Jamaica Inn (Virago Modern Classics Book 12)

i read this when i was in my teens and was transported to england and the moors in my mind...wondered if i would feel the same about the book once i was middle aged and had visited the real jamaica inn. no change whatsoever, once i opened the book, back to piracy and freezing storms and women in peril i went. i am a great du maurier fan and have never considered her novels bodice-rippers even though, i suppose, in a way they are romance novels. there is so much else going on that i never really notice the snarling heroes and bosom-heavers. my favorite novel by her is the loving spirit which is a romance novel with the magic that transcends time. with the diivine ms. d, each book will give you something different. great stuff.

When I read this years ago, I loved it. However, I have to admit that this time I wasn't quite as enthralled with it. I like it better than Rebecca as the concept appeals to me more. I guess one problem I had with it is that the heroine seems very capable, and while I understand her desire to honor her mother's wishes, I don't see a person like her staying in a bad situation. For that matter, I have a hard time believing the mother would send her off to a sister she hasn't seen in years. However, maybe my modern mentality is interfering with the comprehension. Women did have less choices in those days, I suppose.

I had a hard time finishing this book because of the unrelenting gloom throughout. It did have some nice plot twists, and I found some of the characters interesting, but on the whole it was not the book I'd hoped for. I've read other Du Maurier books that I've really enjoyed, so I think this was one of her early efforts and she was not ready for prime time with this novel.

After reading Daphne DuMaurier's later novels and short stories, I found Jamaica Inn a bit too long-winded. There are so many verbose descriptions of the landscape, the sea, the moors, the weather... and although DuMaurier was very good at creating mood, I think these descriptions may have taken away from the excellent characters and plot. It was one of her earlier works, though, so perhaps Ms. DuMaurier may have agreed with me on this. :)

After reading Daphne DuMaurier's later novels and short stories, I found Jamaica Inn a bit too long-winded. There are so many verbose descriptions of the landscape, the sea, the moors, the weather... and although DuMaurier was very good at creating mood, I think these descriptions may have taken away from the excellent characters and plot. It was one of her earlier works, though, so perhaps Ms. DuMaurier may have agreed with me on this. :)

I read this book having heard an extract read on radio, As I had never previously read a book by this author I felt this was a good book to start with. My overall opinion is that this story is somewhat contrived and the ending was fairly easy to guess way before it was reached

Another great book by De Maurier. She leads you through the hardships of Mary that her Uncle Josh puts her through to the love of his brother. The horror of Josh's business and the insanity of her Aunt. Another book you can't put down.

A pure and innocent young woman is forced by circumstances to rely on her only living relative for shelter. She realizes at first sight that the driver of the mail coach was correct when he told her that The Jamaica Inn was "no place fer the likes of you". Her uncle, on whom she must depend for food and shelter, is a sadistic brute who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Can she overcome the crime and squalor of her circumstances to make a new life?

I love Daphne DuMaurier, and was inspired to read this one by the best rock drummer of all time, Neil Peart of RUSH, whose most recent album includes a song called The Wreckers, lyrics for which were inspired by his reading of this book. It is well written, as are all of DuMaurier's books, but it is dark and kind of weird and just did not move me like other books of hers. And the ending is trite and more in keeping with a cheap dime store novel than her usual books.

Yes, please read this and all DuMaurier's works (my favorites Frenchman's Creek & Rebecca), particularly if you find it delicious to step into a different time - not just the time in which the story is set, but more the time in which it was written. But DO NOT, however, purchase this specific version/copy. I ordered this from the store recently and read it immediately. It is rife with typographical, punctuation and spelling errors front to back!! Ms DuMaurier is rolling in her grave! No excuse, just carelessness and sloppy work. Don't reward lazy publishers!

I tho't...Really?... I am back in high school... reading "Jamica Inn".... again. However, one changes thought processes as decades pass. I enioyed, Forgot parts. Revisited the adventures and had different feelings lo, these passing years. A Good read.
I had forgotten the "surprise" ending..

An email friend from over in England recommended the book.He is from the area in England were the story took place.He told me that when he was reading it he could not put it down, I had the same feeling while I was reading it.I would highly recomened it to any body .

Daphne du Maurier does a great job creating a dark, gothic tale with a strong female protagonist. Her descriptions are beautiful and captivating. Anyone looking for a traditional gothic thriller set on the English moors--here you go.

Enjoyed this book a lot. De Maurier never writes the same way with any book in other words some authors you would know who they are without knowing they wrote a book but this is not the case with DeMauier. Each book she writes takes on a life of its own and will be unlike other books she wrote. I loved the book but it feel just a little short of Rebecca which is by far her best book

I read it first in high school, this time for my book group and it hasn't changed, only I have. I had to remember to read it with different eyes. By today's standards it would be disappointing but it was the first "romance-noire" I had ever read and DuMaurier was a very popular author at that time. It's a classic but I won't read it again.

I read this novel years ago in my teens, and decided to find out how it's stood the test of time.

Mary Yellan has agreed to her dying mother's final request. Mrs Yellan wanted her daughter to find a home with her sister at Jamaica Inn, on the lonely Bodmin Moor. But they had no idea what she'd be walking into. On the way, Mary discovers that the place has an evil name, and the coaches normally just hurry straight past. It's all she can do to make the driver stop to let her out.

Her menacing Uncle Joss Merlyn turns out to be a huge thug with swift mood changes, and the formerly merry Aunt Patience cowers before him like a whipped dog. Joss is involved in a smuggling racket that turns out to be far worse than Mary could have imagined, incorporating the infamous wreckers on the Cornish coast. There's a cast of despicable characters, including a nasty peddler who's a bit like Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter, rat-like description and all.

The setting is the real hero. Cornwall looms everywhere, and it's not just filler. Without it, the story would be nothing. It's always a perfect match for what's going on, ominous, dark and mysterious. The descriptive passages are great to read, because they make the landscape come alive. When we read it, we might as well be in Cornwall, and if we're lucky enough to get a chance to visit, we recognise it instantly from du Maurier's writing, whether or not we've been there before. (I went once, when I was 20.)

I'd forgotten what a lot of walking Mary does. She travels a huge chunk of the story on her own two feet. Nor did I remember what a strong and fearless heroine she is. Events might shock, sicken and disgust Mary, but nothing frightens her or keeps her down for long. It takes looking back from an older age to realise what a bleak predicament she's in for a 23-year-old. This girl has just lost everything. She's an orphan whose mother has recently worked herself to death in a farming lifestyle that never gave her a break.Youthful idealism has been knocked out of Mary, if she ever had any to start with. She has plenty of common sense and a good dose of cynicism, but I feel a bit sad this time round, as if she obtained it too early. Maybe that's why the romance thread is quite intriguing.

In traditional stories, starry-eyed heroines are anxious to embrace romance and fall for men they deem worthy of their affection. In Mary's case, everything's the opposite. She has no romantic ideals at all, yet somehow still manages to fall for a self-confessed loser. How is that even possible? Especially when a repulsive, older version of the man she loves is always throwing his weight around. The deterrent is none other than her uncle Joss Merlyn, and although his younger brother Jem is far more attractive, they share many of the same physical and personality traits.

Jem is a horse thief who's always grubby and broke and admits that his family have never treated their women well. Mary has seen what marriage to Joss has reduced Patience to, yet can't relinquish her feelings for Jem. There are differences. Jem seems more light-hearted, smarter, kinder and undoubtedly better company, but will these things last? As a teenager, I was saying, 'Come on, he's the better man, just go for it.' But as an older person with a teenage daughter of my own, the risks are evident. Do you still say 'Take the chance' when you consider how long 'happily ever after' may turn out to be? Especially when it will include a nomadic lifestyle with no four walls to call home. I can't believe that I didn't even attempt to balance the pros with the cons in my youth, because the cons are so in-your-face. I think every reader will have to make up their own mind whether or not Jem's charms are appealing enough to take the risk.

I remembered the plot twists and revelation of the ultimate baddie in the mystery. I think it did take me by surprise the first time through. It's all tied in with gullibility and what innocent folk will believe. It's quite disturbing really, not the least that Mary could come to such a wrong conclusion, yet still make the choices she did. The last couple of pages possibly polarise people's opinions the most. I'm split in my own mind, and I'm just one person. She faces a choice between two lifestyles which are mutually exclusive. I'm hoping her choice will work out well for her. One thing in her favour is that Mary surely won't be an Aunt Patience, whatever happens!

Here are some quotes.

Cynicism and sentimentality were two extremes to be avoided. (Yet Mary seems to bump back and forth between them at times.)

There was precious little romance in nature, and she would not look for it in her own life. (Sad for such a young woman to reflect.)

I don't want to love like a woman or feel like a woman. There's pain and suffering and misery that can last a lifetime. (Ironic.)

It's power and glory and women and the kingdom of God all rolled into one. (Joss Merlyn, talking about alcohol. What a waste.)

There's never yet been a Merlyn that died peaceful in his bed. (She can't say she wasn't warned. How big a gamble would it be to expect that to change?)

There are things that happen at Jamaica, Mary, that I've never dared breathe. Bad things. Evil things. (Aunt Patience makes a good literary device to thicken the plot.)

Well, there was little use in dreaming. The present situation must be faced, and courageously too, if any good was to come of it. (The ultimate motto perhaps.)

And finally, a bit of dialogue to show why we can't help liking Mary.

Jem: Put you in a fine gown and a pair of high-heeled shoes, and stick a comb in your hair, I daresay you'd pass for a lady even in a big place like Exeter.
Mary: I'm meant to be flattered by that, I suppose. But thanking you very much, I'd rather wear my old clothes and look like myself.
Jem: You could do a lot worse than that, of course.

62-Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (Novel-E Book-Fiction) 5* A stay at the real Jamaican Inn during the 1930's was the inspiration of this Gothic tale by the author. Set in Cornwall, England during the early 19th century the story unfolds and using the proximity of the ocean, the moors, a desolate and uninviting landscape with rocks and cliffs lends a forbidding darkness to the work. When the protagonist of the story Mary Yellan, a twenty three year old, an innocent, farmed raised with a structured life promises her dying mother to live with her Aunt Patience and husband the journey alone becomes harrowing and forbidding. The closer she gets to her destination the darker the story becomes and upon arrival finding a dilapidated structure, a tyrant for an Uncle and her once lovely gay Aunt reduced to despair and nervousness she wants more than anything to flee. Of course she doesn't, Mary has pluck and first must uncover the secrets of Jamaica Inn, expose her uncle and his cohorts and rescue her aunt. Putting herself in precarious situations is one of the thrilling aspects of the story and any moment the reader expects the heroine to meet a grizzly end. Many elements are incorporated into this work, it does have some light moments, a splash of romance and is a very captivating entertaining well written work by a truly gifted writer. Highly recommend.

Sometimes I wonder why I'm wasting my time reading contemporary novelist when I can read classic authors such as Daphne Du Maurier (1907-1989), who wrote this 1936 romantic suspense novel. This novel oozes with rich descriptive and apprehensive writing. If you are not familiar with Daphne then you haven’t read or seen the movie, Rebecca. What about the movie,The Birds ? All three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This novel set the tone on page one, “It was a cold grey day in late November. The weather had changed overnight, when a backing wind brought a granite sky and a mizzling rain with it, and although it was now only a little after two o’clock in the afternoon the pallour of a winter evening seemed to have closed upon the hills, cloaking them to mist. It would be dark by four. The air was clammy cold, and for all the tightly closed windows it penetrated the interior of the coach.” Now tell me...if you were riding inside that coach in Cornwall, England circa 1820, wouldn’t you feel chilled? That’s what I’m talking about, this lady can write. I know that I’ve said this many times, but once again...why can’t we produce novels of this enormity? Okay, so what is this mysterious, well written novel about?

Mary Yellan (23 years old) has lost her mother. She promised her mother that she would sell the farm and go to live with her Aunt Patience in Bodmin. Nobody has seen Patience since she married ten years ago. The last time they saw her she was pretty and giddy. As Mary took a coach to the Jamaica Inn where her aunt and Uncle Joss Merlyn lived, the coach driver warned her that no one stopped there anymore. He said, “they’re afraid.” She arrives on a damp and rainy night, only to find her aunt a poor tattered creature afraid of her husband. Her Uncle Joss is almost seven feet tall built on a gorilla frame. He tells her that he is the landlord of the Jamaica Inn and she is now his barmaid. Obviously, her aunt is terrified of him. Apparently, Joss bought the Inn from Squire Bassat under false pretenses. The inn has no guests and has a locked room down the upstairs passageway. What’s in that room? Uncle Joss leaves for a week and Mary walks among the moors and tors. Suddenly, Joss returns and declares the inn’s bar is open. The scum of the moors arrived, “They were dirty for the most part, ragged, ill kept, with matted hair and broken nails; tramps, vagrants, poachers, thieves, cattle stealers, and gypsies.

Mary is disgusted with what she sees. Uncle Joss tells her, “Keep your mouth shut and I’ll treat you like a lamb.” After she goes to her room, five wagons roll in and things are unloaded and dragged into the locked room down the passageway. Mary realizes that it’s probably smuggling or robbery on a grand scale. Mary heard a noise upstairs...was there a stranger listening the whole night? Was it Joss’s boss? Or was it Joss’s brother Jem? Mary heard one of the men in the bar protest and it seemed to her that he was being hanged in the rafters. What kind of place is this? During time away from Joss, Mary takes long walks into the moors. She meets Joss’s brother, Jem, who says that he is a horse thief. What? Meanwhile the wagons come to the inn again, this time to pick up the cargo. After they leave, Squire Bassat arrives at the inn trying to catch them in the act. With Joss absent, the Squire breaks down the locked door and finds nothing. He asks Mary if she knows anything. She says no fearing retribution to her aunt from Joss. Joss comes back and is furious with the squire’s actions. He leaves on foot, Mary follows, but can’t keep up with his gait and gets lost in the rainy night.

A stranger in a coach finds her. He is the albino vicar from Altarnun, Francis Davey. Mary tells him her story and he takes her to his home in Altarnum to feed her and dry her off. The vicar takes her back to the inn. Uncle Joss stays drunk for five days. Mary takes another long walk and runs into Jem again. He wants to take her to Launceston on Christmas Eve. She agrees. Is Mary falling in love with Jem? In town, they kiss, but Mary will not stay in town with him. He says that he will get the buggy and take her home. He doesn’t come back. Now she is trapped in town in the pouring rain eleven miles from the Jamaica Inn. She tries to find Jem to no avail. Maybe he was arrested trying to sell the pony he stole from the Squire back to Mrs. Bassat. Are you having fun yet? As Mary attempts the eleven mile walk in the rain to the inn, the vicar’s coach comes by and he gives her a lift. Mary puts on the vicar’s heavy rug and takes off her clothes to dry. He questions her on the journey, but gets off in his town and instructs his driver to take her to the Jamaica Inn. When the coach is three miles from the inn, all hell breaks loose. Joss’s gang shoot the driver of the coach and pull it over. They are drunk and on a Christmas Eve gallop to the coast to wreck a ship. They take a terrified Mary with them.

The next two hundred pages, or so, are brilliantly written in a descriptive manner that makes the reader think he/she is there. There are many twist and turns as you progress through this book, but I got lucky and figured out who was really the boss of the gang of ship wreckers. Maybe you will too. This is a must read if you are into reading serious British mystery writers, such as, Daphne Du Maurier. I highly recommend this novel and as a matter of fact recommend all of Du Maurier’s novels.

I read this book at the suggestion of a friend, who told me that - according to what she had read - "Jamaica Inn" was the best novel by Daphne DuMaurier. I have to disagree, "Rebecca" is a more interesting novel, in my opinion.
I know that someone has already given away the plot, but I will avoid revealing too much. Here are the reasons why I didn't particularly like the novel. First of all, it is very predictable, so there is really hardly any suspense. The inn is in Cornwall, on the sea … so what kind of illegal activity could be going on at Jamaica Inn? Even if you are not too familiar with British geography and history, you will immediately guess that Uncle Joss is a smuggler. Once you understand that (very early in the story), the inn with its locked rooms will lose much of its mystery. Then, the characters seems to be mostly stereotypes. You have the traditional villain (a drunkard and women's abuser), the traditional Squire (seeking for justice but not too smart), the Squire's wife and Aunt Patience ( the traditional "lovely imbeciles" of many Victorian novels). The heroine, Mary, is a smart enough girl for most of the story, but in the end she also behaves in a very conventional way with her love interest, Jem. Perhaps, the only original character in the novel is the Vicar of Altarnun, but unfortunately he is not too developed - and the reader understands quite easily what his role really his. Finally, I recognized many elements taken from novels of the Bronte sisters (the landscape, the house with secrets, a heroine who tries to use her wits in a man's world, among other things), but these elements don't have here the same strength and power they have in "Jane Eyre" or "Wuthering Heights".
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to scholars of Daphne Du Maurier, but I would never call it her best novel. I found it a mediocre work, with the only redeeming features being the evocative descriptions of the Cornish landscape.

In this atmospheric, sinister tale, the main character, Mary, must confront the evil doings of her Uncle-in-Law Joss and find a way to bring him to justice while also sparing her downtrodden, nervous Aunt Patience. The story builds slowly as more and more is revealed of Jamaica Inn and Joss's activities. When you think it can't get worse, things definitely get worse. This is such a wonderfully dark story with glimpses of light in Mary's strength of character. Mary stands up for herself and has a very determined personality, but she is a little naive and jumps to a few conclusions very easily. Although there is romance in this story it moves very quickly and doesn't seemed based on a true connection. And it's not even very romantic since the object of Mary's affection is a little suspicious himself, and in one scene of the novel leaves Mary stranded without a word or money in a town at night.

Though the story is very engaging, there were issues I had personally with the very misogynistic aspect of the story. Even though Mary is the strongest character she proves largely ineffective in what she is trying to accomplish (the men accomplish it of course), and when she visits the man she comes to love (her very first visit!), he tells her to cook dinner for him, but first she cleans his kitchen because she can't cook in that pigsty. Seriously. Mary makes claims that she would rather be a man and live and work alone, but she disappointingly succumbs to feminine weakness more than once. The other female characters in this story are all pretty weak as well, especially feeble, doting Aunt Patience. It seems to me that this story shows how terrible the influence of a man can be.

Yet even after that rather depressing aspect to this story, I think it is a very entertaining read, with a mystery that sort of sneaks up on the reader, because it wasn't every clear that there was even a mystery brewing in the tale. The writing is top notch, and illustrates the stark beauty of Jamaica Inn's lonely surroundings very well. It paints a picture thoroughly and allows the reader to delve into Mary's mind completely. It's an overwrought, daring and captivating read.

Jamaica Inn is shot through with tantalising ambiguities and contradictions, none of the characters straightforward or easily explained. Even the monstrous Joss Merlyn is Macbeth-like in his capacity for evil and his weakness. The novel is a fascinating psychological thriller, with the interior action every bit as riveting as the external. It is a world of deception and brutality, grimly gothic and unsettling. Although at times a little long-winded, du Maurier's prose is brilliantly evocative. Her descriptions of the landscape are vivid and her depictions of action, such as the shipwreck, are masterful. Jamaica Inn is every bit as good as Rebecca.

The flowery (for lack of a better word) language that Daphne DuMaurier uses in JAMAICA INN (as well as her other novels) and the gender discrimination scattered here and there irritated me in 2016 while I accepted both when I read DuMaurier's REBECCA in 1969. But, after a while, I just enjoyed the story and accepted it as it was written in the 1940s.

Mary, the main character of JAMAICA INN, has come to Jamaica Inn to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother's death. Her uncle turns out to be a horrible man who Mary comes to detest. Mary learns, usually through deliberate snooping but sometimes against her will, her uncle's business.

DuMaurier clearly intended to show that Mary is above the usual role cut out for the 19th century woman. Even so, in order to enjoy this novel, the reader still has to accept that it was written with 1940s sensibilities.

i absolutely LOVED this book. i put off reading it because of warnings it was boring and depressing but i found it to be neither. It's almost an "adventure" story! i couldn't put it down!
I'm a big fan of Rebecca but after reading "Mrs DeWinter" and "Rebecca's Tale" i'm all "Rebecca'd-out." Neither tie-in book was as good as DuMourier's classic. And after being downright disappointed with her short stories, I feared Rebecca was a fluke and perhaps i didn't like the author's other work after all. Boy, was i wrong!
Jamaica Inn is exciting as the heroine takes fearless risks, the pacing is perfect, and the writing is excellent. I expected to be repelled by the love story but i got sucked right in with that, too.
A great gothic that is now one of my favorite novels and i probably only have about 10 (i prefer non-fiction). highly recommend.

We've seen a lot of storm-lashed Cornish coastlines and treacherous marshes since Daphne DuMaurier wrote this classic novel, but no-one has described them more vividly. DuMaurier is unbeatable at creating an atmosphere of looming unease. Her evocation of rainy moonless nights, fog-filled valleys, and unknown dangers lurking in the dark makes this book a classic, creating a whole genre of imitators.

The characters were not stereotypes when duMaurier created them, and still have a vividness often lacking in the knock-offs from Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, and other literary descendants.

For those who want action on every page, there will be a little too much description, a little too much looming unease without a quick payoff. The villain behind the door is pretty easy to spot, and is the least convincing character. But if you like your thrillers set on a dark and rainy night on a windswept Cornish headland, go to the source with this book.

I have to say, this book by Daphne du Maurier is a little underwhelming.

The writing is, as expected, gorgeous. Just like in Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel, it is very atmospheric. There is, no doubt, an air of Emily and Charlotte Bronte's style about it. Considering that I am a huge fan of both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, that's a big plus. Du Maurier is also very skillful at building suspense. A feeling of dread and foreboding is maintained throughout the novel making it an intense reading experience.

But the writing is not the weakest point of Jamaica Inn. The story itself is. For me the mystery of Jamaica Inn and the crimes it hides is too simplistic. Nothing much happens in the story besides Mary Yellan trying to figure out what awful business her dreadful uncle is a part of and whose brain is behind the whole crime scheme. She figures it all out very quickly indeed. And we along with her. There are simply not enough characters in this book to not figure out who the biggest bad guy is. As for the perpetrator's motive, I don't think I quite got it.

And romance. While there are some great conversations, the love story is a bit rushed and underdeveloped IMO. The heroine is smart and strong-willed, but her attraction to the hero is too quick and her decision at the end of the book is strange. Maybe this is what a genre of gothic romance is all about though? An atmospheric story with a romance of the complexity of an average Harlequin novel? I don't know, I am not very familiar with the genre.

Anyway, in spite of my slight disappointment, I am still interested in exploring Daphne du Maurier's works in future, but I hope they are more akin to Rebecca rather than Jamaica Inn. Are they?

Watch out for a five-star review entitled "A beautiful story" by Iman, a young woman from the Netherlands. The review gives away a major plot point. Do not read that review if you have not yet read the book.

Jamaica Inn is a very well written gothic novel. Our heroine finds herself in a situation that is really terrible, and for me the book would have been intolerable if it were not for the fact that the main character, Mary Yellen, is a plucky, courageous and smart woman. The situation she finds herself in is terrible to think about, and makes the stakes very high. The characters are are well formed and interesting, and the setting is Cornwall, which becomes a character in itself; a brooding presence.

Although sometimes referred to as a romance, Jamaica Inn has very little of the usual romance novel trappings. It's more about how women can be strong and intelligent and not give in to their situations, written at a time when women were still being looked down upon as helpless beings who were not very smart.

Spooky, thought-provoking and sometimes infuriating, this book seems like the spunky younger sister of the novel Rebecca. If you haven't read Rebecca, you'll definitely want to after reading Jamaica Inn.

I picked up this book after reading the author's bestselling book, Rebecca. I expected something similar. I didn't read many reviews before reading it. I never do because I feel some people reveal too much information. the store's synopsis is pretty vague. A girl goes to live with an aunt at a remote Inn with a mysterious reputation.

If I had known what what was behind the big mystery at Jamaica Inn, I'm not sure I would have purchased the novel. With that said, after reading the book, I'm glad I read it. Jamaica Inn has convinced me that Daphne du Maurier can keep a reader spellbound regardless of the subject.

In Jamaica Inn, Mary Yellan promises her dying mother that she will go live with her Aunt Patience after mother's death. Mary is a strong and independent girl, but promises her mother that she will go to her Aunt, who she cheerfully remembers as amusing and full of life.

The woman Mary Yellan encounters is radically different from the girl Mary remembers. Patience lives with her husband Joss Merlyn at an old and remote Inn that people seem deadly afraid of. Joss is a violent and alcoholic man who makes his wife tremble in his presence. Mary, however, makes a vow that she will not allow herself to be afraid of him. Strange events at the Inn, however, make it impossible for Mary to remain brave. There are strange sounds and voices coming in and out of the Inn during the wee hours of the morning. Mary's Aunt Patience, pleads with Mary to simply cover her head under her blanket and ignore anything she may hear. Mary's curiousity, however, gets the best of her.

When Mary discovers the truth about the events that take place at Jamaica Inn, she knows that she must get herself and her aunt out of there immediately. There are only two people she can turn to, Francis Davey, a local vicar Mary befriends and Jem Merlyn, Joss Merlyn's younger brother. Although Jem bears a strong physical resemblance to Mary's terrifying uncle, she find herself strangely drawn to him. Jem's unpredictable and unruly behavior make it hard for Mary rely on him for protection.

Jamaica Inn is not quite up to par with Rebecca, but the suspense has Daphne du Maurier written all over it. I wasn't totally crazy about this book, but I still plan to read every novel written by this author. Any book written by Daphne du Maurier is a must read.

Georgian England. Twenty-three-year-old Mary Yellan had a bad feeling in her gut during her coach ride to her new home. The coachman himself tried to warn her against the place, but Mary had promised her dying mother that she would go live with her aunt Patience and her uncle Joss Merlyn after her mother's death. And so, she will do it, no matter what the coachman or her own instincts tell her. But Mary had never imagined what her new life would be like at Jamaica Inn. Why on earth would her aunt and uncle buy such a place? Not long after moving there, Mary discovers that Uncle Joss, an abusive and brutish alcoholic, doesn't let in any guests other than the occasional drinker into the inn. Instead, he uses the place for smuggling alcohol and tobacco. However, other sinister things occur there as well, one of which is possibly murder. Mary is alone at Jamaica Inn. Her once beautiful and bubbly aunt is now frightened and of very little use. The only two people nearby who can possibly help are a mysterious albino clergyman and Rem Merlyn, Joss's younger brother -- a tall, dark and handsome horse thief with a callous character and a possible dark secret of his own.

Jamaica Inn had a creepy, gothic language from the very beginning, and I couldn't help getting sucked into the suspense and horror that is her uncle Joss and his dark dealings. Daphne du Maurier was a talented author of gothic novels. I had only read Rebecca, and thought I'd give her other books a whirl. Jamaica Inn, while not as good as Rebecca, is riveting and horrifying, but has the right touch of romance to give it a little bit extra. The vicar of Altarnun is a true enigma, a very creepy character, and I couldn't help feeling trepidation every time he appears in a scene. Rem Merlyn is also a dark and mysterious character, but I kind of hoped that he would indeed become Mary's love interest. Mary is a young woman before her time. She doesn't want to get married because she believes that marriage breaks a woman's spirit. One look at her aunt would confirm her prejudices. The ending is flooring, but not as flooring as the one in Rebecca. Still, Jamaica Inn is a wonderful gothic that you will want to read. It'll keep you turning the pages until the late hours of the night. Daphne du Maurier was a definite talent. I have The Scapegoat with me and I look forward to reading it.

"Roads? Who spoke of roads? We go by the moor and the hills, and tread granite and heather as the Druids did before us." Why I have waited so many years to read more of Du Maurier's books I'll never know, but there are definitely more of hers in my immediate reading future!

It's early 19C in Southern Cornwall and Mary Yellen's dying mother asks her to sell the family farm and join her Aunt Patience and her husband at Jamaica Inn in Northern Cornwall. Mary arrives and finds that no respectable person will venture near the inn, nor will the carriages stop there for respite. Her once lively and personable aunt is now a terrified shell of a woman married to drunkard inn owner Joss Merlyn. When Joss prepares to entertain "guests" Mary and her aunt are instructed to stay in their rooms and keep their eyes and ears covered -- although our spunky heroine does peek out the window and sees mysterious comings and goings and Mary suspects smuggling.

Mary also becomes friends with her uncle's younger brother Jem, a ne'er do well horse thief (among other things) and the mysterious albino minister Francis Davey. A mischance on the road on the way home from the village on Christmas Eve puts Mary in the middle of her Uncle and his nefarious companions in the midst of a more gruesome crime than smuggling, thus setting in motion a terrifying set of circumstances building up to a nail biting finish on the Bodmin moors.

While this one got off to a bit of a slow start for me, by the last 50 or so pages I was on the edge of my seat as Du Maurier gradually built up the tension and mystery for a rocking good finish, and a big surprise twist at the end. I really enjoyed the way the author used the spookiness of the moors and the surrounding terrain of Cornwall to set her scenes and it greatly enhanced the feel of the book in general. 4.5/5 stars.

I had no experience with Daphne DuMaurier before this book. She was mentioned in a previous novel I read by another author, and I thought her worth a try.

I am so glad I picked up this book! While it does not have quite the suspense of Sherlock Holmes (my very favorite detective) it does have plenty of its own kind. I love to solve a mystery and this book left me guessing right up to the end!

The romance in the book is not overdone or risque, making this a perfect read for someone more conservative, as well. The characters are well developed, believable, and interesting. I did not want to put it down! I brought it on vacation with me as an "outdoor only" book (so I would not lose or damage my kindle) and I ended up sitting in my room finishing it because I just couldn't stop! I definitely recommend this read. I would put her in the realm of authors such as Susanna Kearsley or Ciji Ware. Worth a look :)

Daphne du Maurier's 1936 JAMAICA INN reads much like the portions of WUTHERING HEIGHTS told in Isabella's letter, or that concern Cathy Linton's stay at the house later in the novel: like Heathcliff, the menacing antihero Joss Merlyn glowers and threatens, and storms in fury at the young heroine (here his niece, Mary Yellan). But Du Maurier's Heathcliff is mixed with quite a bit of Hindley Earnshaw besides, and shares the latter's weakness and fondness for drink... making him vulnerable to his own wagging tongue, which exposes to his niece his horrible and unforgivable crimes which are all part of his business.

The comparisons to Emily Brontë's only novel may seem invidious, given that Mary Yellan can be no Catherine Earnshaw (nor Joss Merlyn no Heathcliff), and that some of the plot twists in this novel seem telegraphed a bit too readily. Du Maurier, a lifelong Brontë enthusiast, tried to match the famous Haworth sisters again with her next novel, REBECCA, which is in effect a writing of JANE EYRE... and there she came closer to succeeding. But JAMAICA INN is a marvelous Gothic in its own right, and even had Du Maurier never written another novel after it she would still be famous for the achievement of this work. It beautifully showcases her great gift of narrative description, which was probably unmatched among other realist English novelists since Hardy. Mary Yellan's first night among her uncle's sinister cohorts (climaxing in her remarkable vision of a menacing rope end) is a tour de force, as is her encounter with her husband's work on a stormy Christmas eve. This is a book hard to put down, and it remains one of Du Maurier's most memorable.

"Jamaica Inn", Daphne du Maurier's classic 1935 novel of suspense and romance, holds up surprisingly well as an entertaining read. Set in the author's rugged and half wild native Cornwall, the brooding Bodmin Moor is a key component of the story.

The year is 1815. A young woman named Mary Yellan, who has helped run a small farm with her widowed mother, is suddenly an orphan with no place to go but the home of her Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss Merlyn at the remote Jamaica Inn. The Inn has an evil reputation, and Mary soon discovers the reason is her brutal Uncle Joss, who has intimidated Aunt Patience into snivelig subservience while engaging in a mysterious and presumably illegal enterprise.

The plucky Mary refuses to knuckle under to Joss Merlyn; her curiosity will put her in the path of a vicious criminal gang which will threaten her with kidnapping, rape, and murder. She will be attracted to Uncle Joss's enigmatic and handsome brother Jem and seek uncertain assistance from the mysterious albino priest Francis Davey. The hard truths of Jamaica Inn will change her life forever.

"Jamaica Inn" is highly recommended to fans of Daphne du Maurier, and to readers looking for a well-written period romance.

Her mother's dying request takes Mary Yellan to Jamaica Inn, located in bleak moorland and run by Mary's terrifying uncle. Jamaica Inn has a phenomenal sense of place--it's a gothic nightmare, desolate and cruel; the winter moorlands are given particular loving attention. The characters and plot are less successful, succumbing too easily to type or to predictability, which, especially in the case of the Vicar, can stifle suspense. I love Rebecca, and this is no Rebecca--there's a comparable lack of both subtlety and beauty. But the voice and atmosphere are as strong, and make this a solid gothic indulgence.

This is a classic! For all those readers who love reading Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, etc. Daphne DuMaurier's novels this are just the treat.

This novel in particular has a haunting undercurrent that will leave you spellbound. What we normally now call hungover. I have read this book now no less that five times during my lifetime and the story remains as gripping as I first read it.

No spoilers here! Just know our protagonist is unexpectedly thrown into a nest of wickedness after her mother's death. She must find out the secrets of Jamaica Inn and after she finds out... how can she stand by and live with this new knowledge? She just can't be the same innocent she once was.

I love the English prose of classic literature. Environments are wonderfully descriptive that set a dreary, unsettling mood. A wide cast of unique characters really helped enhance the mood. Strong dialogue, but my favorite was reading the descriptions. The only downside I felt was the middle sagged a little bit compared to the fast-paced beginning and the high-tension ending. This is a must-read if you love atmospheric literature, especially in Gothic Romance

*SPOILERS

I just re-read this book after a decade, and if anything, I enjoyed it more the second time around. There's no denying the story has flaws, particularly the constant references to the weakness of women and the ending, but it's positive points outweigh the negative for me. It's one of the best gothic novels ever written.

For starters there is the creepy run-down inn located on the lonely moors and inhabited by the violent, murderous Joss Merlyn and his downtrodden wife, Patience. Into this world comes Mary Yellan, a young woman with no other family in the world who has led a very sheltered life with her mother up to this point. She is immediately appalled by house and it's landlord, and only her loyaltly to her aunt Patience compells her to stay. When the true horror of Joss Merlyn's illegal activities become known to her Mary has to decide what to do. Into this mix is thrown Jem, the landlord's horse-thieving brother who also manages to steal Mary's heart, and the ambiguous albino vicar of Altarnun.

The landscape plays a prominent part in the story and the descriptions of the moors are beautiful and haunting. Like all great gothic novels, the erotic tensions simmer just below the surface. My interpretation might be controversial but I believe it is obvious from the start that Mary is sexually attracted to the brooding Joss Merlyn even though she tells herself she despises him. Her attraction is evident right after she meets him when she notices that his hands are capable of both extreme violence and gracefulness, and she is unsettled by this. She constantly sees him reflected in his brother Jem, and there is one scene towards the end, where he runs his finger across her cheek and tells her if he was younger he would have courted her and riden away with her to glory.

"She went then to her bed and sat upon it, her hands in her lap; and for some reason forever unexplained, thrust away from her later and forgotten, side by side with the little old sins of childhood and those dreams never acknowledged to the sturdy day, she put her finger to her lips as he had done, and let them stray thence to her cheek and back again."

Jem is a less dangerous version of Joss, but he hasn't been completely tamed and still has some of the wildness in him that excites and frightens her. The vicar on the other hand is bloodless and without passion. Mary takes off her wet clothes and strips down to almost nothing in the carriage with him and he barely seems to notice, although she becomes self-conscious of his close presence and she fears he is going to attack her when they are alone on the moors at the end.

Throughout the book there's a constant threat of sexual violence against Mary from both Joss and the drunken men at the inn. She struggles to contain her desire for Jem, much more consciously than older gothic heroines. I found it interesting that all of the terrible events that unfold on Christmas eve happen because she refuses to spend the night in Launceston with Jem. She even makes this connection herself. Usually women are punished for following their desires, but in this case it seems she is punished for not doing what she really wants to do.

I know some people don't like the end because it seems completely out of character for Mary to suddenly just change her mind about returning to Helford and jump in the wagon with Jem, but it seems to me she has finally decided to throw caution to the wind and do what she wants to do. That means turning her back on the respectable world represented by the Bassats and the good folk of Helford for a life of adventure on the road

"It was a cold grey day in late November. The weather had changed overnight, when a backing wind brought a granite sky and a mizzling rain with it, and although it was now only a little after two o'clock in the afternoon, the pallour of a winter evening seemed to have closed upon the hills, cloaking them in mist."

How's that for setting the mood right off the bat??

When Mary Yellan's mother was on her death bed, she begged Mary to make her a promise. Mary's mother said that when she died, she wanted Mary to leave their little farm and go live with her aunt Patience. Trying to look out for her daughter, Mary's mom was afraid that life would be too hard for a young girl on a farm by herself and wanted her to have an easier life. Little did she know the fate of things to come.

With all her belongs packed into a small trunk, Mary set out for Jamaica Inn, which was owned by her Aunt Patience and her Uncle Joss. Mary had only met Patience once, but remembered her mother's sister as a vivacious and carefree woman. But when she told the coach driver where she was going, he tried to talk her out of it. He said no one went to Jamaica Inn, especially a young woman. It was an evil place. However, Mary had promised her dying mother, and good or bad she had to keep that promise.

When Mary arrived on that cold, rainy night, however, she found that Aunt Patience was no longer the young vivacious woman she used to be. She was older, thinner, and perpetually frightened. She was a shell of the woman she used to be. And the man she married, Joss Meryln was a huge, hulking man with a mean streak a mile long and an evil glint in his eye. Joss told Mary she was to help out around the Inn and as long as she minded her own business, everything would be fine.

But Jamaica Inn was no travelers Inn. It was old, crumbling and falling apart. No one every stayed there. Mary couldn't figure out how the Merlyn's made any living off of it.....until the night when she was woken from her sleep by all the wagons. As she peered out the window (when she wasn't supposed to do), she saw a bunch of men unloading boxes into the storage rooms in the Inn. As she snuck downstairs to get a better look, she overheard her uncle threaten a man who wanted "out".

But just when Mary was trying to figure out a way to get her Aunt Patience away from this place, a strange man stopped at the Inn. He was dark, rugged and handsome.....and was Joss Merlyn's younger brother, Jem. He seemed like he wanted to help Mary, but could she really trust someone with the last name of Merlyn??

I read the story Rebecca a couple of years ago, and while I really enjoyed it, I wasn't "wowed" by it. I finally realized I just had too many high expectations for such a famous book. Not so with Jamaica Inn. I knew nothing about this one. In fact, I hadn't even heard of it before I started looking for books to fit into the challenge. From page one, du Maurier ran with the "eerie, dark" Gothic setting and told a brilliant story. Mary was a smart, strong, independent young woman in a time when those qualities were not usually used to describe a woman. Jem was the proverbial "bad boy". A handsome horse thief that was fun and likable, du Maurier created a great anti-hero in Jem. Will he do the right thing in the end.....or will he be just another Merlyn?? I guess you will have to read the book to find out!!

For a book that was written over 70 years ago, Jamaica Inn was incredibly readable and highly entertaining. I enjoyed it immensely. A great Gothic tale of thieves, murder, and even a little romance. Definitely worth reading and highly recommended.

A few years ago someone suggested to me that I would enjoy the gothic writing style of Daphne DuMaurier. That, in itself, was a true statement, and Rebecca remains one of my favorite novels.
Recently I chose Jamaica Inn, after carrying around the weighty Atlas Shrugged for two months. At a scant 240 pages, this novel has a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time.
The death of Mary Yellan's mother, and a deathbed wish that she go to live with her Aunt Patience brings Mary to the much feared and maligned Jamaica Inn. Upon arrival Mary meets her Uncle Joss Merlyn, the landlord of Jamaica Inn, who lives up to every ugly scrap of reputation he has earned. A drunk; a bully; a spouse-abuser....Joss Merlyn is instantly disagreeable and unlikeable.
But Mary finds that Joss is much more than just ugly words. Meryln heads up a band of 'Wreckers' who lure ships to their doom with a false beacon, then murders the passengers and crew, and plunders the ship and sells off the goods. Horrified by this discovery, Mary struggles with her urge to flee Jamaica Inn, and her duty to protect her Aunt.
Mary also encounters Jem Merlyn, the n'er do well younger brother of Joss, and Francis Davey, the Vicar of Altarnun, in the near vicinity. Unsure of whether Jem is friend or foe, Mary finds herself drawn to him, and continually seeking out the aide of Vicar Davey.
But in the end, Mary's trust seems ill-placed, as the real head of the band of smugglers is revealed, murders and imprisonments occur, and the truth comes to light about the goings-on at Jamaica Inn.
Where this novel falls short, even without comparison to Rebecca; is in the brevity of the tale. With a sparse cast of characters; the end is in sight long before you turn the final page. The gloom of the moors is touched upon, with afternoon walks surrounded by mist and foreign noises...late night escapes from impending danger, and the threat of cut-throat smugglers ever present...but the suspense of all these situations is short lived, as the story moves on....
Perhaps a little further fleshing-out of the gloom and doom would have added more enjoyment to the story; at least for me, as I have a great deal of affection for DuMaurier's ability to delivery dark, gothic foreboding and trepidation.
Nevertheless, the story moves along at an easy to follow rate, and is enjoyable. Though I cannot give it a five star rating, I do recommend it to fans of DuMaurier.

Jamaica Inn is a great book that is full of surprizes and twists and turns. Very suspenseful and a classic. Mary Yellan is a fantastic character full of adventure, you will feel adventurous yourself. A great book that kept me up late at night and deprived me of sleep, but this book is totally worth it.

This is the second Daphne DuMaurier book I have read. It is only my least favorite of the two because the other book was Rebecca, my favorite book of all time. Daphne DuMaurier is my favorite author.

P.S. I am a freshman in highschool. My mom got me to read Rebecca and I loved it so much that had to read another, Jamaica Inn was a great book and I recomend it to all women ages 14+, a man wouldn't understand.

Few readers of similar genres will find disappointment in Jamaica Inn.I remember reading Du Maurier when I was in my teens half a century or so back and something made me recently pick up Jamaica Inn. I could barely put it down. I was quickly caught up in the tangle of plot and character and emotion- woven together so very well it seemed to flow right around me, over me, through me- and I thought of all the newly written novels- no offense intended- about which a main selling point is, "Wow! You won't be able to put it down!" This is the real thing. If you've been reading similar mystery/drama that stops at simply taking you through the motions of the plot without fleshing out detail- even characters- novels which when you read that last page, you know what came to pass but it somehow feels empty and leaves you wanting, this is a book for you.

I agree, by the way, with the writer who said "You've just given away the entire plot." This is not an English class book report, folks. It's a way to express how we all feel about the style, the nuances of a writer's skill. I'm amazed at how many reviews do reveal the entire book. Man, that's like taping a favorite ball game or film- only to have some moron with "spoiler" on his breath happen along to tell you the ending before you've popped in the DVD....Lol

For an entertaining and very personal and candid glimpse into Ms. Du Maurier from her childhood into her early twenties, do read "Myself When Young," her first autobiographical work. Experiencing the young Daphne and her youthful interpretations of her world will surely enhance your understanding of her characters and plots.

I've read this book several times. First as a 14 year old, again in my twenties and again recently. It is a gripping tale set on the windswept moors in the south of England. I've actually been to the moors and visited Jamaica Inn itself and it is a lonely, wild and windswept place.

It is a gothic tale seen through the eyes of a young woman sent to live at Jamaica Inn. It involves wreckers (people who draw ships to the rocks in order to get their cargo when they sink) and it is full of intrigue and surprises.

If you like this one read Frenchman's Creek (Virago Modern Classics)(my favorite DdM book), My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

I'd also really recommend Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, a darkly comic parody written in the 1930s where poor Flora encounters all sorts of eccentric relatives. It is a slim volume but extremely good; humorous rather than scary and absolutely worth reading. Not all the ends are tied up, and what the dotty aunt experienced in the woodshed is left to your own imagination.

I saw the dreadful movie based on this book when I was MUCH younger & found it confusing and dull (one of those in which flipping of long hair is supposed to translate as good acting). After reading Rebecca about five hundred times, I decided to give this book a try. After all, how many movies are better than the book (ummmmmm, thinking hard, none!). This book turned out to be a fun, gothic novel. Problems: too fast paced, heroine does some pretty stupid things, ending is kind of unbelievable, bad guy is a little easy to spot. Good points: story keeps moving along & doesn't bog down, scenes and descriptions are wonderfully done, characters are three-dimensional, ending of the story is what you'd hope would happen, hero sounds like a major hottie. It made for a good read, especially when I made allowance for the period in which it was written. I especially liked how the author gave you a glimpse into the brains of the bad guys and you got a slight taste of what they might have been like if they hadn't been trapped in their situation. It would be especially good to read on a stormy night when you're alone in the house!

JAMAICA INN has been on my "To Be Read" list for many years, so when I found an inexpensive paperback copy, it seemed like fate. Every bit as suspenseful as REBECCA but with a more engaging heroine, it kept me on the edge of my seat almost from the beginning.

Mary Yellan's mother dies, leaving her alone with a farm and no one to help her run it. (Apparently, in 19th century England, it was unthinkable that a 23-year-old woman should simply hire some help and keep the farm.) She sells up and goes to live in a distant county with an aunt she hasn't seen for ten years, but whom she remembers as pretty and vivacious. The aunt Patience she finds, however, is much changed. Now married to an abusive, drunken tyrant, Patience has relinquished her former self and become a cringing, wheedling shadow to her brutal husband. The couple reside at Jamaica Inn, an infamous establishment that respectable travelers have long abandoned.

The situation deteriorates further when inquisitive Mary discovers her uncle is involved in illegal dealings that include murder. Horrified, she stays at Jamaica Inn only for the sake of her aunt, whom she intends to rescue. She's befriended by the sympathetic vicar of a neighboring parish, and by her uncle's handsome brother, Jem, to whom she feels oddly drawn, despite his questionable livelihood as a horse thief.

In true Gothic style, the story hovers on the edges of believability. It doesn't pay to think too much on any one point. Mary displays the obligatory intelligence, pluck and curiosity of the gothic heroine, yet loses her courage and/or her smarts at just the points where her hesitation advances the plot. The villains of the story are pure evil without clear motivations. Jem is the most realistically drawn character.

But they don't write like Daphne DuMaurier anymore. Her richly descriptive style sets you squarely down in the midst of the Cornish moors, makes you see the stark granite rocks, feel the heavy air closing around you. Her pacing is nearly perfect, dragging only in one or two spots where I think she falters in her effort to prolong suspense. The story moves along so briskly that you're almost hypnotized into not noticing the plot's weaknesses. It certainly isn't hard to shuffle them to the back of your mind.

JAMAICA INN is well worth the read, especially if you're feeling a bit weary of "flavor-of-the-month" fiction. In particular, I found Ms. DuMaurier's portrayal of the local squire as a kind-hearted, blustering dullard interesting. I wonder if that was a reflection of current (1936) British attitudes toward the gentry. In a similar vein, the vicar's thoughts on religion must have been provocative at the time.

I first read Jamica Inn as an inexperienced teenager living on dreams and fantasies of finding true love and living happily ever after. I thought the story of Mary and Jem was a wonderful love story, over coming all obstacles, giving up all for true love, over coming evil, and setting off for a life of romance and adventure. Ten years later and no longer dreaming of love and happily everafter I reread this book. It depressed me. Mary, by going off with Jem, had condemened herself to the same life that had drained her aunt of hope and vitality. Drink and time would eventually turn Jem into the same abusive character his brother had been. When the kids started coming and there was no steady income, no secure shelter Mary would turn into a shrew.

It really depressed me.

The story was suspensful, and the author was a gifted writer. Just don't think too long on the future of the two lovers after the book ends.

Mary Yellan is our spunky protagonist who has come to stay with her Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss, and evil man who is the landlord at Jamaica Inn. Early on she is warned of strange happenings at the Inn and after one look at the clientele she has learned to lock her door at night. Strange noises deep in the night alert her to the possibility of illegal activity but she remains silent at her aunt's request.
Mary becomes friends with the Vicar, an albino who has taken a bit of a fancy to her, and Jem her uncle's brother who is a rover and a thief. What is there in Mary's future on the moors, so sinister and dreary? Who's groans and cries are heard on the wind, as it washes up from the ocean, and penetrates the fog that lies like a blanket upon the moors?
A true Gothic adventure that will leave you feeling the depth of despair and the chill of the air as you wander the moors in search of the answers. Kelsana 6/4/02

It may be becasue I am an inexperienced reader, or I do not appreciate the more complex novels - only simple plots, or that this is the first Daphne DuMaurier book that I have read, or that I am under 13 (used this review sheet for children) or that it is the most recent book I have finished (well there are a lot of "well it may be because"s, so I will get on with the review) but I think that this book is the best one that Daphne DuMaurier has written. She never goes over the top with description, or never reveals too much or too little (if it's a mysterious character) about a person's personality. She does everything just right, and weaves the words of the book brilliantly.
In my personal opinion the part where Mary was taken to the shore (I won't reveal too much) dragged on a bit. I kept loosing my place in the book and I found it didn't really matter where I started reading again, but that was just one chapter.
For some reason I think that this book is good to read on holiday, somewhere in Britain, even if it's not Bodmin where this book is set (well, Jamaica Inn is near Bodmin anyway).

Set sometime in early nineteenth century Cornwall, this is a novel about Mary Yellan, a young woman who is left alone in the world when her mother dies. She must go and live with her mother's sister, Aunt Patience and her dark and dangerous husband, Joss Merlyn. They keep the Jamaica Inn on a lonely forbidding spot on the Moors - but no casual passer-by's stop there, nor any coaches. Mary soon learns there is something grim going on. Her uncle is involved in some violent and illicit trade, and there is a sinister person who is directing her uncle's secret business. It would be difficult for Mary to leave, but she won't leave without her Aunt Patience. Despite the violence from Joss, Aunt Patience has turned into a scared, fluttering, fey creature who seems unable to leave. Then there Jem Merlyn, her uncle's much younger brother and for whom Mary begins to feel a conflict of emotion. Can she trust Jem? He is her hated uncle's brother after all. Yet despite this and him being a horse-thief and a care-for-nothing she finds herself falling in love with him.
I really enjoyed this book - the first du Maurier I had read, and it has certainly made me keen to read more.

After recently reading Rebecca by Du Maurier, I decided to read another of her novels, and this was #2 in a collection I received from my local library. Though I did like Rebecca quite a bit, this one absolutely blew me away.

Jamaica Inn and Du Maurier kept me guessing til the bitter end. Furthermore, Du Maurier's characterizations and incredible use of metaphor have you living, breathing, and dreaming in the moors of the English hills, through the eyes of her often troubled female heroines.

You will be enraged, disgusted, enthralled, and wanting more throughout every page of the novel. Though I'm in the midst of a house move and have a very active toddler, I spent every free minute in the last couple days with my nose in this book!

In other reviews I'd read people mentioned they weren't thrilled with the ending; to that end, the very last two pages were a bit much, but the actual denoument of the book was fantastique!!!

FIVE STARS for another novel well written and much appreciated. Too bad there are not many authors like Du Maurier that find their way into print anymore (but if so, email me whom they are!)

This exciting novel is very deep psychologically. Young and ignorant Mary Yellan is suddenly faced with the terrors and dangers of the world, when her loving mother tragically passes away and she travels to live with her dark and immoral uncle, Joss Merlyn. Not even the wise advice of the coach driver could prevent Mary from disobeying her dying mother's plead that Mary would join her Aunt Patience at Jamaica Inn. And so Mary Yellan's courageous journey begins in the coach heading for Jamaica Inn in the pouring rain. As Mary arrived at Jamaica Inn she already had a sense of the building's dark power, but never did she dream that she would become helplessly entrapped in the inn's vile and crumbling walls. As days turn to weeks, Mary's curiosity for her uncle's mysterious trade grows. Customers are not accepted at Jamaica Inn, instead, during the night, covered wagons arrive at Jamaica Inn carrying strangers and illegal goods. Mary discovers the evilness of the inn and desires to leave it immediately, but she knows that she can't abandon her aunt with her heinous uncle. To add to her troubles, Mary meets the landlord's brother and falls disastrously in love with him. However, this love is tormented by doubts as Jem's behavior changes and clues lead to his guilt of a murder. Mary found him to be so charming, however he is a horse-thief. Can Mary survive this dangerous situation?

In "Myself When Young", author Daphne DuMaurier tells of a riding expedition on Bodmin Moors where lost and tired, she put up at a local hostelry called Jamaica Inn. "It was my first sight of the place that would later grip my imagination . . . a temperance house in 1920, it had been a coaching stop in the old days, and I thought of the travelers in the past who must have sought shelter there on the wild November nights, watched by the local moorland folk. No temperance house then, but a bar where the little parlor was, the drinking deep and long, fights breaking out, the sounds of oaths, of men falling."

And grip her imagination it did!

Du Maurier brings to life all the sounds and sights she imagined she saw on that day at a wayside inn with so much history. The lonely local, the brooding weather, the harsh tors looming over the moors and the bog, all make for what is now the almost trite accoutrements to any Gothic melodrama. But in Du Maurier's expert hands and imagination, the story that evolves could never be thought hackneyed.

Mary Yellen, a staunch working class young lady must leave her beloved farm on southern coast of Cornwall for the bleaker northern side. Here she will live at lonely Jamaica Inn with her mother's sister Patience and her innkeeper husband, Joss Merlyn. When she arrives, Mary, who prides herself on her good sense, intrinsic goodness and her willingness to work, finds her situation at the inn in dire opposition to anything in which she believes. Her heart breaks when she discovers her aunt has become a shadow of her once frivilous self, broken by the drunken Josh and his rude occupation. Mary's dream of travelers stopping at the inn and taking the usual friendly custom aburptly dissipates when she realizes the inn is no longer in use, but like her aunt, is just a shell of what it once was. Most distressing of all, she concludes that Joss's business is a treacherous and nefarious one which instead of commanding the respect of the local villagers and townspeople, causes them to turn away in helpless fear and disgust. Her guilt by association follows quite naturally and Mary vacillates between what she knows is right and her love of her childlike aunt. In her mind, her future spins out before her, likely to trail in the wake of her aunt's disastrous path.

The light of hope shines in the appearance of the landlord's brother, Jem. A much younger man than Joss, but similar in looks, Mary can well imagine what had enticed her aunt so many years ago. In spite of herself, she finds she has feelings for Jem that she must put aside as she comes to terms with what she must do for her aunt and her community. Like Du Maurier's other female heroines, Mary eventually succumbs to the world of men; she is dependent, knows it and comes to terms with her lot only by accepting her fate.

The story is told in the third person; we eventually discover the secret of Jamaica Inn as Mary does. On all levels, the story and its telling are superior to other books of this genre. Often dismissed as a romantic escape, the novel is nothing of the sort---it rather depicts the marital relationship and other man/woman situations with a violence that is disturbing. Mary does not find romance, she accepts that Jem is no better than another strong male. Another aspect of Du Maurier's fanatastic Cornwall comes alive as it did in her other novels, Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel and The House of the Strand. As a backup to the book, rent the Jane Seymour mini-series of the same name. The film representation doesn't really do justice to the literature or theme of Jamaica Inn, it relies instead on the brooding atmosphere and desperation of the heroine's plight rather than the true horror of the man/woman relationships.

I have read this book many times, but I find the best way to enjoy it is on unabridged audio--acted by a trained reader brings the words alive and forces you to listen (instead of skipping over) to the passages describing the moors.

An account of the dark reality of life and human nature. A grim way of life in crime, murder, and abuses. The characters are caught in the horrid crimes of the times. Of smuggling, luring and purposely wrecking ships, murdering passengers and crew, and retrieving the contraband for a wide spread and voracious black market. The story takes place on the English Coast, in the 18th century, when this was a regular and almost accepted practice back then. Those who profitted from the greed and the darkness' of the crimes, were people from high standing in thier communities, to the lowest riff raff of society. While I value the book as a source of awareness, and for a good history lesson, of this time in history, I found it dark, sinister and depressing. Maybe that was the whole point to the book. The heroine Mary, was even hard for me to like very much. She did show some strength of character and high morals, surrounded by wholly immoral sinister and weak people. But she just seemed too naive, too simple, and too much the victim. I thought the book was predictable in the outcome and rather slow going, almost boring. I didn't like the message of this book for women. Maybe I am getting too critical or am just bored of reading night after night after night, I don't know. That is why I chose a Classic this time. There is just so much trash out there, I thought a good classic would be a safe bet. I should love this book for being a classic, shouldn't I? Maybe I was expecting too much. Sometimes when I finish a book, as I am putting it down, I think to myself, "dumb" or "stupid" or "stupid ending" or "waste of time". I want to read books, that I don't want to end, that I can learn a little bit from, that are thought provoking and inspirational, and that I can't wait to turn the page because I want to find out what happens next, not because I can't wait to finish it. This book was almost in the latter category, for me. I am glad it was not long. I give it a guilty 2.5 stars. I suppose expecting every book I read to be riveting is just too much to expect, I suppose good books are like good movies, far and few between.
Kathy Struewing

My friend suggested that I read this book. I wasn't counting on it being anything special but wanted to read it to please my friend. I read the book...........WOW! I was so transfixed, my mind was constantly buzzing with anxcity for Mary, fear of Joss and wonder for the next page. These are just a few of words that describe Jamaica Inn: thrilling, unpredictable, fantastic, drastic, fast, flowing, tense, obscene, moving, amazing, open, striking, descriptive, startling, action, exciting, horriffic, pursuing, dramatic, different, changing and enticing.

In Jamaca Inn you can live with the characters, you are part of the book, and you feel for the characters. The book changes mood so easily. A must read.

Set sometime in early nineteenth century Cornwall, this is a novel about Mary Yellan, a young woman who is left alone in the world when her mother dies. She must go and live with her mother's sister, Aunt Patience and her dark and dangerous husband, Joss Merlyn. They keep the Jamaica Inn on a lonely forbidding spot on the Moors - but no casual passer-by's stop there, nor any coaches. Mary soon learns there is something grim going on. Her uncle is involved in some violent and illicit trade, and there is a sinister person who is directing her uncle's secret business. It would be difficult for Mary to leave, but she won't leave without her Aunt Patience. Despite the violence from Joss, Aunt Patience has turned into a scared, fluttering, fey creature who seems unable to leave. Then there Jem Merlyn, her uncle's much younger brother and for whom Mary begins to feel a conflict of emotion. Can she trust Jem? He is her hated uncle's brother after all. Yet despite this and him being a horse-thief and a care-for-nothing she finds herself falling in love with him.
I really enjoyed this book - the first du Maurier I had read, and it has certainly made me keen to read more.

After recently reading Rebecca by Du Maurier, I decided to read another of her novels, and this was #2 in a collection I received from my local library. Though I did like Rebecca quite a bit, this one absolutely blew me away.

Jamaica Inn and Du Maurier kept me guessing til the bitter end. Furthermore, Du Maurier's characterizations and incredible use of metaphor have you living, breathing, and dreaming in the moors of the English hills, through the eyes of her often troubled female heroines.

You will be enraged, disgusted, enthralled, and wanting more throughout every page of the novel. Though I'm in the midst of a house move and have a very active toddler, I spent every free minute in the last couple days with my nose in this book!

In other reviews I'd read people mentioned they weren't thrilled with the ending; to that end, the very last two pages were a bit much, but the actual denoument of the book was fantastique!!!

FIVE STARS for another novel well written and much appreciated. Too bad there are not many authors like Du Maurier that find their way into print anymore (but if so, email me whom they are!)

This exciting novel is very deep psychologically. Young and ignorant Mary Yellan is suddenly faced with the terrors and dangers of the world, when her loving mother tragically passes away and she travels to live with her dark and immoral uncle, Joss Merlyn. Not even the wise advice of the coach driver could prevent Mary from disobeying her dying mother's plead that Mary would join her Aunt Patience at Jamaica Inn. And so Mary Yellan's courageous journey begins in the coach heading for Jamaica Inn in the pouring rain. As Mary arrived at Jamaica Inn she already had a sense of the building's dark power, but never did she dream that she would become helplessly entrapped in the inn's vile and crumbling walls. As days turn to weeks, Mary's curiosity for her uncle's mysterious trade grows. Customers are not accepted at Jamaica Inn, instead, during the night, covered wagons arrive at Jamaica Inn carrying strangers and illegal goods. Mary discovers the evilness of the inn and desires to leave it immediately, but she knows that she can't abandon her aunt with her heinous uncle. To add to her troubles, Mary meets the landlord's brother and falls disastrously in love with him. However, this love is tormented by doubts as Jem's behavior changes and clues lead to his guilt of a murder. Mary found him to be so charming, however he is a horse-thief. Can Mary survive this dangerous situation?

In "Myself When Young", author Daphne DuMaurier tells of a riding expedition on Bodmin Moors where lost and tired, she put up at a local hostelry called Jamaica Inn. "It was my first sight of the place that would later grip my imagination . . . a temperance house in 1920, it had been a coaching stop in the old days, and I thought of the travelers in the past who must have sought shelter there on the wild November nights, watched by the local moorland folk. No temperance house then, but a bar where the little parlor was, the drinking deep and long, fights breaking out, the sounds of oaths, of men falling."

And grip her imagination it did!

Du Maurier brings to life all the sounds and sights she imagined she saw on that day at a wayside inn with so much history. The lonely local, the brooding weather, the harsh tors looming over the moors and the bog, all make for what is now the almost trite accoutrements to any Gothic melodrama. But in Du Maurier's expert hands and imagination, the story that evolves could never be thought hackneyed.

Mary Yellen, a staunch working class young lady must leave her beloved farm on southern coast of Cornwall for the bleaker northern side. Here she will live at lonely Jamaica Inn with her mother's sister Patience and her innkeeper husband, Joss Merlyn. When she arrives, Mary, who prides herself on her good sense, intrinsic goodness and her willingness to work, finds her situation at the inn in dire opposition to anything in which she believes. Her heart breaks when she discovers her aunt has become a shadow of her once frivilous self, broken by the drunken Josh and his rude occupation. Mary's dream of travelers stopping at the inn and taking the usual friendly custom aburptly dissipates when she realizes the inn is no longer in use, but like her aunt, is just a shell of what it once was. Most distressing of all, she concludes that Joss's business is a treacherous and nefarious one which instead of commanding the respect of the local villagers and townspeople, causes them to turn away in helpless fear and disgust. Her guilt by association follows quite naturally and Mary vacillates between what she knows is right and her love of her childlike aunt. In her mind, her future spins out before her, likely to trail in the wake of her aunt's disastrous path.

The light of hope shines in the appearance of the landlord's brother, Jem. A much younger man than Joss, but similar in looks, Mary can well imagine what had enticed her aunt so many years ago. In spite of herself, she finds she has feelings for Jem that she must put aside as she comes to terms with what she must do for her aunt and her community. Like Du Maurier's other female heroines, Mary eventually succumbs to the world of men; she is dependent, knows it and comes to terms with her lot only by accepting her fate.

The story is told in the third person; we eventually discover the secret of Jamaica Inn as Mary does. On all levels, the story and its telling are superior to other books of this genre. Often dismissed as a romantic escape, the novel is nothing of the sort---it rather depicts the marital relationship and other man/woman situations with a violence that is disturbing. Mary does not find romance, she accepts that Jem is no better than another strong male. Another aspect of Du Maurier's fanatastic Cornwall comes alive as it did in her other novels, Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel and The House of the Strand. As a backup to the book, rent the Jane Seymour mini-series of the same name. The film representation doesn't really do justice to the literature or theme of Jamaica Inn, it relies instead on the brooding atmosphere and desperation of the heroine's plight rather than the true horror of the man/woman relationships.

I have read this book many times, but I find the best way to enjoy it is on unabridged audio--acted by a trained reader brings the words alive and forces you to listen (instead of skipping over) to the passages describing the moors.

An account of the dark reality of life and human nature. A grim way of life in crime, murder, and abuses. The characters are caught in the horrid crimes of the times. Of smuggling, luring and purposely wrecking ships, murdering passengers and crew, and retrieving the contraband for a wide spread and voracious black market. The story takes place on the English Coast, in the 18th century, when this was a regular and almost accepted practice back then. Those who profitted from the greed and the darkness' of the crimes, were people from high standing in thier communities, to the lowest riff raff of society. While I value the book as a source of awareness, and for a good history lesson, of this time in history, I found it dark, sinister and depressing. Maybe that was the whole point to the book. The heroine Mary, was even hard for me to like very much. She did show some strength of character and high morals, surrounded by wholly immoral sinister and weak people. But she just seemed too naive, too simple, and too much the victim. I thought the book was predictable in the outcome and rather slow going, almost boring. I didn't like the message of this book for women. Maybe I am getting too critical or am just bored of reading night after night after night, I don't know. That is why I chose a Classic this time. There is just so much trash out there, I thought a good classic would be a safe bet. I should love this book for being a classic, shouldn't I? Maybe I was expecting too much. Sometimes when I finish a book, as I am putting it down, I think to myself, "dumb" or "stupid" or "stupid ending" or "waste of time". I want to read books, that I don't want to end, that I can learn a little bit from, that are thought provoking and inspirational, and that I can't wait to turn the page because I want to find out what happens next, not because I can't wait to finish it. This book was almost in the latter category, for me. I am glad it was not long. I give it a guilty 2.5 stars. I suppose expecting every book I read to be riveting is just too much to expect, I suppose good books are like good movies, far and few between.
Kathy Struewing

My friend suggested that I read this book. I wasn't counting on it being anything special but wanted to read it to please my friend. I read the book...........WOW! I was so transfixed, my mind was constantly buzzing with anxcity for Mary, fear of Joss and wonder for the next page. These are just a few of words that describe Jamaica Inn: thrilling, unpredictable, fantastic, drastic, fast, flowing, tense, obscene, moving, amazing, open, striking, descriptive, startling, action, exciting, horriffic, pursuing, dramatic, different, changing and enticing.

In Jamaca Inn you can live with the characters, you are part of the book, and you feel for the characters. The book changes mood so easily. A must read.

This book tells the story of Mary Yellan, who comes to live at Jamaica Inn, a place with a very bad name. She meets different persons, good or bad, and what I like so much about the story is that in the end the people she trusted, appear to be bad and de bad people are the good ones. Take Jem Merlyn, the man she falls in love with, but who also is the man that she thinks is the murderer of her aunt Patience. But it seems to be that it was the vicar of Altarnun who mudered her uncle and aunt. And in a very small place of her mind she must have known it from the beginning, for he always made her nervous. He was a strange looking man, but very, very clever. And he had twisted Mary just around his finger. But it seemed that the vicar loved her too. He told her:"If you had been there, I would have killed you too, no not you Mary Yellan". Yes, he was so very nice and kind to her that he must have loved her. Anyway he still would kill her if she'd do anything that'd delay their journey. Eventually there are men coming after them, they have dogs along them and the vicar first releases Mary of the belt that he'd put around her and than he kills himself. Then I consider the book as ended. The exitement is over. But still I love the book, and I wish I'd never read it before, for then there would still be a first time. Well if you may have problems with my bad English, I'm a 17-year old girl and live in Holland. That should explain the problem. Thanks for reading this.

This is only the second Daphne du Maurier book I've read (the first was 'The Scapegoat'), and I enjoyed it. The story line is good, as are the descriptions of the Cornish countryside. Indeed, the author seems to have a real feel for Cornwall, even though she was born and brought up in London. Not for her the sugary rustic platitudes of other English "country" writers. And bear in mind, too, that she was only in her twenties when she wrote this: quite an achievement.
Inevitably the book is somewhat old-fashioned in its style. The prose is inclined to be a bit wordy. But the characters of the Merlyn brothers and the Vicar are well drawn. A slight disappointment, however, is Mary Yellan herself. I found it a little difficult to engage with her, and a rather characterless, even priggish young woman comes across.

Jamaica Inn is an amazing book which captivates readers with amazing literary merit. Daphne Du Maurier chooses her words carefully, and it is apparent in her writing of Jamaica Inn. Through her descriptions and personification of the English land to the careful sketch of Aunt Patience, her use of language is complete and gives a tone of mystery to the novel. "Sometimes the hills were purple, inkstained, and mottled, and then a feeble ray of sun would come from a wisp of cloud, and one hill would be golden brown while his neighbor still languished in the dark."(26). In this quotation, Du Maurier illustrates the intense, dark, yet forbearing terrain of the moors of England near the dreaded Jamaica Inn. Seeping as it seems, the overtone is dark and mysterious. As with the landscapes, Du Maurier takes careful time drawing up the characters of the book, "This was the old Aunt Patience, with nervous hands and twitching mouth, which glanced over her shoulder as she talked. It was pitiable to see her, and Mary caught something of her agitation" (100). Such attention is paid to the crucial points of character through the simple yet foreboding descriptions. Her tone throughout the book is clear, and sets a stage for the overall plot and ending. A certain amount of mystery is played in every page and keeps the reader enthralled. "But this sudden coming to grace, this quick and exquisite moving of his hands, was a swift and rather sinister revelation, sinister because it was unexpected and not true to type"(17). This message and tone of mystery, deceit keeps the reader on their toes and is magnified in each sentence that flows on each page. Jamaica Inn is a truly captivating novel and is one to read over and over again.

Even if it is not as good as Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, or The Scapegoat (but better than the House on the Strand), it is still a page turner, vivid and descriptive and, in the best DuMaurier tradition, very very dark. That said, my rating would actually be closer to 3 1/2 stars.
Mary Yellan is an appealingly scrappy heroine, if somewhat prone to foolhardy actions. I liked that she had guts and that she could be honest about her feelings about a man she had no business loving. Another plus for this book: I bought her falling in love with the roguish horse thief Jem Merlyn. I myself found him sexy (wish there had been more of him in the book). Their chemistry was a nice reflection of the less benign pairing of Mary's poor Aunt Patience and the brutish Joss Merlyn. Perhaps my favorite line because it spoke volumes in few words is "Now Mary understood why she hated her uncle." Or something to that effect.
DuMaurier goes a little overboard in the description of the moor and the tors, although I admit it is necessary to establish the setting. A big reason I do love DuMaurier books is the strong sense of place and time. I suppose that this particular setting was not as interesting as - say - the estate in Rebecca. I knew so because my eye would dart down the page and the next for quotation marks in the hopes that a conversation would break up the lengthy descriptions.
In short one could do a lot worse than this book in the general realm of fiction but as far as DuMaurier fiction is concerned, one could do somewhat better.

I read this book because someone told me at one of my book signings that Jamaica Inn was the most frightening book she ever read. After reading for several hours right before bed, I awakened terrified, in a cold sweat. Since then, I have studied Du Maurier's style and it is masterful. She has the ability to make the main character feel so real, you imagine you are walking in her shoes. Long after putting the book down, the characters remain with you, as does Jamaica Inn itself and the surrounding countryside. Her books have influenced my own writing. It is a shame that during her lifetime, her books were seen as romance, the pinings of a woman... This is suspense at its very best.

When I decided to read Jamaica Inn, it was through sheer boredom on a rainy afternoon - what perfect weather it turned out to be to read about the dark happenings in cold, windy Cornwall! It is centred around the terrifying and surprising discoveries Mary Yellan, recently orphaned, makes about the goings on at her new home, Jamaica Inn. This book will leaves you constantly surprised, guessing and re-guessing the benevolence of its characters at every turn and makes for an enjoyable tale of mystery and suspense.

This is a well written book with vivid descriptions of places and people. Maybe I was expecting too much. It was a little more dark and depressing than I would have liked for a vacation read, and it held nowhere near the suspense and intrigue as Rebecca (one of my favorites). It never really made me care for the lead character (Mary) - I just kept feeling that everything she did was stupid and for no reason. It was also very predictable since you know who is going to turn out to be the bad guy as he is the only other character you've been introduced to.
Not duMaurier's best.

This was a very dark tale (which I love). I found myself reading long into the night. I finally read "Rebecca" as it's my sisters favorite book. Because I enjoyed the story I decided to read other works of Daphne Du Maurier. Her writing style is very compelling. I'm now reading "Frenchman's Creek".

Since I loved Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel, I thought I would give Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn a try. The writing is wonderful but the story not so much. I kept waiting for Mary Yellan to get her poor aunt out of Jamaica Inn and head for a better life somewhere else. However, this was not to be.

The characters seemed to be almost caricatures for me and I figured out fairly quickly who the man was behind all the evil. I also could not relate to the ending since Mary Yellan talked about living a life like a man and farming on her own.

This is not my favorite Du Maurier novel.

Actually a 3.75 for me. I wasn't completely enchanted with the goings on of Jamaica Inn.

Although this was not Ms. Du Marnier's most famous work it should not be over looked. It has held up surprisingly well for a story written in 1936. By today's standards it is wordy and over-descriptive leaving the readers mind to wander. It was a also bit jarring to keep seeing the characters first and surnames being utilized. It was another minor note that became annoying as it went on. Again differences in acceptable writing styles have occurred since this book was written.

Regarding the story itself, the synopsis is designed to not provide a lot of information about what the story holds and I actually liked that - it added to the mystery of the piece. The pacing of the plot was designed to increase the tension of the moment and it did - very well. The characters were drawn vividly enough so they had definable personalities and possibly my modern brain kept bumping into the stupidity of some character actions - they were quite visual. Some of these characters could actually serve as the prototype for famous clichés such as the drunken landlord, the albino priest, the drab & fearful wife, the boggy moor. This is a multi-layered story covering quite a few dark crimes people commit that fans of historical literature shouldn't miss.

although lacking more character development, a wonderful example of du maurier's story-telling ability. a delightful read. mary's strength is admirable, and the romance is mostly left to the imagination. i think most would enjoy that

Although the plot is not always intriging, the plots twists the DuMarier throws in every so often kept me reading. A distorted mirrior image of Rebecca, but still shows that the author is the misteress of mystery.

For anyone who likes romance and suspense, this book is for you. I agree that sometimes the book drags on, but then so do many classics...I'm not very picky but I have read many books, and so from experience I say that this book is not one to miss out on...it's not as harsh as some other of Daphne Du Maurier's books, such as My Cousin Rachel, which I had to put down after a few chapters because it depressed me too much.

The poetic language and tasteful suspense makes Jamaica Inn and Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier two of my favorite books. Jamaica Inn is a brilliant story, made even more mysterious by Tori Amos' song of the same name. It was her song about the book that made me seek out books by DuMaurier and once again Tori is genius. This was one of the best books I have ever read. Both the book and the song reveal the complexities and horrors of human behavior. DuMaurier also has a rich knowledge of the English countryside and uses fantastic imagery to transport the reader to the moors of Southern England.

For those of you who have never read DuMaurier, you're missing out on the adventure and intrigue of days gone by. I myself visited the actual Jamaica Inn last year in Launceton, England, and felt the undercurrents of the dark events that once took place there. Just great reading.

I have read the book before as I love Daphne Du Maurier's books, and although I could not hear the TV presentation very well this last week, I enjoyed it very much. Then I was not the only one who had difficulty deciphering the 'mumbling'!

Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier is an adventure an I suppose something of a Gothic romance, in that the adventure is about a woman who goes to live with very disturbing relatives, and a lot of nastiness goes in.

There is, of course, a bloke around who is not a nogoodnik for the heroine to lean on.

I went to the public library once to get an english book. wen I asked the librarien if she could recommend me a book she immediatly said jamaica Inn. And she just kept on talking about how great the book is.

Well now i have read it myself and i really can say that the librarien was right. It is a beautiful story about a girl who lost her parents and goes to live with her aunt and her husband.

she discovers the criminal activities of her uncle and tries to stop him.

I am from holland so i am used to other kind of books. But i have to say that jamaica inn has opened my eye for english literature.

the story is beatiful and what i liked most is the struggle of mary during the book because her parents died and she has to do it all by herself.

An other great thing about the book is that things happen that i did not expect like the fact that Francis Davey turns out to be the leader of the gang.

I found it great reading this book.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier is an adventure an I suppose something of a Gothic romance, in that the adventure is about a woman who goes to live with very disturbing relatives, and a lot of nastiness goes in.

There is, of course, a bloke around who is not a nogoodnik for the heroine to lean on.

I went to the public library once to get an english book. wen I asked the librarien if she could recommend me a book she immediatly said jamaica Inn. And she just kept on talking about how great the book is.

Well now i have read it myself and i really can say that the librarien was right. It is a beautiful story about a girl who lost her parents and goes to live with her aunt and her husband.

she discovers the criminal activities of her uncle and tries to stop him.

I am from holland so i am used to other kind of books. But i have to say that jamaica inn has opened my eye for english literature.

the story is beatiful and what i liked most is the struggle of mary during the book because her parents died and she has to do it all by herself.

An other great thing about the book is that things happen that i did not expect like the fact that Francis Davey turns out to be the leader of the gang.

I found it great reading this book.

Excuse me miss 17-year-old from the Netherlands but you just gave away the entire plot of the book. Nice going. Thanks. To anyone who wants to read it (luckily I already have) do NOT read the review from the girl from the Netherlands. It will ruin it for you.

I started to read Jamaica Inn in preparation for seeing the HItchcock film of it, so I could appreciate how much and how well or ill the adaptation of it was. I put the book down after about 140 pages. It has utterly no sense of period, just like the standard historical-romance novels of 2011. It's set some time shortly after the Napoleonic Wars concluded (1815), but might be happening in 1715, 1615, or even 1915, as long as the references to the nineteenth century were changed or expunged. Du Maurier's ear is strictly middle-of-the-road 1930s; she apparently couldn't even appreciate the Cornish accents among which she lived. The flatness of her diction makes the heavy sentiments that course through the book seem forced and artificial, and the characters seem hackneyed. If you're looking for richness of language and convincing realization of period and place, don't bother with Jamaica Inn.

Not much like the book and almost comical at times. For a Hithcock fan this was a bitter disappointment. There is another version with Jayne Seymore, I would try that one if you must see this book put to film.