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katariv's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
Rule Britannia was written 34 years after Rebecca and the Cornish setting is about the only thing it has in common. DDM envisaged it as a satirical novel and hoped people would find it funny, but a lot of the humour (if it was ever funny) hasn’t aged well. As an example, there’s a running gag about a young black boy whose vocabulary consists purely of swearwords.
Written in 1972, Rule Britannia is set in a fictional near future. The UK has had a break with the European Union, has joined forces with the US instead and US troops have moved in to restore order. It’s centered on a blended family living in a Cornish manor, headed up by Mad (short for Madam) a former actress who is now nearly 80. Living with her are her 20 year old granddaughter Emma and her six adopted sons who range in age from 3 to 18. They are outraged by the US “invasion” and intend to fight it.
After a slightly slow start the story gripped me and there are a couple of twists that made me gasp. Also how beautiful is the cover of my (library) edition? Yes I’m shallow enough to like a book more because it’s pretty. However it’s far from her best. The ending is anticlimatic and as I mentioned above, this does feel like it’s aged badly.
Written in 1972, Rule Britannia is set in a fictional near future. The UK has had a break with the European Union, has joined forces with the US instead and US troops have moved in to restore order. It’s centered on a blended family living in a Cornish manor, headed up by Mad (short for Madam) a former actress who is now nearly 80. Living with her are her 20 year old granddaughter Emma and her six adopted sons who range in age from 3 to 18. They are outraged by the US “invasion” and intend to fight it.
After a slightly slow start the story gripped me and there are a couple of twists that made me gasp. Also how beautiful is the cover of my (library) edition? Yes I’m shallow enough to like a book more because it’s pretty. However it’s far from her best. The ending is anticlimatic and as I mentioned above, this does feel like it’s aged badly.
paige1947_'s review against another edition
1.0
I read this book back in the 1970's and really enjoyed it- this time I could not get into it- I guess it is me that's changed
juliekreddy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mrears0_0's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
what if brexit
fae_sarelfi's review
4.0
An interesting read, and relevant to the Brexit vote. Daphne du Maurier explores what would happen to a small community in Cornwall if the UK broke off trade with the EU and turned to union with the US – in hopes of eventually creating a union with all English-speaking countries. The sudden appearance of American marines setting up road blocks and restricting the normal business of every day people soon appears to be out-and-out occupation, with a heavy emphasis on the superiority of America, and, despite heavy-handed oversight from everyone in power, suddenly the country people of the entire island are united in revolt.
An interesting political commentary, often given through the dialogues of Madam with her six adopted boys, her only son, and her only granddaughter, the novel fails to provide the depth of each character, though the characters are quirky, fun, and likable. It poses the question of what would seem natural, even necessary during a military rule and how believable or forgivable certain choices might become. Because there are so many characters, I think Daphne du Maurier does fair job of letting each one shine, although you only fully experience the emotional depth of Emma, who herself is rather too shallow. Many of the other characters keep their mysteries to themselves.
An unusual family battles an unusual situation, and du Maurier offers ideas on nationalism, morals, politics, and Americans.
An interesting political commentary, often given through the dialogues of Madam with her six adopted boys, her only son, and her only granddaughter, the novel fails to provide the depth of each character, though the characters are quirky, fun, and likable. It poses the question of what would seem natural, even necessary during a military rule and how believable or forgivable certain choices might become. Because there are so many characters, I think Daphne du Maurier does fair job of letting each one shine, although you only fully experience the emotional depth of Emma, who herself is rather too shallow. Many of the other characters keep their mysteries to themselves.
An unusual family battles an unusual situation, and du Maurier offers ideas on nationalism, morals, politics, and Americans.
neil_denham's review
3.0
Britain is plunged into financial and constitutional crisis after a referendum results in the UK leaving the European Economic Community, despite the warnings from the Prime Minister that this would happen. A coalition government makes a deal with the United States to bail the country out...
Obviously all this is ridiculous and unbelievable, but thats fiction for you!
The rest of the book is totally bonkers, but I mean that in the best possible way, as always du Maurier is hilarious, the dialogue is great, and she creates a wonderful sense of time and place. If you like your crazy with a capital C then you will enjoy this.
Obviously all this is ridiculous and unbelievable, but thats fiction for you!
The rest of the book is totally bonkers, but I mean that in the best possible way, as always du Maurier is hilarious, the dialogue is great, and she creates a wonderful sense of time and place. If you like your crazy with a capital C then you will enjoy this.
girlgotnoidentity's review against another edition
4.0
We throw away things that might harm us- memories, dreams…” –Emma
This is a story of an unconventional family and neighborhood who hangs on to each other during the US take over in London.
I’ve read a lot of book reviews about this novel even before I started reading this, and I saw a number of reviewers that said that this cannot compete to other DuMaurier’s work, specifically Rebecca because this is very basic. To be honest, I cannot agree nor disagree with them because this is my first ever Daphne DuMaurier’s novel (and although I first heard about Rebecca years ago, I haven’t had the chance to read it, hopefully I’ll read it this year!) but I love the way this story was told. Although this is, in a way, a historical fiction and the voice of the novel is serious from the beginning until the end, I still enjoyed my reading process mainly because behind the seriousness of the ideas given by the story, the characters offer a wide variety of perspective coming from the generation before that even the current one can relate very well to. To be honest, there are times that I always look forward to the end of every chapter because I am anticipating that there might be a funny action that might take place, and most of the time it did not fail me.
My favorite character in this novel is, of course, Mad, a woman of 79 (she turns 80 at the end of the story. Her birthday is kind of a combination of happy and sad. You’ll know why after you read this!) and Ben, a young boy. I love the uniqueness of Mad’s character presented in this story, she is strong in spite of her age, and I really admire her tenacity and decision-making all throughout the novel. I can now add her up to my list of my women literary heroes because the characterization of her is just wow. And what I mean with ‘wow’ is that Mad’s character is real yet still unique. (Hope you guys are still getting my point in here). Meanwhile, I also love Ben’s character because I just love this kid. Well, if you will read this novel in this instant, I don’t think I need to justify myself on why I love his character because surely you’ll love him too. But just in case you will not read it this instant, I’ll tell you: Ben is a funny, funny, and very funny kid. His kind of funny is not intimidating or tiring instead it is the kind of fun that either makes you smile wide or laugh hard (you choose your term of preference because I know it’s the same) he’s plain cute, and I’m a sucker for fun and cute characters whatever the genre I’m reading. I really love it when even though the story is on a serious tone, the element of simplicity and lightness is still present because it makes me feel close to the literary piece and its author even more. It feels like the novel is not just a recount of what is happening but of what is really happening. Because to be honest, in real life, even though we all experience darkness and heaviness and sadness, there will always this concept of breathing in and out, and that is what I saw in Ben’s character- he is a breath of fresh air for the novel.
This novel, I can say, is simple yet exciting. It is slow-paced at times but when the events heightened, it heightens. I guess, no one can really go wrong with a classic. 4 out of 5 stars to this.
This is a story of an unconventional family and neighborhood who hangs on to each other during the US take over in London.
I’ve read a lot of book reviews about this novel even before I started reading this, and I saw a number of reviewers that said that this cannot compete to other DuMaurier’s work, specifically Rebecca because this is very basic. To be honest, I cannot agree nor disagree with them because this is my first ever Daphne DuMaurier’s novel (and although I first heard about Rebecca years ago, I haven’t had the chance to read it, hopefully I’ll read it this year!) but I love the way this story was told. Although this is, in a way, a historical fiction and the voice of the novel is serious from the beginning until the end, I still enjoyed my reading process mainly because behind the seriousness of the ideas given by the story, the characters offer a wide variety of perspective coming from the generation before that even the current one can relate very well to. To be honest, there are times that I always look forward to the end of every chapter because I am anticipating that there might be a funny action that might take place, and most of the time it did not fail me.
My favorite character in this novel is, of course, Mad, a woman of 79 (she turns 80 at the end of the story. Her birthday is kind of a combination of happy and sad. You’ll know why after you read this!) and Ben, a young boy. I love the uniqueness of Mad’s character presented in this story, she is strong in spite of her age, and I really admire her tenacity and decision-making all throughout the novel. I can now add her up to my list of my women literary heroes because the characterization of her is just wow. And what I mean with ‘wow’ is that Mad’s character is real yet still unique. (Hope you guys are still getting my point in here). Meanwhile, I also love Ben’s character because I just love this kid. Well, if you will read this novel in this instant, I don’t think I need to justify myself on why I love his character because surely you’ll love him too. But just in case you will not read it this instant, I’ll tell you: Ben is a funny, funny, and very funny kid. His kind of funny is not intimidating or tiring instead it is the kind of fun that either makes you smile wide or laugh hard (you choose your term of preference because I know it’s the same) he’s plain cute, and I’m a sucker for fun and cute characters whatever the genre I’m reading. I really love it when even though the story is on a serious tone, the element of simplicity and lightness is still present because it makes me feel close to the literary piece and its author even more. It feels like the novel is not just a recount of what is happening but of what is really happening. Because to be honest, in real life, even though we all experience darkness and heaviness and sadness, there will always this concept of breathing in and out, and that is what I saw in Ben’s character- he is a breath of fresh air for the novel.
This novel, I can say, is simple yet exciting. It is slow-paced at times but when the events heightened, it heightens. I guess, no one can really go wrong with a classic. 4 out of 5 stars to this.
schnauzermum's review against another edition
2.0
This curious book has received a fair bit of attention over the last couple of years. Du Maurier imagines a world in which there’s a referendum, the UK leaves Europe and forms a new relationship with the US and other English-speaking countries. Supposedly this relationship is one of equals, but in fact it is more like a takeover. The people of the Cornish town of Poldrea find US marines stationed among them. The novel explores their reactions.
The premise is intriguing, but is let down by quite sketchy characterisation. At the centre are an elderly former actress (Mad - short for ‘Madam’), her granddaughter (through whose eyes we see the events) and the six boys that Mad has adopted. None of these had much depth.
This is no Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel. I struggled to finish it because there was little tension and I found that I did not really care what was going to happen next, and the ending rather fizzles out. If we hadn’t had our own referendum in real life in the UK, this novel would probably have remained one for du Maurier completists only.
The premise is intriguing, but is let down by quite sketchy characterisation. At the centre are an elderly former actress (Mad - short for ‘Madam’), her granddaughter (through whose eyes we see the events) and the six boys that Mad has adopted. None of these had much depth.
This is no Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel. I struggled to finish it because there was little tension and I found that I did not really care what was going to happen next, and the ending rather fizzles out. If we hadn’t had our own referendum in real life in the UK, this novel would probably have remained one for du Maurier completists only.