't show my emotion; I was afraid of it.
"Hello," I said, and held out my hand.
[...] There was an awkward fumble before our fingers met, and the clasp of hands was brief, by mutual consent.
[...] "Well. won't you come in, both of you?"
Uh, what? You think your father is dead for years and years, you track him to Mexico... and when you find him, you SHAKE HANDS, and then he politely invites you inside his secret Mexican drug house like NOTHING IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY?
I'm an extremely empathetic person—too much so, sometimes. So it's usually very easy for me to understand characters' motives, take a walk in their shoes, all that good stuff.
But I am genuinely baffled by this exchange. Carol's reunion with her father is a huge letdown. Even now in rereading it, I simply don't get it. Why are they being so stiff and weird? It's been revealed that Carol is a passionate person. Why is she acting like this?
Anyway. George has moved in with this hot lady and her hot son, both of whom have inexplicably Russian names despite being Mexican. (Seriously, the hot son's name is Ivan Oblensky.)
Anyway. Weird, stilted dialogue follows, as does a tour of Mexican hotspots. Danny and Ivan do a bunch of drugs. They talk about legalizing pot. They talk about LSD and "snow" (heroin), as well as mushrooms and teonanacatl and peyote and dex and bennies and NO I AM NOT KIDDING THIS IS AN ELIZABETH PETERS NOVEL.
Many more drugs later, Carol realizes she's being followed by a Mystery Man. Ivan's hot mom tries to talk Carol into leaving town. Carol beings to suspect her dad is involved in the drug trade. She then goes to a party, where Danny does a bunch more drugs and makes out with some random girl (one of many steps into said loathsomeness). The book trundles along much like our protagonist's drunk/stoned/strung-out boyfriend, leaving us, like her, more than a little confused and disappointed.
Continue reading my review on my website, the Book Junkie Blog!
Otherwise... One out of five stars.
I love Elizabeth Peters. She is absolutely one of my favorite writers, and I hope that has come across in this review. The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits is a rare misstep that can likely be attributed to unpleasant ripples in her personal life.
Die-hard Peters fans like myself may wish to read this novel, but casual readers may wish to skip this particular installment.
sophiarose1816's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
It is a gamble revisiting books one read as a young person when it comes to how time passing affects taste. I don't remember much about this book from the first read- telling, maybe-, but I do remember liking it well enough.
Ahem, this time around, I confess to being sometimes interested, often bored, and just as often, irritated. Carol, the heroine, I liked well enough, though she could monologue on and on, but her druggie boyfriend, Danny, and their frequent discussions-arguments over his drug use that got worse as the story progressed turned me off. Much of the book had that 70's young person feel which was fascinating in some ways, but it also felt overblown in ways because Carol and Danny were young and pretending worldliness that the first sign of trouble blows away like the wisps it really was.
It had exciting moments and suspense which was good. I would have liked a bit more of the Mexican flavor since that was the setting. But, mostly, I was uninterested and listened half-heartedly while I went about other tasks.
Grace Conlin's narration was good, but the storyline kept me from feeling very excited about her work on this one.
This is not one I'd hand a rookie to Elizabeth Peters' work and maybe only a true fan who wants a thorough read of her whole backlist will appreciate it best.
Ahem, this time around, I confess to being sometimes interested, often bored, and just as often, irritated. Carol, the heroine, I liked well enough, though she could monologue on and on, but her druggie boyfriend, Danny, and their frequent discussions-arguments over his drug use that got worse as the story progressed turned me off. Much of the book had that 70's young person feel which was fascinating in some ways, but it also felt overblown in ways because Carol and Danny were young and pretending worldliness that the first sign of trouble blows away like the wisps it really was.
It had exciting moments and suspense which was good. I would have liked a bit more of the Mexican flavor since that was the setting. But, mostly, I was uninterested and listened half-heartedly while I went about other tasks.
Grace Conlin's narration was good, but the storyline kept me from feeling very excited about her work on this one.
This is not one I'd hand a rookie to Elizabeth Peters' work and maybe only a true fan who wants a thorough read of her whole backlist will appreciate it best.
_lilbey_'s review against another edition
2.0
Felt like an antidrug commercial, and a lot of things came together at the end that there wasn't a lot of evidence for earlier in the book.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
2.0
This is by far the least of this author's achievements, it's lame and meandering, and has no real mystery or solution. So I've only ever read it twice, and I probably won't again.
sjgochenour's review against another edition
2.0
god I would much rather read Elizabeth Peters write about archaeology than EP write about drug smuggling.
jennamae's review against another edition
2.0
It as sort of hard to follow the story line and who the narrator was talking about. It didn’t start to get interesting until the very end.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lyndann's review against another edition
2.0
More like 2.5. Felt like a "don't do drugs" PSA and not at all fun. Didn't feel like any of her other stuff at all. Please read Amelia Peabody and not this confusing book.
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
Of all the Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels books I've read, since going on a massive kick starting last spring (I think? Maybe last winter.) this is probably the book that has held up the least over time. It's super dated - drugs! hippies! - and I still enjoyed it for what it was, but it's far from her best moment.