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Dora Thorne
Dora Thorne on lihtne majapidaja tütar, kelle südame vallutab noor ja ideaalides elav perepoeg, tulevane lord Earle. Ent salajane abielu madalamast soost naisega tähendab noormehele isamajast pagendamist. Kui perele maalikunstnikuna leiba teeniv mees leiab Firenze seltsielu harimatust naisest ja kärarikastest tütardest lõbusama olevat, tekivad pinged, mis lõhuvad perekonna aastakümneteks. Andestada lubavad abikaasad alles oma surivoodil, kuid saatusel on varuks hoopis kurjemad plaanid.
”Dora Thorne” on lugu armastusest ja seisusevastasest abielust, peadpööritavast kirest, varjatud tunnetest, pimedast armukadedusest, tulisest vihast ning suurtest saladustest, mis liiguvad lainetena üle vana ja auväärse Inglise suguvõsa.
”Dora Thorne” on lugu armastusest ja seisusevastasest abielust, peadpööritavast kirest, varjatud tunnetest, pimedast armukadedusest, tulisest vihast ning suurtest saladustest, mis liiguvad lainetena üle vana ja auväärse Inglise suguvõsa.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1880
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38 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte M. Brame
136 books10 followersCharlotte Mary Brame (middle name sometimes given as Monica, last name sometimes spelled Braeme) was an English author of romantic novels. She also wrote under the pseudonym Bertha M. Clay.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 10, 2017
If this book had been written in this century, I would have stopped reading by the fourth page, probably. However, it was published in the mid 1870s, a time when such relationships and mesalliances could have actually been as problematic as Brame made them here, a time when melodramatic sensation books were all the rage.
This is Brame's most popular work, I believe, but I did not enjoy it as much as her Wife in Name Only. DORA THORNE is even more melodramatic, moves even more slowly and the characters' actions frustrated me even more than the ones in WIFE.
The story's main theme is the dangers of marrying down (or up, as was Dora's case). These mesalliances just don't work well and end with some kind of tragedy. Brame did a great job showing this in the marriage of lower-class Dora and upper-class Ronald but once the story turned to Dora's twin daughters by Ronald, things took a huge turn for the melodramatic and moved at such a slow, frustrating pace that it had me speed-reading to get to the end.
There's romance, jealousy, sorrow, tragedy and a whole lot of what seems stupid behavior to a person with 21st-century sensibilities. I only recommend this book to a reader like me, one who enjoys jumping into popular books from long-ago times to see what people were reading then, in addition to the classics we all know about.
This is Brame's most popular work, I believe, but I did not enjoy it as much as her Wife in Name Only. DORA THORNE is even more melodramatic, moves even more slowly and the characters' actions frustrated me even more than the ones in WIFE.
The story's main theme is the dangers of marrying down (or up, as was Dora's case). These mesalliances just don't work well and end with some kind of tragedy. Brame did a great job showing this in the marriage of lower-class Dora and upper-class Ronald but once the story turned to Dora's twin daughters by Ronald, things took a huge turn for the melodramatic and moved at such a slow, frustrating pace that it had me speed-reading to get to the end.
There's romance, jealousy, sorrow, tragedy and a whole lot of what seems stupid behavior to a person with 21st-century sensibilities. I only recommend this book to a reader like me, one who enjoys jumping into popular books from long-ago times to see what people were reading then, in addition to the classics we all know about.
September 2, 2019
Armas sentimentaalne romaanike. Tänapäevase lugeja maitse jaoks ehk liiga ilutsev ja lihtsakoeline. 21. sajandil hinnates kolm tärni, aga oma ajastus igati nelja tärni vääriline. Tasub lugeda kasvõi selleks, et mõista, miks näiteks Jane Austeni teosed ajaproovile paremini vastu on pidanud
October 5, 2016
I found this a bit slow-paced, with little excitement on the whole, yet it was good in parts.
The title character doesn’t feature all that much. Dora is more of a central figure rather than a leading lady.
The author has some good ideas but gives too much away with unsubtle remarks of what’s to come. By hinting at what’s going to happen later on, she lessens the impact of important events, thus reducing or even eliminating the suspense.
Ms Brame’s is also too fond of adjectives. The following quote shows how her frequent use of double adjectives results in clunky sentences:
“The children looked with frank, fearless eyes into his plain, honest face.”
Despite Ms Brame’s faults, I consider her a good writer with the potential of being a better one. Her overall plot in “Dora Thorne” is not flawed. It’s a well-constructed story. As mentioned, her elements of style and the unsubtle hints of what fate awaits certain cast members are the problems.
The characters are mostly well-depicted. My favourite is the beautiful Valentine Charteris. The author painted her vividly in terms of appearance and personality. Beatrice Earle is another strong character creation.
In short, “Dora Thorne” was worth checking out, but I wouldn’t read it again.
The title character doesn’t feature all that much. Dora is more of a central figure rather than a leading lady.
The author has some good ideas but gives too much away with unsubtle remarks of what’s to come. By hinting at what’s going to happen later on, she lessens the impact of important events, thus reducing or even eliminating the suspense.
Ms Brame’s is also too fond of adjectives. The following quote shows how her frequent use of double adjectives results in clunky sentences:
“The children looked with frank, fearless eyes into his plain, honest face.”
Despite Ms Brame’s faults, I consider her a good writer with the potential of being a better one. Her overall plot in “Dora Thorne” is not flawed. It’s a well-constructed story. As mentioned, her elements of style and the unsubtle hints of what fate awaits certain cast members are the problems.
The characters are mostly well-depicted. My favourite is the beautiful Valentine Charteris. The author painted her vividly in terms of appearance and personality. Beatrice Earle is another strong character creation.
In short, “Dora Thorne” was worth checking out, but I wouldn’t read it again.
October 17, 2011
This is the worst Victorian novel I've ever read. And I've really read quite a few.
Awful, sanctimonious melodrama, unrealistic in the extreme. I don't begrudge the Victorians their pulpy dime novels, but can they please be entertaining in addition to being unbelievable and trashy? Do the women have to spend all their time being wronged, weeping, and accidentally drowning?
Awful, sanctimonious melodrama, unrealistic in the extreme. I don't begrudge the Victorians their pulpy dime novels, but can they please be entertaining in addition to being unbelievable and trashy? Do the women have to spend all their time being wronged, weeping, and accidentally drowning?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews