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saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
Have you met a book that you carry around all day and pull out of your purse to eagerly read at every moment you can spare? I've met a few and this is one of them. I even found myself reaching for it while stuck in traffic! (terrible, I know). East Lynne is the very definition of a Victorian sensation novel - murder, disguise, exile, deception, a love triangle, humor, a horrific train accident, - it had it all. I hesitate to talk about any plot details because this book launches right into the drama in the first chapter... just read it, you won't regret it. I can't for the life of me figure out why this book isn't more widely read since it has all the twists of a Wilkie Collins novel and the lovely conversational tone of an Anthony Trollope book. I wish I could find more Ellen Wood books available in print but I can't seem to!
indianajane's review against another edition
4.0
I have wanted to read East Lynne for a while, because it is one of those novels that women in other novels are reading. I enjoyed the story more than I anticipated and was amused by the omniscient narrator's interjections. While there is some scandal in the book, it isn't the "scandalous" book that I had expected. This is probably the epitome of Victorian sensation literature, and if you enjoy English literature you should get your hands on it.
maplessence's review against another edition
3.0
3.5★
I nearly gave up on this title, but I was reading this as a group read & Charlene (one of the moderators of the Women's Classic Literature Enthusiasts) encouraged me to carry on - & I'm very glad I did.
This is an interesting book. Wood I think has a naturally engaging writing style and used a lot of dialogue to drive her narrative forward. One of the main problems for me was that even allowing for Lady Isabel's start in life with a very selfish father, is her sickliness and determination to take the worst possible view of other characters actions - except for the person she really should be wary of!
By the middle of Part Two the unrelenting misery was getting to me a bit and if it hadn't been a group read I would have made this a DNF. And this would have been a pity as this book is not only about Isabel and her elopement with the dissolute Francis Levison.
But the third part ties things together really nicely! The boredom I felt in the middle had made me forget that there was also a murder mystery in the first part. It becomes very obvious who the murder is but
Of course in this age, Isabel must pay for her crimes against society. But although improbable this part does have some touching moments.
Illustration from my copy
I don't think I will read another Wood title, but I'm glad to have read her most popular title. It shows an interesting take on Victorian morality.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshessonovel.wordpress.com
I nearly gave up on this title, but I was reading this as a group read & Charlene (one of the moderators of the Women's Classic Literature Enthusiasts) encouraged me to carry on - & I'm very glad I did.
This is an interesting book. Wood I think has a naturally engaging writing style and used a lot of dialogue to drive her narrative forward. One of the main problems for me was that even allowing for Lady Isabel's start in life with a very selfish father, is her sickliness and determination to take the worst possible view of other characters actions - except for the person she really should be wary of!
By the middle of Part Two the unrelenting misery was getting to me a bit and if it hadn't been a group read I would have made this a DNF. And this would have been a pity as this book is not only about Isabel and her elopement with the dissolute Francis Levison.
But the third part ties things together really nicely! The boredom I felt in the middle had made me forget that there was also a murder mystery in the first part. It becomes very obvious who the murder is but
Spoiler
I did enjoy reading him getting his comeuppance - and a ducking!Of course in this age, Isabel must pay for her crimes against society. But although improbable this part does have some touching moments.
Illustration from my copy
I don't think I will read another Wood title, but I'm glad to have read her most popular title. It shows an interesting take on Victorian morality.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshessonovel.wordpress.com
heathssm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0
lidia7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
evagalilea's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
jowmy4's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
ladyhighwayman's review against another edition
3.0
East Lynne is a very engaging Victorian sensation novel written in 1861. If you like the works of Wilkie Collins and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, then I also recommend Ellen Wood.
This had everything you'd expect in a Victorian sensation novel, and probably more; murder, infidelity, betrayal, disguises and more.
The story is: Lady Isabel leaves her husband and children on the grounds of her suspecting that her husband is unfaithful. It doesn't help that a cad is helping driving that point home. Isabel runs away with said cad, only to realize she's made a mistake too late.
There's also a murder mystery about. A man is accused and is on the run, but he says another man is the actual murderer, a man by the name of Thorn. Problem is, Thorn is an alias, and no one knows who he is. I pretty much figured out who the villain was from the beginning, but I had a doubt for a quick minute when the author made me think that I was wrong. Sneaky.
I'm not sure if the author wanted us to be sympathetic to Lady Isabel or not, but I definitely was. I felt sorry for her, being the victim of trickery and an overzealous imagination. I'm not a fan of the whole 'unfaithful woman being punished,' but sensation novels from this era seemed to like this theme.
All in all, an underrated classic. A chunkster, definitely, but worth it.
This had everything you'd expect in a Victorian sensation novel, and probably more; murder, infidelity, betrayal, disguises and more.
The story is: Lady Isabel leaves her husband and children on the grounds of her suspecting that her husband is unfaithful. It doesn't help that a cad is helping driving that point home. Isabel runs away with said cad, only to realize she's made a mistake too late.
There's also a murder mystery about. A man is accused and is on the run, but he says another man is the actual murderer, a man by the name of Thorn. Problem is, Thorn is an alias, and no one knows who he is. I pretty much figured out who the villain was from the beginning, but I had a doubt for a quick minute when the author made me think that I was wrong. Sneaky.
I'm not sure if the author wanted us to be sympathetic to Lady Isabel or not, but I definitely was. I felt sorry for her, being the victim of trickery and an overzealous imagination. I'm not a fan of the whole 'unfaithful woman being punished,' but sensation novels from this era seemed to like this theme.
All in all, an underrated classic. A chunkster, definitely, but worth it.