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Book Review of Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn
Jamaica Inn
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Hardcover
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Helpful Score: 1


On a bitter November evening, young Mary Yellen journeys to the windswept Cornish coast to stay at the foreboding Jamaica Inn. She arrives at her aunt and uncle's inn to fulfill her mother's dying wish. Although the coachman tries to warn her to stay away from the ramshackled, ruined place, Mary chooses to stay and honor her late mother's final request.

So, Mary will join her relatives - her frightened Aunt Patience and her imposing Uncle Joss Merlyn - and do her best to ignore the various rumors swirling about the place. With the coachman's dire warning still echoing in her ears, Mary will witness her Aunt Patience cowering in fear before her dour Uncle Joss. Terrified by the inn's looming shadow and its brooding darkness, Mary gradually finds herself becoming ensnared in the various devious schemes being enacted behind its crumbling walls - and tempted to love a man she dares not trust.

I really enjoyed reading this book very much; in my opinion, the story was certainly very good and I wanted to find out what would happen next. Although, I will say that I found the story just the slightest bit overly theatrical for me. I absolutely love Daphne du Maurier's writing style; she certainly knew how to create a frightening and suspenseful atmosphere.

I would always literally get lost in Ms. Du Maurier's books every time I read one. However, Jamaica Inn was a slightly different reading experience for me; I never entirely lost myself along the wild Cornish moors while I read this particular book. In my opinion, while this was still a very good story, I don't think it was Daphne du Maurier's best work. Although, I would still give Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier an A!