Jamaica Inn

This book is violent instead of spooky. I could not finish it and tried many times. also the narrator is is annoying with voices!

It's written by a woman and told from a woman's perspective but read by a man. It's a flaming dumpster fire. The actor's attempt at female voices is so god awful it's embarrassingly painful to listen to. Save your credit. Skip this one.

I loved this novel. I’ve been meaning to read it for years. I’m so glad I did. It’s dark and foreboding. I don’t feel any great sense of romance in it, as the relationship between Mary and Jem doesn’t strike me as deep or meaningful, but that doesn’t bother me. I like Mary’s independence and her bravery even when she was deeply afraid. I disagree with others who say the narrator’s voices are upsettingly distracting. They’re not. It’s just that all of his female voices sound elderly. Mary never sounds 23 - more like 63. It is my only criticism. Daphne du Maurier’s work is wonderful. I think she was ahead of her time in writing strong female characters and delivering dialogue that ignored the sensitivities of the day. I’m sure she was criticized for her language, but if you’re writing for dark characters - smugglers and murderers - living on the moors, their language wouldn’t be genteel. This is a great read and a great listen. I enjoyed it very much!