First Impressions
I am moved by the Victorian Era and anything having to do with that time frame. The jacket cover and the title of the book were enough for me to want to read it. The blurb, a who-done-it-psycho-thriller, was intriguing.
Drive-by Summary
Georgina Ferrars awakens in a room that is dark and dank. She does not recognize any of contents of the room. Thus begins a nightmarish journey when a young girl all alone, except for an aged, near-sighted uncle, tries to remember how she ended up at Tregannon House, a private asylum in Cornwall, England.
This is a classic walk into a dark, gothic labyrinth in which the heroine questions what is real and what is imagined or believed. Georgina’s memories are somehow intertwined with those of someone so similar to her in looks that she begins to doubt her own sanity.
Although the story is simple, the extraordinary development of plot is complex and gave me that sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-chair thrill that I admire from a good gothic novel. Much like Alice going down the rabbit hole, this book will lead you around, not knowing what is just around the corner. It is a psychological scare in the dark. It reaches into the depths of your soul and makes you question your own psyche, your own belief system.
Favorite character
Georgina Ferrars. At first she seemed almost incapable of solving the crime and mystery of being institutionalized. However, little by little the ball of yarn starts to unravel and in the end she is so amazing and strong that I felt I had not had enough faith in her ability.
Words to live by
“…He dreams of finding, or even founding, a community– apparently there are several like it in New England–built upon love and respect, a brotherhood of the spirit, he calls it, in which women would enjoy the same rights as men, and property would be held in common, for the benefit of all. To me he seems the very embodiment of that spirit, always so ardent and loving, filled with the joy of life.”
Final Say
This is the first time I have read anything written by John Harwood and I am more than curious to read yet another of his gothic style novels. The Asylum has made an impact that will stay with me for a life-time. We are all so fragile and capable of great things beyond our present capacity.
You can get swept away by The Asylum at the Bellingham Public Library.
— Keyla
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