Reviews

The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier

bethriley's review against another edition

3.0

Despite the time travel, this book should be classified as historical fiction. While the story was interesting - both the story of the past and the story of getting to the past, it labored on without adding depth for much of the book, so it felt longer than it is. Not a bad book, but I probably won't be recommending it to anyone.

kitrey's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-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

4.25

cami19's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

cinephilegirl_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have some mixed feelings with this one. Part of me love it, and part of me ended up so mad that I almost trow the book against the wall.

It is a very interesting story and premise, almost sci Fi for Daphne Du Maurier. I love this lady and her writing but this one some times it was a bit too many descriptions. We know that we see the story through Dick eyes but sometimes it was a bit too much.

For me it's 3.5

ferdud's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

cawilliams29's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.25

The House on the strand is an addictive story expressing the allure of the past and our obsession with finding a life less mundane than our own. 
Combining historical fiction, thriller, horror and definitely the gothic genres Du Maurier created a gripping and complex story of an ordinary man becoming obsessed with the past to his own detriment.
The setting of Cornwall allows for the gothic atmosphere and adds to the tension of the past and present plots.
I really enjoyed the plot and character in this novel. None of the characters are overly likeable and our protagonists definitely makes the wrong choices but the plot that unfolds due to these choices creates a compelling story that kept me interested throughout.
This is my favourite of this authors work I have read so far -previously read Rebecca and Jamaica Inn- and I would highly suggest it for anyone looking for a gothic exploration of Cornwall across two time lines.

ella_mcnally's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

josieeeeec's review against another edition

3.0

Not my favorite Daphne du Maurier novel. Her signature slow burn style fell short in this story. I couldn’t find any interest in the parts where the main character time traveled, and even though it’s been just a week since I’ve read it, I can barely even remember the ending. 

cemoses's review against another edition

5.0

Much better tan I expected. The time travel was handled very well.

mschrock8's review against another edition

4.0

I listened to another time travel book, this time by the author of my favorite book.

With the accent of the narrator, Dick's wife Vita often sounded like Peter to me.

Borrowed on Hoopla through JCPL.

Listening length 11 hr, seven min