“And, though there should be a world of difference between the smile of a man and the bared fangs of a wolf, with Joss Merlyn they were one and the same…”
I am an ardent admirer of Daphne du Maurier. Like many people I know, Rebecca sits proudly in my lineup of all-time favorite and I’m equally smitten by the underrated and haunting My Cousin Rachel. Which is why it grievously pains me to rate her earlier work, Jamaica Inn, as a 3 star novel. In all honesty, this is more of a reflection of my personal enjoyment of it rather than the quality of the book itself.
Jamaica Inn is well-written with vivid descriptions of the treacherous, mournful moorland and an impressive display of beckoning suspense. The story follows Mary Yellan who goes off to live with her only living relative, Aunt Prudence, in the wake of her mother’s death. This all sounds innocent enough, except that Aunt Prudence happens to currently reside at the notorious (read: disreputable) Jamaica Inn, a seedy establishment owned by her volatile husband, Joss Merlyn.
Upon arrival, Mary is appalled to realize that her aunt is a shell of the person she used to know. She seems to have wilted under the influence of the Inn’s claustrophobic environment and the oppressive thumb of her husband’s casual cruelty. Despite the disturbing reality of Mary’s new life, she is intent on protecting her Aunt and getting to the bottom of the sordid underbelly of Uncle Joss’s mysterious business.
The dismal and bleak atmosphere of the Inn as well as the repulsive actions of some of the characters painted a grim and cheerless picture. My reading experience was somewhat depressing as a result and I found myself trying to race through it faster than normal so as to avoid being mired down by the woeful ambience. Much of the book takes place at the Jamaica Inn where Mary is mostly confined like a caged animal- partly due to the era’s gender politics, but also because of the isolated location of the Inn itself.
Overall, I was caught off guard. Jamaica Inn felt darker and more distressing than du Maurier’s other works which (in my opinion) were handled more subtly, relying more on the reader’s own imagination to fill in the gaps rather than resorting to overt graphic descriptions.
But don’t take my word for it, based on other reviews, I seem to be an outlier when it comes to Jamaica Inn, one of the few with an unpopular opinion. I must say, the plot was enigmatic and fascinating and it held my attention to the bitter end. Ultimately, Jamaica Inn is a clever and dreary novel that took me by surprise- it just wasn’t my particular cup of tea.
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
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