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1. Amis, Martin — London Fields (471 pages)
2. Morpurgo, Michael — War Horse (182 pages)
3. Winterson, Jeanette — Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (177 pages)
4. Robinson, Bruce — Paranoia in the Launderette (43 pages)
5. Carter, Angela — Heroes and Villains (152 pages)
6. Burroughs, Edgar Rice — A Princess of Mars (209 pages)
7. Hill, Susan — The Woman in Black (152 pages)
8. Fowler, Karen Joy — Sarah Canary (293 pages)
9. Rennison, Nick — 100 Must-Read Prize Winning Novels (174 pages)
10. Beresford, David — Ten Men Dead (426 pages)
11. Freedland, Jonathan — Bring Home the Revolution: The Case for a British Republic (245 pages)
12. Kierkegaard, Søren — Fear and Trembling (150 pages)
13. Nothomb, Amélie — Fear and Trembling (132 pages)
14. Delany, Samuel R. — Babel-17 (194 pages)
15. Raine, Craig — History: The Home Movie (335 pages)
16. du Maurier, Daphne — Jamaica Inn (312 pages)

Page count

3647

I always thought the first du Maurier I would read would be Rebecca. But you know how I love reading location-appropriate books when I travel, and when I found out I was going to visit Cornwall in May — we drove within spitting distance of the real Jamaica Inn — and Jamaica Inn was sitting on my shelves, well, really, I had no choice in the matter.

I have nothing insightful to say. Jamaica Inn is a well-spun tale, dark, exciting, peopled with intriguing characters, a cross between Wuthering Heights and Treasure Island. I often questioned Mary's choices, but that did not detract from the story in the least.

I very much look forward to reading more du Maurier, and I was excited (as I think everyone else was, too, for I kept talking about Jamaica Inn during our trip) when we stumbled across a house in St. Ives where du Maurier lived and worked.

I watched the movie as well, but I must say it was not nearly as impressive as the book upon which it was purportedly based. Several of the characters were removed or changed, and the resolution seemed to lack any suspense or drama, unusual for a Hitchcock film. (I think it's generally regarded one of his worst films and really was just a vehicle for Charles Laughton and a young Maureen O'Hara.)