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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
What I liked most about this book: the setting. I could almost see/feel/taste the broken-down, musty, dark Jamaica Inn. And who doesn't love some wandering about the moors (I certainly love it). It's suspenseful and keeps you guessing til the end how things will turn out for Mary.
Mary Yellan, alone after her mother's death, takes refuge in an old inn in Cornwall with her aunt. Her uncle has turned the inn into a smuggler's den. Mary directs her energies to rescuing her aunt.
DuMaurier is masterful at creating suspense, and she proves it even moreso in Jamaica Inn than in Rebecca. The moors of southern England come alive with her descriptions and prove to be one of the main characters. I found the story line interesting and the main character Mary believable for her time period. The end was a little disappointing, as I expected less neatness, particularly after reading Rebecca. Overall, a riveting read. Don't be put off by the cover!
Well, I’m annoyed. This book started so promisingly with mystery and intrigue, a terrible villain, a helpless victim, our hero fighting a hopeless cause with nothing but common sense and determination. It kept it going almost all the way to the end, save for an awful and odd romance subplot but ultimately it was wasted.
Why on earth there was a big reveal at the end of the evil pagan priest, out of nowhere, I will never understand. The hurried conclusion that veered so wildly off just dismantled what the book had so successfully built up and Mary’s acceptance of the unlikeable Jem’s advances at the end were really a final nail in a coffin that by that point was already sunk, buried and rotten through.
I gave it 3 because for the most part the writing was decent and I did enjoy it a lot to begin with but do yourself a favour and skip the last 20%, just imagine it was all the vicar, he was actually the dead Merlyn brother in hiding and Mary told Jem to piss off.
Why on earth there was a big reveal at the end of the evil pagan priest, out of nowhere, I will never understand. The hurried conclusion that veered so wildly off just dismantled what the book had so successfully built up and Mary’s acceptance of the unlikeable Jem’s advances at the end were really a final nail in a coffin that by that point was already sunk, buried and rotten through.
I gave it 3 because for the most part the writing was decent and I did enjoy it a lot to begin with but do yourself a favour and skip the last 20%, just imagine it was all the vicar, he was actually the dead Merlyn brother in hiding and Mary told Jem to piss off.
No es un mal libro, pero me aburrió y no está al nivel de las otras obras que leí de ella. Esperaba más.
Gripping until the end, this gothic tale manages to create the perfect gloom and suspense with its steady and calm pacing.
Really 3.5 stars.
Good writing and vivid scenes. The characters are well written and the tension between Mary and her opponents were great. A lot darker than I expected though. Not sure if I'm a fan of the Gothic genre. But would definitely read another book by Daphne du Maurier.
Good writing and vivid scenes. The characters are well written and the tension between Mary and her opponents were great. A lot darker than I expected though. Not sure if I'm a fan of the Gothic genre. But would definitely read another book by Daphne du Maurier.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I found it difficult to get absorbed into this novel, and spent a lot of it wanting to give Aunt Patience a good shake. It picked up in the last 100 or so pages when the action got going and some of the characters' true natures were revealed; but an otherwise unremarkable novel.