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A review by taste_in_books
The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
What a beautiful and ambitious novel to launch your writing career with. I would expect nothing less from Queen du Maurier.
Spanning a century, the book opens in 1830 with Janet Coombe standing atop a hill in Plyn (a fictional town combining Polruan and Fowey) Her free spirit fantasising about the adventures at sea she is not allowed to undertake in those times. This call to sea is transferred from Janet to her son then grandson eventually her great grand-daughter standing atop the same hill, bringing the story of the Coombes full circle.
Du Maurier has written the book in four parts. Reserving one for each generation. She expertly crafted each story with aplomb. Her writing pulls you in, the atmosphere is palpable, the scenic pictures she paints are so habitable. To start each part she has used glorious poetry by Emily Bronte fitting perfectly to the storyline. She takes us from the country life of early 19th century, to WW1 to the modernisation of the shipping industry. Throw in a touch of whimsical realism and you have a novel I could hardly read fast enough.
Spanning a century, the book opens in 1830 with Janet Coombe standing atop a hill in Plyn (a fictional town combining Polruan and Fowey) Her free spirit fantasising about the adventures at sea she is not allowed to undertake in those times. This call to sea is transferred from Janet to her son then grandson eventually her great grand-daughter standing atop the same hill, bringing the story of the Coombes full circle.
Du Maurier has written the book in four parts. Reserving one for each generation. She expertly crafted each story with aplomb. Her writing pulls you in, the atmosphere is palpable, the scenic pictures she paints are so habitable. To start each part she has used glorious poetry by Emily Bronte fitting perfectly to the storyline. She takes us from the country life of early 19th century, to WW1 to the modernisation of the shipping industry. Throw in a touch of whimsical realism and you have a novel I could hardly read fast enough.