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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
It was an entertaining read in parts, especially due to Collins' dry wit, although I had expected more ghostly thrills and the book failed to deliver until the last pages. The exposition was unnecessarily long and the characters a bit bland, except for the dreaded, yet fabulous Countess who is at once over-dramatic and exceptionally clever. At one point she is described as "the woman of all others whom he [Francis Westwick] most cordially disliked." She doesn't care about these trifling opinions and usually succeeds in having her way, although she is technically a villain. Another hilarious minor character is an old maid who decides to invest her meagre inheritance into a daring endeavour and is very business-minded as a shareholder. Other than that, the story can be slow and tedious in parts and the only ghostly appearance is a floating head, which was very disappointing.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I like this book & it's bittersweet ending.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
enjoyed however possibly the laziest ending I have ever seen
‘Is that all? That is all. Is there no explanation of the mystery of the haunted hotel? Ask yourself if there is any explanation of the mystery of your own life and death - Farewell’
‘Is that all? That is all. Is there no explanation of the mystery of the haunted hotel? Ask yourself if there is any explanation of the mystery of your own life and death - Farewell’
This is the second book I read by this author and I have to say it made me want to read more. The first book I read by him was 'The Moonstone' and with that book it became obvious from quite early on that the book was written with a different type of reader in mind. That is not the case with this book. I enjoyed it much more. I think the shorter format forced the author to condense the story and made for a faster pacing which I liked. I liked the setting of the story which I think really added to the reading experience. I also really liked the characters in this book, I think they were very well done and interesting. The gothic elements were well blended with the mistery and made for an interesting read.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism