Scan barcode
hrh_victoria's review against another edition
5.0
Though she was a favorite of Queen Victoria and wrote over 120 books, Margaret Oliphant is not studied much today. This is my PSA that Oliphant is an author worth studying. She certainly deserves more than nine reviews on Goodreads.
The Library Window is a Gothic novella (or, if you want to be cute, “novelette”) around 50 pages long. It tells the story of a young, unnamed narrator who begins to notice a peculiar library window across from her aunt’s home. While her aunt’s friends speculate that the window is a fake, the narrator grows more certain that it is, in fact, real. Over time, she begins to see the room behind the window and, eventually, a man living in it. She discounts the older ladies’ claims as a result of their poor eyesight, but the window and the man beyond it still seem not quite right. The narrator becomes obsessed with the man.
This was Oliphant’s last book; she died a year later, having outlived her husband, brothers, and all her children. This fact makes the novella even more haunting.
It’s the sort of haunting I can tolerate though. As someone who’s successfully avoided horror movies in all 19 years of her life, I’m not one to read scary books, and I don’t think this book is scary. It’s suspenseful and it sticks with you, but it’s not scary.
It’s hard to talk about this book the way I normally would. There’s no epic romance, but the relationship between the narrator and the ghastly man in the window she only sees from across the street is an interesting one. The cast is almost entirely female, but the main character is a girl who enjoys reading and daydreaming; she is a relatable character at first and a strange character later.
The plot is not remarkable in any way, nor is it unremarkable. It is what you’d expect from Gothic literature, but that doesn’t detract from my experience of the book. It’s a page-turner because Oliphant writes it in an interesting way. She leads the reader to ask plenty of questions and never answers one without bringing up another. That said, she never answers all the questions, surrendering her story to the reader’s interpretation.
That’s what I love most about this story: its openness to interpretation. The meaning behind the elusive library window, the narrator’s growing interest in it, and her strange relationship with her aunt and her aunt’s friends opens the novel to multiple readings. Even more interestingly, since the book is not widely reviewed, I don’t think anyone has yet found a perfect answer to the meaning of the novella–and perhaps they never will. The questions that remain after the books’ conclusion add to the sense of mystery.
The Library Window is a brilliantly written novella that doesn’t have the readership it deserves.
Recommendation: Literature majors, especially those who appreciate Victorian and Gothic literature, will appreciate this book.
Since it’s such a quick read, I’d say those who enjoy suspense stories and don’t mind them being historical would also appreciate this novella. If you like Poe, this is perfect for you. It’s the sort of book that should be read around Halloween, anyhow. And it’s appropriate for the kiddos. It teaches them to stay away from strange men in the window and diamond rings. I might be stretching it a little, but you get the gist.
If you’re at all interested, please please please read this book.
Also, please please please friend me on Goodreads or follow my blog if you want more reviews like this!
The Library Window is a Gothic novella (or, if you want to be cute, “novelette”) around 50 pages long. It tells the story of a young, unnamed narrator who begins to notice a peculiar library window across from her aunt’s home. While her aunt’s friends speculate that the window is a fake, the narrator grows more certain that it is, in fact, real. Over time, she begins to see the room behind the window and, eventually, a man living in it. She discounts the older ladies’ claims as a result of their poor eyesight, but the window and the man beyond it still seem not quite right. The narrator becomes obsessed with the man.
This was Oliphant’s last book; she died a year later, having outlived her husband, brothers, and all her children. This fact makes the novella even more haunting.
It’s the sort of haunting I can tolerate though. As someone who’s successfully avoided horror movies in all 19 years of her life, I’m not one to read scary books, and I don’t think this book is scary. It’s suspenseful and it sticks with you, but it’s not scary.
It’s hard to talk about this book the way I normally would. There’s no epic romance, but the relationship between the narrator and the ghastly man in the window she only sees from across the street is an interesting one. The cast is almost entirely female, but the main character is a girl who enjoys reading and daydreaming; she is a relatable character at first and a strange character later.
The plot is not remarkable in any way, nor is it unremarkable. It is what you’d expect from Gothic literature, but that doesn’t detract from my experience of the book. It’s a page-turner because Oliphant writes it in an interesting way. She leads the reader to ask plenty of questions and never answers one without bringing up another. That said, she never answers all the questions, surrendering her story to the reader’s interpretation.
That’s what I love most about this story: its openness to interpretation. The meaning behind the elusive library window, the narrator’s growing interest in it, and her strange relationship with her aunt and her aunt’s friends opens the novel to multiple readings. Even more interestingly, since the book is not widely reviewed, I don’t think anyone has yet found a perfect answer to the meaning of the novella–and perhaps they never will. The questions that remain after the books’ conclusion add to the sense of mystery.
The Library Window is a brilliantly written novella that doesn’t have the readership it deserves.
Recommendation: Literature majors, especially those who appreciate Victorian and Gothic literature, will appreciate this book.
Since it’s such a quick read, I’d say those who enjoy suspense stories and don’t mind them being historical would also appreciate this novella. If you like Poe, this is perfect for you. It’s the sort of book that should be read around Halloween, anyhow. And it’s appropriate for the kiddos. It teaches them to stay away from strange men in the window and diamond rings. I might be stretching it a little, but you get the gist.
If you’re at all interested, please please please read this book.
Also, please please please friend me on Goodreads or follow my blog if you want more reviews like this!
remib's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
fachrinaa's review against another edition
5.0
I'm in love with the prose. The description is vivid; I think this is the piece I'm going to use as a reference for how to write description. The way the narrator speaks is also highly engaging, revealing the narrator's character clearly.
mrs_skywalker's review against another edition
3.0
3,5 Trochę gubi tempo, ale Oliphant i tak świetnie kreuje atmosferę i zwodzi czytelnika. Również piękny portret mola książkowego <3
tarajeanne's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maccymacd's review against another edition
4.0
A ghost story that has I'm sure been copied numerous times now, although of course the original is the best. The story of another world through a window that only one girl can see. Really quite scary, I will be recommending it to victorian ghost readers!
mrs_skywalker's review
3.0
3,5 Trochę gubi tempo, ale Oliphant i tak świetnie kreuje atmosferę i zwodzi czytelnika. Również piękny portret mola książkowego <3
lnatal's review
4.0
I loved this novella written by Mrs. Oliphant. It reminds me in some way, Proust's style of writing with very long paragraphs but still keeping our attention into the plot.
A magnificent book which was kindly recommended by Karen, I really appreciate.
A magnificent book which was kindly recommended by Karen, I really appreciate.
More...