The Romance of the Forest

Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) – It was a little hard for me to get into this book. The beginning seemed to have a slow start. The build up to the main events of the story were good background, but were very wordy and slow. At the start of the second volume things started to get interesting. The excitement of kidnapping, deceit and murder along side love, mercy and tenderness complete this tale of Gothic romance. I don’t have too much to say on this book. It was a good read. The ending was very perfect in its completion of the wrong-doers getting what they deserved. The twists of how the characters are all related to one another creates an interesting dynamic as the story progresses. The writing style of Ann Radcliffe is very flowery and full of description. Its fun to read when in an imaginative mood, but if you aren’t in the mood to read its difficult to get through. The actual plot of the story could be told in a much shorter book, but with all the detailed description it doubles the story. Over all it was a good book. But be prepared to get into the imaginative mind of a woman.