laurenjpegler's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings on this book. The first 300 pages were really quite slow, and although I enjoyed the commentary on marriage and women’s lives, I couldn’t help but grow a little disinterested in the story. BUT...but but but, the last 160 pages were so fast paced and such a major plot twist that I sped through them. Braddon has such a talent for writing sensation fiction. Her descriptions are also very beautiful; such a pleasure to read at certain points.
snelsie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
allie_shu's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
classically_book_clubbin's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jowmy4's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
novel_nomad's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent Mary Elizabeth Braddon sensationalist novel, leaving enough space for the reader to speculate wildly on the wickedness of the heroine. I must admit that whilst the text is heavy with description, Braddon likes to subvert the concept of the ideal Victorian woman and make the women wonderfully flawed and human.
flappermyrtle's review against another edition
2.0
I read Lady Audley´s Secret, an earlier book by Braddon, some time ago for another course. So I expected sort of the same when I started reading Aurora Floyd. This novel, however, has a different setup with a nosy narrator interfering every now and then to tell some life´s truth. Although the background and characters are worked out better, it doesn´t have the flow of Lady Audley, nor the dramatic conclusion. It´s a bit tame compared to its dashing predecessor, I´m afraid. I never really got to sympathise with any of the characters, partly due to the omniscient narrator that at times distances the reader from the narrative. All in all, it wasn´t a bad read, the story continues quite fluently and the secret Aurora carries with her is not as obvious as the one Lady Audley has. But if you have to pick one book to read from Mary Elizabeth Braddon, I´d advise Lady Audley´s Secret because it is a nicer read on the whole.
silkemaria's review against another edition
mysterious
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? No
4.75
beledit's review against another edition
3.0
A good read but not my favourite Braddon. It centres around the mystery in Aurora Floyd's past. As always with Braddon, it's not hard to figure out what the mystery is. The enjoyment comes from watching the story play out. However, while some of her other books have multiple story threads, this one is flatter and the characters more two-dimensional. I suspect it's one of her more famous novels simply because most of the others are not well known and were out of print for a very long time. The heroine is also less interesting. We are constantly told that she is beautiful and passionate but somehow she doesn't lift off the page. Better Braddon novels are Run to Earth, Henry Dunbar or even The Golden Calf.