Picnic at Hanging Rock (original 1967; edition 1999)

This turns up on all the “best books” of Australia list, I was heading for Australia, and it sounded like a good read. It was not to be found through any American book source, however, so I went looking for it in Australia when I got there. The clerk at an impressively large bookstore in Hobart, Tasmania, told me that while, yes, the book is considered an Australian classic, their store doesn’t carry it as it is so “twee”--a British/Australian word that apparently means “affected” or “overly precious”--and she didn’t think I would find it elsewhere. I did, but I must say that I agree with her choice of adjectives. The story, which is centered in a private girls’ school in 1900, is loaded with atmosphere, but it is presented as a mystery, and I didn't find a mystery without a resolution, which this is, particularly satisfying. ( )

Finally, I got round to read this story that has haunted me for many many years. I saw the movie for about 35 years ago and have been thinking of it now and then over the years. I think I was hoping to get some answers but I didn´t get any. That is the secret of this story´s success - that there is no summing up, no solution to the mystery.

Interesting characters, strange nature, past times and this very strange mystery makes this the classic novel it is.
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I really like the unsolved mystery of this story but I must admit that the film adaptation actually improves on the original, develops characters, heightens the haunting, creepy feel and makes the story come alive for me. I almost gave the book 4 stars but realized that I was rating the book on my feeling for Peter Weir's excellent movie. If I had read the book prior to seeing the film, I don't think I would have enjoyed it near as much as I did. ( )

As soon as I read Lesley's (A Life In Books) review of this book, I knew that I had to pick it up. It just sounded like a book that I had to read and right away. And when I opened up the book and read this I knew that I had made the right choice.

"Whether Picnic at Hanging Rock is Fact or Fiction, my readers must decide for themselves. As the fateful picnic took place in the year nineteen hundred, and all the characters who appear in this book are long since dead, it hardly seems important."

Don't you just love that? I mean I was intrigued from the start after reading that and am happy to report that this book didn't disappoint. First though I should give you a brief (and I mean VERY brief) summary of what the book is about. Picnic at Hanging Rock begins with a group of young girls that are away at a boarding school going away for the day with two of their teachers to Hanging Rock. The story is about the events that happen while the girls are at Hanging Rock and everything that happens afterwards. And that is all that I can tell you since I think that you should go into this like I did not knowing very much.

Let me tell you that I was engrossed within this novel. The atmosphere that this author creates is creepy and tense. I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on, what had happened, etc. I flew through this book which suprised me as this is an older novel which usually takes me a bit longer to read. But the pages just kept turning because I wanted..no I needed to see what had happened. My only quibble is very minor and that was the ending. It just wasn't what I expected so at first I'll admit to being a tiny bit disappointed. When I thought about it though I decided I liked it more than I thought and on the whole really enjoyed this book.

Bottom Line: Read this book if your in the mood for a book filled with atmosphere that is slightly creepy! ( )

Always a classic mystery. You get sucked in and are left wondering right till the end. ( )