Marnie

“People might think it lonely living on my own nearly all the time, but I never found it lonely. I always had plenty to think about, and anyway maybe I'm not so good on people.”

A fascinating psychological train-wreck. I'd seen the movie several times growing up since Alfred Hitchcock was behind the helm - and it stuck in my mind while reading the story so I can't help comparison. It followed a lot of the book faithfully, although the ending was completely different, as was her hidden trauma, and there lies some of the weakness of the story that dropped it to a four star rating over five. I'm sure I would feel the same even if I didn't see the film.

Marnie isn't exactly a likable character. She has redemption at the end but her heart show more of stone only thaws so much, and the author kind of abruptly cuts the story off at the end. I'd had loved to see the scene where she came back to Mark and he knew it, and to see where they went from there, and where she told him - and/or- the doctor all she'd discovered, but as a reader I kind of feel cheated of that. I only like unknowns looming ahead if it adds spice to this story, but the way the ending handled itself frustrated me.

Still the book is difficult to put down. The beginning is especially potent when Marnie is going through the motions as thieving Mary, then is discovered, then answers and fields questions from both Mark and the doctor. Mark as a character is a shining gem- the patience and tragedy of the man was maybe more depressing to me than Marnie's mental struggles.

The book is almost 400 pages, and you'd think a lot of shifting scenes may be needed to keep it interesting - but it doesn't need that for the pacing doesn't suffer. Winston Graham's writing style is perfect for this type of story and even the dialogue shifting when Marnie is regressing was well-done. It's first person POV and surprisingly well-done. I may have to hunt down more of this author's work.

It was interesting to be in the head of a thief like this too. Thieving is despicable, but there are different forms of that addictive madness so they can still be intriguing to read about. Toss in psychological horrors and hidden secrets, and it gets even better.

Even if the ending is a little frustrating, when I started it yesterday I've found it difficult to put down, the writing got to me, and the characters are well-done and absolutely different from the norm. Worth a read if you find a copy or pick up the e-book copy. And then, if you haven't already, you need to watch the movie at some point - despite some melodrama of the time, it's another unique and twisted take on the story, adding a completely different ending and color blindness being part of the psychological trauma. show less

Marnie is a good-looking young woman who gets jobs under false identities, then robs her employers. She becomes trapped in an unwanted marriage in an attempt to keep the details of her life secret. Psychological suspense let down by a melodramatic ending.

This was an excellent read. It is very dated, couldn't take place in the age of IT, she'd be outed on Facebook in no time. But as a story of its time featuring a young, female con-artist, an unusual heroine. If you are the sort of person who questions everything at every turn, don't read it, watch the film instead, but if you can suspend disbelief and just go with the story, then this is a good, light read.

A psychological mystery in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier or Mary Stewart, Marnie is a wonderfully suspenseful and well-written novel. This novel became famous as an Alfred Hitchcock movie in the 1960s, it reads as if Winston Graham had Hitchcock in mind all the way.

You have a sense right from the beginning that there is more to this woman than meets the eye; that she has a past, secrets, issues, that will explain her inability to connect to people and her need to be someone other than herself.

Loads of fun, and even better because I had Lori to help me peel the layers away and made me want to do it SLOWLY.

This 1961 psychological novel was the basis for Hitchcock's film of the same name starring Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The action of the book takes place in the UK (as opposed to the US in the film). Marnie's success in repeatedly changing her identity and embezzling money seems a tad implausible today, but much more was taken on trust in those days when accepting a job application and giving a new employee responsibility. The ending of the story is more complex than the film, and I thought the last few chapters were actually the least successful, and the very ending a bit abrupt. But it's an interesting exploration of the effect of trauma in early life and an individual's life and actions.

paro, paro, ma diverso...grande Hitch ma anche grande Graham