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La maison aux mille lanternes
Jane Lindsay, een doodgewoon meisje in het negentiende eeuwse Engeland, had nooit grote dromen over haar toekomst. Toch neemt haar leven een onverwachte wending wanneer ze samen met haar echtgenoot naar Hong Kong verhuist in het huis van haar dromen: Het huis met de duizend lampions. Het is een plek vol verborgen geheimen, legendes en mysterie. Het is ook de plek waar haar ergste nachtmerries de waarheid vinden. Lukt het de wereldvreemde Jane zich staande te houden als vrouw van een prestigieuze kunsthandelaar in de Oosterse stad?
311 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
29 people are currently reading
1338 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Holt
371 books1,375 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
January 21, 2023
So yes indeed, The House of a Thousand Lanterns (first published in 1974) is yet another Victoria Holt novel that (in my humble opinion) tends to take far too long to get to the actual story. For by the time that the mysterious occurrences and scenarios start happening in the so-called house of a thousand lanterns in late 19th century Hong Kong and main protagonist and first person narrator Jane Lindsay is in actual danger, I am (or rather I was) to tell the truth both rather bored and also a bit frustrated, not to mention already having my suspicions that Lottie is not really to be trusted (but equally and at the same time pretty well certain that she is being coerced and forced by others). And while of course there is a obviously also certain amount of suspense present, as a reader I am not only quite certain right from the onset that by the end of The House of a Thousand Lanterns, not only will Jane shiningly and totally survive all of the threats against her but that she will bien sûr also figure out everything easily enough (and really without all too much strain and pain).
Combined with the fact that aside from Jane Lindsay, I actually do not really find ANY of the other featured characters of The House of a Thousand Lanterns all that attractive and appealing, and that Victoria Holt's generally pretty horribly stereotypical and judgmental depictions and descriptions of Chinese culture and mores do feel rather majorly uncomfortable, while The House of a Thousand Lanterns certainly is in many ways a pretty nicely "safe" gothic romance and mystery, Holt's presented narrative is also (even if one takes the author's standard and to be expected formulaic writing tendencies into consideration) not all that interesting and engaging, leaving me most definitely with a sense of having read a novel that while not horrible and with totally unacceptable attitudes being promoted, is also not really all that much of a real and bona fide reading pleasure.
Combined with the fact that aside from Jane Lindsay, I actually do not really find ANY of the other featured characters of The House of a Thousand Lanterns all that attractive and appealing, and that Victoria Holt's generally pretty horribly stereotypical and judgmental depictions and descriptions of Chinese culture and mores do feel rather majorly uncomfortable, while The House of a Thousand Lanterns certainly is in many ways a pretty nicely "safe" gothic romance and mystery, Holt's presented narrative is also (even if one takes the author's standard and to be expected formulaic writing tendencies into consideration) not all that interesting and engaging, leaving me most definitely with a sense of having read a novel that while not horrible and with totally unacceptable attitudes being promoted, is also not really all that much of a real and bona fide reading pleasure.
September 25, 2014
Buddy Read With Dorcas. :D
I'm not sure how I feel about this, it had a dramatic ending, but by George it took awhile to get there!
I guess the biggest problem was I wasn't ever afraid, it took to long to get the the scary parts, and by then I knew she'd come out fine. I don't understand why it took so long for the suspense to kick in, the first 3/4s of the book went in circles, was Jane in danger? Where was the secret of The House of a Thousand Lanterns hidden? Could Jane trust Joliffe? Could she trust anyone? and round and round and round again. For all that I did enjoy it, but not to the extent I had hoped.
I never warmed up to Adam, he was cold and calculating. Tobias I never got to know and Joliffe… was unpredictable. He was deceptive, flighty and selfish. Maybe I could have come to like him more, if it weren't for the fact that he showed absolutely no affection for his kindly Uncle. His Uncle's feelings never crossed his mind, the selfish pig.
Jane was a likable heroine, I didn't entirely see what she saw in the hero but, there's no accounting for tastes.
Not my favorite Holt, not near enough suspense, thrill or plot movement for me.
PG, Jane is married and you know it for sure but all bedroom scenes are behind closed doors, some mistresses, mention of tea leaf reading, yarrow sticks and pleasing the Ancestors, (whatever that may entail)
I'm not sure how I feel about this, it had a dramatic ending, but by George it took awhile to get there!
I guess the biggest problem was I wasn't ever afraid, it took to long to get the the scary parts, and by then I knew she'd come out fine. I don't understand why it took so long for the suspense to kick in, the first 3/4s of the book went in circles, was Jane in danger? Where was the secret of The House of a Thousand Lanterns hidden? Could Jane trust Joliffe? Could she trust anyone? and round and round and round again. For all that I did enjoy it, but not to the extent I had hoped.
I never warmed up to Adam, he was cold and calculating. Tobias I never got to know and Joliffe… was unpredictable. He was deceptive, flighty and selfish. Maybe I could have come to like him more, if it weren't for the fact that he showed absolutely no affection for his kindly Uncle. His Uncle's feelings never crossed his mind, the selfish pig.
Jane was a likable heroine, I didn't entirely see what she saw in the hero but, there's no accounting for tastes.
Not my favorite Holt, not near enough suspense, thrill or plot movement for me.
PG, Jane is married and you know it for sure but all bedroom scenes are behind closed doors, some mistresses, mention of tea leaf reading, yarrow sticks and pleasing the Ancestors, (whatever that may entail)
April 13, 2016
I love Gothic romance, from Jane Eyre to the Gothic romances of the 60's and 70's. This book has Gothic elements to it, but is more like a romantic suspense novel, or could even appeal to historical romance fans. Despite being published all the way back in 1974, the story didn't have a dated quality to it, so don't let that deter you from trying this one.
Victoria Holt is one of my favorite authors, writing classic tales of suspense and romance that helped to develop the romantic suspense genre as we know it today.
I had forgotten about this author for a long time, but when my interest in Gothic fiction was rekindled, a few years ago, I began searching out her books. Initially, I did not recall reading her work, but once I began collecting her books, I realized that I had, in fact, read several of her older titles. Now, I own a copy of nearly every one of her books, which has taken a while to accomplish.
For those who are interested, there are a few of VH novels available in digital format, but she has a huge library of work, so investing in a print copy is most likely your best bet. Her books can be found on Amazon, Ebay, or maybe even in your local paperback swap store. If you happen across any of them, be sure to grab a copy, you won't be disappointed!
Victoria Holt is one of my favorite authors, writing classic tales of suspense and romance that helped to develop the romantic suspense genre as we know it today.
I had forgotten about this author for a long time, but when my interest in Gothic fiction was rekindled, a few years ago, I began searching out her books. Initially, I did not recall reading her work, but once I began collecting her books, I realized that I had, in fact, read several of her older titles. Now, I own a copy of nearly every one of her books, which has taken a while to accomplish.
For those who are interested, there are a few of VH novels available in digital format, but she has a huge library of work, so investing in a print copy is most likely your best bet. Her books can be found on Amazon, Ebay, or maybe even in your local paperback swap store. If you happen across any of them, be sure to grab a copy, you won't be disappointed!
March 20, 2015
Buddy read with Tweety.
I almost gave this 2.5 stars but it probably deserves 3.
Probably…
For three quarters of the book I was waiting for something to happen. Oh, things happen but not suspenseful things. The most interesting thing was the Chinese lantern festival. That's something I would love to see. But until the very end I wondered if I was even reading a Gothic. Where was the chilling suspense?
and the characters...I just better shut up. No sense in banging imaginary heads together.
This isn't Holt's best. But if you're new to the genre and can read a book without trying to "improve " it in your mind and if don't mind some senseless repetition and rooting for the wrong person then you'll probably enjoy this. But she can do so much better.
CONTENT:
SEX: Behind closed doors, mention of mistresses.
VIOLENCE: Not an issue
PROFANITY: None
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS: Brief mention is made of yarrow sticks, cards and tea leaf reading. Also ancestor spirits not being "happy".
MY RATING: PG
I almost gave this 2.5 stars but it probably deserves 3.
Probably…
For three quarters of the book I was waiting for something to happen. Oh, things happen but not suspenseful things. The most interesting thing was the Chinese lantern festival. That's something I would love to see. But until the very end I wondered if I was even reading a Gothic. Where was the chilling suspense?
and the characters...I just better shut up. No sense in banging imaginary heads together.
This isn't Holt's best. But if you're new to the genre and can read a book without trying to "improve " it in your mind and if don't mind some senseless repetition and rooting for the wrong person then you'll probably enjoy this. But she can do so much better.
CONTENT:
SEX: Behind closed doors, mention of mistresses.
VIOLENCE: Not an issue
PROFANITY: None
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS: Brief mention is made of yarrow sticks, cards and tea leaf reading. Also ancestor spirits not being "happy".
MY RATING: PG
September 8, 2012
I sought out this book because I found a picture of my mom reading it when she was holding me as a baby, so I felt a need to seek it out and make the connection between her during this time that I am experiencing now. I found it used on Amazon for one penny and couldn’t pass it up!
It started out like Downton Abby meets Rebecca, with the shadowy house, a new owner who is also a stranger, the downstairs help gossiping and longing for the old days. It then turned into more of a romance with a tinge of mystery that all gets wrapped up nicely like a bow in the end. Much of the plot seemed to revolve around little tidbits of Chinese history and culture that she was proud of sharing but there was also: adultery, consumption, spinal cord injuries, ancient Chinese relics, hidden rooms, hallucinations, and, of course, muuuuuurder. It was fun and escapist.
3.5 stars.
It started out like Downton Abby meets Rebecca, with the shadowy house, a new owner who is also a stranger, the downstairs help gossiping and longing for the old days. It then turned into more of a romance with a tinge of mystery that all gets wrapped up nicely like a bow in the end. Much of the plot seemed to revolve around little tidbits of Chinese history and culture that she was proud of sharing but there was also: adultery, consumption, spinal cord injuries, ancient Chinese relics, hidden rooms, hallucinations, and, of course, muuuuuurder. It was fun and escapist.
3.5 stars.
July 5, 2010
Love this book! I don't know what it is about Victoria Holt, but it's always a fun, delightful read for me. She's a romantic thriller novelist, and apparently, that's a favorite genre for me. There's the intrigue of trying to figure out the mystery, but there's all the gushy, awesome romance that I need too. Her books are books that I can read over and over again.... and I do!
February 25, 2012
Remember Victoria Holt, Bev? Her books came endlessly through the Book Fair when we were teens and in retrospect I read too many. Wonderful historical escapist romances. Ahh... happy memories.
It gets 4 stars not because I'm sure it was great fiction, but just for the happy memories of blissful, long St. Louis summers rummaging through the thousands of dusty boxes of books in the barn being sorted for the Greentree Fair. I won't admit how many other titles she wrote that I read...
It gets 4 stars not because I'm sure it was great fiction, but just for the happy memories of blissful, long St. Louis summers rummaging through the thousands of dusty boxes of books in the barn being sorted for the Greentree Fair. I won't admit how many other titles she wrote that I read...
August 28, 2016
This gothic is set in Victorian British Hong Kong. In addition to the mystery and adventure, you definitely get a feel of the city from the English point of view at the height of the Empire.
These stories will always be special to me because they were commuting mainstays during high school and lead me to other authors.
These stories will always be special to me because they were commuting mainstays during high school and lead me to other authors.
March 11, 2016
Victoria Holt tried to create a "Janeyrish" style of writing and at some points her effort was really respectable but only that.I felt like the book was too quick and things sometimes just didn't happen.I wasn't scared at all.She could have handled the book differently because it's a promising read really but somehow it doesn't take off!
March 17, 2008
I read all of Victoria Holt mystery/romance books in my 30s. Holt books are a higher caliber of romance fiction than something like Harlequins. Historically accurate. Good recreational reading with something to keep you turning pages.
April 3, 2016
Books written by Victoria Holt are so cheesy, but sometimes that's exactly what you need. I've read a loooot of her books when I was 14/15 years old..that was the last time I've read them. I absolutely loved them at the time. I'm thinking of reading one of her books just for the old times sake! =)
October 5, 2010
I used to like Victoria Holt, but this time through it was pretty bad.
December 28, 2010
Loved this mystery book
November 26, 2011
One of my top 5 favorite Holt's.
August 21, 2016
Huge disappointment.
The main character is a stupid woman and the story is quite boring.
The main character is a stupid woman and the story is quite boring.
May 3, 2016
I like the contrasts between the English and Chinese settings. The author does a good job of bringing both these countries to life during the 1860s.
Of the characters I like Jane, who’s the narrating character and heroine of the piece. Mrs Couch is amusing, as is little Jason, Jane’s son. Joliffe, Adam, and Toby are all engaging, each impacting Jane’s life in their own way.
One thing that annoyed me for the first quarter/third of the novel was the repetition of a character’s full name and title, namely Mr. Sylvester Milner. It just keeps cropping up, very rarely abbreviated, until later on. This soon grew irritating, sounding unnatural and silly. The quote below is an example:
>“The sooner you begin with Mr. Sylvester Milner the better,” she said. But Mr. Sylvester Milner thought I should complete my education and it was not until I came home for the summer term in July that I left school for ever. I was still only seventeen and would be eighteen in the following September. My duties with Mr. Sylvester Milner had begun.<
As usual with Ms Holt much of this novel revolves around a long suspenseful build-up to a climax that's over too soon. I often feel that this author doesn't squeeze the full potential out of dramatic/exciting/frightening scenarios. She's great at building suspense, creating mystery, but tends to resolve her heroine's most trying moments too quickly and too easily, as I feel she's done here.
Overall, “The House of a Thousand Lanterns” is a good read, though the ending had the potential to have been much better.
Of the characters I like Jane, who’s the narrating character and heroine of the piece. Mrs Couch is amusing, as is little Jason, Jane’s son. Joliffe, Adam, and Toby are all engaging, each impacting Jane’s life in their own way.
One thing that annoyed me for the first quarter/third of the novel was the repetition of a character’s full name and title, namely Mr. Sylvester Milner. It just keeps cropping up, very rarely abbreviated, until later on. This soon grew irritating, sounding unnatural and silly. The quote below is an example:
>“The sooner you begin with Mr. Sylvester Milner the better,” she said. But Mr. Sylvester Milner thought I should complete my education and it was not until I came home for the summer term in July that I left school for ever. I was still only seventeen and would be eighteen in the following September. My duties with Mr. Sylvester Milner had begun.<
As usual with Ms Holt much of this novel revolves around a long suspenseful build-up to a climax that's over too soon. I often feel that this author doesn't squeeze the full potential out of dramatic/exciting/frightening scenarios. She's great at building suspense, creating mystery, but tends to resolve her heroine's most trying moments too quickly and too easily, as I feel she's done here.
Overall, “The House of a Thousand Lanterns” is a good read, though the ending had the potential to have been much better.
August 6, 2019
The name ‘The House of a Thousand Lanterns’ holds a certain charm, irresistible to the imagination. This is how Jane felt when she first heard of it.
Following a series of misfortunes, Jane as a girl moves into a British mansion where her mother works as a housekeeper. The owner is an eccentric art dealer and comes to treat her as a daughter/prodigy. They soon visit the House in search of a priceless artefact thought to lie hidden within it.
Like many ancient treasure mysteries, there is a certain aura belonging to the House which reveals itself in mysteries ways. Jane is caught up in the middle of this and must solve the cryptic puzzle in order to.....you will have to find out ;)
This book peaked my interest quickly. The description of the oriental ways of Kowloon, now Hong Kong were fascinating.
The style of writing and plot line was similar to that of Agatha Christie, although far more stuck on the throttle and drawn out. At one point you think yes I know she’s suspicious now do something.
Overall this was a fun book to read. Whilst I had absolutely no interest in old artefacts and antiques, I can now appreciate why such collectors are passionate about it. I would never have realised this without this book.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes older style murder mysteries.
Following a series of misfortunes, Jane as a girl moves into a British mansion where her mother works as a housekeeper. The owner is an eccentric art dealer and comes to treat her as a daughter/prodigy. They soon visit the House in search of a priceless artefact thought to lie hidden within it.
Like many ancient treasure mysteries, there is a certain aura belonging to the House which reveals itself in mysteries ways. Jane is caught up in the middle of this and must solve the cryptic puzzle in order to.....you will have to find out ;)
This book peaked my interest quickly. The description of the oriental ways of Kowloon, now Hong Kong were fascinating.
The style of writing and plot line was similar to that of Agatha Christie, although far more stuck on the throttle and drawn out. At one point you think yes I know she’s suspicious now do something.
Overall this was a fun book to read. Whilst I had absolutely no interest in old artefacts and antiques, I can now appreciate why such collectors are passionate about it. I would never have realised this without this book.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes older style murder mysteries.
May 14, 2012
Much more Jane Eyre than the bodice-ripper romance I was expecting (dreading?). I spent a number of pages scoffing at the fact that the mystery was so simple (although the story was good enough as it was that I kept reading), and then I was totally blindsided by the actual ending. One complaint was that the ending felt rushed, and I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't do more to attempt to save herself and her son from the Dread Tomb. (That's not actually what it was called.)
If you like the 19th-century gothic romances, this falls very nicely into that genre. And while one could still say the book felt dated, it definitely felt dated towards the 1870s rather than the 1970s (a win on the part of Victoria Holt).
If you like the 19th-century gothic romances, this falls very nicely into that genre. And while one could still say the book felt dated, it definitely felt dated towards the 1870s rather than the 1970s (a win on the part of Victoria Holt).
April 16, 2013
Had a great start to it, but then it plodded along and never delved into anything remotely mysterious until the very end (even then it was rather weak). I saw another reviewer mention that she (the author) often repeats herself...I, too, noticed this. It really gets on your nerves after awhile. She must have wrote 4 or 5 different times within a couple pages about the heroine wondering if the house actually had a thousand lanterns in it. Stuff like that throughout the entire book! I've wanted to read a Victoria Holt book since I was a teenager so I can, at least, finally check her off my TBR list. I highly doubt I'll ever pick up another...Daphne du Maurier is much more to my liking for this genre! :)
January 16, 2015
Well. I guess it could take a rating of 3, but Personally, I did not like it a lot. I felt while reading all the pages that the writer repeats herself a lot so I got bored easily and wanted sometimes to throw the book and quit reading it. There was no suspense, though the story was beautiful. I could easily knew what gonna happen next or what the writer would say.
I liked a lot the part about the Chinese Culture in every aspect. That made me eager to visit China, the feasts, the festivals, etc.
I wanted to meet Jason, as I think, the writer was excellent in describing his attitude and behavior as a child. I found him adorable.
Although I did not found it very exciting, I think the others might find it interesting.
I liked a lot the part about the Chinese Culture in every aspect. That made me eager to visit China, the feasts, the festivals, etc.
I wanted to meet Jason, as I think, the writer was excellent in describing his attitude and behavior as a child. I found him adorable.
Although I did not found it very exciting, I think the others might find it interesting.
August 8, 2016
I liked it like I like all Holts. At the end I thought there was no way she could give us any other villain but the hero: everything pointed in his direction. I even didn't like him anymore, seeing him as evil. But of course I was wrong. The hero is never the villain, is he? I was sceptical when I went through the explications of who the real villain was and why, but after a while came to accept it as quite plausible. Kudos for Ms. Holt.
While reading I once again noticed the easy way in which she writes. No floral speech or over the top complicated sentences here. It's like the reader really is presented with the diary of a normal woman. I love it.
While reading I once again noticed the easy way in which she writes. No floral speech or over the top complicated sentences here. It's like the reader really is presented with the diary of a normal woman. I love it.
August 10, 2012
I love Victoria Holt's novels...I thought this one particularly good. I think Holt did a good job with the character development (esp. the heroine). She gained insight about herself, and grew as the story went continued. Other gothic novels that I've read are very light, fluffy, and predictable after the first several pages. I like that Holt tries a little more with her stories.
March 8, 2014
Not my favorite Victoria Holt. Maybe I was just expecting too much but I found the story bland, and I had a hard time keeping myself interested. I pushed my self through it just to finish it because I had heard it was very good.
August 9, 2016
I have to give this book only two stars. It had such a good premise: love, mystery, ancient Chinese customs and artifacts---- but it was boring and laborious to get through. The end was finally exciting--- but to get to it was very hard. Not worth the read.
Want to read
December 19, 2015I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
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http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13772487
November 24, 2018
ලන්තෑරුම් දහසේ නිවහන - වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට්
1906දී එංගලන්තයේ උපත ලද එලිනෝර් හිබර්ට් නම් යුවතිය ආරූඪ නම් කිහිපයකින් සිය ග්රන්තකරණයේ යෙදුණි. එනම් වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට්, පිලිපා කාර් සහ ජීන් ප්ලේඩි යන නම් වලින් වූ අතර වඩාත්ම ඇය ප්රසිද්ධ වූයේ වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට් යන අන්වර්ථ නාමයෙනි. ඇයගේ ජීවිත කාලය තුළ ඇය නවකතා 200කට අධික සංඛ්යාවක් රචනා කළාය.
මැය එංගලන්තයේ මිඩ්ල්සෙක්ස් විශ්වවිද්යලයේ උපාධිදාරිනියක් වන අතර ලොව් විශිෂ්ටතම ලේඛයින් වූ චාර්ල්ස් ඩිකන්ස්, එමිලි බ්රොන්ටේ, ජෝර්ජ් එලියට් වික්ටර් හියුගෝ ,ලියෝ තොල්ස්තෝයි වැනි ලේඛකයන් ගේ අභාශය සහ පන්නරය ලද බව සුප්රසිද්ධ මතයකි.
1961 වන විට නවකතා 32 රචනා කර තිබූ අතර මැයගේ හැකියාවන් හඳුනා ගත් ඇමරිකානු ප්රකාශකයකු මැයව දිරිමත් කරන ලදි. එහි ප්රතිපලයක් ලෙස ආදරය, ගෘංගාරය , කුතුහලය තාස්ත්රය පිරි සුන්දර නවකතා රැසක් එලි දැක්වීමට මැයට හැකි විය. යුරෝපානු රාජ්ය පාලන ක්රමය සහ ඉතිහාසය පිලිබඳව මනාව හැදෑරු ඇය එම චරිත සහ සංසිද්ධීන් ඇසුරු කර ගනිමින් තම කෘති එලිදැක්වූ අතර ඉතිහාසඟයින් වීසින් මහත් පැසසුමට ලක් කරන ලදි.මන්ද එම ඓතිහාසික කරුණුවල තිබූ සත්යතාවය සහ පාඨකයින්ගේ සිත් ඇද බැඳ ගන්නා සුලු රචනා ශෛලිය
නිසාය.
සේමාලි කැල්ලපත මහත්මිය විසින් රචනා කරන ලද ලන්තෑරුම් දහසේ නිවහන වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට් විසින් රචනා කරන ලද The House of A Thousands lanterns යන කෘතියේ පරිවර්තනය යි. මෙය එංගලන්තයේ සුන්දර ගැමි පරිසරයක තම මවත් සමග ජීවත් වුන දැරියක් තම පියාගෙ අභාවයෙන් පසුව "රෝලන්ඩ් ක්රොෆ්ට් " නම් මහා මන්දිරයක ජිවත් වීමට යෑම වටා ගෙතුණු සුන්දර කතාවක් වේ.
සිල්වෙස්ටර් මිල්නර් නම් එම මන්දිරයේ අයිතිකරු ගෙන් ලද දැනුම් සම්භාරයෙන් තුරුණු වියට පත්වූ පසු ඇය ලබන පන්නරයත්, අහඹුව ඇයගේ ජීවිතයට එක්වන ජෙලිෆර්ගේ ආදරය හේතුකොටගෙන ඇයගේ ජීවිතයේ සිදුවන පෙරළිය ඉතාමත් සුන්දරව මැය විසින් රචනයට ලක් කර ඇත.
පසුකාලීනව ඇයගේ ජීවිතයට උදාවන අඳුරු යුගයත් සමගින් ආදරය සිතේ සඟවාගෙන දිරිය ගැහැණියක් ලෙසින් ජීවිතයට මුහුණ දෙයි.ඒ අතරතුර හොංකො රාජ්යයෙහි පුදුමාකාර නිවහනක අයිතිකරු වීමට ඇයට ඉඩකඩ ලැබෙන අතර එහි වසර ගණනක සිට සැඟවී ඇති රහස සොයා සිල්වෙස්ටර් සමගින් යාමේදි ඇයට විවිධ සිදුවීම් වලට මුහුණ පෑමට සිදුවේ.එය කූතුහලය නංවමින් රචකයා ලියා ඇති ආකරය ලගන්නාසුලුය.
නුහුරු පරිසරයක විවිධාකාරය හැගීම් අදහස් වලින් පිරුණු මිනිසුන්ගෙන් ඇය ලද ජීවන අත්දැකීම් බොහෝය.එංගලන්තයේ සමාජ පසුබිමට සහ සිරිත් විරිත් වලට බෙහෙවින්ම වෙනස්වූ සමාජ පසුබිමක විවිධ වු මිත්යා විශ්වාස ,සිතුම් පැතුම් හා ගැටෙමින් ජේන් මේ සියළු අභියෝග ජයගනී. මිත්යා විශ්වාස හේතුකොටගෙන සමාජයේ විවිධ පුද්ගලයන්ගේ විවිධ හැසිරීම් අපිට මෙ කෘතියෙන් මනාව අධ්යයනය කිරීමට ඉඩකඩ ලැබීම මෙහි ඇති විශේෂත්වයයි.
" මම සදහටම ඔබට ආදරය කළෙමි"
අප සැමදාම අපගේ් වූයේය. මරණයටද අප වෙන්කළ නොහැකි විය"
අපගේ ආදරය සදාකලිකය"
1906දී එංගලන්තයේ උපත ලද එලිනෝර් හිබර්ට් නම් යුවතිය ආරූඪ නම් කිහිපයකින් සිය ග්රන්තකරණයේ යෙදුණි. එනම් වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට්, පිලිපා කාර් සහ ජීන් ප්ලේඩි යන නම් වලින් වූ අතර වඩාත්ම ඇය ප්රසිද්ධ වූයේ වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට් යන අන්වර්ථ නාමයෙනි. ඇයගේ ජීවිත කාලය තුළ ඇය නවකතා 200කට අධික සංඛ්යාවක් රචනා කළාය.
මැය එංගලන්තයේ මිඩ්ල්සෙක්ස් විශ්වවිද්යලයේ උපාධිදාරිනියක් වන අතර ලොව් විශිෂ්ටතම ලේඛයින් වූ චාර්ල්ස් ඩිකන්ස්, එමිලි බ්රොන්ටේ, ජෝර්ජ් එලියට් වික්ටර් හියුගෝ ,ලියෝ තොල්ස්තෝයි වැනි ලේඛකයන් ගේ අභාශය සහ පන්නරය ලද බව සුප්රසිද්ධ මතයකි.
1961 වන විට නවකතා 32 රචනා කර තිබූ අතර මැයගේ හැකියාවන් හඳුනා ගත් ඇමරිකානු ප්රකාශකයකු මැයව දිරිමත් කරන ලදි. එහි ප්රතිපලයක් ලෙස ආදරය, ගෘංගාරය , කුතුහලය තාස්ත්රය පිරි සුන්දර නවකතා රැසක් එලි දැක්වීමට මැයට හැකි විය. යුරෝපානු රාජ්ය පාලන ක්රමය සහ ඉතිහාසය පිලිබඳව මනාව හැදෑරු ඇය එම චරිත සහ සංසිද්ධීන් ඇසුරු කර ගනිමින් තම කෘති එලිදැක්වූ අතර ඉතිහාසඟයින් වීසින් මහත් පැසසුමට ලක් කරන ලදි.මන්ද එම ඓතිහාසික කරුණුවල තිබූ සත්යතාවය සහ පාඨකයින්ගේ සිත් ඇද බැඳ ගන්නා සුලු රචනා ශෛලිය
නිසාය.
සේමාලි කැල්ලපත මහත්මිය විසින් රචනා කරන ලද ලන්තෑරුම් දහසේ නිවහන වික්ටෝරියා හෝල්ට් විසින් රචනා කරන ලද The House of A Thousands lanterns යන කෘතියේ පරිවර්තනය යි. මෙය එංගලන්තයේ සුන්දර ගැමි පරිසරයක තම මවත් සමග ජීවත් වුන දැරියක් තම පියාගෙ අභාවයෙන් පසුව "රෝලන්ඩ් ක්රොෆ්ට් " නම් මහා මන්දිරයක ජිවත් වීමට යෑම වටා ගෙතුණු සුන්දර කතාවක් වේ.
සිල්වෙස්ටර් මිල්නර් නම් එම මන්දිරයේ අයිතිකරු ගෙන් ලද දැනුම් සම්භාරයෙන් තුරුණු වියට පත්වූ පසු ඇය ලබන පන්නරයත්, අහඹුව ඇයගේ ජීවිතයට එක්වන ජෙලිෆර්ගේ ආදරය හේතුකොටගෙන ඇයගේ ජීවිතයේ සිදුවන පෙරළිය ඉතාමත් සුන්දරව මැය විසින් රචනයට ලක් කර ඇත.
පසුකාලීනව ඇයගේ ජීවිතයට උදාවන අඳුරු යුගයත් සමගින් ආදරය සිතේ සඟවාගෙන දිරිය ගැහැණියක් ලෙසින් ජීවිතයට මුහුණ දෙයි.ඒ අතරතුර හොංකො රාජ්යයෙහි පුදුමාකාර නිවහනක අයිතිකරු වීමට ඇයට ඉඩකඩ ලැබෙන අතර එහි වසර ගණනක සිට සැඟවී ඇති රහස සොයා සිල්වෙස්ටර් සමගින් යාමේදි ඇයට විවිධ සිදුවීම් වලට මුහුණ පෑමට සිදුවේ.එය කූතුහලය නංවමින් රචකයා ලියා ඇති ආකරය ලගන්නාසුලුය.
නුහුරු පරිසරයක විවිධාකාරය හැගීම් අදහස් වලින් පිරුණු මිනිසුන්ගෙන් ඇය ලද ජීවන අත්දැකීම් බොහෝය.එංගලන්තයේ සමාජ පසුබිමට සහ සිරිත් විරිත් වලට බෙහෙවින්ම වෙනස්වූ සමාජ පසුබිමක විවිධ වු මිත්යා විශ්වාස ,සිතුම් පැතුම් හා ගැටෙමින් ජේන් මේ සියළු අභියෝග ජයගනී. මිත්යා විශ්වාස හේතුකොටගෙන සමාජයේ විවිධ පුද්ගලයන්ගේ විවිධ හැසිරීම් අපිට මෙ කෘතියෙන් මනාව අධ්යයනය කිරීමට ඉඩකඩ ලැබීම මෙහි ඇති විශේෂත්වයයි.
" මම සදහටම ඔබට ආදරය කළෙමි"
අප සැමදාම අපගේ් වූයේය. මරණයටද අප වෙන්කළ නොහැකි විය"
අපගේ ආදරය සදාකලිකය"
May 8, 2020
La sinopsis de este libro nos plantea un gran misterio que descubriremos en La casa de las mil lámparas: "oculta muchos secretos, algunos tan hermosos como su propio nombre, otros tan terribles como siniestros". Sin embargo, estos supuestos secretos y misterios no llegarán al lector hasta pasada la mitad del libro, lo que hace que la lectura sea un poco lenta. Hasta los últimos cuatro capítulos a penas pasa nada, lo que no quiere decir que esa última parte no me haya gustado. En esos últimos capítulos la autora te hace dudar hasta que la acción se resuelve, lo cual es fantástico. En este libro de Victoria Holt también podemos observar los prejuicios que los ingleses sentían en la época sobre el país asiático y sus habitantes, pero aprendemos más de sus costumbres y sus celebraciones. Otro aspecto a resaltar es que de los personajes masculinos sólo se pueden salvar realmente Sylvester y Toby; Adam deja mucho que desear y Joliffe es un personaje horrible, insoportable, mujeriego y vivelavida al que dan ganas de abofetear cada vez que habla y actúa. En cuanto a la protagonista, Jane, he tenido altibajos en mi relación con ella. Al principio me parecía que estaba un poco obsesionada con la figura del jefe de su madre. Luego pasó a resultarme interesante, hasta que conoce a Joliffe y su juicio se ve trastornado para el resto de la novela. Mi personaje favorito de esta novela, sin ninguna duda, es Sylvester Milner. Me ha parecido un hombre justo, humilde y que, a pesar de los perjuicios de género de la época, lucha porque la protagonista se forme y trabaje con él en lugar de conformarse con encontrar un marido y tener hijos. La lectura no me ha disgustado, pero la lentitud de la trama me parece que hace perder fuelle a los misterios y me hace darle esta puntuación.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2018
The House of a Thousand Lanterns is a terrific Gothic romance: intrepid heroine, romance, deception, an old English manor, a marriage of convenience, a sinister house, murder, family secrets, hidden treasure…this book has it all.
After her father passes away, Jane Lindsay’s mother is forced to go into service as a housekeeper at an English estate. When Jane is on holiday break from her boarding school she visits her mother at the estate, and becomes fascinated by the master of the house and his mysterious locked “treasure room”. Sylvester is a bachelor, the most successful merchant of Chinese art and antiques in business, and is only infrequently at home, as he spends much of his time in China at his House of the Thousand Lanterns, in order to oversee his business interests there.
As Jane grows up, Sylvester takes her on as an apprentice, and educates her in Chinese history and art so that she can assist him in his business. She also learns more about Sylvester’s House of a Thousand Lanterns, and about the rivalry that arose from what once was a family business: now Sylvester’s nephews Adam and Joliffe are in competition with him in the Chinese art business.
One day, Jane is out walking in the English countryside near the manor when she is caught in a rainstorm. She seeks shelter in an old ruin and meets Joliffe, who she has an instant attraction to. They have a whirlwind romance, which culminates in Jane accepting his marriage proposal. When Sylvester returns from his business trip and learns of their impending marriage, he tries to warn Jane away from Joliffe: he’s impetuous and unreliable, not good enough for her.
Of course Jane doesn’t listen, goes ahead and marries Joliffe and moves with him to his home in London. Their marriage is passionate, but we also begin to see that Joliffe may not be entirely trustworthy, as Jane finds herself very jealous of the women in Joliffe’s life, how charming he is and how much women like him. Brokenhearted, Jane returns to Sylvester’s employ, but soon learns that she is pregnant. Sylvester wants an heir, and Jane needs a name for her child – so they marry, and eventually make their way to China and the House of a Thousand Lanterns.
Everything is not as it seems in China, and Jane finds herself in danger and not knowing who to trust.
This was a near perfect Gothic romance for me. The only false step is Joliffe as the romantic lead. I was not a fan of him from the beginning. Too charming, too dishonest.
After her father passes away, Jane Lindsay’s mother is forced to go into service as a housekeeper at an English estate. When Jane is on holiday break from her boarding school she visits her mother at the estate, and becomes fascinated by the master of the house and his mysterious locked “treasure room”. Sylvester is a bachelor, the most successful merchant of Chinese art and antiques in business, and is only infrequently at home, as he spends much of his time in China at his House of the Thousand Lanterns, in order to oversee his business interests there.
As Jane grows up, Sylvester takes her on as an apprentice, and educates her in Chinese history and art so that she can assist him in his business. She also learns more about Sylvester’s House of a Thousand Lanterns, and about the rivalry that arose from what once was a family business: now Sylvester’s nephews Adam and Joliffe are in competition with him in the Chinese art business.
One day, Jane is out walking in the English countryside near the manor when she is caught in a rainstorm. She seeks shelter in an old ruin and meets Joliffe, who she has an instant attraction to. They have a whirlwind romance, which culminates in Jane accepting his marriage proposal. When Sylvester returns from his business trip and learns of their impending marriage, he tries to warn Jane away from Joliffe: he’s impetuous and unreliable, not good enough for her.
Of course Jane doesn’t listen, goes ahead and marries Joliffe and moves with him to his home in London. Their marriage is passionate, but we also begin to see that Joliffe may not be entirely trustworthy, as Jane finds herself very jealous of the women in Joliffe’s life, how charming he is and how much women like him. Brokenhearted, Jane returns to Sylvester’s employ, but soon learns that she is pregnant. Sylvester wants an heir, and Jane needs a name for her child – so they marry, and eventually make their way to China and the House of a Thousand Lanterns.
Everything is not as it seems in China, and Jane finds herself in danger and not knowing who to trust.
This was a near perfect Gothic romance for me. The only false step is Joliffe as the romantic lead. I was not a fan of him from the beginning. Too charming, too dishonest.
June 21, 2025
Roman a l’eau de rose mais c’était agréable de naviguer dans le Hong Kong ancien du début de la colonisation britannique.
July 6, 2025
2.5 stars
Another half-wit who suspects she is being poisoned, yet still agrees to be led down into a secret passage under the house. Gaaah!!
Another half-wit who suspects she is being poisoned, yet still agrees to be led down into a secret passage under the house. Gaaah!!
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