REVIEW - The Mysteries of Udolpho - dull?

Date read: 6th September 2019

My rating: 3*

Genre I reckon: Supposedly Gothic Romance 

Buy link: Not giving you one!






Let me start by clarifying. I usually reserve reviews on this blog for books I'd genuinely recommend to a friend. This one is more a cautionary tale in case you too are tempted.

I admit it; I bought this book as it's cited in Northanger Abbey - ^thanks^ Jane Austen!

Described as "A quintessential Gothic romance, replete with incidents of physical and psychological terror; remote, crumbling castles; seemingly supernatural events; a brooding, scheming villain; and a persecuted heroine." - colour me intrigued.

I am not a fan of detailed description, and I feel like I am now overly familiar with every rock and crevice of the Pyrenees. Sure, give me a setting which can be beautiful, but don't make it the story. Too much!

I was expecting something akin to Dracula with its Gothic castles and spooky goings on, yet with a gentle love story. I was sorely disappointed. The castle didn't even come into it until about halfway through!

What I got was a soppy heroine. She cries ALL the time. The mountains are so beautiful they make her weep, she meets a pathetic boy which makes her cry, she gets torn away from him and home so she sobs. This may sound rational, but her eyes are seldom dry at all. Her second favourite hobby is fainting, which may be the only time she turns off the waterworks.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the sap she falls in love with, who is a soldier, also shares her passion for tears. Come on!!

And oh, the commas, which appear, in so many, odd places, as to leave you puzzled (see what I did there?). ;)

It's set in 1584 but reads more like the Georgian era it was written in, sadly.

There's not much dialogue, which I can forgive, given the time it was written. I'm fine with that.

And I did like some of the characters; Annette is rather fun and the Count de Villefort is charming.

Ordinarily, I'd have put this book down by the time I was a third of the way through; life's too short to read a book you don't enjoy. However, herein lies the reason for my 3 stars...I was oddly hooked. Was it a perverse pleasure which insisted I continue? The hope to get to a good bit? I really don't know.

Once the story finally got going, I did enjoy aspects. My modern mind was sadly not at all frightened by the modest attempts of terror. Emily was always too sceptical to allow me to believe supernatural occurrences were to blame.

At one point, a chap stands on guard to watch out for ghosts. It got really tense for a moment, then he started to read a book to while away the hours. That's fair enough, but I didn't need to read what he was reading! Really.

However, there was a sort of tidal flow to the story. Waves withdrew and then came crashing in, bringing chaos in their wake. It was rather pleasing.

Emily is admirable when not weeping. She stands fast to her virtuous upbringing, always using sound reasoning to do the right thing. Quite tough given some of the situations she finds herself in. She shows she has some strength after all.

I enjoyed the twists and turns, and actually some of the journeys.

And I truly appreciate its place in history. It helped to spark some greater works of fiction, such as the aforementioned Northanger Abbey. It deserves kudos.

Apparently, there's 'The Veiled Picture; or, The Mysteries of Gorgono' which is an abridgement, so maybe go for that instead.

Remember, this is only my opinion. You're entitled to a different one. Have you read this? Do let me know your impressions. 

Always in love and light,

TL

Regency Love - the details

OK, so over the past 16 posts, I've shared the plethora of research I gathered whilst writing my book.
And yes, I've included sneaky links to said book at the bottom of the posts - you can't blame a girl for trying 😉

But I thought I'd do a quick post all about the book itself.

Why did I write it?
Well, you may know that I have an author mission; to explore the many kinds of love.
And, as a lifelong fan of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre is my all time favourite book), I wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Thus I find myself stepping back some two hundred years to explore love in Regency England.

So many Regency books I read either stop at marriage or involve indulgent naughtiness pre-marriage. But I wanted to go further than this. I wanted to portray a realistic story, feeling their were plenty of tales yet to be told.
What did women truly feel at the time? Did they go along with marriage blindly?
Although love was being considered during marital selection, this was also limited by the constraints of class.
I didn't want a poor girl chasing a duke. Lady Anne IS the daughter of a duke. She must have had something to say, but had no voice at the time. This author decided it was high time she was given an outlet.

What's it about then?
Regency Love - Reflections of a Young Lady is Lady Anne's story.
We join her as she enters the marriage mart, having been "bred for purpose". She is full of trepidation and excitement. She has no idea who she will find herself married to.

During her journey, she discovers that not all of the Ton are honourable. And secrets come to light.

She is not alone. There are two main girl friends who are going through the same process, and they support one another as they make their entry into Society.

But, this book does not close the doors at the church. Come and explore married life for those "fortunate" enough to succeed.

Choice is but an illusion. This is Regency England, where fortunes are won and lost with alarming regularity. Who amongst the nobility has kept and who has squandered the family fortune? 

Gossip and intrigue are rife amongst The Ton. Not all are honourable. And not all marriages are equal. 

Is it any good? 
How very dare you! 😂
lol, I don't expect you to take my word for it. Of course I love Regency Love, it's my book baby!!
ARC readers have begun leaving their reviews on Goodreads if you want to take a look.
But, by the time you read this, reviews should be going up in all the usual places. 

Added bonus; if you're reading this on release day, as planned (27th August 2019), you can still grab this (ebook) for the bargain price of 99c/99p! I mean it; that really is a bargain, this is a long book! 

Yes, 'tis I! 

Can I see a sample? 
Well, yes. You can actually see and hear me reading in a very plummy English accent on my IGTV and YoutTube Honestly, it's funny and well worth a watch! 

But here's a text snippet on Book Funnel (chapter 1 in its entirety as a pdf). 

Where can I buy it? 
I like to make my books available to all. 
So, if you follow this link, you can select your favourite book store.

But, if you want the direct Amazon ones, they are...
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada 
Amazon India

The paperback is also now available at Waterstones (as well as Amazon )

Thank you for your interest and support.

Always in love and light,
TL

REVIEW - Cecilia - you're breaking my heart

Date read: 27th June 2019

My rating: 5*

Genre I reckon: Classics 

Buy link: not included






Oh my very goodness!! 😨
How does one even begin the attempt of reviewing such a novel.

It was published in 1782, and the language is very much of its time. But one does get accustomed to such flowerings of words so that, in time, it is not at all a trial to read. Indeed, it is most intriguing.

I read Cecilia as I loved Evelina before (review of that here).
And as I'm writing my own Regency romance (currently with beta readers so I was free from too much influence of this fine lady), I took the opportunity of perusing this tome.

As one has come to expect of this author, I was treated to some incredibly well illustrated characters.
They take their time to come to fruition, so you will need patience.

Fanny was, in real life, a courtier. She became "Keeper of the Robes" to Queen Charlotte (wife of George III). She had therefore some insight then into the different factions of Regency life, and was not shy of holding back in her satirisation of them. Having come from relatively humble beginnings, I wonder if she too encountered such prejudice as described in this novel when she married a French exile.

Talking of pride and prejudice, there is a section where Dr Lyster mentions this several times over:

Knowing Jane Austen was a fan, the title of arguably her most famous book seems to have been influenced from this. There's even a Miss Bennet in this story, although of a very different nature. And Miss Larolles, a tiresome chatterbox, is cited in Emma.

Anyway, back to THIS story...
Cecilia is an heiress. Sorry, HEIRESS. Little acquainted with London life, she is situated with a dissipated guardian. But then her other two potential guardians are worse; one is a miser who could rival (the later) Scrooge himself. The other is so extremely proud as to be irksome.

Thus Evelina is set upon a tragic course. Deeper and deeper she sinks into strife the harder she tries to maintain her precious innocence, as instructed in youth.

There's a particularly good masquerade scene, which is thrown with shade as well as humour.

Shock after shock befalls our heroine.

But then she makes a few friends, largely with thanks to her inherent goodness.
A wonderfully odd character enters the scene too. He seems to be a prophet of some sort.

Why, when she is all goodness will nobody hear her when she speaks only truth? Oh, fair Society, so little used to such merits is forever in doubt of anything which it hears which is against its wishes.

Twists and turns abound. And just as you think she is coming clear, another ill-timed entrance throws her back into turmoil. Oh, such hardships!

Her strength of character is exceptional under such duress. Burney shows in her own way, just how incredible Cecilia is. How she frets over indiscretions or possible wrong actions is a reflection of her purity. And how sorely it is tried.

I would not give the ending away for all the world, but fair reader, I urge you to have an entire box of tissues at the ready if you enter this lengthy read. Believe me; it is entirely worth your endeavours. I can't recall the last time I sobbed so hard at a book. Actually sobbed!! 😭 Oh monstrous perfidy!!!

Like its predecessor, Evelina, I thoroughly recommend this book.

It is funny, Fanny is quoted as being fearful of writing this novel, not certain of succeeding the success of her first. She needn't have worried; it exceeds even her own excellence.

All that is left is for me is to fear publishing my own Regency romance. Oh, how it pales in comparison to this mighty work. Even my beloved Jane Austen does not succeed her in my estimation (*gasp*). I know; sacrilege! But trust me, it really is THAT good.

(I'm making my very slow way through her entire collection, but will review on Zon once all books are completed.)

Oh, fellow writers, this section is rather marvellous....

"The assailants of the quill have their honour as much at heart as the assailants of the sword"

OK, so that's all I have to say about this amazing, and I mean AMAZING novel.

Always in love and light,
TL

REVIEW - The Scarlet Letter - a dreary tale

Date read: 1st June 2019

My rating: 3*

Genre I reckon: Classics (a dark one)

Buy link: not included




Now, I only ever review books on here that I'd genuinely recommend to a friend. Does this book belong here then? Maybe, maybe not. I can't decide, so here it is, just in case you want to know about it. Make your own mind up.

The Scarlet Letter is one of those books you've heard about, and feel you OUGHT to read.

btw - skip The Custom House preamble. It's utterly pointless.

This is a hard one to rate.
It is, of course, very well written. And a great insight into 17th century Puritan life (but written in 1850).
Incidentally, the same could be said of me as I'm currently writing a Regency romance. Similar distance in the future of the time in the book! 😲 Weird!!

Anyway, the language is therefore is of its time, and can feel a bit of an effort to wade through.

Hester Prynne is a sinner (*points accusing finger*). She's had a baby, and it's clearly not her husband's. 😱 Enter the scarlet letter itself.
The story is basically of her atonement for this DREADFUL sin. And the suffering spreads further than merely to herself. She is an outcast. (*points more forcefully*)
And that's the long and short of this book; suffering, misery and more suffering.

The daughter is a wild contrast of all this. But not necessarily in a good way. She is often caste as a demon child.

And yet, I found myself intrigued and compelled to reach the conclusion.

I understand many school children have been forced to read this, and I pity them. It must be quite an ordeal to pick this apart.
However, as an adult with no other agenda than to read the book as is, it's an interesting one.

Fancy a real reading challenge? Here it is!
Want a fun, light-hearted book; avoid!
lol


Always in love and light,
TL

Review - I'm in love with - Evelina

Evelina 
by Fanny Burney 

Rating: 5* (I'd give more if I had them)

Read: November 2015

Category: Historical Romance/Original founder 

Oh, the folly of modesty and reserve; how much confusion is caused falsely in thy name?

I absolutely adore this book! I can't believe I've only just discovered it.
It is one of the first romance novels, so do beware of ye olde language. But you do get used to it.

I found it amusing at how much chaos was caused by Evelina's purity and innocence.
How short this novel would have been if she lived today and was at once able to speak her mind.
But this is what makes the book so lovely.

There is absolutely no requirement for sex in this romance. I blush at even associating such an act with this work of refinement!

Evelina attends balls and gatherings of all sorts, and her eyes are opened to the horrors and wonders of this world.

Every romance reader (or indeed author) should read this book.
I feel myself greatly affected by its contents. And I thank and honour Fanny for her bravery as it must have taken great courage to write this way at the time. And in so doing she paved the way for many romance novels ever since.

Incidentally, in today's terms; one J Austen 'crowd funded' this book's publication (before she herself was published).
Oh, how much do we owe to this book? 

Goodreads Book Link