Where Ghosts Are Laid to Rest

Historical Romances of William harrison Ainsworth Rookwood by Ainsworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a flawed but entertaining historical novel from an author I usually really enjoy. I don't love everything here, and I have quibbles, but I can't give him a 3. This is enough fun it still has to be a 4.

Most of his novels are historical romances in the same vein as most of Alexandre Dumas or Sir Walter Scott. They're well-researched, exciting, action and adventure novels, though they have pretty high diction and read a little stuffy. I don't mind that. The historical settings and castles and swordplay and escapes are all very fun. This one is a bit different though.

First of all, this one is intentionally filled with gothic elements. We spend a lot of time in crypts, talking about spooky curses and murderous ancestors. The gothic bits come and go, though, and we spend most of the time in action, with disputed wills and secret marriages, with songs and highwaymen and thief-takers, but then get back into Castle of Otranto territory. It's a bit uneven--but that's okay.

Another difference in this novel is how it feels like two stories jammed together. We have the Rookwoods, with half-brothers disputing their inheritance, with relatives attending the old lord's funeral, and one beautiful cousin seemingly destined for one of the half-brothers. The other part of the story is about Dick Turpin the highwayman, with a long scene in the middle where he is chased from London to York. It has nothing to do with the Rookwood manor or anything that went before, except that Turpin was present for some of that. (I hate that he rides his amazing horse to death. No excuse for that. I liked him as a character until then.)

Then back to the Rookwood story. It ends well, IMO, but in the middle we have characters acting so strange that I can't account for their motivations. Sybil, a Roma girl, loves Luke Rookwood, and he loves her, while his half-brother loves Eleanor, their beautiful cousin. But as soon as Luke sees her, he falls in love with her and is done with Sybil. Sybil meanwhile was ready to marry Luke, then said no (when he found out he was the rightful heir) then tricked him to marry him, then was going to kill Eleanor, but then instead killed herself........

Sorry for the spoilers.

There are many more instances of characters behaving oddly. I think we're meant to assume that the curses and prophecies talked about in the beginning have an effect on the characters, pushing them down certain paths, rewriting their wishes, but I could be making that up.

And yet the book is very fun to read, very brisk, with some characters to admire and to hate, with lots of great action. I like that the curse on the family is finally laid to rest, thanks to poor Sybil who saw what had to be done. I could have said this was a wild ride of a 3, but I think I'd rather call it a quirky 4. A curious reader who is new to Ainsworth might just read book III chapter 14 to the end of book 5, which is almost everything with Dick Turpin and his long ride to escape the thief-takers, full of close escapes and amazing action. That bit could probably be a novella all on its own.

Recommended for Ainsworth readers. Others should probably start on another novel.

View all my reviews