According to the preface, the work is a romance and not a historical novel, because the author neither "dares, nor desires, to claim for it the dignity or cumber it with the difficulty of an historical novel." As such, it combines elements of traditional romance, of Sir Walter Scott's historical novel tradition, of the pastoral tradition, of traditional Victorian values, and of the contemporary sensation novel trend. Along with the historical aspects are folk traditions, such as the many legends based around both the Doones and Tom Faggus. The composer Puccini once considered using the story as the plot for an opera, but abandoned the idea. [9] Plot summary [ edit ] Badgworthy water, Malmsmead Letters of George Gissing to Members of his family, collected and arranged by Algernon and Ellen Gissing. London: Constable, 1927, letter of 21 January 1884.

Lornadoon" (or "Lalornadoon") is the name for the forest of Lothlórien in the Lord of the Rings parody Bored of the Rings. Madam, that is a great sentiment. What a goodly couple they will be! and if we can add him to our strength—' Lorna Doone is flat. Sorry, not her figure of course. She’s gorgeous. Her personality. But beauty is enough to like a character right? The success of “Lorna Doone” was at first due to a mistake: when it came out in 1869, one of Queen Victoria’s daughters had just married the Marquis of Lorne, and people bought the book because they thought it was about the Marquis’s family. In fact, there was no connection, but the novel became very popular and remains so today. It made me look differently at the sheep which are always gathered outside my house, sizing up the possibilities of my (closed) garden gate!Ironically, it was the historical parts of the novel I liked a lot more than the 'romance'. I liked the setting, I liked the way the story was set up with those evil Doones, and I liked all the descriptions of the natural environment and the farmin' life. The love attraction goes overboard too. Soppy is how I would describe it. Love affects a person physically. There is no hint of that here. One might expect this given that the book was written in another time and age, but I’m of the 21st century and I’m rating it. Given that the author is good at drawing the ambiance of places, I’m surprised at his total inability to realistically capture the physical sensations tied to love. The love in the story falls flat.

Dass, Kiran (28 January 2012). "A Journey Through the First Dimension with Kraus by Kraus review". New Zealand Listener (3742) . Retrieved 29 June 2013. Well, it’s at least my third reading of this classic set in 17th century England (another childhood favourite) and I’d give it more stars each time. It’s one of those books that grows with you, and you get more out of it with every reading. For one thing, it’s the most romantic book I’ve ever read, and I just fall to my knees (metaphorically!) when I look at this picture -many, many thanks to Ilse for teaching me how to insert an image! The book tells us that at the end of the 17th century a famous gang of robbers and murderers was operating in Exmoor. The clan consisted of the Doones, who had lost their ancestral lands.The Doones live in Doone Valley and are a law and a people unto themselves. They mercilessly steal, murder, and carry off women for their own gain. They're basically Public Enemy #1 to the good people living in the Exmoor area. The main conflict of the novel is between John Ridd (who has reason to hate the Doones early on) and the Doones, between lawfulness and lawlessness. John Ridd grows from boy to man in the course of the story and his process of becoming a man is intricately linked to the menace the Doones present on numerous levels. I appreciate that the novel didn't make this conflict between John Ridd and his compatriots and the Doones easy. There were several quite harrowing incidents! You sweet love," I said at this, being slave to her soft obedience; "do you suppose I should be content to leave you until Elysium?" "How on earth can I tell, dear John, what you will be content with?" "You, and only you," said I; "the whole of it lies in a syllable. Now you know my entire want; and want must be my comfort etc. etc. John Ridd, the main character, is a lot like Beth March. Good but simple (and he’d say simple-minded), plain, boring, monotone. Just not much to get into or care about with this guy. I'm so familiar with history from 1800 on that the world of the 1680s feels incredibly strange to me. It is so hard to wrap my mind around the isolation they experienced and the difficulty in communicating and traveling. Twice in the novel, John goes to London and it's a huge undertaking. He spends time just walking the streets because it's so different from the farm he has grown up on at home in Exmoor. I did love the details of farming at this time, including the harvest festival they celebrate. It reminded me a ton of Thomas Hardy's novels, especially Far From the Madding Crowd. There are passages of beautiful nature writing as well. I think my favorite section was an epic Long Winter (i.e. Laura Ingalls Wilder intensity) when John makes his own snowshoes (thanks to his sister Lizzie) and goes on an epic adventure, which I won't spoil. so how is this ‘feministlit: well, this is kind of the Victorian idealized woman, that is, beautiful, warm, kind, gentle, giving, caring, loyal, beautiful... um, beautiful? (she knows how to be passive)

John Ridd is the son of a respectable farmer in 17th century Exmoor, a region in North Devon and Somerset, England. The notorious Doone clan, once nobles and now outlaws, murdered John’s father. Battling his desire for revenge, John (in West Country dialect, pronounced "Jan") too grows into a respectable farmer who cares well for his mother and sisters. He meets Lorna by accident and falls hopelessly in love. She turns out (apparently) to be the granddaughter of Sir Ensor, lord of the Doones. Sir Ensor’s impetuous and now jealous heir Carver will let nothing thwart his plan to marry Lorna once he comes into his inheritance. In Lethal Weapon 3 when Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs are being introduced to Head of Intelligence Herman Walters and Internal Affairs Sgt Lorna Cole, Riggs derisively calls her "Lorna Doone", Murtaugh then says "Lorna COLE", apparently not recognizing the reference. Smith, A. (2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. OUP USA. p.520. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2 . Retrieved 29 May 2018. said, “The frost is in her brain; I have heard of this before, John.”“Mother, I will have it out,” was all that I could answer her; “leave her

CHAPTER XVIII

Lorna, being challenged thus, came up and looked at her uncle, with her noble eyes full on his, which beneath his white eyebrows glistened, like dormer windows piled with snow. Then, however, I watched this version of the book. The plot looked interesting so the next time I was browsing the library's shelves I took the 2-bit plunge and bought the book. This was unlike any book I’ve read. The ending was so exciting! Have more thoughts, will write more later! The history woven into the tale is hard to make sense of. To straighten out the connection between political factions, the Papists, the Protestants and the English kings, I found it necessary to fill out the facts with information on the net. Adequate information should be provided within the text! this is a long book. i think of my father reading it, rural and right-thinking (but not slow-seeming) as john ridd, and how this could be an alternative image of women rather than his (confusingly artistic) sisters or (tragically ill) mother... and how, as he grew up, as he became scientist, this probably remained just his ideal. he met my mom. he once told me that he could see killing a man if he hurt my mom, and i think that is the sentiment here as well... for this may be long but is not complicated or empathetic to the antagonists: bad is bad, evil is evil, punishment is just, forgiveness is... up to the Big Guy...