Jane-Emily

Not a beloved favourite from my youth--I just read it for the first time, and I'm 54 at present.

The viewpoint character did almost nothing except yearn to be held by a big strong man—it's amazing to me how up-to-date someone like Jane Austen can feel, and how terribly dated and stilted some works from only half a century ago are by comparison!

The ghost's antics failed to elicit any concern from me, let alone actual horror. I wasn't dazzled by the actual sentences (if little happens, but it's beautifully depicted, that's its own reward). Nobody particularly seemed like an actual, authentic person (let alone an interesting actual authentic person), so this was disappointing.

(I realise it's a book for children, but that's very little show more excuse. The best of childrens literature can hold its head high against the best of adult fiction, I don't lower the bar for them).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve! show less

Before I can tell you my opinion on the plot of this old children's book, let me tell you about the smell of the book. Yes, the smell.

My library ordered a copy of an old 1973 Yearling paperback from another library and it came with the most delightful musty old book smell. I inhaled several times each time I picked up the book. It took me right back to childhood, back to the musty old used bookstores we used to frequent and the smell of the paperbacks in our basement. It smelled like a book SHOULD smell and I had long forgotten that scent. Oh, to be 12 again and discovering this book in the kid's section of Jerry's Used Book Store on Federal. . . .

Interestingly enough, I never read this book as a kid. Never stumbled across a copy.

It show more read like a sixties pre-teen romance novel. In fact, there is so much romance you tend to forget it's actually a horror story. It takes place in the early 1900's (although the dialog seems more modern to me) and it's the story of a young girl named Jane who becomes obsessed with another girl who has been dead for 20 years named Emily. Emily is evil and Emily has power. Jane and her sister are staying in Emily's house for the summer with their grandmother who happens to be Emily's mother. The teenage sister has a real romance going that's fairy princess like but it's a good mix of good and evil. Not too scary for an adult but I think I would have liked it when I was young.

And the smell! Just like it was found in a haunted attic somewhere. show less

I’d never heard of this book or author, but I saw it mentioned in a discussion in a Borders Facebook group, and I was intrigued. Based on the discussion, I expected it to be scarier, but it was still enjoyably creepy. I liked the first-person narration and the old-fashioned, atmospheric writing. Every time I see a lawn globe, I’ll think of this book and give it a wide berth.

A young woman and her orphaned cousin spend a disturbing summer at a house that is haunted by the jealous spirit of a selfish young girl.

Louisa Armory has reluctantly agreed to spend accompany her orphaned niece, Jane, at the house of Jane's formidable grandmother. Once there, the two girls learn of Emily, Mrs. Cartwright's youngest daughter, who died young. Jane seems to be unhealthily preoccupied with Emily, and speaks of her as though she is still there. Jane seems particularly entranced by the gazing ball in the garden that once belonged to Emily. Once Emily's childhood playmate, Adam, begins to court Louisa, and the two fall in love, a series of destructive accidents leads to a health crisis for Jane.

I started this book when I was show more around eight, and my mom took it away from me because it scared the bejeezus out of me. A chance post on a blog reminded me of it, so I revisited it. As an adult, I don't know what about this book I found frightening. But I was completely terrorized by it.

Reading it now, I can say that this is a pretty charming book, sort of indicative of suspense fiction for children of the 1970's. There are some romance elements, and some historical color thrown in. I don't know if a modern child would appreciate it, since this "scary" book really isn't scary. show less

Louisa Armory has reluctantly agreed to spend accompany her orphaned niece, Jane, at the house of Jane's formidable grandmother. Once there, the two girls learn of Emily, Mrs. Cartwright's youngest daughter, who died young. Jane seems to be unhealthily preoccupied with Emily, and speaks of her as though she is still there. Jane seems particularly entranced by the gazing ball in the garden that once belonged to Emily. Once Emily's childhood playmate, Adam, begins to court Louisa, and the two fall in love, a series of destructive accidents leads to a health crisis for Jane.
I started this book when I was around eight, and my mom took it away from me because it scared the bejeezus out of me. A chance post on a blog reminded me of it, so I show more revisited it. As an adult, I don't know what about this book I found frightening. But I was completely terrorized by it.
Reading it now, I can say that this is a pretty charming book, sort of indicative of suspense fiction for children of the 1970's. There are some romance elements, and some historical color thrown in. I don't know if a modern child would appreciate it, since this "scary" book really isn't scary. (cross-posted from MeriJenBen) show less

A pretty good ghost story, but outdated, patriarcal, and (the one time the book mentions a person of color) kinda racist.

I've always liked the reflecting balls that decorate certain lawns. My dad and I decided a long time ago that the owners of same belonged to a secret club or coven, and the different colors denoted different levels of initiation into the Mysteries. We came up with some genuinely scary scenarios, some of which involved Very Sharp Knives.

This book, with a haunted reflecting ball at its center, didn't scare me. It seemed to me to be mostly a love story with a top-dressing of ghostliness. I didn't connect with the narrator or the young girl, Jane. I didn't get the love interest's appeal. I liked the grandmother and the cook and the senior Dr. Adam, but I'm afraid I didn't like the book very much at all.