steph_demel 's review for:

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

3.0

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A four-star read until the last couple of pages. I love the dark, Gothic atmosphere that pervades this novel: du Maurier's rich descriptions of the Cornish moors, the brutish villain (a fantastic blend of Bronte's Heathcliff and the caricature antagonists Dickens writes so well), and the wonderfully roguish love interest are all equally captivating. I dislike the ending, not because I object to the outcome, but because I wish it had occurred on more equal terms. Mary is a wonderful heroine - brave, feisty and principled at all the right moments - and I think she deserves a more satisfying resolution than du Maurier gives her.