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By lunababymoonchild
Mary Yellan promises her mother on her mother's death bed that she will go and stay with her mother's sister, aunt Patience and her uncle at Jamaica Inn. Things go awry the minute she walks in and as events unfold Mary is pulled into a world of smuggling, wrecking and murder. All she has is her wits (which is more than Aunt Patience has by this time) and has no idea who she can trust.
This is set in Cornwall - not far from the Poldark Cornwall of Winston Graham (and Warleggan is mentioned!) - and Jamaica Inn sits halfway between Bodmin and Launceton on the Bodmin Moor. Jamaica Inn actually exists and is still in operation today. It became a coaching inn in 1750 when coaches started to cross the moor and was actually used for smuggled goods. Daphne Du Maurier stayed there in 1930 when she got lost whilst out horse riding and was moved to write the book.
This book is absolutely marvellous. Page turning action and excitement and brooding gothic darkness. The descriptions of the landscape are breath taking and the reader can just see what's happening as they read.
Recommended
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By megustaleer
I'll Never Be Young Again was Daphne Du Maurier's second book.
His treatment of her is very selfish and, having introduced her to fun and sex, his later neglect causes her to seek her 'fun' elsewhere. Richard (Dick) eventually has to grow up, and leave his life of self indulgence.
Although this book has some wonderful descriptive passages, especially in the 'Jake' section, I disliked Dick so much that it was a struggle to keep reading it.
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By Starry
This is only the second book I've read by Du Maurier, the other being Rebecca and I much preferred this one. In fact this is one of my favourite reads of this year. I loved the premise, drugs as a way of time-travelling and although I think there were a few holes and a lot of unexplained parts what I loved was the quality of the writing. She managed to create such a wonderful atmosphere, her historical detail seemed accurate and the slowness of the plot built suspense as well as a sense of frustration and kept me hooked. I liked the characters and felt as if I knew them and the ending was so sudden, I felt quite bereft.
I had not heard of this book before it was recommended to me on Bookcrossing, but I think this one more than Rebecca will make me try more of her books.
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By megustaleer
restored thread
megustaleer 5th May 2006 06:31 PM
Synopsis
I really enjoyed this book. There are many similarities with the more famous 'Rebecca'.
There is a mystery about Ambrose Ashley's death, and his widow is suspected of, among other things, poisoning him. As his nephew Philip struggles with love and suspicion, the reader shares his contradictory views of his cousin Rachel. As in 'Rebecca' the central question is not whodunnit, but the triple one of, did Rachel murderAmbrose, was there anything suspicious about the death of her first husband, and is she trying to poison Philip?
A most enjoyable period romance/mystery.
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Sylvia 8th May 2006 08:40 PM
I first read this book when I was in my teens (my mother had a copy). I hated it then, I think because I found the ending very dissatisfying. I was probably hoping for a nice, happy, romantic ending.
I read it again last summer and found it absolutely haunting. I'm still pondering whether Rachel was "guilty" or not.
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elfstar 9th May 2006 06:25 PM
I was reminded of this book when posting in the Couples in literature thread, did I remind you too, Meg?
I have never resolved the answer in my own mind, was she innocent or not?
I think in many ways this is a darker book than Rebecca and leaves even more to the imagination. Strange how in both of them one of the characters is dead but has left an abiding impression...Ambrose and Rebecca.
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megustaleer 17th May 2006 01:31 PM
Yes.
I 'found' it on a neglected bookshelf just a few days after seeing it mentioned on the 'Couples' thread, so thanks for the reminder!
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By Minxminnie
I picked this up in a second hand sale, and I've read it while snow-bound.
It's an odd book in a way - a fictionalised biography of an ancestor of du Maurier, Mary Anne Clark, who went from being a poor East Ender in London to the Duke of York's mistress at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
She caused a huge amount of scandal and became a celebrity in her day because, let down by the Duke of York, she exposed his corrupt practices in granting favours to those who wanted to join the military.
Du Maurier researched the book from the transcripts of the enquiry and later events, and it is a mix of fiction and reportage. Sometimes the latter is a bit dull, especially when it covers questioning about events the reader already knows about.
But Mary Anne was quite a figure. She got about, in every sense, and she had her fair share of very influential men. I had always thought - from too much reading of Austen, I suppose - that women didn't get away with that sort of behaviour in any sort of polite society, but Mary Anne did! I suppose that's what this book is: the antidote to Austen.
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