Jamaica Inn

Oh, how utterly Gothic is Daphne's tale of Mary Yellan. It is a treat to me, having not read much since beginning an overnight grocery job, and having not read much Gothic fiction in general, to dig into a historical novel filled with suspense and richly detailed. I actually began reading this a while ago, took a break from it, then last week, steamed through the last 100 pages in 3 days. It was a good decision, as the final third of the book begs to be read in nearly one sitting. Characters were good. Mary isn't the most relatable main character for a man in his 30's, but she was still a fairly well-developed protagonist. Of course the most memorable character, Joss Merly, was quite the antagonist, but I liked that Du Maurier showed him having humane moments and thoughts. Jem is another interesting character. I couldn't give this a full five stars only because it's a tad bit predictable near the end, and I guessed an outcome slightly before the reveal. Overall, Jamaica Inn is a tightly written and plotted thriller, a blast to read, and an admirable work by Daphne Du Maurier, who proves she has a bit of a dark imagination at times, and, twisted reader like myself, that's absolutely a positive. Definitely looking forward to watching the two adaptations (I already own the Hitchcock film), and more of Miss Du Maurier's work in general

Jamaica Inn by the English writer Daphne du Maurier is a classic. The story begins with 20 year-old Mary Yellan making her way to Jamaica Inn in a horse drawn coach, the darkness of the moors and the beating rain making her very anxious. Mary lived on a farm in Helford but had to leave after her mother died. As she was dying she asked Mary to go live with her Aunt Patience at Jamaica Inn. The journey to her aunt is anything but comforting. Upon arrival Mary finds her aunt a different person fro the sparkling, witty laughing woman she remembered. Aunt Patience seems aged 50 years and mutters constantly. She is clearly frightened of something and Mary comes to realize very quickly what, or shall I say who, is the reason. Mary’s Uncle Joss is a wicked man and he has illegal business affairs right there at the inn. The plot follows a group of murderous wreckers, Joss seemingly one who is in charge. They run ships aground using lanterns on the shore and kill the sailors then steal the cargo. Jamaica Inn is never open to the public yet every few weeks men come in the dark of the night, silently unloading carts of merchandise they have stolen from the wrecked ships. Mary foolishly becomes attracted to Joss’s younger brother, Jem. She realizes Jem does not have anything to do with her uncle’s murderous business although he is a horse thief. One day Mary decides to track her uncle across the moors so she can report the lot of them to the law. But it gets dark earlier than she thought it would and Mary is stranded, cold and wet and alone in the dark. Miraculously a horse drawn buggy comes along and she is rescued. Francis Davey, an albino vicar who lives in the next village, picks Mary up and takes her to his home. She tells the vicar the improbable tale of her uncle’s business expecting him to help her. He instead points out some weak points in her story and suggests she is letting her imagination get away from her. There is much more but if you haven’t read Du Maurier’s classic, I don’t want to give away the rest of the story. Soon I would like to read her other popular book, Rebecca. What would you like to eat if you were arriving on a damp, cold wintery evening to a near deserted inn on the moors? I would want a hot brisket dinner and loads of tea! That's what I was inspired to prepare after reading this book. (Photos are on my website)

I recently watched the 1939 Alfred Hitchcock film version of this book which gave me the desire to read the book in itself. Having never read Daphne du Maurier before, I was surprised to discover her beautiful style of writing. Crisp, clean and sharp, she pulled me in on every page. Wonderful story and magnificent writer.

“There’s things that happen at Jamaica Inn, Mary, that I’ve never dared to breathe. Bad things. Evil things…I dare not even admit them to myself.” This is my third novel I’ve read by Daphne Du Maurier. I really enjoyed Rebecca (5 stars), and My Cousin Rachel (4 stars) was pretty stellar, but Jamaica Inn lacks the qualities that make it as stellar as those two. This novel left me a little underwhelmed. I would like to begin with the positive. In my opinion, Du Maurier is at her best when she is creating an unsettling or foreboding atmosphere, and she does this somewhat in this novel. Some of the depictions of Mary exploring the moors and confines outside Jamaica Inn are pure dark ambience, and these moments reminded me a little of the tension in Rebecca. However, one of the problems I had (other than the lackluster characters) is that, for the most part, there is little in the way of subtlety in Jamaica Inn. There are dark elements for sure, but instead of leaving anything to the discretion of the reader’s imagination, it feels like most key elements and revelations are thrust before us to see and witness upfront. It is often what we don’t see or know or hear that is far more suspenseful and tension-filled but Jamaica Inn, once we know the happenings behind the curtain, is fairly transparent and thus, repetitive, as it circles around. This, in turn, leads me to the other problem I had: the characters. The characters were lacking in the sense that, for the most part, what you see is what you get. Not that we read mysteries or thrillers for deep characterization, but these characters are fairly prototypical and predictable from the overbearing villain on down. (There is something that the readers could see as a “twist” or turn nearing the end, but some readers were able to see through this as well). Finally--and this is just a personal preference--but this novel just left me cold. It is, by far, the darkest of the novels I’ve read by this author, and I just kind of wanted to be done with it. I’m hoping this novel is the “exception to the rule” , the outlier, when it comes to this author in terms of being somewhat letdown. That is not to say that there aren’t foreboding moments, or great prose or descriptions that have moments of tension. But, in the end, overall Jamaica Inn was a so-so experience given my expectations.

3.5/5 stars We open the story with Mary Yellan making a journey in dreary weather to the Jamaica Inn, which just the name of incites fear in the surrounding area. Mary would have never chosen this life for herself but it was her mother's dying wish that Mary move off the farm and in with her Aunt Patience. Upon arriving at her new residence she notices her Aunt is not as happy and beautiful as she remembered. Rather Aunt Patience is ragged and cowers in fear of her husband, Joss Merlyn. What exactly is Aunt Patience afraid of and what are the secrets behind the mysterious Jamaica Inn. I quite enjoyed the book though at times it seemed terribly slow. The characters all had distinct personalities which Du Maurier did a wonderful job of displaying throughout the book. While not exactly a scary story it holds your interest as you try to figure out just what is going on at the inn. My only complaints were the slowness in parts of the book and that the twist wasn't exactly surprising. Though there being a surprise isn't a requirement when a book is written as well as this was.

Before I start my review, a word of warning if you buy Kindle versions of Daphne Du Maurier's books: Some unscrupulous entity has been selling shortened and reworded Kindle versions of Du Maurier's books. There is nothing in the product description that states that it's not the authentic version of the book. These versions are meant to deceive the buyer. Amazon posts the same reviews to both the real versions of the books and the fake versions, even though they are not at all the same product. To be sure you are buying the legitimate Kindle edition, check the product details to make sure you are buying the version published by Little, Brown, and Company and sold by Hachette Book Group. My review of Jamaica Inn: Jamaica Inn was first published 80 years ago, but it has held up well. Du Maurier does a great job of making the English moor into a dark and forbidding place. The days are short. The rain is constant. The rocks are large and sharp. One false step and hidden bogs will suck you down to your death. The Inn itself is cold and damp, rundown and isolated. Life is difficult. Du Maurier populates her story with complex and fascinating characters - a young and innocent leading lady, her violent and alcoholic uncle, her meek and abused aunt, a charming and dangerous horse thief, a violent gang of criminals that lures ships to their doom on the rocky shore, and an albino (!) vicar. There's plenty of violence, but it's not as explicit as it would be in a book written today. It was fascinating to see how her situation affected our young heroine. The ending left me with a lot to think about. I heartily recommend Jamaica Inn if you are a fan of gothic suspense. The writing may seem a little bit dated by today's standards, but it's a quick read and Du Maurier is terrific author.

Great book a real mystery, lots of twists.

Daphne Du Mauier's Jamaica Inn is as well crafted as Rebecca. I loved the brooding atmosphere of the moors, and I find Mary Yellan's character a stark contrast to the main character of Rebecca. Mary is brave, protective of her Aunt Patience, and smart- unlike the rather flimsy wife of Maxim deWinter. The only reason why I give this book a rating of 4 is because at time the moors are overly described. I felt this took away from the plot a little, but it was still a good read. I was blindsided by the book's twist. Some people are saying the twist was not a surprise for them, but I did not find this to be the case. I can usually tell how books will end, but I did not see this ending coming at all! I highly recommend this book to people who are fans of the romantic suspense and gothic genres! You will not be disappointed you took the time to read this masterpiece.

Re read for the second time after 30 years. A great yarn with colourful characters and disturbing scenes. It is understandable that Hitchcock would use this novel as a source for his film Jamaica Inn.

Rebecca was such a great book that I had to read another Daphne Du Maurier book. I liked Jamaica Inn just as much as Rebecca. This story is suspenseful and creepy, yet at the same time, the heroine, Mary Yellan is a character who is undaunted and fearless in searching out the truth and wanting to expose what is really going on. She’s a great character. And the descriptions of the Cornwall countryside and the eery beauty of the moors is described in a way that makes you feel like you are with Mary Yellan as she escapes out into the moors to fearlessly explore them. There are also twists in the story, characters you grow to like and only later to realize there is much more to them than you thought, and like Mary maybe you were too quick to like them. It’s really a brilliant tale and filled with danger and a heroine who with a lot of moxie.

È un racconto di una giovane che ha da poco perduto la madre e che va a stare da sua zia e suo marito. Molto avventuroso e con tanti misteri e segreti. L’inglese non è per i principianti me non troppo difficile con tante descrizioni della natura della Cornovaglia . Lo consiglio a un B2 per arricchire il proprio vocabolario.

Set in the early 1800s, Jamaica Inn is the story of Mary Yellan. She arrives to Jamaica Inn after promising her dying mother that she would sell the family's farm and go live with her aunt Patience. When she arrives at Jamaica Inn she realises very quickly that things are not as they should be, her aunt who was once pretty and lively has now withdrawn into herself and seems very frightened of her husband Joss. Joss is a big brute of a man who is secretive and keeps some very dubious company, what Joss's dealings are and what Jamaica Inn is used for is slowly revealed. I had little expectations for this book. I loved Rebecca and was expecting this to not match up it. I'm glad to say that I relished Jamaica Inn and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. From the first chapter when Mary is travelling along Cornwall's desolate moors in the night towards Jamaica Inn, Du Maurier had me hooked. Du Maurier takes the reader very much into Gothic territory here (is there any alternative when moors are involved) but also throws in some adventure and a love interest which slots perfectly into an already atmospheric and gripping read. Although Rebecca might be a better book I much preferred the Heroine Mary in Jamaica Inn. This is a girl is determined, strong and (for want of a better word) sassy. Instead of cowering in the corner with her aunt she stands up to her uncle, her uncle in turn respects her and a battle of words ensures between them. I just love this speech she presents to her uncle when he first tries to intimidate her upon arrival at Jamaica Inn.. 'I understand you,' she said. 'I'm not curious by nature, and I've never gossiped in my life. It doesn't matter to me what you do in the inn, or what company you keep. I'll do my work about the house and you'll have no cause to grumble. But if you hurt my Aunt Patience in any way, I tell you this - I'll leave Jamaica Inn straight away, and I'll find the magistrate, and bring him here, and have the law on you; and then try and break me if you like.' Mary is also attracted to her uncle's brother Jem. Jem is a charmer and a horse thief, he is quite upfront about his dodgy dealings with Mary and plays a good `bad boy', but can she trust him? Mary also has quite a cynical (or perhaps realistic) view on love and marriage for a young girl. She sees young couples all the time in love but then sees them get married and have children and she sees their lives change as the husband comes home demanding his dinner and the wife who is tired from looking after a home and a baby that never stops crying. Mary just seems to accept that the world is simply made like this and she herself can either choose to be part of that or choose to go her own way. This is quite a refreshing attitude for a book written in the 1930s, but what's even more refreshing is that she never needs `rescuing'. Yes she is beaten and dragged about but she uses her own resources to get herself out of the situation, Jem never shows up to `save' her. In this respect she would make a far better role model than a lot of modern heroines. This is good book which contains atmosphere, deception and adventure and I found it pure escapism and a real treat to read.

- J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre autrefois, il faisait partie de mes relectures régulières et je l'ai repris, 20 ans après (enfin, peut-être plus, mais je ne veux pas le savoir !) avec un peu de circonspection. Pourtant j'ai retrouvé beaucoup de ma fascination de jadis en relisant ce livre, pour la première fois dans sa version originale. Daphne du Maurier est douée pour écrire des histoires prenantes, qui semblent paisibles et quotidiennes, mais qui entraînent le lecteur dans un suspens haletant, avec un brio digne d'un bon livre policier. Les descriptions sont généreuses, mais pas ennuyeuses, car elles contribuent à tisser l'ambiance qui baigne les personnages (toujours excellents) et le lecteur, envoûté, tourne les pages avec passion voire frénésie. L'histoire de l'auberge de la Jamaïque commence par un mélange de morne (une jeune fille pauvre, dont la mère vient de mourir et qui part vivre avec une tante qu'elle n'a pas revue depuis une dizaine d'années) et de violent (le temps est affreux et Mary subit un longue voyage dans une diligence, comprenant peu à peu que sa destination fait l'objet d'une répugnance générale). La vie qui attend Mary, une jeune fille travailleuse téméraire et têtue, est horrible : l'auberge jouit d'une réputation aussi abominable que mystérieuse, l'oncle est une figure terrifiante et la tante, dont la jeune fille avait gardé le souvenir d'une très jolie jeune femme gaie et insouciante, est devenue une créature frêle et terrorisée... L'ambiance, que l'on pourrait penser gothique, est pourtant le reflet de réalités bien concrètes, que le lecteur devine peu à peu, avec l'héroïne. Au fur à et mesure des révélations et des rares rencontres de Mary (le séduisant et très douteux frère de l'oncle honni, l'énigmatique et généreux Vicaire d'Altarnun) les mystères se dévoileront un à un, jusqu'au crescendo final, très surprenant. La fin est étonnante aussi, par la volonté de l'auteur de placer son héroïne dans une position inconfortable et devant un choix difficile. J'avais gardé un souvenir perplexe des motivations des actes de son dernier interlocuteur et, plutôt curieusement, ce sentiment demeure à cette nouvelle lecture - orgueil, malice, cruauté, sentiments sincères ? - le mystère demeure...