Take a photo of a barcode or cover
unfiltered_fiction 's review for:
Jamaica Inn
by Daphne du Maurier
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of my favourite characteristics of Gothic fiction is how the natural landscape emerges as a character in its own right, with its own history, identity, moods, and even actions. Showing the land itself as an active presence, rather than a passive backdrop, stirs an ancient awe in the reader that is part terror and part respect - and that is certainly true of this dark gem of a book.
The connection between the blackened souls of certain characters and the deadly moors is just one aspect of Jamaica Inn that made it rank firmly above Rebecca - the only other du Maurier novel I have read - for me. Despite its historical setting, I found that this book feels so much more fresh, modern, and incisive than Rebecca; du Maurier pushes at burgeoning notions of feminism through her protagonist, Mary, in a complex and thought-provoking way which I really appreciated. Mary is not made entirely dauntless; she feels weakness as she faints with horror and pain. Her resilience is remarkable in the way that she always pushes herself to recover, and to resist evil with every jot of her intelligence and energy. She is deeply self aware, and I found that even when she made decisions which I didn't like or agree with, I could completely understand why she made them, which is a mark of excellent character development. She wrestles between adoration, lust, and disgust towards her love interest, Jem Merlyn, but even as she vacillates between these emotions, she is keenly aware of her changing mind and - more crucially - *why* it is changing.
I read this with a group, and in our chat for this novel, we all agreed how strange it is that du Maurier's books have historically been typefied as romances. This is a tragedy on two levels to me; firstly, as it is a clear misunderstanding of du Maurier's work and its core themes, and secondly, as the author so clearly feels romantic love to be such a source of strife and grief. Jamaica Inn may not leave you with much faith in humanity and its many vices, but it will encourage you to probe at some of the great philosophical and sociological questions of the 20th century, which we are still unpacking today.
The connection between the blackened souls of certain characters and the deadly moors is just one aspect of Jamaica Inn that made it rank firmly above Rebecca - the only other du Maurier novel I have read - for me. Despite its historical setting, I found that this book feels so much more fresh, modern, and incisive than Rebecca; du Maurier pushes at burgeoning notions of feminism through her protagonist, Mary, in a complex and thought-provoking way which I really appreciated. Mary is not made entirely dauntless; she feels weakness as she faints with horror and pain. Her resilience is remarkable in the way that she always pushes herself to recover, and to resist evil with every jot of her intelligence and energy. She is deeply self aware, and I found that even when she made decisions which I didn't like or agree with, I could completely understand why she made them, which is a mark of excellent character development. She wrestles between adoration, lust, and disgust towards her love interest, Jem Merlyn, but even as she vacillates between these emotions, she is keenly aware of her changing mind and - more crucially - *why* it is changing.
I read this with a group, and in our chat for this novel, we all agreed how strange it is that du Maurier's books have historically been typefied as romances. This is a tragedy on two levels to me; firstly, as it is a clear misunderstanding of du Maurier's work and its core themes, and secondly, as the author so clearly feels romantic love to be such a source of strife and grief. Jamaica Inn may not leave you with much faith in humanity and its many vices, but it will encourage you to probe at some of the great philosophical and sociological questions of the 20th century, which we are still unpacking today.