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A review by elixierbroth
Haunted Houses: Two Novels by Charlotte Riddell, Andrew Smith
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? No
2.0
I didn't hate the two stories in the book, but I didn't massively enjoy it either! The ghost in story one took it's sweet time to appear and the ending is kindof unsatisfactory, the happy ending is just vaguely described and altogether it feels almost like the supernatural addition is just...there. I did like that both ghosts were there for concrete reasons.
The second story is better both in the haunting aspect and in the romantic denouement, which we actually get to see happen even if it was also brief. I was so happy for Helena moving from a youth of grief at her father's death and haunting, to a self-assured inheritor who gets both the man she loves and keep her important remaining relative. Needless to say, I found Miss Blake the richest and most enjoyable character in it, even though I likely wouldn't last two minutes in patience with her if we met in person.
There's some old fashioned racial assumptions about the Scottish and Irish made throughout the book so watch out for that.
The second story is better both in the haunting aspect and in the romantic denouement, which we actually get to see happen even if it was also brief. I was so happy for Helena moving from a youth of grief at her father's death and haunting, to a self-assured inheritor who gets both the man she loves and keep her important remaining relative. Needless to say, I found Miss Blake the richest and most enjoyable character in it, even though I likely wouldn't last two minutes in patience with her if we met in person.
There's some old fashioned racial assumptions about the Scottish and Irish made throughout the book so watch out for that.