When I read the back cover of the book, it really did not seem that interesting to me. I started reading the book because I had heard good things about Ruth Rendell, and wanted to "check out" the author. I was very pleasantly surprised.
First of all, Ruth Rendell is an excellent writer. I have read so many books that are really so-so when it comes to the author's ability to construct complex and descriptive prose. This is not one of them. There is amazing character development, and although the book tells the story of a very unusual life, I felt the author was able to tell the story in such a way as to make the reader understand the lifestyle.
Secondly, this book is a departure from so many tales that are really interchangable. The story was unique, and interesting. I could summarize the book, but doing so would not do justice to the storyline. A summary simply cannot encapsulate the story. The story is in the telling, not the tale.
Lastly, I could not anticipate with certainty how the book would end. More than once I thought to myself, "Ok, I can see where this is going. . .," and I was wrong. It is refreshing to truly wonder HOW the events will unfold, instead of wondering WHEN the events will unfold.
First of all, Ruth Rendell is an excellent writer. I have read so many books that are really so-so when it comes to the author's ability to construct complex and descriptive prose. This is not one of them. There is amazing character development, and although the book tells the story of a very unusual life, I felt the author was able to tell the story in such a way as to make the reader understand the lifestyle.
Secondly, this book is a departure from so many tales that are really interchangable. The story was unique, and interesting. I could summarize the book, but doing so would not do justice to the storyline. A summary simply cannot encapsulate the story. The story is in the telling, not the tale.
Lastly, I could not anticipate with certainty how the book would end. More than once I thought to myself, "Ok, I can see where this is going. . .," and I was wrong. It is refreshing to truly wonder HOW the events will unfold, instead of wondering WHEN the events will unfold.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a tale of a mother who isolates her daughter. But the daughter eventually finds the world and the chilling mystery of why her mother kept her alone. This author has devoted English fans. She has many awards from Mystery Writers of America and Englands Gold Daggers Crime Writers Assn.
Very creepy! Excellent reading. From the back: "Liza has been kept isolated from the outside world for 16 years. Now, as the police come searching for a missing man, Liza's sheltered, strange world begins to fall apart."
A great English mystery! Mother keeps daughter secluded in gatehouse to cover her past mistakes.She "eliminates" any man who gets in the way!
It was a powerful book. Story of not-quite-normal mother and daughter had me hooked from chapter one. I now look forward to other Rendell's works.
