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mirificmoxie 's review for:
The Haunted Hotel
by Wilkie Collins
3.5 Stars
*An atmospheric classic horror story with a great beginning and end, but an notably dull middle*
I have been meaning to read Wilkie Collins for years. More years than I care to admit. But [b:The Woman in White|5890|The Woman in White|Wilkie Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1295661017l/5890._SY75_.jpg|1303710] and [b:The Moonstone|6138|The Moonstone|Wilkie Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403192382l/6138._SY75_.jpg|1044477] are a bit intimidating. So when I came across this novella, I thought it would be a good place to start.
The Haunted Hotel opens with a dramatic start: A woman pleading with a doctor to answer if she is evil or insane. The story has some fantastic elements in it: a scorned lover, a controversial marriage, a mysterious disappearance, a deadly premonition, a possible haunting, and of course, the question of evilness versus insanity. The beginning and end of the story are atmospheric and captivating.
The problem is the middle of the story. There is a huge chunk of the middle where the characters just sit around discussing what they know and don’t know. And much of that discussion involves tedious talk of wills and insurance policies. It just went on too long in a drawn-out infodump of tedious information. So instead of building tension, it drained the story that part of the story.
The other thing I did not like was the character Agnes Lockwood. She embodied that Victorian archetype of guileless paragon of virtue. You know, the type that is so naïve and innocent and forgiving that they make you want to scream. Those brainless fluffs who live to oblige the men in their lives. If Agnes wasn’t offset by the much more interesting and dynamic Countess, then I’d be inclined to call Collins a total Neanderthal. But given that the all-encompassing uselessness in only embodied in Agnes, I’ll give Collins the benefit of the doubt.
The story does finish strongly though. If the middle had been trimmed down, this would have been a higher rating for me. As with many classic works, you can see the influence they have had on more modern works, and I also find that fascinating. And despite not loving The Haunted Hotel, I am looking forward to reading more of Collins’ work.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
*An atmospheric classic horror story with a great beginning and end, but an notably dull middle*
I have been meaning to read Wilkie Collins for years. More years than I care to admit. But [b:The Woman in White|5890|The Woman in White|Wilkie Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1295661017l/5890._SY75_.jpg|1303710] and [b:The Moonstone|6138|The Moonstone|Wilkie Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403192382l/6138._SY75_.jpg|1044477] are a bit intimidating. So when I came across this novella, I thought it would be a good place to start.
The Haunted Hotel opens with a dramatic start: A woman pleading with a doctor to answer if she is evil or insane. The story has some fantastic elements in it: a scorned lover, a controversial marriage, a mysterious disappearance, a deadly premonition, a possible haunting, and of course, the question of evilness versus insanity. The beginning and end of the story are atmospheric and captivating.
The problem is the middle of the story. There is a huge chunk of the middle where the characters just sit around discussing what they know and don’t know. And much of that discussion involves tedious talk of wills and insurance policies. It just went on too long in a drawn-out infodump of tedious information. So instead of building tension, it drained the story that part of the story.
The other thing I did not like was the character Agnes Lockwood. She embodied that Victorian archetype of guileless paragon of virtue. You know, the type that is so naïve and innocent and forgiving that they make you want to scream. Those brainless fluffs who live to oblige the men in their lives. If Agnes wasn’t offset by the much more interesting and dynamic Countess, then I’d be inclined to call Collins a total Neanderthal. But given that the all-encompassing uselessness in only embodied in Agnes, I’ll give Collins the benefit of the doubt.
The story does finish strongly though. If the middle had been trimmed down, this would have been a higher rating for me. As with many classic works, you can see the influence they have had on more modern works, and I also find that fascinating. And despite not loving The Haunted Hotel, I am looking forward to reading more of Collins’ work.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars