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bookswithlydscl 's review for:
The Lady Vanishes
by Ethel Lina White
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love seeing older titles get their time in the sun again and with The Lady Vanishes we are getting a lovingly republished Golden Age classic mystery that's probably better known for it's 1938 Alfred Hitchcock screen adaptation.
It was first published as The Wheel Spins in 1936 and tells the story of glamorous socialite Iris Carr who is looking forward to returning home after a summer jaunt to a remote location in Europe. Having remained longer than her friends she finds herself journeying home alone but on the train to Trieste, she is pleased to meet the kindly governess, Miss Froy. They strike up a conversation and Iris warms to her new companion but after taking a nap she is shocked to discover that Miss Froy has disappeared without a trace and none of the other passengers on the train will admit to having ever seen such a woman.
Doubting her sanity and fearing for her life, Iris is determined to find Miss Froy before the train journey is over. Only one of her fellow passengers seems to believe her story and with his help, Iris begins to search the train for clues to the mystery of the vanished lady.
This story has been on my list to read for years especially as it has been highlighted as a masterclass in gaslighting and suspense, with a synopsis like that you can't help but be intrigued! Sadly I found myself skim reading a lot of it as the character of Iris was insufferable and unfortunately I found the whole thing tiresome and repetitive.
There are some interesting coded comments about society at that time (building up to WW2) peppered throughout the book which added some interest but not enough to overcome my issues with the main character. There is also a lot of barely hidden xenophobia and old fashioned jingoistic views of England and the English which didn't sit right with me and very clearly made it stand out as being 'a book of its time'. Whilst that's a fair point, Agatha Christie's books after all haven't held up well in many areas and are still considered classics, for me it didn't make for an interesting reading experience, especially combined with the other issues I had with the thinness of the plot and poor characterisations.
2*
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for an eArc of "The Lady Vanishes" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
It was first published as The Wheel Spins in 1936 and tells the story of glamorous socialite Iris Carr who is looking forward to returning home after a summer jaunt to a remote location in Europe. Having remained longer than her friends she finds herself journeying home alone but on the train to Trieste, she is pleased to meet the kindly governess, Miss Froy. They strike up a conversation and Iris warms to her new companion but after taking a nap she is shocked to discover that Miss Froy has disappeared without a trace and none of the other passengers on the train will admit to having ever seen such a woman.
Doubting her sanity and fearing for her life, Iris is determined to find Miss Froy before the train journey is over. Only one of her fellow passengers seems to believe her story and with his help, Iris begins to search the train for clues to the mystery of the vanished lady.
This story has been on my list to read for years especially as it has been highlighted as a masterclass in gaslighting and suspense, with a synopsis like that you can't help but be intrigued! Sadly I found myself skim reading a lot of it as the character of Iris was insufferable and unfortunately I found the whole thing tiresome and repetitive.
There are some interesting coded comments about society at that time (building up to WW2) peppered throughout the book which added some interest but not enough to overcome my issues with the main character. There is also a lot of barely hidden xenophobia and old fashioned jingoistic views of England and the English which didn't sit right with me and very clearly made it stand out as being 'a book of its time'. Whilst that's a fair point, Agatha Christie's books after all haven't held up well in many areas and are still considered classics, for me it didn't make for an interesting reading experience, especially combined with the other issues I had with the thinness of the plot and poor characterisations.
2*
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for an eArc of "The Lady Vanishes" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.