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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jamaica Inn paints an adventurous tale of a young woman who inadvertently gets mixed up with smugglers in Cornwall. Throughout the story, though, Mary Yellan reacts with spirit and pluck. The moody, atmospheric tone places Jamaica Inn in the tradition of Gothic novels, while the twist cements the novel in the oeuvre of du Maurier's Rebecca. Overall, the book feels lighter than Rebecca with an almost swashbuckling tone. A plus: Daphne du Maurier was inspired to write the novel after visitng the actual Jamaica Inn on the edge of Bodmin Moor. Read if you enjoy: strong female characters, Gothic novels, twists, adventure and melodrama
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Death of parent
Sadly, my latest Du Maurier read definitley suffered due to my stress level when reading and the fact I had very little time and brain space to actually sit and read. I imagine this is a book best devoured in long sittings in the dark and frightful atmosphere of a cold November night.
The characterisation in this book is brilliant, but honestly I felt the house had more character than any of the people. Yes, I get it, it's about that, but I felt particularly in the case of Aunt Patience a lot was done to try and show the reasoning behind her behaviour but it was all from the mouth of her niece and I think I would have preferred some more substance here.
I also didn't particularly feel that the 'big reveal' was in any way a surprise....maybe this is just me, but this is far from Du Maurier's best works and I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. Would I visit Jamaica Inn for the night if in Cornwall though? Yes, with company I trust to not murder me in the night!
The characterisation in this book is brilliant, but honestly I felt the house had more character than any of the people. Yes, I get it, it's about that, but I felt particularly in the case of Aunt Patience a lot was done to try and show the reasoning behind her behaviour but it was all from the mouth of her niece and I think I would have preferred some more substance here.
I also didn't particularly feel that the 'big reveal' was in any way a surprise....maybe this is just me, but this is far from Du Maurier's best works and I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. Would I visit Jamaica Inn for the night if in Cornwall though? Yes, with company I trust to not murder me in the night!
I love a good Gothic novel. This one wasn't quite up to the level of Rebecca, but it was a fantastic story in its own right.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This started out quite good but in the end was just a little too predictable and old fashioned to hold my attention. I was surprised at times how violent it was and I’m sure it was probably very thrilling and shocking in its day. There were a handful of times I did feel a little spooked by it, but in the end it was just ok.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When I decided to read this book I had little to no idea what it would be about, but I was thankfully not disappointed! Mary Yellan, in an effort to fulfil her mothers’ dying wish, sets off to live with her aunt in the locally infamous Jamaica Inn. She soon comes to discover the dark secrets of what goes on in the Inn under her uncle Joss Merlyn. One of the things I found interesting about this book was how Mary came to be guilty by association to the Inn and it’s inhabitants the instant she set foot in the door. There’s a hint of a love story, mystery, a plot twist towards the end and a lot of action including violence that is possibly uncharacteristic of a book published in 1939(I think!). It’s an enjoyable, non-labour intensive read that sits midway on the scale between classics and modern literature. Plenty of drawing on nature and pathetic fallacy throughout!
dark
mysterious
tense
du Maurier definitely stands up to the hype. Was genuinely creeped out a couple of times and loved every minute of it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes