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theshleester's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
It's no Rebecca, but it did have a strange surreal charm all its own.
Slow moving but fully held my attention. One moment where I exclaimed out loud and had to explain the unexpected twist to the people sitting next to me. It's sort of a murder mystery, but more than that, it's a deep dive into two people and the relationship between them, which was fascinating in itself.
Everything became more subtly surreal as the story went on; our narrator becomes more and more unsettled and lost, so you take that emotional journey with him.
Slow moving but fully held my attention. One moment where I exclaimed out loud and had to explain the unexpected twist to the people sitting next to me. It's sort of a murder mystery, but more than that, it's a deep dive into two people and the relationship between them, which was fascinating in itself.
Everything became more subtly surreal as the story went on; our narrator becomes more and more unsettled and lost, so you take that emotional journey with him.
carlyg123's review against another edition
4.0
Reading those final fifty pages in one sitting has given me whiplash.
From anyone else I'd be disappointed, but for some reason - because it's Daphne - it works.
From anyone else I'd be disappointed, but for some reason - because it's Daphne - it works.
eriynali's review against another edition
3.0
spotty on the believability of all the academic/festival bits. staying power was entirely with the two brothers sticking to each other through all the distrust.
fun drinking game... take a shot every time the word campanile is mentioned
fun drinking game... take a shot every time the word campanile is mentioned
willablue's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little so-so on this book. On the one hand, I found the actual plot pretty predicable, right down to the "flight" in the title and all the revelations leading up to it. On the other hand, I enjoyed how du Maurier depicted a 1960s college campus in Italy as a little fiefdom, with department heads serving as nobility, students as peasants, and the Rector as a benevolent but absent king. Very well done and interesting.
The portrayal of women left a lot to be desired (I can't believe that, even in 1960s Italy, people would laugh off the rape of a spinster!). Armino was a very passive main character; events just seemed to happen to him and he never really took any action. In fact, he was actually very like a stereotypical woman in books from this era!
Not nearly as gothic and atmospheric as Rebecca, or as heartbreaking as My Cousin Rachel, but a solid read.
The portrayal of women left a lot to be desired (I can't believe that, even in 1960s Italy, people would laugh off the rape of a spinster!). Armino was a very passive main character; events just seemed to happen to him and he never really took any action. In fact, he was actually very like a stereotypical woman in books from this era!
Not nearly as gothic and atmospheric as Rebecca, or as heartbreaking as My Cousin Rachel, but a solid read.
lydzzz357's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ldv's review against another edition
3.0
A strange story, not unpredictable. With a character like Aldo, it can only end one way. I caught the clue about Marta so I anticipated that "shocker" too.
What is more interesting is the way Beo idolizes Aldo after 20 years, how they fall back into the same relationship so quickly.
The town is as much a character in this story as any, perhaps even more than the palace. Good if you like old Italy, perhaps.
What is more interesting is the way Beo idolizes Aldo after 20 years, how they fall back into the same relationship so quickly.
The town is as much a character in this story as any, perhaps even more than the palace. Good if you like old Italy, perhaps.
groadie's review
Im afraid this just didn't draw me in like Du Maurier's books usually do. Couldn't like the protagonist and the plot seemed a bit contrived.