| Title | : | An Afternoon Walk |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0340155892 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780340155899 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1971 |
An Afternoon Walk Reviews
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As a huge fan of these old Gothic mystery novels and a collector, I have several Dorothy Eden novels. Dorothy was one of the more recognizable names in this genre .
I like to work these books into my reading schedule from time to time. I was really jonesing to read one the other day. So, this one was the one I chose.
I noticed the reviews on this one were mixed. Some even tagged it as YA . I wouldn't go that far. A trademark of this genre is the lack of sexual content and no strong language. However, this was adult fiction.
Ella and her daughter discover an abandoned house one afternoon and make up stories about the former occupants.
But, since that afternoon Ella has been greatly troubled. Her husband treats her like a feeble child, insisting she is. scatter brained and absent minded. She has also begun receiving threatening and scary phone calls. Max, her husband, insist she is imagining everything.
At the same time a woman is kidnapped and Ella begins to think her problems are somehow connected.
This book, published in 1971, might have worked well considering the era. Today, not so much.
Without giving too much away, Ella is being manipulated. When she starts to wise up, she still has doubts, but eventually gets to the heart of what is tearing her marriage apart.
There is an element of mystery and suspense, but it's a little too predictable for our current day mystery readers.
The motive was ridiculous and the result unavoidable. Not the best effort by Dorothy Eden. But, the cover art is cool. Overall a C - -
An old fashioned read this. I came across the author when browsing a certain online site and was intrigued by the premise of this novel. Ella and her young daughter Kitty go for a walk across a field and come upon a derelict old house with a lovely wild garden. An owl flies out of a top floor startling them, and Ella is left with the uneasy feeling that they are followed home.
Her husband, Max, a salesman who lives for nothing but the job and prestige, dismisses her concerns even when odd things start to happen such as menacing phone calls. He increasingly calls her unbalanced, denies telling her various things, and generally portrays a callous attitude, especially in view of her recent miscarriage. The book was published in 1971, I believe, long before the term 'gaslighting' was coined, but that basically sums up his behaviour. He makes it clear that he's happy not to have another disruptive child about the place, especially since the lost child was a girl, and prefers the new car he can now afford. Meanwhile and unsurprisingly, Kitty, a sweet, well-behaved child, acts cowed and withdrawn around him.
Ella isn't a fan of "women's liberation" as she calls it, but she is increasingly unhappy at the way Max treats her. Meanwhile, a sympathetic neighbour, Booth, who is a theatre critic and lives with his sister, becomes a confidant and happily goes with her to explore the derelict house. He is also more open to believing her about the phone calls and other disturbing events, although he is occasionally a bit patronising. But it is clear that he would be a far more suitable husband for Ella and would welcome her imaginative side. The denouement is a bit far-fetched, and betrays a certain attitude perhaps of the author's towards young 'drug crazed layabouts' of the time, but at least is satisfactory where Ella and Kitty are concerned. It was a light, page turning read and on that basis I would rate it as 4 stars. -
A novel about a housewife who, while exploring a vacant house with her daughter, opens up some kind of Pandora's Box of strange events, though her husband tries to convince her it's just her imagination. 1971.
Same as happened with
The Shadow Wife: it started out strong, with a good premise and some solid action...and then the protagonist started second-guessing herself, allowing herself to be dominated by her husband, and on top of it all, the action sort of petered out...And that's when I said enough's enough.
So far I've managed to abandon a few Dorothy Eden novels, and only finished one of them. I'm still not ready to pass judgement on the author as a whole--especially considering the scope of her oeuvre--but I can recommend for sure that one book. It's great! Review of An Important Family
here.
For reviews and recommendations of fabulous but forgotten 20th century literature:
Another look book -
“It was a Sleeping Beauty Garden, with its sunny tranquility disguising thorns, and a vague menace. Charming as it was, it was not an innocent garden. Somehow, she had known that all along.”
Ella hadn’t intended for her and her five-year-old daughter Kitty to walk quite so far that afternoon, but the day was so perfect for strolling along, it was sunny, mild, and windless, the two had been laughing and chatting away in such a carefree manner.
Suddenly Kitty pointed toward the vague shape of a ruined house in the distance, partially hidden behind oaks and rhododendrons, it almost seemed to be playing a game of hide and seek with them.
The house was a long way from the main road, and even as they crossed the field to reach it, it already seemed like they’d covered miles and miles of distance from the comfortable suburbia of their home in Collingham.
Mom and daughter peered through a rusted iron gate that they’d reached after walking down a tangled, dark, weedy path.
“Who lives here?” Kitty whispered, raising apprehensive eyes to her mother.
“I shouldn’t think anybody does,” Ella whispered in response, and immediately after doing so, wondered why she and Kitty had felt compelled to hush their voices.
There wasn’t a NO TRESSPASSING sign in evidence anywhere, so Ella decided it was okay to push the back gate open, and as she did, the rusty hinges protested the movement by emitting a deep groan.
Moments later, they found themselves in an open space, surrounded at all sides by tall trees.
“Mummy, it’s a real garden,” Kitty said in wonder.
And after exploring the grounds and peering through the windows in order to see inside the house, they suddenly noticed something scrawled onto the glass with a crayon, or another kind of wax pencil,
“Edith.”
The sight of the written name prompted Ella to go into storytelling mode, beginning with the telling of an imagined Edith, who once lived in this house, Edith’s siblings, and their parents.
And then, quite unexpectedly, a shrill scream, then something burst forth from the attic window, and floated over the garden, wings outstretched.
“What was that, Mummy?” That Noise?”
“Only the screech of an owl, darling. Look, there it goes.”
Then, for no reason in particular, Ella suddenly decided that they had lingered long enough. Perhaps it was the fact that some hours had passed since they left home, soon they’d be thirsty, hungry and tired. Or perhaps it was the strange and eerie feeling that had stayed with her ever since the owl had made its abrupt, unusual appearance.
And a moment later, a certainty came to Ella. The house they were standing beside was haunted. She had probably picked up on its aura earlier, but just now it was coming to her conscious mind. She wouldn’t frighten Kitty by saying so, but she was sure.
And all the way home she felt as though someone had followed them from the time they left the abandoned house, till the moment they reached their front door.
It had been a lovely afternoon, after all. The strange feeling she’d had while they visited and walked back from the ruined house was the only unsettling thing about an otherwise perfect day.
The mysterious house was far away from their daily lives, and quite out of the way of any of their family routines, today would be their only visit, she reasoned.
But deep down inside she knew she would return to the house of the strange, screeching owl.
This was a spellbinding story, from start to finish. And in almost every chapter, the abandoned, haunted house was never far from Ella’s thoughts, partly because of the intrigue of the place itself, and partly as she gradually perceived that there was much more in the experience of being there than she’d first imagined. The house had a story to tell her, it had so many things to teach her.
What a concept for a story, and how superbly told by master storyteller Dorothy Eden!
Another aspect of the story was how well developed each character was, and how varied was the cast.
First, there was Max, Ella’s husband. Max, it seemed to me was a man of conservative temperament, one who came across as cold-hearted, especially as I learned that his primary concern about his wife’s perceived mental imbalance, (“fancies” and “hallucinations,” as he put it), was that if his superiors at work were to learn of it, it might negatively impact his chances at securing the promotion her so desired. Max was a flat, quite linear thinking character, and as such, I wondered how a man like him was so lucky as to secure such an interesting, good-hearted, amazing woman. The story offers only a few vague hints as to how this might have happened, but as I read, I lamented Max, constantly wanting him to understand and appreciate that his imaginative, creative, yet refreshingly forthright wife could help him become a better, more complete man and father, but instead he chose to think of his wife’s ability to daydream and tell imagined and interesting stories as eccentric and offsetting. This was the tragedy of Max in my opinion.
Then there was Kitty, such an adventurous, yet gentle spirited five-year-old girl. I say adventurous because that was my first impression of such a young girl who wanted to go explore an old, abandoned mansion, many children her age, I thought, would be frightened at the prospect of drawing near to such a place. And at almost the same time that I realized that she was gentle, this was explained by Ella who watched her daughter dashing about with a butterfly catching net, knowing that she would only want to look at the beautiful butterflies, then release them without even touching them in the slightest way so as to not damage them. But to me, what struck me most about young Kitty was how fiercely loyal she was to her friend Sam, and how much she cared about the opinion of her young friend. I realized this as I read Ella’s account of how she’d asked her five-year-old, a fair girl, to wear her sunbonnet so as to not burn when playing outside, Kitty had demurred, but then promptly donned it just after Sam told her that she should wear it because she looked smashing in it! Also, we learned from Ella of Kitty’s loyalty, and care for Sam when she was thinking of what to make for dinner, finally choosing a dish that she’d learned that Sam liked, she thought, “the best way to please Kitty was to please her friend.” Overall, I found Kitty to be a very captivating character, with more depth than I expected from a five-year-old.
Also, there were the next-door neighbors, Booth, and his sister Lorna, affectionally referred to as “Bronte-like” by Ellen. Booth was a theater critic, and I wasn’t so sure what his sister did for a living, but I was impressed with how well we got to know both, and how much their presence, and actions enriched the story.
And here I’d like to add that I love when stories are populated with outstanding secondary characters. Perhaps it’s the fact that I think these stories are written by thoughtful authors who take the time to develop these characters, which by my deduction mean that they are people who take the time to notice people in their real lives, even if they only briefly cross paths with them.
With this in mind, I found myself laughing at the antics of Mrs. Ingram, the weather suspicious, broomstick legged domestic help who’d apparently missed her calling in life, she should’ve been a policewoman.
And on the note of policewomen, there was Carter, the tea-making, cry encouraging policewoman with a penchant for note taking, even when nothing was being discussed, or appeared to be happening. I imagined that her note taking was less about the details of the case, and more about her reflections on the people and circumstances she encountered while doing her job. You see, great secondary characters can get the reader imaging too!
Finally, in my experience, no book should be read without taking away new awareness, or knowledge. In this case, I learned a few words I wasn’t previously aware of including:
Compos Mentis – Able to think clearly and be in control of and responsible for your actions.
Loosestrife – A purple plant.
Addlepated – Being mixed-up or confused.
Dossing down – To turn in, to go to bed to sleep.
Hangdog – Having a dejected or guilty appearance; shamefaced.
In closing, this was an atmospheric, well told mystery that held me in the power of its storytelling grip from start to finish! -
2.5 stars
I must say that this seemed a very sophomoric effort. Things were too obvious... well, I guess to everyone except the main character. -
A leisurely, two-mile, afternoon walk for Ella and her five-year-old daughter Kitty leads to the discovery of a rundown country house with an overgrown garden. The two, both with vivid imaginations about the people who lived there 100 years before, are delighted with their discovery until they hear a piercing cry from within the house. Instantly, the top floor window swings open and an owl flies out. Mystery solved. Or is it? For Ella, the following week is filled with suspicion and fear. There are threatening phone calls and strange men are following her. Her husband Max, a verbally abusive, self-centered know-it-all, tells her that she's fabricating everything. Ella has been a bit depressed and forgetful, which is the result of a recent miscarriage. The baby was a girl and Ella mourns her loss alone. With the baby gone, Max can spend money on a new car and reminds Ella that she won't have to worry about getting fat. Throughout the book, I keep thinking that it's time Ella grew a backbone and let Max have it. Max is secretive and volatile. There is a mystery waiting to be solved and, thanks to the shaggy-haired theater critic who lives across the street, Ella has the support and friendship she needs to get through this horrible week. This was a wonderful book and I was satisfied with the ending. It was released in 1971, so there's no mention of all the technology that bombards the world today. It was refreshing to read about creativity, love of nature, and people who actually look each other in the eyes, talk, and listen.
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Excellent little domestic thriller (not a mystery, since it’s obvious what’s happening). The sense of dread and mental stress the protagonist experiences is palpable and affecting.
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** This is my second review. Goodreads locked up when I tried to add the first one and I lost it. **
Ella Simpson goes on an afternoon walk with her young daughter Kitty. They come across an abandoned house and make up stories about the previous inhabitants. Suddenly, they hear what sounds like a woman screaming - then an owl flies out of the house. Soon afterwards, Ella hears of the disappearance of a woman from her supposedly safe town. Ella has trouble sleeping and feels like she is being watched. She begins to receive threatening phone calls, and soon the caller begins to threaten Kitty. Ella cannot get anyone to believe her. Her selfish, cold husband Max is too wrapped up in his career to pay any attention to his family. He believes her behavior is due to her grief over a recent miscarriage. Finally, Ella confides in her neighbor, Booth "Mr Bronte" Bramwell, and he agrees with her that something is going on. Everything comes to a head one afternoon when Kitty and her friend Sam disappear. Is the person who has been stalking Ella responsible?
This is a quick, fun read. I read it in one afternoon. It starts off slowly, but quickly picks up steam. At first, Ella is passive and rather naive, but she is no doormat. When Max won't help her, she helps herself and starts investigating what's going on. She also starts to reevaluate her relationship with her husband, who comes across as cold, narcissistic, and totally lacking in empathy. If it doesn't have to do with his ambition, then it just doesn't matter. Ella can't rely on him for anything, so she learns to rely on herself. I also enjoy her relationship with Kitty, who's an adorable, sweet child.
This is a good introduction to Dorothy Eden. Her books don't have the quality of Daphne du Maurier or Agatha Christie, but they are still an enjoyable way to pass an afternoon or evening.
If you like this, you might also try her gothics:
Winterwood
Ravenscroft
Darkwater -
What an odd little book!
Ella and her daughter, Kitty, discover an abandoned house with a wild garden. That one afternoon walk sets up a strange week in their lives. I won’t say anymore about the plot.
This was predictable and repetitive. I give the story two stars plus one for the lovely Charles Geer cover on my copy. -
Solid, Gothic suspense. An engrossing and quick (213 pages) read.
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After Kate's fiancé dies in an Irish uprising she sees no future at home so impulsively takes a job as governess /companion to a family emigrating to New Zealand.
But it's a family of secrets. What are they running from? Why do they medicate their 18 year old daughter for her excitability and why does the wife /mother feel the need to doctor herself with more and more frequency from the little blue bottle of laudanum?
This isn't a mystery novel or an adventure per se. So don't expect huge excitement. But its a good story and held my interest.
As for Kate and her many infatuations, while we may feel sorry when things don't work out for her, I couldn't help but feel this was a blessing because she obviously doesn't know what she wants. This can only improve as she grows up.
Content:
Profanity: None
Violence : None shown to reader
Sex: One character nearly loses her virginity, another would have liked to, and a third is simply known to be "that type" who should be married off as quickly as possible before their reputation catches up with them. -
Well. I bought this book at a library sale. I paid a dollar for it. At least that’s all I paid. I didn’t care much for the story. I could tell what the husband was doing when he started doing it. It was easy to figure out. But I did enjoy the style of language used back in this time. It was a different way of talking.
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The opening chapter, where mother and daughter sneak onto an estate with overgrown gardens and a magnificent (if dilapidated) 19th-century country house, contains some of the most beautiful writing I've ever seen in my life. I wanted to live inside this scene.
Thereafter, the book consists of her husband being a *Chicks voice* "gas-liiiiiighter!" while she frets and worries that perhaps she IS losing her mind, but also secretly falls in love with the pleasant bachelor next door because honestly, the one thing she IS getting pretty sure of is that her husband is a tool. After all, if what he says about her is true, shouldn't he be...concerned about her mental health, instead of hostile and annoyed about it?
Meanwhile, the plot of the missing/abducted rich woman continues to unfold in the background, which the Very Sketchy Husband obviously is involved with in some way, considering how vehemently he keeps insisting she not concern herself with it -- the only question is how, exactly, and how the vaguely threatening phone calls Ella keeps getting tie in. This is a pretty short and simple story, but I got wrapped up in it.
The abandoned house remained my favorite character throughout, though, and every visit or reference back to it was my favorite part. -
This book was ok. It is supposed to be a gothic romance but it wasn’t really. There’s a creepy old house but it barely figures into the story. The husband is a dick - but it’s like that’s his only personality trait which was very tedious. The neighbor was far more interesting of a character. But I was drawn in and wanted to keep reading to find out what was going on, so it wasn’t all bad.
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Very good!!!! I started figuring this one out but really enjoyed this one a lot.
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I can't recommend this book enough, I found every page interesting and never expected the outcome that plays out.
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Well, that was just awful. 1.5 stars
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Very anticlimactic and predictable.
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"On a leisurely afternoon walk one summer day Ella and her five-year-old daughter come upon an abandoned house with an eerie overgrown garden. For the attractive young housewife and her imaginative child, the old house conjures up fantasies of grand parties and bygone fashions. But in the midst of their reverie they hear a horrible, throaty scream and, from a second-story window, see the spreading white wings of an owl taking flight.
"At home that evening, Ella describes the experience to her husband, Max, only to be reminded that, having recently lost a child at birth, she is still emotionally unstable. Later, pointing out her strange lapses of memory, he insists that she needs more quiet and rest. Ell reluctantly agrees with him and all but forgets the experience, even though she feels it is somehow connected with the sudden disappearance of a woman in the neighborhood.
"Then she begins receiving a series of anonymous phone calls. Trapped between the cold neglect of her husband, who openly questions her sanity, and the increasing terror of the calls, which hint that her child is in danger, Ella herself comes to question her own sanity...
"From its dramatic opening scene to its surprising denouement, An Afternoon Walk is equally successful as a persuasive story about real people and as an entertainment of mounting suspense."
~~front and back flaps
Seduced by a dust jacket. I picked up this book at Good Will because it is an older book, with a cover reminiscent of the E.F. Delderfield books or the Angela Thirkel books, or the D.E. Stevenson books. I should have looked closer at the picture on the cover, or read the dust flaps. I don't do gothic, (I absolutely couldn't stick Wuthering Heights, and this book was only saved from the fate of abandonment because it was 1. short, 2. written in much less turgid language. Modern gothic. Ugh. Just not my cuppa. -
[rating = A-]
This book caught me off guard. Some may say that this is an author prone to sentimentality and the stereotype of woman writers, but I rather liked this novel and her writing. It is a very lax style. Simple scenes with a touch of color that brings them to the eyes of the reader. Plot-wise, it is a mystery and a love story. It is about a haunted house, a mother and her daughter and the idea that evil can be right next door. Although not a literary masterpiece it is interesting and Eden has a good handle on her characters. -
The story begins with a mother and daughter taking a walk on a hot Sunday afternoon and discovering an abandoned house. Who would believe an old house and a walk could make such a difference in their lives? This is one crazy week in the lives of a housewife, her husband and their daughter. While I was not completely surprised by the ending, I had not unraveled everything that was going on. This book is a combination of life in the suburbs and the mystery of why things are going haywire. It is a must read for lovers of mystery and every-man stories.
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Oh, for the late sixties/early seventies when (spoiler alert) any random crime could be blamed on roving, drug-crazed hippies! 'Twas a simpler time ... I love that this book ends with our heroine taking the advice that I'd been mentally screaming at her practically the entire time, i.e. "Your husband is a douchebag! Leave him." That said, I liked the Gaslight air he added to the novel and the next-door-neighbor/love-interest-once-the-divorce-is-final was charming.
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I came upon this one after discovering Dorothy Eden's "Waiting for Willa." While "Walk" does not have the sense of intrigue, it again follows the pattern of the amateur sleuthe trying to figure out what the devil is going on. And also like "Willa," the climatic moment when the real antagonist steps into the light is a surprise.
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I read this book along with my mother when just a preteen. I tcaptured my attention then and years later now it had the same effect. I love suspense over mystery sometimes and this was a balance of both. Although I will say that now I'm older I felt the main characters passiveness was a little annoying but, at least it was a realistic role. 4 stars
