deep_in_the_reads 's review for:

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

4.0

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Esoteric, impenetrable, & increasingly mesmerizing, especially as characters begin to fully unravel in the wake of a mystery that defies explanation. Shows the transience of our society in the face of nature that can never be fully charted. Anatomizes the empty sense of real-life unsolved disappearance while criticizing the society it's set in: classism, sex/gender, miscommunication, propriety etc. Many will find it frustrating and dismiss it for subverting what you'd expect from a mystery novel, but the truth is there if you're willing to look for it, and examine things from a thematic point of view as well as a literal one. I really liked it. Will hopefully do a video review on it on my channel (see my profile for link) soon.