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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have a legit weakness for plucky 1930s heroines, and this is that in spades. Does this count as a romp? Probably not, but only because I'm not sure what a romp is. Fun, and the main guys sounds hot.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
3.5 stars. Du Maurier is a master of Gothic atmosphere: the dark moors and stormy coasts of Cornwall in the 19th century are described in precise detail. The tale contains some classic Gothic tropes: the naive heroine, the evil uncle, seedy criminal elements, etc. However, Du Maurier also writes with a clearly-defined view of modern womanhood: although Mary is young and a bit naive when she arrives at Jamaica Inn, she is far from a helpless maiden given to fainting spells. She ventures out into the moors on her own, takes on the task of resisting her uncle, understands how men treat her differently because she is a woman (sometimes using this to her advantage), and ultimately directing the events in an active way (even if things don’t always go as planned) as opposed to merely being a passive observer or participant. This is a Gothic heroine for the modern world, even if events take place in the 19th century.
Although the ending is obvious very early in the novel (there are only two characters who could possibly be the mastermind behind Jamaica Inn, and one is the love interest…), Du Maurier still manages to keep us turning pages with her unparalleled atmospheric prose. It's a solid neo-Gothic novel. (“Neo-Gothic” in the sense that Du Maurier is well aware of the classic Gothic tropes and manipulates them with purposeful intent to write an updated version of that particular style.) I continue to enjoy Du Maurier's work immensely.
Although the ending is obvious very early in the novel (there are only two characters who could possibly be the mastermind behind Jamaica Inn, and one is the love interest…), Du Maurier still manages to keep us turning pages with her unparalleled atmospheric prose. It's a solid neo-Gothic novel. (“Neo-Gothic” in the sense that Du Maurier is well aware of the classic Gothic tropes and manipulates them with purposeful intent to write an updated version of that particular style.) I continue to enjoy Du Maurier's work immensely.
dark
emotional
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:
No
A good yarn, with Du Maurier's trademark mixture of horror, romance and suspense. As usual, the monsters are never supernatural but the evil inside men's souls.
Was gripped from the first chapter of this book when young Mary Yellan is travelling in a stagecoach to Jamaica Inn, battling wind and rain, after the death of her mother. She is going to stay with bubbly Aunt Patience and Joss Marlyn, the husband that no-one has met. Daphne creates a great sense of place from the off - brooding landscapes of Bodmin Moor. What she finds on arrival is not what she expected and so her troubles begin! Full of suspense.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced