Scan barcode
A review by catherine_the_greatest
This House Is Haunted by John Boyne
3.0
I blame Charles Dickens for the death of my father. Thus begins a story written in somewhat Dickensian prose, which is part tribute, part parody, and part modern take on the gothic governess & haunted house tropes. The problem is that it tries to be too many things at once.
I do believe this is supposed to be a parody of the governess story. Eliza, with her focus on her own plain appearance, her tendency to moon over any kind and somewhat attractive man, and her obstinate refusal to yield to warning signs, is an obvious play on Jane Eyre and her ilk. Still, it's all too subtle for my taste. I prefer the more obvious style of [b:My Plain Jane|36301023|My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, #2)|Cynthia Hand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507936746l/36301023._SY75_.jpg|51943406].
Eliza's take on the events around her is decidedly modern -- agnostic and almost bordering on feminist -- but without full commitment. For instance, when the headmistress at her former place of employment suggests that a mathematically talented student might become a bank manager's secretary, Eliza wonders why the girl couldn't actually be the bank manager, but then pretends that the comment was a joke when the headmistress accuses her of being "a modern."
The best part, for me, is the actual ghost story. Strange events begin to occur as soon as Eliza arrives at Gaudlin Hall and, despite the reticence of the local townsfolk, she finds out that she's the sixth governess in a year. This House is indeed Haunted, but Eliza must figure out by whom and why and attempt to save her young charges and herself, all while the adultier adults (she's a very young 21) around her claim that events are perfectly explainable OR in Eliza's imagination.
Overall, it's a fun Spooktober read, but not outstanding, and definitely not as good at the other two (much diffferent) John Boyne novels I've read ([b:The Heart's Invisible Furies|33253215|The Heart's Invisible Furies|John Boyne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490803456l/33253215._SY75_.jpg|51438471] and [b:A Ladder to the Sky|40400269|A Ladder to the Sky|John Boyne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532629758l/40400269._SY75_.jpg|61272155]).
I do believe this is supposed to be a parody of the governess story. Eliza, with her focus on her own plain appearance, her tendency to moon over any kind and somewhat attractive man, and her obstinate refusal to yield to warning signs, is an obvious play on Jane Eyre and her ilk. Still, it's all too subtle for my taste. I prefer the more obvious style of [b:My Plain Jane|36301023|My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, #2)|Cynthia Hand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507936746l/36301023._SY75_.jpg|51943406].
Eliza's take on the events around her is decidedly modern -- agnostic and almost bordering on feminist -- but without full commitment. For instance, when the headmistress at her former place of employment suggests that a mathematically talented student might become a bank manager's secretary, Eliza wonders why the girl couldn't actually be the bank manager, but then pretends that the comment was a joke when the headmistress accuses her of being "a modern."
The best part, for me, is the actual ghost story. Strange events begin to occur as soon as Eliza arrives at Gaudlin Hall and, despite the reticence of the local townsfolk, she finds out that she's the sixth governess in a year. This House is indeed Haunted, but Eliza must figure out by whom and why and attempt to save her young charges and herself, all while the adultier adults (she's a very young 21) around her claim that events are perfectly explainable OR in Eliza's imagination.
Overall, it's a fun Spooktober read, but not outstanding, and definitely not as good at the other two (much diffferent) John Boyne novels I've read ([b:The Heart's Invisible Furies|33253215|The Heart's Invisible Furies|John Boyne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490803456l/33253215._SY75_.jpg|51438471] and [b:A Ladder to the Sky|40400269|A Ladder to the Sky|John Boyne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532629758l/40400269._SY75_.jpg|61272155]).