On The Night Of The Seventh Moon (1995) - Plot & Excerpts
Gothic romance for the win XD!Dunno, when I read this book, way back when (six years to be precise anyway) I was thrilled by the time period most of Victoria Holt's books took place in. Beautiful dresses and parties, eerie castle settings, English landscapes, etc, etc, etc.I don't remember this book a whole lot. I just remember a story, a legend, a mystery, a love, and poor character development (especially on the hero, Maximillian, side). I also remember I was terrified for Helena's fate because she was asked to spend the night in a castle with a complete and total stranger she found in the forest. The charming stranger took her to the castle after she was lured into the forest and twisted her ankle (or something) and was invited to his humble residence (a castle in the middle of a forest). Anyway, there was a scene in which she locks the door of her room because the servant of the man advised her to do so. And in the middle of the night she could hear the door knob turning as if somebody wanted to come in. Spooky and scary man! This passage is the one I remember most of the book because Holt described every little detail of fear and apprehension of it. I was as nervous and scared as Helena. And most of the time I thought her foolish for the irrational decisions she made when first encounter by this stranger. But anyway. I felt Helena had some character development through the book, but I cannot say the same thing for Maximillian. He was just so plain and systematic.Overall, this is a pretty easy and enjoyable read. If you like gothic, kind of Victorian-ish romance, you should definitely check this book out.
This book can be looked at two ways, as a hundred pages too long and annoying because every scene, feeling, and situation gets repeated at least three times, or, as for a reader who likes to savor the experience and step fully into the world of the novel. I was in between those two ideas - the last fourth lost me in too much repetition and waiting around for the heroine to realize what the reader already knew. It's not a happy novel, centering largely around adultery and women who kill themselves because the men they love cheat, and I really didn't care for the hero's morals, but those things were mostly made up during the first 3/4 of the book. That was spellbinding; it was incredibly captivating, romantic, and tragic-yet-redeeming. I loved the ending pages again too - I really like how Victoria Holt doesn't always end with happily ever after or merely falling in love, but with mature decisions to love in spite of imperfections and reality. Bravo!
What do You think about On The Night Of The Seventh Moon (1995)?
Seitsemännen kuun juhla kertoo Helenasta, joka eksyy metsässä ja tapaa komean miehen, johon rakastuu. Muutamaa vuotta myöhemmin he tapaavat uudestaan seitsemännen kuun juhlassa ja menevät naimisiin, mutta pari päivää myöhemmin Helena herää sängystään ja hänelle uskotellaan, että kaikki oli vain unta. Helena haluaa selvittää, tapahtuivatko asiat todella.Tämä kirja oli pettymys, koska kaksi aikaisempaa lukemaani Holtin kirjaa olivat oikein hyviä. Vika on suurimmaksi osaksi juonessa. Helena on jopa hämmästyttävän naiivi 17-vuotiaaksi ja rakastuminen tuntemattomaan mieheen oli melko epäuskottavaa. Vuodet, joina Helena vain kaipasi miestään, olivat tylsää luettavaa, koska juoni ei edennyt mihinkään ja teksti oli itseään toistavaa. Kun Helenalle kerrotaan, että naimisiinmeno on ollut vain unta, juonen jännite lässähtää jälleen. Oikeastaan paras osa koko kirjassa on loppupuoli, jossa Helena on kotiopettajattarena, koska se jaksoi kiinnostaa eniten. Holtin kirjoitustyyli on kuitenkin jotenkin koukuttava, sillä halusin lukea kirjan loppuun, erittäin kököstä juonesta huolimatta.
—Adelein
This book took me straight back to my teenage years--I couldn't put it down. The romance, the tension, the mystery, the adventure--all the things I wanted in life when I was a young girl. And, yet, a lifetime later, who can throw aside the possibility of that "one true love"? This also appealed to me because it takes place in Germany and involves many Germanic legends--Siegfried, Loki and most importantly, the Night of the Seventh Moon. If you're looking for some suspenseful (though somewhat predictable) light reading this is it. Sometimes that's just what you need.
—Victoria
I read nearly all of Victoria Holt's books, but this was by far my favorite. I still remember the excitement of the mystery and love story. I just recently ordered my own copy to read it again. Her books have clean romance they are a simplified version of the types of stories Jane Austin writes. They often have a lower class girl/governess who falls in love with someone out of her league. There is often a mystery of murder or kidnapping to go along with it. They are set in castles or on the moor's with fancy dresses and parties. They are just fun easy books to entertain yourself.
—Marianne MC
