A Long Fatal Love Chase

Rating:
Summary: A Long Fatal Love Chase - A most appropriate title
Review: What a brilliant book! Not as good as Little Women, perhaps, but a wonderful. Only slow for the first few chapters, after which it is fast-paced and highly entertaining. On moment Rosamond is in the garret and the next, she is at the asylum. I really cannot see why it was rejected so long ago because after all the immoral deeds of Tempest are condemned, not glorified.
Personally, I think Philip Tempest is one of the greatest villians of classic literature. There is nothing likeable about him, in the slightest; it is almost impossible to feel for him anything but hatred. Father Ignatius is as good as Tempest is evil, refusing to kill him even at the best of opportunities, despite the most valid of reasons. Rather than the classic damsel-in-distress, the heroine Rosamond Vivian is intelligent and resourceful but maintains the 'wronged-innocent' characteristic at the same time.
Rosamond's love for each of the men reflects on their character. With Tempest, a sudden fulfilling of a desire and then it is "killed"(quoting Rosamond). While, for Ignatius, a new, pure love, blossoms - affection rather than attraction. Of course, complications ensue leading to a dramatic climax.
Although the tragedy is regretable, I would not have preferred it otherwise for it is a fitting end to a masterpiece by a true artist.

Rating:
Summary: Alcott was experimenting, but the writing was immature
Review: When I was reading this book, I kept waiting for the lead chracter to stop acting like she was in a play or having an adventure and just live the story. Rosamond went through one episode after another like she was executing preset stories from an active imagination, and not like she was really thinking on her feet. Another nuisance was that the characters were detached from their emotions. Alcott often wrote that Rosamond, say, tilted her head "as if" in thought, or held onto her man "as if" she felt they were emotionally connected. That makes the book take on a tone of bathos. Alcott had engrossing ideas in this book for her time, but somewhere along the line she sacrificed quality of prose to trite writing. And why did the story have to come to such a dud ending like that!

Rating:
Summary: Another side of Alcott
Review: Wow!This book was not what one would expect from Louisa May Alcott. When I was twelve I started reading "Eight Cousins" and it was so boring I couldn't get through the first chapter.Surprise! "A Long Fatal Love Chase" kept me up until dawn! Mystery, exotic locales, an ill-fated romance....this book has all the elements of a great thriller. I especially liked Alcott's clever use of foreshadowing. Alcott had considerable talent in this area and I wish she'd written more thrillers.This book definately lives up to all the hype!