Dragonwyck

Dragonwyck has all the ingredients of a stereotypical Gothic story -- a beautiful, innocent young girl, a handsome, brooding aristocrat, a haunting ghostly presence connected to some past evil, and a huge castle-like mansion. Even the name of this mansion "Dragonwyck" adds to the melodrama, suggesting the abode of a dragon. In the hands of a less skillful writer these ingredients could easily add up to a hackneyed cliche of a book. However, Anya Seton weaves her story in such a way that it is never boring, never contrived, and though the plot is pretty predictable without any real surprises, she manages to keep the story interesting. Even though you know what's going to happen, you want to keep reading, anyway. Admittedly, I am a fan of well-written Gothics; Jane Eyre and Rebecca are two of my all-time favorites. And after reading Dragonwyck I consider it of almost that same caliber. It was only Seton's second published work and, like her other earlier books, it shows a subtlety and constraint that, I think, make it a finer work than if Seton had spelled out every detail. In this, too, it compares to Jane Eyre and Rebecca. For instance, the violence which led to the haunting of the Red Room at Dragonwyck, the evil in the Van Ryn men which has been passed down to Nicholas, and the psychological damage to Nicholas somehow connected to the loss of his mother, are all only vaguely described by Seton. Although she could have explained them in detail she instead leaves it for the reader to fill in the gaps of the past history themselves. And of course, the sexual relations between Miranda and Nicholas are only vaguely referred to. This is due more to the cultural constraints of the times during which Seton wrote than to a particular choice of style, as evidenced by her later works written when such constraints had become much more relaxed. Green Darkness in particular, and to a lesser degree Avalon, are much coarser in their treatment of sex. This is why I prefer Seton's earlier works, and older books in general. I do not need a writer to spell it out in graphic detail for me to understand what goes on behind the closed doors. And in fact, I find such graphic sex a poor substitute for the truly fine writing of earlier authors who knew how to tell a good story without titillating their readers. Ok, enough of that..... What makes Dragonwyck particularly engaging is the setting. Perhaps it's just the romantic or Gothic-lover in me, but I found the setting of 19th century New York along the Hudson river something that I wanted to return to; a perfect escape from the 21st century! Although Seton's works are typically considered "historicals", the historical element of Dragonwyck is secondary; it is first and foremost a romance. Although Seton does weave in some actual historical events that took place during the time of the story, the history doesn't really impact Miranda's and Nicholas' story all that much. The true driving force was Nicholas, and what happened to him, and to Miranda because of him, was inevitable regardless of what took place in the world around them. There are a couple of little teasing tidbits that I wish Seton had followed up on. The first is in her Author's Note, where says that the idea for this story came from a news item she read in a New York newspaper from 1849. I do wish she had related just what was in that article ....... The second is in the early part of the book, when Nicholas orders a whole new wardrobe for Miranda shortly after her arrival at Dragonwyck. The modiste hired to make the clothes is not surprised, because Nicholas had done the same thing for "an orphan from New Orleans" not long before. Nicholas, being the misanthropist that he was, would not have taken in an orphan and ordered her a new, expensive wardrobe just to be generous. Just who was this orphan? I really thought this was going to be a significant point later in the book, but unfortunately it was never mentioned again...... So if you're looking for an enjoyable book to escape into for a time, this is it. Enjoy!

I’ll chalk Dragonwyck up to one of those classic Gothic romance guilty pleasure types, as it seemingly has all the staples in place: the naïve young lady from simple origins out of her element, the dark and mysterious man who captivates said lady, a foreboding and mysterious estate with secrets and superstitions, and a few skeletons in the closet. And did I forget to mention the flair for melodramatics? Miranda Wells comes from a humble home. She is the daughter of a very religious and upright father who maintains a farm. While she lives the life in the country with her family, she enjoys reading spicy Gothic romance novels. So, it seems that fate intervenes when a letter arrives at Wells’ residence from a certain cousin Nicholas Van Ryn. Living an aristocratic lifestyle, Van Ryn has invited one of the Wells daughters to stay for a time and be a companion to their child. For Miranda, this is the adventure she has hoped for: “The fantastic name ‘Dragonwyck’ enchanted her. She repeated it over and over to herself and it was as though it pulled her to it, and beckoned." So, of course her father relents, and Miranda is off to visit the Van Ryns. One of the angles explored in the novel is Miranda being caught between the two societies, one that is the country life with a moral and religious upbringing, and that of the aristocratic, genteel lifestyle under her cousin. She soon comes to realize after arriving at Dragonwyck that there are more questions than answers, but she is enamored with Nicholas. Still, she has an uncomfortable, uneasy feeling sometimes about her stay, but why is that? As I mentioned earlier, the dramatics are definitely there, and maybe a little over the top at points, but there are definitive moments of intrigue and suspense as Miranda gradually learns more about obscure cousin and his wife and tries to pull back the proverbial curtain to this situation. I also thought the romantic angle was handled nicely as well. For some reason, I was thinking about several novels that have traits similar to this one: Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights to name a few. A nice touch also is Seton’s ability to weave in the historical elements and figures of the time and incorporate them into the plot. For example, the Anti-Rent Wars and the steamboat racing become quite essential to several conflict and parts of the plot. Also, there are several cameo appearances by authors of this time, such as Melville, Cooper, and Poe. (At one point, Miranda and Nicholas are at the Poe’s place listening to “Eddie” recite one of his works). The ending and final resolve was a little clunky, but I suppose it got the job done. Nevertheless, it did not take away from the enjoyment of the novel. This was my first exposure to reading Anya Seton (I own and have Katherine on my to -read list), and it was a good experience. There is a film adaptation with Gene Tierney available that I watched years ago, so I might go revisit, to see how it compares.

Although Dragonwyck was first published in 1944, it reads like a novel by one of the great victorian writers. In fact, it very much reminds me of Jane Eyre on a slightly smaller scale. Dragonwyck is a Cinderella story with a dark background and gothic touch. Our beautiful Miranda arrives at Dragonwyck with storybook dreams, but finds in her hero a sinster mystery that only she can solve. I am completely new to the writings of Anya Seton (where have I been?) and so taken with her that I have now ordered all of her works. I love a good gothic tale complete with the dark old homes and beautiful manners of the past; Dragonwyck completely mesmerized me and held my attention from the beginning. It is fast-paced, heart-stopping, and beautifully written. If you like entering a Cinderella world, you will love this book. 5+ stars*****

I read a lot of books off of the free kindle list, so the fact that I spent almost $8 on this book on a recommendation was way outside of my norm. When you are reading free books, you expect some typos, incorrect word usage and the like. When I spend almost $8 on a book, I do NOT expect typos on almost every page. This was a complete rip-off as far as an e-book goes (any e-book over $4-$5 is a complete rip-off IMHO). I might have enjoyed the book more if there had been fewer mistakes, and I might have been able to forgive all the mistakes if the e-book hadn't cost so much.

New York, 1840: Für die junge Farmerstochter Miranda Wells geht ein Traum in Erfüllung als sie als Hauslehrerin der kleinen Tochter ihres reichen Cousins Nicholas Van Ryn arbeiten soll. Miranda geht im luxuriösen Herrenhaus Dragonwyck vollkommen auf und schnell fällt sie unter den Bann des anziehenden und mysteriösen Nicholas. Miranda könnte so glücklich sein, wären da nicht Nicholas' Ehe mit Johanna und seine unerklärlichen Stimmungsschwankungen. Nach und nach bekommt Miranda außerdem das Gefühl, dass etwas Unheimliches in Dragonwyck vorgeht. Lastet ein Fluch auf dem Herrenhaus? DRAGONWYCK ist ein schöner und stimmungsvoller Gothic-Roman, der mit sehr interessanten historischen Details angereichert ist. Neben den Vorgängen in Dragonwyck und den Beziehungen der Figuren spielen auch historische Begebenheiten in der Gegend rund um das Herrenhaus eine Rolle und wir erfahren einige sehr interessante Details. Vor allem der Kampf der Farmer gegen den Großgrundbesitzer Van Ryn ist sehr spannend. Die Figuren treffen außerdem mehrmals auf historische Persönlichkeiten wie etwa Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville und die Astors. Anya Seton beschreibt sehr schön die angespannte und unheimliche Stimmung in Dragonwyck, ich hätte mir hier nur gewünscht, dass der Gothic-Anteil des Romans größer ist. Außerdem hätte ich gern mehr über die Vergangenheit des Herrenhauses erfahren. Und ich hätte mich gern ein bisschen mehr gegruselt. Die Handlung folgt hauptsächlich Miranda. Obwohl sie vor allem im ersten Drittel von DRAGONWYCK sehr naiv und oberflächlich erscheint, war sie mir von der ersten Seite an sympathisch und ich habe ihre Wandlung vom unbedarften Landei zur geprüften und erfahrenen Frau mit großer Spannung verfolgt. Nicholas ist zunächst ein sehr mysteriöser Charakter, der von düsteren Geheimnissen geplagt zu sein scheint, und Mirandas Leben komplett auf den Kopf stellt. Ich möchte hier nicht mehr über ihn verraten, da ich ansonsten zu viel vom Buch vorweg nehmen würde. Die Nebenfiguren in DRAGONWYCK haben mir ebenfalls gut gefallen. Mirandas Familie spielt eine Rolle und der junge Arzt Jeff Turner ist sehr wichtig für die Handlung. Auch Johanna und ihrer Tochter Katrine und einigen der Bediensteten wird einiges an Platz in der Handlung eingeräumt. Alles in allem hat mir DRAGONWYCK gut gefallen. Der Roman ist sehr stimmungsvoll und spannend und die Figuren haben mir gut gefallen. Ich hätte mir nur noch ein wenig mehr Grusel gewünscht. Empfehlenswert!

A fantastical period book with characters reminiscent of Rebecca and an Edith Wharton novel. Very atmospheric, with an aura of menace and impending doom. In the end, you end up feeling sorry for the villain after all.

Good Communication, Prompt Delivery, Packaged well and Item as described... Very Happy with Purchase (^.^) Thank You.

This was my first experience with Anya Seton, and I was immersed from beginning to end. Was a very interesting read, but she does lack that flare Philippa Gregory demonstrates in her historical fiction. There could have been more detail about that particular era, but all in all the story was enough to interest me through-out. I am a very picky reader, and if I find too many inconsistencies, or historical error, I won't even waste my time finishing the book. It's a more modern day Jane Eyre love story. Would recommend the read.

A very naive beauty and an egotistical wealthy handsome young man find a twisted lifestyle that brings neither of them joy. A haunting tale .