Her father, Eddie Shawcross, is a boil upon humanity there was no redeeming him (nor did the author even try), while Acland, arguably the secondary fulcrum behind Constance, also left me cold.

She's wronged, yes, but she's also a terrible person - so when does one's early tragedy cease to excuse their terrible behavior? Such is the question Constance forces the reader to ask.

So why *did* I enjoy it?Ĭonstance is awful she's a fascinating trainwreck, but she consistently refuses any effort to identify with her as good-gone-bad. I've quit other books for lesser faults, let alone a brick of this size (& I didn't even like REBECCA'S TALE by this same author). I mention these devices to warn that it's a long, dense read that often crawls at a snail's pace. Gaps are filled in by conversations with others, but the reader isn't made aware of when they begin or end, & Victoria herself injects dryly judgmental comments like Charles Dickens, sometimes switching tenses when she speculates on different periods of time. Constance is the primary character of DARK ANGEL - yet the narrator, Victoria, is relating her family history to the reader, & that includes Constance's diaries, which Victoria summarizes as necessary. Well researched and extremely well written, this story does not disappoint, especially on a rainy day. I warn you that it is at times so very, very dark and disturbing that it can prove difficult to read and impossible to consider! Despite this, it is the very raw and Gothic nature of this essential, naked truth that pulls you forward. This really is the tale of a ten year old girl whose life is forever and completely changed, one starlit evening and the impact of that change on those around her. I warn you that it is at times so very, very dark and disturbing that it can prove difficult to read and impossible to consider! Despite this, it is the very raw and Gothic nature of this essential, naked truth that pulls you forwarĪ haunting, compelling story of a wealthy, English family set in a time and class that is forever lost. It's not just horror or mysterious or magical, it is a beautiful depiction of human beings at war with one another, and themselves.ĭefinitely reading all her novels now.moreĪ haunting, compelling story of a wealthy, English family set in a time and class that is forever lost. The contents and the story of this novel, will possibly never leave me and I will most certainly ask everyone to read it. War within your self, a self destructive, scheming and hasty approach on the war zone of the First World War.

It was such a brilliant story of love, hate, death, destruction and war : not only in the 1914s but also in your own heart and your actions and ultimately, your self. I have never encountered a horror thriller-mystery where the mystery is the character.Īfter a while, you're so engrossed into the novel and their lives, that you forget that there even was a murder - the reason for the murder is given before the murder itself- and yet the ending is something you never see coming. I absolutely love Acland, Jane, Wexton, Boy, Gwen and even Constance and Eddie.Ĭonstance, with all her faults, Beauman gives such pathological insight into her character. I loved all characters - so stark, so stunning, all shone bright with their own specific traits. This book would be possible only when you look at it with a psychological depth. I was awestruck by her writing, the country house/shire, the landscapes and the immense depth of each character that she portrayed. I have never given a book five stars, but I was so tempted to give five stars to this one. I absolutely love Acland, Jane, Wexton, Boy, Gwen and even Con 4.5 stars.

Chandi kodikara sinhala novels list