Reviews

Picnic At Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

mbenzz's review against another edition

2.0

Good LORD was this dry! And slooooooow. So very, very slow. This has been on my 'To Read' list for ages. I saw the Amazon series starring Natalie Dormer (who I LOVE), but wanted to read the book before watching the series.

I will not be watching the series.

There's really no resolution to this book. We have no idea what happened to the missing girls, and a lot of people blunder around doing not much of anything until some of them leave to get married, some kill themselves and die in accidents. It may SOUND like it's exciting, but trust me...it's not.

I guess I'm glad I read it so I can say I read it, but I certainly did not enjoy reading it.

chantellyy12's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated

2.5

yew676's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

laurabraith's review against another edition

4.0

i had a great time reading this book and it was definitely a great introduction to classic australian lit. its descriptions were absolutely beautiful and, despite the large cast of characters, i was ambivalent towards none of them -- they all had an important role to play in the story. i liked that the book was a mystery but seemed more fixed on the concept of mystery itself. in books, i'm used to searching for clues that eventually lead to answers, but leaving the mystery unsolved was such a compelling choice for the author to make. there is also the enigma of miranda, a character so well-liked at appleyard college but mysterious to the reader (we never even learn her last name). overall, an engaging story that has equal parts beauty, intrigue, and death.

evthomo's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

tacitparadox's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

heidijomann's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

While I've always had a fondness for this story and the tv/film adaptations, I do have to admit that it is kind of "all vibes and no plot". Still, I enjoyed it as always.

genevievefarrell_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

4.25

literallytouko's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

ella_mcnally's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.5