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A very striking and curious story, founded on fact, of the West Indies of the earlty nineteenth century. Robert Rutherford is sent to the Islands to learn the planter's business from the bottom. He becomes an overseer at Rosehall, the property of a young widow, Mrs Palmer, whose three husbands have all died in curious circumstances. She takes a violent fancy to Rutherford, who is also embarrassed by the attentions of his half-caste housekeeper, Millicent. His housekeeper is urging him, with some sucess, to fall in with West Indian habits, when Mrs Palmer arrives. Millicent defies her and threatens her with the powers of Takoo, an Obeah man. Mrs Palmer, herself skilled in Obeah magic, puts a spell on the girl, which Takoo's rites, shattered by the white woman's stronger magic, are powerless to remove.… (más)
Quite a competently written tale set in 1831 Jamaica. When well-to-do young Robert Rutherford arrives in Jamaica to learn to run a plantation, he soon catches the eye of the beautiful, imperious and seriously scary mistress. But others aren't too pleased- the overseer, thrown over once Robert arrives...and a pretty Black servant... Set against a backdrop of a slave uprising, and voodoo ceremonies. Nothing to write home about but OK. ( )
On the one hand, this book is very well written. It is easy to read yet the descriptions, particularly of Jamaica and the natural scenery, are extremely vivid. Additionally, this book is based upon true events which makes it quite interesting and you aren't likely to find many novels that discuss voodoo rituals or the Jamaican slave revolt as in-depth as this novel does. The subject matter is fascinating and the fact that Annie Palmer was a real woman only makes this story more compelling. On the flip side, there is a quite a bit of racism in this book, particularly near the end when the story started feeling like "Birth of a Nation" which I could've done without... but this was written in the 1920s, so I guess it's a given. Also on the negative side, the characters are quite one-dimensional and I would've liked to see more of Takoo, by far the most complex character in the novel. All in all, I would recommend this book because it deals with a time period and a culture that are rarely depicted in film or literature; however, I would caution that this book is very much a product of its time. ( )
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
Robert Rutherford reined in his horse at the stone and iron gates that opened on the estate; half a mile away, on an eminence that commanded a wide, sweeping view of canelands, hills and sea, stood a building, the fram of whose magnificence he had heard when in the town of Montego Bay, some ten miles to the westward.
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Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
'Do you think you will ever come back to the West Indies?' asked the old parson, by way of saying something. 'Never,' was the reply.
A very striking and curious story, founded on fact, of the West Indies of the earlty nineteenth century. Robert Rutherford is sent to the Islands to learn the planter's business from the bottom. He becomes an overseer at Rosehall, the property of a young widow, Mrs Palmer, whose three husbands have all died in curious circumstances. She takes a violent fancy to Rutherford, who is also embarrassed by the attentions of his half-caste housekeeper, Millicent. His housekeeper is urging him, with some sucess, to fall in with West Indian habits, when Mrs Palmer arrives. Millicent defies her and threatens her with the powers of Takoo, an Obeah man. Mrs Palmer, herself skilled in Obeah magic, puts a spell on the girl, which Takoo's rites, shattered by the white woman's stronger magic, are powerless to remove.
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(3.5)
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