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A review by lingualibri
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
5.0
Reading Prompt: A book published posthumously
WOW. The *drama*. THE DRAMA!!!
Louisa May Alcott wrote this story as a response to the request of publisher James R. Elliott, who wanted a twenty-four-chapter novel in which every other chapter would be so "absorbingly interesting that the reader would be impatient for the next".
Alcott understood the assignment.
Unfortunately, she performed the assignment *too* well, and the publisher rejected it as being "too sensational," which was apparently a problem in 1866. In this current era, however, psychological thrillers and stalker stories are disturbingly popular. "A Long Fatal Love Chase" became a New York Times bestseller after it was published (posthumously of course) in 1995.
I'm not typically attracted to stories about stalkers or obsessives, but this one got me. Rosamond Vivian is such a dynamic character: sweet and naïve, yet determined and defiant. Tender, but brave. Meanwhile, Phillip Tempest is an incredibly believable villain, even by today's standards. He is relentless, egotistical, and lacks any form of empathy. Narcissism has clearly not changed in the past couple of centuries.
I won't share any true spoilers here, but I will make three specific notes regarding my feelings about the story:
1.) If half stars were an option, I'd probably have given it a 4.5 (but it is what it is, so I rounded up). I think the only thing lacking here is a more significant tie between Rosamond and Marion. I would have liked to see them bond over something other than their past relationships. You know, Bechdel test stuff.
2.) After every other chapter, I walked in on whatever my husband was doing and yelled, "The DRAMA!!" - I truly was *not* expecting this much of a reaction out of myself.
3.) I was disappointed by the ending. Not because I didn't expect it or because it was poorly written. I had just hoped it would end differently, or that there'd be more of an epilogue.
Anyway, I highly recommend this book. I found it significantly more engaging than Little Women, though I don't expect everyone else to.
WOW. The *drama*. THE DRAMA!!!
Louisa May Alcott wrote this story as a response to the request of publisher James R. Elliott, who wanted a twenty-four-chapter novel in which every other chapter would be so "absorbingly interesting that the reader would be impatient for the next".
Alcott understood the assignment.
Unfortunately, she performed the assignment *too* well, and the publisher rejected it as being "too sensational," which was apparently a problem in 1866. In this current era, however, psychological thrillers and stalker stories are disturbingly popular. "A Long Fatal Love Chase" became a New York Times bestseller after it was published (posthumously of course) in 1995.
I'm not typically attracted to stories about stalkers or obsessives, but this one got me. Rosamond Vivian is such a dynamic character: sweet and naïve, yet determined and defiant. Tender, but brave. Meanwhile, Phillip Tempest is an incredibly believable villain, even by today's standards. He is relentless, egotistical, and lacks any form of empathy. Narcissism has clearly not changed in the past couple of centuries.
I won't share any true spoilers here, but I will make three specific notes regarding my feelings about the story:
1.) If half stars were an option, I'd probably have given it a 4.5 (but it is what it is, so I rounded up). I think the only thing lacking here is a more significant tie between Rosamond and Marion. I would have liked to see them bond over something other than their past relationships. You know, Bechdel test stuff.
2.) After every other chapter, I walked in on whatever my husband was doing and yelled, "The DRAMA!!" - I truly was *not* expecting this much of a reaction out of myself.
3.) I was disappointed by the ending. Not because I didn't expect it or because it was poorly written. I had just hoped it would end differently, or that there'd be more of an epilogue.
Anyway, I highly recommend this book. I found it significantly more engaging than Little Women, though I don't expect everyone else to.