Susanna Kearsley: Mariana

Susanna Kearsley's novel Mariana-- a winner of the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize in 1993-- is a novel I'd been waiting for and wanting to read for a while after a recommendation from blog reader Hannah. I was not disappointed, and this novel is one I'll be picking up again to read in the future. I only wish I had read this novel first of Kearsley's that I've read, but I'm glad that I got around to it, and I'll be seeking out her other novels.

Julia Beckett sees Greyweathers in Exbury as a child and is drawn to it. When she comes into a tidy sum from a dead relative and is looking to move out of the city to work on her illustrations, she buys the old estate in the English countryside. She meets a colorful cast of characters from the Lord of the local manor, Geoff DeMornay to Iain Sumner, a gardener and complex man as well as Vivian, a local bar owner. When Julia starts having strange experiences and losing time, she has to consider a crazy idea that her brother Tom poses: that she is the reincarnation of Mariana, a 17th century woman.

Characterization 5/5: The characters in this novel are vividly drawn and round. I loved them all other than the villains. Richard DeMornay stands as one of the best romantic protagonists I've seen in any novel, and the end of this novel was the most satisfying that I've read in a long time.

Plot 5/5: This novel is about 375 pages in length, and there is not a wasted word. So often I've read novels in this genre that go on and on with repetitions and details that don't add to the story (a few I've reviewed on this blog come to mind). The plot of Mariana is tight, and everything in the novel advances it further. Multiple storylines keep the tension going.

Atmospheric elements/spooky stuff 4/5: The time travel aspects, ghosts, and settings are quite spooky.

Literary elements 5/5: This novel is well researched and smart.

Rating: 4+ stars ****+

If you like ghosts, time travel, 17th century and British/Irish History, and great love stories, this novel is for you. I honestly stayed up until 2 a.m. reading last night because I just had to finish the novel. I haven't done that in a very long time. I think this novel can hold its own with a classic like Rebecca.

Review of Susanna Kearsley's 'The Shadowy Horses' linked on Kearsley's web site

One of my dear readers pointed out to me that Susanna Kearsley has added my review of her novel, The Shadowy Horses, on her website. I am not sure how long it will stay up there, but it's linked there now under the scrolling New Reviews section and here on the blog if you missed it before:

The Review

New Reviews on Kearsley's Site

Susanna Kearsley: The Shadowy Horses

This was my second foray into Kearsley's work after having read Named of the Dragon. The Shadowy Horses was published in 1997, so it falls into the category of newer Gothic Novels. It is one written "in the tradition of Barbara Michaels" according to its cover. The cover reminds me of some of Michaels' recent book covers.

Verity Grey finds herself in Scotland for an archaeological dig. A boy with psychic abilities has seen a ghostly sentinel in the area, and the head of the dig, Peter Quinnell, believes the lost Roman Ninth Legion is there. Other characters include the handsome David Fortune, Verity's old lover Adrian, the disliked Brian McMorran and his friendly wife Jeannie, and the lovely Fabia, to name a few.

Mysteries abound about the ruins and the tower, potsherds, and coins that are found there. On top of these puzzles, ghostly horses ride at night, and Verity herself experiences the sentinel's presence. What danger awaits them all? Are unearthly or human forces trying to make the team leave the excavations?

Characterization: 4/5 [The characterization is nicely done for the most part. Each character seems real and round. Verity Grey-- love that name!- I pictured as Jennifer Love Hewitt, and David Fortune would be played by someone like Colin Firth. Peter Quinnell might be portrayed by Anthony Hopkins.]

Plot: 3/5 [It must just be me, but this novel did not pick up or take off for me until around page 120. I stuck with it because of the good bits here and there, but Kearsley's plotting is, well, plodding, to me. I think she could use more slight cliffhanger chapter endings and other devices to keep readers' interest early on in the novel. Perhaps I am the only reader of this opinion, though, as others seem to rave about her work.]

Atmosphere/spooky elements: 4/5 [Things didn't feel spooky to me either really until that late point in the novel. Kearsley's atmosphere falls flat for a while even with the ghostly devices, but at least they are there. I did get a chill a few times in reading post page 120. I just wonder why it took so long for things to heat up.]

Literary: 5/5 [Yes, the poetry alone that is quoted as well as the numbering of the sections in the novel by horse numbers (First Horse, for example, with a bit of poetry and so on, much like Stewart's Nine Coaches Waiting has chapters numbered by coaches) is wonderful. The section headings make me think of doom, Apocalypse, etc. The novel is also rich with history of Scotland and of the Romans.]

Romance? Yes, and Kearsley manages to make it a bit suspenseful and interesting.


Rating: 4 stars  ****

** I recommend this one, and I see hints of Barbara Michaels, but to me, Kearsley doesn't build the type of spooky atmosphere that grips me and holds me, propelling me through the pages. It took me about about two weeks to finish it where most Michaels' novels and other favorite Gothics were about three days. :) I am sure most would recommend it, and it is fairly lengthy at over 350 pages-- one of those novels you can savor.