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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
I found it so hard to want to pick this up and even listening to the audio while reading was not helpful.
I thoroughly enjoyed this meandering tale. And I do mean it does meander :) The description on Goodreads is actually a bit deceptive because it only covers a portion of the book. Instead we get something more like a year or two in the life of the heroine, who, by the way, is one of the strongest heroines I've seen in any book. She stands on her own two feet and with a great deal of fortitude she manages to withstand things that are incredibly difficult. All with a minimum of fainting.
While the story takes a while to get going and often takes some strange side paths, it also has a great deal of suspense. And deaths. A lot of people die in this book. Seeing the origins of gothic literature in this book that was published in 1794 made it all the more fun. You could see the things that would become essential to any gothic tale. It was also surprisingly accessible given that it was published more than 200 years ago.
Another thing I really enjoyed was how much the story seemed like a series of things that could really happen rather than aiming for making the heroine center stage in every situation. And
In short, I would really like to reread this book several times over the years. It was just so enjoyable. Sometimes I would relax and enjoy the meandering paths and sometimes I was tense and utterly focused on the suspense. I'm extremely glad I read this.
The audio was narrated by Alison Larkin and I honestly could not recommend it more. She made everything more dramatic, Montoni truly sinister, and was obviously having a great deal of fun reading the book. It's going into my brilliant narration shelf.
While the story takes a while to get going and often takes some strange side paths, it also has a great deal of suspense. And deaths. A lot of people die in this book. Seeing the origins of gothic literature in this book that was published in 1794 made it all the more fun. You could see the things that would become essential to any gothic tale. It was also surprisingly accessible given that it was published more than 200 years ago.
Another thing I really enjoyed was how much the story seemed like a series of things that could really happen rather than aiming for making the heroine center stage in every situation. And
Spoiler
every single "supernatural" experience was explained. I loved that there were no real ghostsIn short, I would really like to reread this book several times over the years. It was just so enjoyable. Sometimes I would relax and enjoy the meandering paths and sometimes I was tense and utterly focused on the suspense. I'm extremely glad I read this.
The audio was narrated by Alison Larkin and I honestly could not recommend it more. She made everything more dramatic, Montoni truly sinister, and was obviously having a great deal of fun reading the book. It's going into my brilliant narration shelf.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
slow-paced
This was utterly ridiculous, there was no reason at all for it to be this long, every bit of poetry could have been cut out of it, but it did keep me coming back just to see what ridiculous thing would happen next.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Gosh, I can't believe I finally finished this.
You would think I’d have a lot to discuss after reading +1K pages, but no. This was boring, and I don’t know how I managed to finish it.
At first, I was completely taken by Radcliffe's prose and the way she described the scenery. It felt so real, so beautiful. But after 200 pages, it just started to become repetitive. The plot was all over the place, and the characters were so freaking dramatic (if I could get a penny for every time Emily fainted, I’d be a billionaire right now). I understand now why Austen made a whole parody of this in her work Northanger Abbey, because this was laughable.
But despite it all, I can’t say I wasn’t a bit in...awe? If you’ve read other classic Gothic works, such as Jane Eyre, you’ll undeniably notice how much The Mysteries of Udolpho influenced them. It set the tone for the Gothic novels that followed, and that’s just so freaking cool. So, I’m glad I read it, but yeah, never again.
You would think I’d have a lot to discuss after reading +1K pages, but no. This was boring, and I don’t know how I managed to finish it.
At first, I was completely taken by Radcliffe's prose and the way she described the scenery. It felt so real, so beautiful. But after 200 pages, it just started to become repetitive. The plot was all over the place, and the characters were so freaking dramatic (if I could get a penny for every time Emily fainted, I’d be a billionaire right now). I understand now why Austen made a whole parody of this in her work Northanger Abbey, because this was laughable.
But despite it all, I can’t say I wasn’t a bit in...awe? If you’ve read other classic Gothic works, such as Jane Eyre, you’ll undeniably notice how much The Mysteries of Udolpho influenced them. It set the tone for the Gothic novels that followed, and that’s just so freaking cool. So, I’m glad I read it, but yeah, never again.
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
lighthearted
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:
Yes