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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
I had to add this to my Classics Club list because of its reference in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. I wish I would’ve spaced things to read Northanger Abbey immediately before or after, but I didn’t and I’m sure I will enjoy it just as much when I next read it.
What really impressed me about this novel was Radcliffe’s ability to keep me guessing and her very slow revelation of facts. Sometimes I get annoyed at the ‘a ha’ moments in murder mysteries, but for some reason this one didn’t bother me. It tied everything up nicely and explicitly explained why I was fooled into thinking what I did and that’s because Radcliffe wanted you to think that way! I’m still not sure I forgive a certain character and I definitely still consider him a villain, but that’s because of how Radcliffe revealed his story and had you hate him for a good long portion of the book.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
What really impressed me about this novel was Radcliffe’s ability to keep me guessing and her very slow revelation of facts. Sometimes I get annoyed at the ‘a ha’ moments in murder mysteries, but for some reason this one didn’t bother me. It tied everything up nicely and explicitly explained why I was fooled into thinking what I did and that’s because Radcliffe wanted you to think that way! I’m still not sure I forgive a certain character and I definitely still consider him a villain, but that’s because of how Radcliffe revealed his story and had you hate him for a good long portion of the book.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
Grade: B
I had to read this for my university degree.
I started off really enjoying this book, and I did still enjoy it, however I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it was maybe 470 pages rather than 670. This book did sometimes tend to drag, but the language was beautiful and I enjoyed the story.
I had to read this for my university degree.
I started off really enjoying this book, and I did still enjoy it, however I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it was maybe 470 pages rather than 670. This book did sometimes tend to drag, but the language was beautiful and I enjoyed the story.
Honestly I have no idea what happened in this book. I just couldn't work out the writing style and my brain didn't mix it. I just spent a while reading the words and taking no information in. I hope it was worth it but I really have no idea what I just read lol.
This was good but honestly I did not love as much as her other books. I almost feel like it took itself too seriously and, as a result, lost the fun, camp nature of a truly good gothic novel
OK, I admit it; I bought this book as it's cited in Northanger Abbey - ^thanks^ Jane Austen!
Described as "A quintessential Gothic romance, replete with incidents of physical and psychological terror; remote, crumbling castles; seemingly supernatural events; a brooding, scheming villain; and a persecuted heroine." - colour me intrigued.
I am not a fan of detailed description, and I feel like I am now overly familiar with every rock and crevice of the Pyrenees. Sure, give me a setting which can be beautiful, but don't make it the story. Too much!
I was expecting something akin to Dracula with its Gothic castles and spooky goings on, yet with a gentle love story. I was sorely disappointed. The castle didn't even come into it until about halfway through!
What I got was a soppy heroine. She cries ALL the time. The mountains are so beautiful they make her weep, she meets a pathetic boy which makes her cry, she gets torn away from him and home so she sobs. This may sound rational, but her eyes are seldom dry at all. Her second favourite hobby is fainting, which may be the only time she turns off the waterworks.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the sap she falls in love with, who is a soldier, also shares her passion for tears. Come on!!
And oh, the commas, which appear, in so many, odd places, as to leave you puzzled (see what I did there?). ;)
It's set in 1584 but reads more like the Georgian era it was written in, sadly.
There's not much dialogue, which I can forgive, given the time it was written. I'm fine with that.
And I did like some of the characters; Annette is rather fun and the Count de Villefort is charming.
Ordinarily, I'd have put this book down by the time I was a third of the way through; life's too short to read a book you don't enjoy. However, herein lies the reason for my 3 stars...I was oddly hooked. Was it a perverse pleasure which insisted I continue? The hope to get to a good bit? I really don't know.
Once the story finally got going, I did enjoy aspects. My modern mind was sadly not at all frightened by the modest attempts of terror. Emily was always too sceptical to allow me to believe supernatural occurrences were to blame.
At one point, a chap stands on guard to watch out for ghosts. It got really tense for a moment, then he started to read a book to while away the hours. That's fair enough, but I didn't need to read what he was reading! Really.
However, there was a sort of tidal flow to the story. Waves withdrew and then came crashing in, bringing chaos in their wake. It was rather pleasing.
Emily is admirable when not weeping. She stands fast to her virtuous upbringing, always using sound reasoning to do the right thing. Quite tough given some of the situations she finds herself in. She shows she has some strength after all.
I enjoyed the twists and turns, and actually some of the journeys.
And I truly appreciate its place in history. It helped to spark some greater works of fiction, such as the aforementioned Northanger Abbey. It deserves kudos.
Apparently, there's 'The Veiled Picture; or, The Mysteries of Gorgono' which is an abridgement, so maybe go for that instead.
Described as "A quintessential Gothic romance, replete with incidents of physical and psychological terror; remote, crumbling castles; seemingly supernatural events; a brooding, scheming villain; and a persecuted heroine." - colour me intrigued.
I am not a fan of detailed description, and I feel like I am now overly familiar with every rock and crevice of the Pyrenees. Sure, give me a setting which can be beautiful, but don't make it the story. Too much!
I was expecting something akin to Dracula with its Gothic castles and spooky goings on, yet with a gentle love story. I was sorely disappointed. The castle didn't even come into it until about halfway through!
What I got was a soppy heroine. She cries ALL the time. The mountains are so beautiful they make her weep, she meets a pathetic boy which makes her cry, she gets torn away from him and home so she sobs. This may sound rational, but her eyes are seldom dry at all. Her second favourite hobby is fainting, which may be the only time she turns off the waterworks.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the sap she falls in love with, who is a soldier, also shares her passion for tears. Come on!!
And oh, the commas, which appear, in so many, odd places, as to leave you puzzled (see what I did there?). ;)
It's set in 1584 but reads more like the Georgian era it was written in, sadly.
There's not much dialogue, which I can forgive, given the time it was written. I'm fine with that.
And I did like some of the characters; Annette is rather fun and the Count de Villefort is charming.
Ordinarily, I'd have put this book down by the time I was a third of the way through; life's too short to read a book you don't enjoy. However, herein lies the reason for my 3 stars...I was oddly hooked. Was it a perverse pleasure which insisted I continue? The hope to get to a good bit? I really don't know.
Once the story finally got going, I did enjoy aspects. My modern mind was sadly not at all frightened by the modest attempts of terror. Emily was always too sceptical to allow me to believe supernatural occurrences were to blame.
At one point, a chap stands on guard to watch out for ghosts. It got really tense for a moment, then he started to read a book to while away the hours. That's fair enough, but I didn't need to read what he was reading! Really.
However, there was a sort of tidal flow to the story. Waves withdrew and then came crashing in, bringing chaos in their wake. It was rather pleasing.
Emily is admirable when not weeping. She stands fast to her virtuous upbringing, always using sound reasoning to do the right thing. Quite tough given some of the situations she finds herself in. She shows she has some strength after all.
I enjoyed the twists and turns, and actually some of the journeys.
And I truly appreciate its place in history. It helped to spark some greater works of fiction, such as the aforementioned Northanger Abbey. It deserves kudos.
Apparently, there's 'The Veiled Picture; or, The Mysteries of Gorgono' which is an abridgement, so maybe go for that instead.
Reread 2017: What a monument! Glad I took the time to go through it all again. It was like Smith's Old Manor House in the role it played in my life -- a constant and interesting (in the 18thC sense) companion, often making me feel anxious like it was a real friend of mine trapped in a castle I wasn't sure she could escape -- and in this case the feeling persisted even though I knew perfectly well when and how she WOULD escape. An incredible reading experience.
What an emotional rollercoaster. Definitely worth the time investment. I think I'm going to have to add a new chapter to my thesis.
What an emotional rollercoaster. Definitely worth the time investment. I think I'm going to have to add a new chapter to my thesis.
Definitely a hefty read but I have to admit it was pretty fun. Annette was hands down my favorite lol
i've wanted to read this since i read 'northanger abbey.' i'm pretty excited but i know it's going to be a slow read - especially on the subway since the print is tiny and the margins are small. i'll keep everyone posted on the progress.
This is one of the first classics that I have read that I really haven't enjoyed.
I found the writing to be very stilted and superfluous. I was extremely confused by which side character was which as the story went and I was actually excited to reach the crappy songs and poems in this book as it meant a few pages of the story that I could skip without having to read.
I found the writing to be very stilted and superfluous. I was extremely confused by which side character was which as the story went and I was actually excited to reach the crappy songs and poems in this book as it meant a few pages of the story that I could skip without having to read.
If you are trying to decide whether or not to read this book, take this brief quiz to help. If the majority of your answers are "yes" then by all means read this 200+ year old book.
Are you a fan of Jane Austen?
Are you interested in books that had an impact on Jane Austen?
Do you like romances?
Do you like ghost stories?
Do you enjoy reading long descriptions of beautiful landscapes OR are you willing to skim long descriptions of beautiful landscapes?
Do you enjoy reading poetry OR are you willing to skim poetry to get back to the plot?
Do you have time to commit to this rather lengthy book?
Are you tolerant of a bit too much sappiness and a bit too much weakness of the female constitution?
If you answered Yes to most or all of the above, you'll enjoy this book. There are lots and lots of twists and turns and almost nothing is as it appears. But every loose end is neatly tied up by the end of the book and surprising connections are explained. I mostly listened to the audio with Karen Cass as the narrator and she was excellent.
Enjoy!
Are you a fan of Jane Austen?
Are you interested in books that had an impact on Jane Austen?
Do you like romances?
Do you like ghost stories?
Do you enjoy reading long descriptions of beautiful landscapes OR are you willing to skim long descriptions of beautiful landscapes?
Do you enjoy reading poetry OR are you willing to skim poetry to get back to the plot?
Do you have time to commit to this rather lengthy book?
Are you tolerant of a bit too much sappiness and a bit too much weakness of the female constitution?
If you answered Yes to most or all of the above, you'll enjoy this book. There are lots and lots of twists and turns and almost nothing is as it appears. But every loose end is neatly tied up by the end of the book and surprising connections are explained. I mostly listened to the audio with Karen Cass as the narrator and she was excellent.
Enjoy!