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Heartstones Ruth Rendell 9780345348005 Books

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Heartstones Ruth Rendell 9780345348005 Books

I believe books like this are called "novelettes". It's a thin little tome of 94 pages and constructed like a modern tale from Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, many of the plot's elements echo some of his best, twisty pieces.

The narrator of the story is Elvira (perfect name), a disturbing, self-centered teenager who is more than a little obsessed with her father (Luke) and expects to take her recently departed mother's place in his life, but only intellectually. Elvira is a cold, emotional cripple who tolerates the other people who compete with her for Luke's attention, especially her little sister, Despina, also known as "Spinny". Motherless, and essentially fatherless, Spinny is a sad, quirky child who finds great comfort in food, unlike her sister, who has essentially no interest at all in food.

The worlds of both girls are rocked when Luke brings home Mary Leonard, who will be his new wife. Spinny is overjoyed and Elvira immediately starts to plot Mary's murder. And die she does, but from a fall from scaffolding, not from Elvira's poison. And Elvira is left to wonder if she somehow managed to kill Mary without remembering. Her thinking is increasingly addled.

From this point on, the book is a downward spiral into madness but not with the expected consequences. The roles that were established at the beginning of the book seem to shift and even at the end, you almost need to revisit the beginning in order to see the clues. As is her usual, Rendell has everything in plain sight - we're just looking the other way.


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Heartstones Ruth Rendell 9780345348005 Books Reviews

Intriguing and FAB! with a twist at the end that you wouldn't expect (from one that usually works out "the go" in the first two chapters! Buy it, give yourself a great read, Lisa
This is a superb gem, but it's to be read carefully to catch everything. The mood and style are especially gothic and Edgar Allen Poe fans will be sure to get a lot from this. The ending is done with Ruth Rendell's usual subtety that will hit you like an unexpected punch.
If you're looking for a good, quick Gothic read, Ruth Rendell's "Heartstones" should fit the bill nicely. This is the first book by the author I have read, and I was immediately stuck by her wonderful use of language direct, to the point, with a quick wit and a good mind for well-chosen detail. This story will keep throwing unexpected twists at the reader, just when you think you've figured out what's going to happen next.

It's not necessarily a story which will linger with you for a long time afterward, and it is not much more than a novelette, easy to finish in one afternoon's read. That said, if you are a fan of the author or like Gothic-style horror, you should give this one a look. You'll likely enjoy it a great deal.
Ruth Rendell is a master at developing the strangest, but totally believable family drama situations from compelling and believable characters. This story features an anorexic, serial killer teenager who has an unhealthy love interest in her father. She eventually grows out the anorexia, as well as the crush, but there are a number of bodies left in her wake. Did she really kill these people? Twisty to the end, Heartstones is a short, sweet read, almost like a bedtime story for those with a wickedly dysfunctional appetite.
I believe books like this are called "novelettes". It's a thin little tome of 94 pages and constructed like a modern tale from Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, many of the plot's elements echo some of his best, twisty pieces.

The narrator of the story is Elvira (perfect name), a disturbing, self-centered teenager who is more than a little obsessed with her father (Luke) and expects to take her recently departed mother's place in his life, but only intellectually. Elvira is a cold, emotional cripple who tolerates the other people who compete with her for Luke's attention, especially her little sister, Despina, also known as "Spinny". Motherless, and essentially fatherless, Spinny is a sad, quirky child who finds great comfort in food, unlike her sister, who has essentially no interest at all in food.

The worlds of both girls are rocked when Luke brings home Mary Leonard, who will be his new wife. Spinny is overjoyed and Elvira immediately starts to plot Mary's murder. And die she does, but from a fall from scaffolding, not from Elvira's poison. And Elvira is left to wonder if she somehow managed to kill Mary without remembering. Her thinking is increasingly addled.

From this point on, the book is a downward spiral into madness but not with the expected consequences. The roles that were established at the beginning of the book seem to shift and even at the end, you almost need to revisit the beginning in order to see the clues. As is her usual, Rendell has everything in plain sight - we're just looking the other way.