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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
So interesting. I feel like I know the gothic genre down to its roots now :).
I didn't love the style--it felt like something I would have written in a fit of romanticism (which means it's pretentious, repetitive, and overdone) :). But I think some parts of the story are of value, and the experience of reading it gave me a glimpse into the literary world of the end of the 18th century (and at the turn of the century). I think I need to reread Northanger Abbey now :)
I didn't love the style--it felt like something I would have written in a fit of romanticism (which means it's pretentious, repetitive, and overdone) :). But I think some parts of the story are of value, and the experience of reading it gave me a glimpse into the literary world of the end of the 18th century (and at the turn of the century). I think I need to reread Northanger Abbey now :)
Well, I think I have to give up on this one. I really am interested in the premise but this writing is just so difficult to trudge through. Everything is so over described with the most adjective filled long sentences that take all my attention to process. There would be multiple pages without any dialog of any kind, not even the characters own inner thoughts.
The worst thing was the books introduction spoiled the ending! No seriously, the books own intro describes just what is behind all the ominous happenings in the book and ruins it all. When a book comes in at over 600 pages you expect that climax to be amazing, but no. It isn't. And I know that because I was stupid enough to read the books introduction.
So between this difficult writing style and having the ending ruined there wasn't much incentive for me trudge my way through the remaining however many pages out of 600.
The worst thing was the books introduction spoiled the ending! No seriously, the books own intro describes just what is behind all the ominous happenings in the book and ruins it all. When a book comes in at over 600 pages you expect that climax to be amazing, but no. It isn't. And I know that because I was stupid enough to read the books introduction.
So between this difficult writing style and having the ending ruined there wasn't much incentive for me trudge my way through the remaining however many pages out of 600.
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book didn't need to be but half its length. Truly. But as it was, I enjoyed it anyway. I definitely saw some of Jane Austen's inspiration and that aspect was fun. I found the writing pretty cozy and easy to read, despite its age.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When you're ready for a 650 page book that's 25% boredom, 25% fascinating, and 50% swooning, pick up the Mysteries of Udolpho.
Okay, so I know I whined a LOT about this book while I was reading it, but starting in Volume 2 I got /really/ emotionally invested in the story. The heroine is useless and the hero is even worse, but the writing is beautiful (if overly-descriptive and comma-dense) and the intrigues are fascinating and *creepy* as hell.
Also honestly really disappointed that Mons. Du Pont didn't get the girl in the end.
Okay, so I know I whined a LOT about this book while I was reading it, but starting in Volume 2 I got /really/ emotionally invested in the story. The heroine is useless and the hero is even worse, but the writing is beautiful (if overly-descriptive and comma-dense) and the intrigues are fascinating and *creepy* as hell.
Also honestly really disappointed that Mons. Du Pont didn't get the girl in the end.
I'm reading an abridged version of The Mysteries of Udolpho, having been warned that it's unnecessarily long (and poorly written); but I think I'll have to switch to the unabridged version. My abridged version chopped out so much content that I have no idea how Emily got into Montoni's castle and wouldn't have known Aubert had died if I hadn't seen it beforehand.
I don't know if this was Ann Radcliffe's first work, but I think she simply had no idea how to write prose. The entire text up to the point I'm at is too much poetry and not enough prose content; and the pleasant but extremely vague descriptions of all physical surroundings make it painfully obvious that Radcliffe had never visited France and probably knew nothing about it, and had probably only read about Italy. She more or less created some foreign places out of her imagination and slapped the names "France" and "Italy" onto them; they would have been better as fictional lands, because as depicted by Radcliffe, that's what they are. (I should mention that I haven't visited France or Italy myself, and don't know from experience that the environments in France and Italy don't resemble what Radcliffe claims.)
I have abandoned this book. It's boring and I had gotten so far only because I don't like not finishing what I start.
I don't know if this was Ann Radcliffe's first work, but I think she simply had no idea how to write prose. The entire text up to the point I'm at is too much poetry and not enough prose content; and the pleasant but extremely vague descriptions of all physical surroundings make it painfully obvious that Radcliffe had never visited France and probably knew nothing about it, and had probably only read about Italy. She more or less created some foreign places out of her imagination and slapped the names "France" and "Italy" onto them; they would have been better as fictional lands, because as depicted by Radcliffe, that's what they are. (I should mention that I haven't visited France or Italy myself, and don't know from experience that the environments in France and Italy don't resemble what Radcliffe claims.)
I have abandoned this book. It's boring and I had gotten so far only because I don't like not finishing what I start.