Book Review: Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

"No human being could live in this wasted country, thought Mary, and remain like other people; the very children would be born twisted, like the blackened shrubs of broom, bent by the force of a wind that never ceased, blow as it would from east and west, from north and south. Their minds would be twisted, too, their thoughts evil, dwelling as they must amidst marshland and granite, harsh heather and crumbling stone. They would be born of strange stock who slept with this earth as a pillow, beneath this black sky." - Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn is one of the earlier novels written by Dame Daphne du Maurier, best known for her brilliant work Rebecca. Jamaica Inn is similar to Rebecca in its gothic sensibilities and is very evocative in terms of a sense of place. Where it differs is in size and tone; Jamaica Inn is shorter, and is more of a fun, quick read akin to a modern day thriller. It is a Gothic tale set on the ragged coasts and in the wild moors of Cornwall. The narrator is the orphan Mary Yellen, who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle at the notorious, barren and inhospitable Jamaica Inn (a real inn, now a hotel). Mary finds her Aunt Patience a battered woman living under the drunken, wild, and violent thumb of her husband Joss Merlyn. Jamaica Inn is situated in the midst of the bleak Cornish landscape, in the middle of nowhere, and never hosts any travellers at the inn. Mary is suspicious as to how the Merlyns survive with no custom, but she soon discovers the reason why. Jamaica's true business comes at night, when men, under cover of darkness, ride wagons up to the inn loaded with goods. It soon becomes apparent that Jamaica Inn is the centre of a smuggling ring, which Mary finds completely reprehensible. She immediately struggles with her morality, torn between wanting her uncle to face the law and wanting to protect her aunt.

Jamaica Inn torments Mary from the moment she arrives, and tests her morals and loyalty in its every twist and turn. As Mary becomes more involved in life at Jamaica, she confides in two men, the first being the local vicar and the second Joss's brother, Jem, a horse thief, who she is attracted to despite herself. Mary struggles with who to trust, as the smugglers operate with secrecy and a lie is on everyone's lips. The novel comes to a terrible conclusion, beginning with a drunken confession of Joss's: the smugglers are, in fact, wreckers. They lure ships to shore with false lights, watch the ships break against the rocks and collect the bounty. The terror comes when the survivors swim to shore, and Joss and his men hold the sailors under and beat them to death; men, women and children all.

I was interested to read this novel as the BBC released a mini TV series of this over the Easter weekend. There was some complaints from viewers about the audio levels and actors mumbling, but I watched it on-demand, and it was understandable, with some characters (Joss Merlyn in particular) harder to hear than others. I really enjoyed the series and would definitely recommend watching it if you are a fan of the book, with subtitles if it helps! The last episode with the wrecking is particularly impactful to watch, a wide-angle lens showing the breaking of the ship and the waves carrying the sailors to shore. Some aspects of the novel have been changed but nothing major, and mostly to give a visual representation of something conveyed in a different way in the novel. Another stand out scene is when Joss makes his confession to Mary. The emotional impact came across very effectively, and the directing was well done (e.g. the impact of having Mary sitting level with Joss, rather than on the floor).

Mary is a true strong female character- not comparable to the fake Strong Female Characters (™) we see in the media today. She is believable, honest, moral, sexual, romantic, curious, and flawed. She shows us that you can be both moral and sexual, and strong and stubborn in some ways but weak in others. She shows a firm and admirable moral compass, and bravery in standing up to her uncle when, as we see, many men are afraid to do so. However she also shows herself to be a young person who has much to learn- she is confused and afraid of her attraction to Joss's brother Jem Merlyn, given his appearance to be at odds with her personal values, and struggles with how to express her feelings when she is around him. By the end of the novel she learns through her experience at Jamaica Inn to accept rather than run from her desires.

The novel has some faults; its villains are quite stereotypical, there is little guesswork involved in who the villains might be, and the motive of the vicar has been described as unclear or unconvincing by other readers. The novel also displays some problematic attitudes towards the role of women and there is racism in its description of the the albino vicar. Despite this, I would really recommend Jamaica Inn to most readers, particularly fans of thrillers and the gothic. I'd also recommend the novel to teens, both boys and girls, as the language is understandable and there is a lot to be taken away from the novel. I think it sets up some interesting discussions on morality, the roles of men and women, bravery and redemption.

Rating: 3/5. Buy the book: Paperback / Kindle. Follow me: Goodreads / Twitter / Bloglovin