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ja_mehess's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
heather_boo's review against another edition
5.0
This was read cover to cover with a small book group. We all found it engaging and extremely exciting. We loved the sensationalism which added to the joy of the discussion. We all loved the main character Rosamund who is ready to repel down a castle wall and run away into the night should the need arise. After reading this book, I gained much more respect for the author!
The book is not just a fantastical narrative, but is smartly written and littered with literary references from Faust to Shakespeare.
The book is not just a fantastical narrative, but is smartly written and littered with literary references from Faust to Shakespeare.
caaleros's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you're a fan of the sensation fiction of Wilkie Collins or Mary Elizabeth Braddon, you need to read Louisa May Alcott's contributions to the genre under the name A.M. Barnard. She writes the most wild stories, and I cannot decide if it is because she's an American writer and she can get away with more, or if this is just her style. That being said, this novel wasn't actually published during her lifetime, so it was still too shocking for an 19th century American readership.
"A Long Fatal Love Chase" was written 2 years before "Little Woman" was published. This novel is occupied with some of the same themes that make an appearance in her shorter sensation stories: primarily, the struggle of power between man and woman. I read another review that interpreted this story as a romance, and the chase as an erotic foreplay. I would strongly disagree. The chase in this book is not part of the romantic appeal, it is the desperate flight of a woman away from an evil man who she was romantically connected to. She remembers times she was happy and longs to go back to that innocence, but she chooses the difficult path and runs. He stalks her throughout the entire continent and her flight is for personal autonomy as much as it is for morality. He calls for her to submit to his will and then "he'll be her slave." I believe that Alcott is pointing out the utter stupidity of this patriarchal rhetoric.
Rosamond was an interesting heroine who climbs out windows, walks along roofs, and flees across the continent. She was very capable, and I loved the unlikely female friendships she develops along the way. Tempest is a typical sociopathic sensation villain and I hated him. Alcott connects him to the Mephistopheles from his first appearance, and that satanic imagery continues throughout the rest of the story to be contrasted with the pure priest character introduced in the second half of the book. This allegory seems to be the focus of the story more than capturing a type of "realism."
This book is quite the page-turner. It does get repetitive due to the structure of the book, but it is such a quick read and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspense never lets up once it gets going. Now I have to track down the rest of Alcott's sensation fiction because, although it has a lot of the sensation tropes, it still manages to feel like it's doing something different.
"A Long Fatal Love Chase" was written 2 years before "Little Woman" was published. This novel is occupied with some of the same themes that make an appearance in her shorter sensation stories: primarily, the struggle of power between man and woman. I read another review that interpreted this story as a romance, and the chase as an erotic foreplay. I would strongly disagree. The chase in this book is not part of the romantic appeal, it is the desperate flight of a woman away from an evil man who she was romantically connected to. She remembers times she was happy and longs to go back to that innocence, but she chooses the difficult path and runs. He stalks her throughout the entire continent and her flight is for personal autonomy as much as it is for morality. He calls for her to submit to his will and then "he'll be her slave." I believe that Alcott is pointing out the utter stupidity of this patriarchal rhetoric.
Rosamond was an interesting heroine who climbs out windows, walks along roofs, and flees across the continent. She was very capable, and I loved the unlikely female friendships she develops along the way. Tempest is a typical sociopathic sensation villain and I hated him. Alcott connects him to the Mephistopheles from his first appearance, and that satanic imagery continues throughout the rest of the story to be contrasted with the pure priest character introduced in the second half of the book. This allegory seems to be the focus of the story more than capturing a type of "realism."
This book is quite the page-turner. It does get repetitive due to the structure of the book, but it is such a quick read and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspense never lets up once it gets going. Now I have to track down the rest of Alcott's sensation fiction because, although it has a lot of the sensation tropes, it still manages to feel like it's doing something different.
landryhunter's review against another edition
4.0
would be five stars but the tempest didnt suffer enough for my liking
lynnuwatson's review against another edition
3.0
I could not get into the story. Stopped reading after a few chapters.
amyp85's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
Rosamond is such a strong character and it's inspiring to watch her outsmart Tempest time and time again. In an era when women were second class citizens it is all the more impressive what she is able to do and the way she continuously stands her ground against such an intimidating figure. The story may have been a tad repetitive with the formula of her escaping capture only to be caught again, but that can be forgiven. I choose to believe that they faked Rosamond's death at the end. It seems like the type of ploy she would employ and it leaves us with a much happier ending, even though she and Ignatius still wouldn't be able to end up together.
komilo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
noteworthy_fiction's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
priptonm96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0