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bibliogouine's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
darkanddreary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
davidb71's review against another edition
4.25
I thought this was very enjoyable; very, very different to the other du Maurier books I've so far read. This is really an escapist fantasy, a romance, a pirate love story set in, I think, the 1600s. It's bold, it's audacious, it's bordering on being ridiculous, but she completely pulls it off. I thought it was terrific fun, but also more than just fun - as always with du Maurier there are deeper themes being explored here, beautifully written characters, and real emotional depth.
The story revolves around the character of Dona - Lady St. Columb - and her retreat from her husband and her life in London to the family's country estate in Cornwall. Here, along with her two small children, she seeks solitude and refuge from the superficiality of her London life. She crosses paths with a group of French pirates, who are staging raids along the coast, much to the consternation of the locals, but rather than being appalled by them, she becomes fascinated by their leader, Jean-Benoit Aubéry, whom she finds a surprisingly cultured, sophisticated and charismatic man, and she agrees to join them, disguised as a cabin boy, on a mission to steal a ship belonging to one of her neighbours.
It sounds ridiculous, but in its execution, it isn't ridiculous at all. Dona is escaping herself, the person that she had become, questioning her role as a woman, a mother, a wife, throwing caution to the wind, and at the same time helplessly, irrevocably, overwhelmingly, falling in love.
As always with du Maurier, I found the writing to be wonderful - with such precise attention to detail, in just the right way. The characters are brought to life in vivid detail, as are the locations and the scenery of the wind-swept Cornish coast. It is a fun novel, with a lot of humour in it, but I also found it very intense and dramatic at times. It's a roistering, boisterous novel, knowingly over-the-top, maybe at times a little tongue-in-cheek, but at its core it is exploring serious themes of identity, duty, maybe maternal responsibility, and it doesn't seek to give glib answers. I enjoyed everything about it. I enjoyed the dialogue very much - always very sharp and witty. I enjoyed how Dona's character developed over the course of the novel, into a person much more comfortable in her own skin. I enjoyed all of the subsidiary characters very much. I enjoyed the adventure Dona went on and the relationship that developed between her and Jean-Benoit, which was very compellingly and convincingly written.
The one tiny caveat I have is in regard to the opening chapter. It is a strange chapter, set in what would have been the present day when the book was written - around 1941, I think - and it involves a person being at the Frenchman's Creek of the title - the place where Dona first encountered the pirate ship - and sort of seeing, or imagining, these figures (Dona & Jean-Benoit) from the past; the present and past blurring together.
I didn't see what the point of this chapter was. Thankfully, it's mercifully short, but I still found it somewhat of a chore to read, and it almost put me off continuing with the book. It's not bad, as such, but I found it a little confusing to read and I don't know why the book needed it. It does provide a bit of foreshadowing, I suppose, but personally I'd have preferred it if the book had just started at Chapter Two, with Dona and her children travelling to the Cornish estate, which is the start of the story proper.
But overall, a terrific and hugely enjoyable novel that I had a great time reading. It doesn't feel quite as substantial a piece of work as the other du Maurier book's I've so far read, but I still think it's great - a very singular, memorable book.
The story revolves around the character of Dona - Lady St. Columb - and her retreat from her husband and her life in London to the family's country estate in Cornwall. Here, along with her two small children, she seeks solitude and refuge from the superficiality of her London life. She crosses paths with a group of French pirates, who are staging raids along the coast, much to the consternation of the locals, but rather than being appalled by them, she becomes fascinated by their leader, Jean-Benoit Aubéry, whom she finds a surprisingly cultured, sophisticated and charismatic man, and she agrees to join them, disguised as a cabin boy, on a mission to steal a ship belonging to one of her neighbours.
It sounds ridiculous, but in its execution, it isn't ridiculous at all. Dona is escaping herself, the person that she had become, questioning her role as a woman, a mother, a wife, throwing caution to the wind, and at the same time helplessly, irrevocably, overwhelmingly, falling in love.
As always with du Maurier, I found the writing to be wonderful - with such precise attention to detail, in just the right way. The characters are brought to life in vivid detail, as are the locations and the scenery of the wind-swept Cornish coast. It is a fun novel, with a lot of humour in it, but I also found it very intense and dramatic at times. It's a roistering, boisterous novel, knowingly over-the-top, maybe at times a little tongue-in-cheek, but at its core it is exploring serious themes of identity, duty, maybe maternal responsibility, and it doesn't seek to give glib answers. I enjoyed everything about it. I enjoyed the dialogue very much - always very sharp and witty. I enjoyed how Dona's character developed over the course of the novel, into a person much more comfortable in her own skin. I enjoyed all of the subsidiary characters very much. I enjoyed the adventure Dona went on and the relationship that developed between her and Jean-Benoit, which was very compellingly and convincingly written.
The one tiny caveat I have is in regard to the opening chapter. It is a strange chapter, set in what would have been the present day when the book was written - around 1941, I think - and it involves a person being at the Frenchman's Creek of the title - the place where Dona first encountered the pirate ship - and sort of seeing, or imagining, these figures (Dona & Jean-Benoit) from the past; the present and past blurring together.
I didn't see what the point of this chapter was. Thankfully, it's mercifully short, but I still found it somewhat of a chore to read, and it almost put me off continuing with the book. It's not bad, as such, but I found it a little confusing to read and I don't know why the book needed it. It does provide a bit of foreshadowing, I suppose, but personally I'd have preferred it if the book had just started at Chapter Two, with Dona and her children travelling to the Cornish estate, which is the start of the story proper.
But overall, a terrific and hugely enjoyable novel that I had a great time reading. It doesn't feel quite as substantial a piece of work as the other du Maurier book's I've so far read, but I still think it's great - a very singular, memorable book.
mirandascastle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
libeccio's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
zanhoven's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is a well written, very descriptive read. All the characters and their observations were very detailed. I also liked seeing Dona's perceptions of characters differ to how they actually were when they appeared on the page.
I felt that the author didn't respect the institution of marriage and motberhood and this really shows in Dona's thoughts and actions. However, Dona's desire for connection and dissatisfaction with life was well written.
The Frenchman was similar to Dona in his quest for freedom and adventure that fell outside of society norms.
This wasn't my favourite book to read, but that could be because of the books I have been recently looking for.
I would recommend this book for the character description/perception mentioned above and for those who like predictive romance.
I felt that the author didn't respect the institution of marriage and motberhood and this really shows in Dona's thoughts and actions. However, Dona's desire for connection and dissatisfaction with life was well written.
The Frenchman was similar to Dona in his quest for freedom and adventure that fell outside of society norms.
This wasn't my favourite book to read, but that could be because of the books I have been recently looking for.
I would recommend this book for the character description/perception mentioned above and for those who like predictive romance.
hjrey's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am a cabin-boy again, and Dona St Columb is asleep and dreaming.
About: Dona St Columb is part of the aristocracy, and all the talk of the Court with her pranks and scandalous nights out. But during one of her escapades, she realises how meaningless her life has become - as if she's never truly lived, and so takes off with her two small children for the country. Damn her foolish husband and damn the gossips. She wants quiet. Peace. What she finds, however, are pirates and a whole new life she never believed existed. One of freedom, stealing wigs, and silences that fill her more completely than any air she's breathed before.
Thoughts
A pirate book that's fun and feminist, that's fast-paced but with so much depth. I loved the characters, especially Dona. She's such a great female protagonist. We see her as the beautiful, witty, playful flirt of London, and we see her as the loving, devoted mother. We also see her be selfish and reckless. Depressed and lonely. Quiet and content. She's an actual human being with multiple moods and real personality.
Daphne du Maurier was the master of creating a mood and setting, and this one hooked me straight away. I loved the juxtaposition of the stuffy, laughable high society to the danger and adventure at sea. The romance is fatalistic and yet has this vivacious energy that feels like waking up. As Dona sinks into the fantasy of pirate life, she seems to be more vivid than ever.
And as serious as the novel is on questions of gender roles and what drives us, what really matters in life, it's also light-hearted. I loved the humour. William and Dona were great together, the look at the aristocracy was very Jane Austen, and the audacity of the Dona and the Frenchman was so much fun to read.
The ending is ambiguous, as I think it needed to be, but it asks the reader all the right questions and I came away just amazed at how well this story holds up. Asides from the terrible and relentless description of Pierre Blanc.
Overall, Daphne du Maurier was such a talent and this is a classic that needs as much love as her other more famous works.
mel_jackson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75