Scan barcode
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Creepy, exceptionally so in the first half. After that it got a little predictable but I imagine at the time it was written, it was terrifying all the way through. Reminded me a bit of The Thirteenth Tale and some of the better Carol Goodman books, presumably because of the Gothic setting.
Roddy and Stella's relationship made me raise my eyebrow a bit though.
Roddy and Stella's relationship made me raise my eyebrow a bit though.
thedaydreamerdiary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
romangirl210's review against another edition
4.0
This is a classic ghost story that is clever and sparkling with Noel Coward-like dialogue. In fact, the author Dorothy MacArdle was an Irish playwright. and there's an interesting bit in here about the male narrator writing a play that casts light on the playwriting process. The rest is full of beautiful Devonshire scenery, exotic backstory involving a painter, his Spanish muse, and jealous wife, and some funny mid-century speculation on psychology and poltergeists. Perhaps not a brilliant book, but a charming one, and one that deserves to be back in print. The movie is great too.
novellearts's review against another edition
I'm sorry but this book is sooo boring and slow. Only 59 pages in and I couldn't stop thinking about how I could be enjoying so many other books instead, so I'm DNFing this.
eisneun's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I confess, giving this novel 2.25 stars is a bit stingy on my part. This novel was written in 1941 (under the name Uneasy Freehold), so it's unfair of me to judge it from a 2024 perspective, but that's what I'm doing anyway, and it does fall short even compared to mediocre modern horror novels. It's a typical haunting story, and although written in 1941, it feels more Victorian, and I don't mean that as a compliment. The Victorian era was horrible for just about anyone who wasn't upper-class, white and male (most of this novel's cast), but some of my favorite "classic" novels are from that time period, least of which is Dracula and Carmilla, and authors such as H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens are among my favorite pre-20th century writers. However, this book is a pale imitation of those novels and authors. There's nothing much scary in the book, just some upper-crust Irish people waiting for their maid to bring them tea, with a bit of haunting and melodrama in between. Dorothy was a historian by trade, and also a playwright, and to her credit she also fought for Irish independence and against fascism, so she can be admired for that. Just not for horror novels. Btw, for you classic film buffs out there, I have heard the 1944 US film is quite good, but I've never seen it and, as I don't much care for films before 1960, I doubt I will.
m_ichellep's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
foofers1622's review against another edition
5.0
A good old ghost story that gave me the chills a few times. The ending also had a nice twist. I'm excited to see how the movie is and read Dorothy's other books.
ckpeebler's review against another edition
2.0
Not only racist and sexist in nature but exceedingly dull