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Jana Washington's Reviews > Alena
Alena
by
by
I won this book from Goodreads.
I've finished it, but I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. The story was intriguing enough that I wanted to know what happened, but not so interesting that I couldn't put it down. The language was beautiful-artistic-in a way that not much writing is done today.
Alena is a modern retelling of Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier. The storylines are similar, in this retelling, the narrator dreams of being a curator and Bernard, a gay rich man, owns a museum. He invites her to be its curator, hoping to revive the museum after it closed 2 years before due to the disappearance of its former curator, Alena. When she arrives, everyone is still obsessed with Alena. She did things a certain way, and the narrator is afraid to change anything. When Alena's boot washes onto shore, her case is reopened and questions abound about the circumstances of her death.
None of the characters are particularly likable. It has been some time since I read Rebecca, but I don't remember the characters as being unlikable. The narrator of Alena is annoying and naïve. At the same time, I'm on her team. I root for her because I want her to grow a backbone and tell Agnes what's up. Bernard is so absent as to be only a supporting character. I suppose this is to preserve his sense of mystery. Agnes is...well, she's Mrs. Danvers. Who likes Mrs. Danvers?
I do think the element of art in the story was a great idea. Everyone says Alena has an eye for talent, for which artists are going to make their big break. Her job was to show them before they were big. As time went on, her tastes leaned toward the macabre-toward living art, but with a sense of destruction and death about it. Alena is not Rebecca, but I could see Rebecca as someone who's tastes were extreme.
Overall, it was a decent book. I assume my opinions would be different if I had never read Rebecca. It is definitely interesting as a comparison to Rebecca, but I think as a stand alone novel, it has few redeeming qualities that could turn it into a classic.
I've finished it, but I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. The story was intriguing enough that I wanted to know what happened, but not so interesting that I couldn't put it down. The language was beautiful-artistic-in a way that not much writing is done today.
Alena is a modern retelling of Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier. The storylines are similar, in this retelling, the narrator dreams of being a curator and Bernard, a gay rich man, owns a museum. He invites her to be its curator, hoping to revive the museum after it closed 2 years before due to the disappearance of its former curator, Alena. When she arrives, everyone is still obsessed with Alena. She did things a certain way, and the narrator is afraid to change anything. When Alena's boot washes onto shore, her case is reopened and questions abound about the circumstances of her death.
None of the characters are particularly likable. It has been some time since I read Rebecca, but I don't remember the characters as being unlikable. The narrator of Alena is annoying and naïve. At the same time, I'm on her team. I root for her because I want her to grow a backbone and tell Agnes what's up. Bernard is so absent as to be only a supporting character. I suppose this is to preserve his sense of mystery. Agnes is...well, she's Mrs. Danvers. Who likes Mrs. Danvers?
I do think the element of art in the story was a great idea. Everyone says Alena has an eye for talent, for which artists are going to make their big break. Her job was to show them before they were big. As time went on, her tastes leaned toward the macabre-toward living art, but with a sense of destruction and death about it. Alena is not Rebecca, but I could see Rebecca as someone who's tastes were extreme.
Overall, it was a decent book. I assume my opinions would be different if I had never read Rebecca. It is definitely interesting as a comparison to Rebecca, but I think as a stand alone novel, it has few redeeming qualities that could turn it into a classic.
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Reading Progress
February 12, 2014
–
Started Reading
February 12, 2014
– Shelved
February 23, 2014
–
Finished Reading
