10-30-2010, 04:49 PM
[No spoilers.]
Moura by Virginia Coffman.
There's probably already been plenty said of this book, so I'll confine my review to a few remarks: namely, that Virginia Coffman was an excellent writer, and knew her genre well; and that I found Moura a very satisfying example of a latter-day Gothic. My only criticisms might be (1) that she indulged perhaps too easily in far-fetched scenarios that put a little strain on my willing suspension of disbelief (but she did so for the sake of creating atmosphere and drama, so I forgive the arguable fault); and (2) that the hero dealt with his tribulations a bit too passively, making his character seem vague.
Overall, I wish there were more books like Moura. The heroine had both backbone and warmth, and all her actions were convincingly motivated. The setting was moody and appealing, though at times it was hard to visualize the layout of the grounds (it seemed that characters were frequently stepping outside the house and seconds later were lost deep in the woods, rather like falling off a ship into deep sea -- perhaps that was the effect she wanted).
Stylistically, Coffman has Gothic down. The narrative tone and dialogue were spot-on, and the author seemed naturally at home in the period, rather than stiff and mannered as so many inferior Gothic authors can be.
If anybody can recommend other Coffman books as good as Moura, I'd be indebted! (I've read The Devil Vicar, but didn't care for it as much.)
Moura by Virginia Coffman.
There's probably already been plenty said of this book, so I'll confine my review to a few remarks: namely, that Virginia Coffman was an excellent writer, and knew her genre well; and that I found Moura a very satisfying example of a latter-day Gothic. My only criticisms might be (1) that she indulged perhaps too easily in far-fetched scenarios that put a little strain on my willing suspension of disbelief (but she did so for the sake of creating atmosphere and drama, so I forgive the arguable fault); and (2) that the hero dealt with his tribulations a bit too passively, making his character seem vague.
Overall, I wish there were more books like Moura. The heroine had both backbone and warmth, and all her actions were convincingly motivated. The setting was moody and appealing, though at times it was hard to visualize the layout of the grounds (it seemed that characters were frequently stepping outside the house and seconds later were lost deep in the woods, rather like falling off a ship into deep sea -- perhaps that was the effect she wanted).
Stylistically, Coffman has Gothic down. The narrative tone and dialogue were spot-on, and the author seemed naturally at home in the period, rather than stiff and mannered as so many inferior Gothic authors can be.
If anybody can recommend other Coffman books as good as Moura, I'd be indebted! (I've read The Devil Vicar, but didn't care for it as much.)