The Sign of the Ram

by Margaret Ferguson

Sherida Binyon soon learns that her opinion of the wild Cornish coast to which she has come applies to more than the scenery.

For at Bastions, the strange old house in which she works and lives, she finds another sort of cruelty--a menacing human kind that delights in power and would kill to keep it.

Sherida knows she is in deadly peril. Many hostile persons live at Bastions, but she realizes her life depends on escaping the sinister schemes of one born under

THE SIGN OF THE RAM.

Genres: Fiction, Gothic, British Literature

222 pages

First published January 1, 1944

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

The rating, any status updates, and those bookshelves, indicate my feelings for this book.

[Zack Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read if you, like I did, find it secondhand for ~$1. No real plot spoilers ahead, but there may be some foreshadowing.

Pro’s:
-Elegant writing style.
-Beautiful, vivid imagery.
-Believable characters that develop throughout the story.
-Cozy as FUCK. I’ve been in a “spooky old house” story mood for a while, and this scratched the itch very well.

Cons:
-A bit of a hokey, Scooby Doo-esque ending.
-Plot often slows to a snails pace for the sake of waxing poetic about the town, the house, and the countryside. This was obviously done to set the dreary mood, but it was just too heavyhanded. That’s why it took me forever to read: it was just a little boring at times.
-They seemed to literally forget about Leah’s son Andrew immediately after introducing him. He’s only mentioned two more times afterward, and it’s vapid both times. All of the other children have moderate subplots or are central to the main plot.
-The title is irrelevant to the plot. The back cover says something about Sherida being cursed because she was “born under the sign of the ram” or whatever, but literally nothing occult happens at all. I was very disappointed in that: the title had caught my eye.

[Cat Burst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this book in the stairwell bookcase of a historic inn in Ohio. A surprisingly commanding read - a bit overly-dramatic but overall more riveting than my usual cozies.
Definently worth your time if you run across it in a used bookshop.

[Menna · Rating 2 out of 5]

آندرو مهدور حقه في الرواية دي
ولا عشان صغير ضاحكين عليه يعني =D

[Paulina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of the books I found in the boxes that were packed up from my grandmother's house. My copy is a hardcover volume, missing its dust jacket, and bearing copyright 1945. So not a first edition but definitely an early edition.

It's a very atmospheric piece, set in Cornwall; I would describe it as a Gothic novel, though set in the contemporary 1940s as opposed to the 18th or 19th century. It is jarring to me that all the characters smoke, either cigarettes or pipes, pretty much all the time. I know it's accurate for the time, but also all the smoking references could be removed without making the slightest impact on the plot. I can't really imagine living in a time where everyone smoked that much -- and I can remember when restaurants still had smoking sections, so it was still socially acceptable when I was a kid.

The story itself was good, though it had some obvious flaws. For one thing, there is a 9-year-old son who is introduced at the beginning of the novel but he gradually disappears and I think is only mentioned about twice in the latter 2/3 of the book and isn't mentioned at all at the end when the outcomes for the rest of the characters are laid out. Where'd he go? It's like the author just forgot he existed, and no editor noticed.

I enjoyed it and am glad I read it, but don't think I'm likely to re-read.

[Chris Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this on the shelf, presumably from my father in laws library. No jacket. No blurb explaining the book so I had no expectation and had no idea even what kind of book it was. Just read the description here on goodreads and found it interesting that it was described in such a dramatic sinister way. Without expecting that, I read it more just as a normal family story until the end when I understood it was about a supposed evil controlling person. BUT although I did finally realize its intent I have to say it didn't quite succeed. Well written though and a good story

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing story of a wheelchair-bound woman who uses clever wily subterfuge to manipulate those around her. The wild cliffside setting of the family's home in Cornwall contributes a great deal to the eerie atmosphere. I was very happy to find an early "movie tie-in" paperback edition of this book on eBay, from 1948! Susan Peters (a paraplegic in real life, as the result of a hunting accident) plays the lead role of Leah. She is quite convincing in this very unsympathetic part, and I admire her bravery for making a comeback, as well as being one of the first disabled actresses in film.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just reread this in 2015 after watching the old movie. I'd forgotten it takes place in Cornwall, which made it even more interesting, since I've just been watching and reading Ross Poldark.

[Youmna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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