The Lantern

Has both classical writing style and a fascinating plot

I read along for quite some time before I knew how I felt about The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. Normally I will only read so far before I decide whether or not I can finish it and give it a positive review and recommendation, but The Lantern had me confused. I was either holding a piece of literary work of genius, or a book that was not worth finishing.

After getting the characters straight in my mind with all of the jumping back and forth, without any indication of what place in time I was reading about, things started to improve and I I found myself fully immersed into a fascinating novel of drama, mystery suspense and romance.

Deborah Lawrenson writes in a classic style with vivid mastery. Although there were times that I could have done with less description, the writing was still beautiful and the plot was mesmerizing.

I found The Lantern to be unique in the way that there is an air of mystery and suspense that surrounds the story, yet Lawrenson has written her book from the perspective of two characters (one past and one present) and their relationship with the people who surround them.

I recommend this novel to readers who typically enjoy classical literature, both male and female, and to book discussion groups. There is a lot to talk about in this novel. Anything from literary work to relationship dynamics.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

A haunting gothic thriller

In Switzerland, Dom the English musician and Eve the translator meet in a maze; for both it is love at first sight. They move to Les Genévriers in Provence where they plan to renovate a country house constructed in 1887. The abode is loaded with seemingly valuable antiques and hidden rooms. However two things disturb Eve in the midst of her heavenly relationship with Dom. First calling this place Les Genévriers seems inane when there is only one juniper tree; the English translation of the French word. Second her beloved refuses to speak about his former wife Rachel who vanished.

As Eve wants to know the truth about Rachel, they find sad audio recordings made by former resident Bénédicte Lincel over five decades ago. Bénédicte talks about her blind sister Marthe the perfume designer who apparently vanished and about their cruel brother Pierre. Eve wonders about two females living several decades apart simply vanishing.

Rotating perspective between past and present, readers have a haunting gothic thriller using the beautiful French countryside and the creation of perfume as counterpoints to the growing fear of something bad about to occur. Although the cast in both eras are somewhat thin, readers will enjoy this suspenseful tale as Eve's suspicion that she may not next grows.

Harriet Klausner

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

I agree

I sgree with that anoynomus chick the people need to stop writing what exactly happens that it what an overview is for!

3 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

Beautifully Written, Confusing Format

This story was beautifully written about a part of France that I wish I had spent more time visiting. The couple that buys a very historical property in Provence learns through the history of the home how to let go of a bit of their personal history and secrets. It was hard for me to get started with the book, its format confused me a bit at first, but once I got the hang of the narrators changing, it was easier to follow and you get two stories in one book which is always nice. There was a certain creepiness factor, the objects that kept showing up, and reports of people that simply disappeared added some extra intrigue even though you understand where it is coming from early on. I thought the author did a great job of having the two women lead somewhat parallel lives, it brought an extra element to their stories, and it made me appreciate the difference in the times the women each lived through.

Reviewed by Gabi for Book Sake.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

highly recommend

this book was a page turner from beginning to end. It kept you guessing upto the last page. It was a mix of a ghost story, love story, and mystery all in one.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Geez people!

The overview sounded awesome for this book. Then I started reading the customer reviews, which unfortunately GAVE AWAY EVERYTHING!

2 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

The Lantern tells the story of two women, Eve and Benedicte who

The Lantern tells the story of two women, Eve and Benedicte who are connected by their home, Les GenEvriers.  Eve's story is in the present and Benedicte's story takes place in the past during the productive glory days of Les GenEvriers.  Eve meets and is swept off her feet by the secretive Dom who she begins to distrust when he refuses to answer questions about his ex-wife, Rachel.  Benedicte's story is a little less straight forward as an old mystery is slowly unraveled.




This story is beautifully written and I found myself continuously impressed by Ms. Lawrenson's descriptions.  She creates a story that introduces relationships that are complex and introduces situations where all is not what it seems.  Though I could recognize Ms. Lawrenson's talents, I really didn't enjoy the actual story.  The pace was entirely too slow for my tastes.  There were two big mystery's.  One mystery surrounds Benedicte's story and the other Eve's.  The reader did not become aware of the Benedicte's "mystery" until the book was almost over and then it was pretty easy to guess the answer.  I know that I should have really wanted to know the answer to Eve's "mystery" but I lost interest half-way through the book.  The build-up of the tension and suspense was just too slow.  Unfortunately, if I didn't have a personal rule requiring me to finish every book that I start, I wouldn't have finished this one.  Even with my rule, I almost gave up.




Readers who like well-written stories with vivid descriptions and deep meanings really might enjoy this.  However, if you require a plot that moves steadily, this one might not be for you.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Ghost Story

If you are going to read this book, I would suggest that either you read Rebecca or watch the movie or do both before you read The Lantern. AT first I had a hard time reading the book because of the back and forth between the main character and the "ghost". But once I got into it, I enjoyed the book. Definitely read Rebecca. The movie is a wonderful classic.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Lush and melancholy

Eve is swept off of her feet by the older Dom, and before she knows it she is following him to Les Genevriers, an old abandoned house in a small hamlet in the south of France. At first all is wonderful as they fix up the home, but soon the ghosts from the past creep in to come between them.

Throughout this book, one word kept going through my mind: lush. Humid, dank, and dense through much of it, but lush throughout!

The setting is very important to the storyline. This story is all about ghosts and the past, and you really need the antiquity of the buildings and landscape, and the old local legends and myths to create this haunting atmosphere.

The atmosphere really ties into the story. I believe that the environment should be warm and arid, taking place in France, which I don’t believe is known for high humidity. And yet the feeling that I kept getting throughout this story was “lush” and humid, dripping and cloying. It was really a contrast to the true atmosphere of the setting. It set the relationship between Dom and Eve. When things were going well between them, the air would be light, warm, the plant life in bloom. Then the sky would get overcast, the plants dormant, rains falling. When the weather would turn and everything would be gray and miserable, the mood would likewise change between Dom and Eve.

This is a story for the senses. It's the movement of shadow, the twist in the light, the way the breeze feels as it hits your skin. There's an oppressiveness in the air that bears down on you. But more than anything it is the sense of smell that drives the story. Vanilla, lavender, citrus and almond-- the sense of smell is important to this storyline, which hosts scenes from the youth of a blind woman who became a perfume-maker, and you are drawn in to how it was to be her and living through your sense of smell.

I enjoyed this story. I felt that the "main" characters of Dom and Eve lacked some development and were actually secondary to the ghosts of Benedicte, Marthe, Pierre and the rest. It was the ghostly glimpses into the past that kept me intrigued. I loved how expressive the author could be, and her writing could really pull me in.

My final word: Part love story, part ghost story, part mystery and suspense, this is a leisurely jaunt through the past. Some have expressed annoyance at how similar Lawrenson's writing is to that of Daphne du Maurier. Since I haven't yet read any of du Maurier's work, I can't really speak to that, and did not have any similar annoyances. I found Lawrenson's writing beautifully descriptive without being overly done, and it really drew me in to the sights, smells and sensations of the surrounding environment. The book left me a little melancholy, but all-in-all hopeful for the future of the characters, and I was left wanting to read more from author Deborah Lawrenson.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not worth it

I was ready for a spooky book or thriller and this was neither! Very predictable

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

To hi

Your an idiot!!!!!!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

???

Hehahehahehahehahejahejahehjhehahehahehahehahehahehaheeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Im feelin pretty evil. :D

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Hi

Hey yo im undressed ready 2 hav sex

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Hey

Please chat with me.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

To hi

Ru boy or girl?

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great romantic mystery!

The Lantern is written in an interesting format in that alternating chapters switch from the present and past tenants telling about their lives in an ancient French hamlet. The author is very skillful in imagery which involves the senses and transports the reader into the house and the lavender fields. There are twists and unexpected occurrences which will keep the reader in a delicious state of suspense.

The present occupants, a loving, unmarried couple and the former occupants, a farming family touch each others' lives when the present couple start to restore the deteriorating house and grounds. Many family secrets are revealed in various mysterious, and ghostly happenings which unravel past events, as well as, expose secrets between the present couple.

Hi

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Crissie

Not much im just doing my mother fu c k i ng home work -.-"

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Lantern

Sorry and i must leave bye

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Overly descriptive

Overly descriptive. Found mysef skimming those part of the book to get to the story.