The Gothic Novel Book Club <Hiatus> discussion

August BOTM

I also liked it OK - it wasn't unenjoyable, but I have to admit to certain amount of 'indifference' towards it. I was utterly unconvinced by the romance that was suddenly thrust upon the reader - it didn't feel very convincing I think due to the suddenness of it and the fact that that approach just didn't seem to be in keeping with the character. Although I think they conveyed her emotional response to the relationship as it progressed well.

I was also slightly disappointed in the end, it was a bit too 'everyone lived happily ever after', especially when you consider the events that had actually taken place and was again unconvincing. Like the author got bored but thought that going for 'it was all a dream' would be a bit *too* cliche. On the whole I enjoyed the murder-mystery element to it though, despite the romance and ending.

I've been reading this to catch up with some of the recent reads in the group (I'm new to the group). Have had a similar reaction so far to the plot and romance. Of course, it's simply Hamlet retold in a different setting/period (Ellsmere=Elsinore; Herron=Hamlet; Lord Claude=Claudius; Gwendolyn=Gertrude; "Ondine"=Ophelia, etc etc), but I am worried that it is so much simply a *retelling* of Hamlet that she's not taking the characters, romance, and story in the directions they want to go in this setting she has made for us....it is a little forced. I feel like the author just wanted to tell the Hamlet story from Ophelia's point of view, but without having a real strong sense of where she was going with it. But, we'll see what happens....