I participated in the RIP Readalong and this is the final week of our discussion. As this post will contain spoilers in the Q&A section for those who have not read it, the opening paragraph below will be safe to read as it is an overview of the story, along with my initial thoughts and recommendations.

The premise of the story is told through alternating voices of two women on a small farm in Provence, the South of France, but in different times. In one, Bénédicte, shares her secrets and perspective of her life beginning in her child of the 1930s/1940s and in the other is Eve, our primary narrator in contemporary times who is a recent resident, moving in with her mysterious boyfriend Dom. A beautifully evocative story, previously mentioned that it has  been compared to Rebecca. After finishing The Lantern earlier today, I agree. There are mysteries within secrets, a beautiful home in a lush landscape, a love story that could be sinister, and more. At the height of this new love with Dom, they begin a life together in the summer, but when the weather changes, the hidden stories of Dom's previous life make Eve more curious, and the secret treasures found in the house don't convey the same sense of joy for her that she first felt when uncovering them before. There's more to the house, the previous tenants, and there's most assuredly something more with Dom, and Eve may not be comfortable with the truth.

A beautiful story, highly recommended to all who enjoy a story with atmosphere, mystery, and a Gothic tale. Fans of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova will enjoy this story. I look forward to more from this author.

Question & Answer

1. Now that it's all said and done, what did you think of the book? Did you see the ending coming?

-- I really did enjoy this book. It had all of the elements that I love about a book: a Gothic tale, heightened atmospheric setting in the South of France, beautifully described scents and images, and characters that had quite the stories to tell. While I didn't see the ending coming, I did initially suspect that there was something medically related to the story, but I instead felt that perhaps Eve had some form of a split personality and Bénédicte was one manifestation. After all, we know her name only as Eve, but we know it's not her real name, so couldn't that have been another personality? Or perhaps this name was chosen as some form of a Biblical clue, that Eve is telling us all lies and leading us down the wrong path. Part of me thinks I could argue it is a possibility, but I'm comfortable with the more grounded in reality ending of two separate people in different decades that intertwine with each other because of one house.

2. What did you think of the characters? Lawrenson took us on a twisty little ride there, I had trouble deciding who was good and who wasn't for a while! What do you think of Dom? Of Sabine? Rachel?

Surprisingly, the characters all end up exactly as we are initially introduced to them. While Dom's secrets are explained away, I still found him to be a bit mysterious and didn't trust the story all the way through. But I kept thinking that Eve gave us all of the facts for everything else, why couldn't she have provided us the evidence that Rachel really did die in that clinic? Somewhat odd, right? Rachel seemed to be a snake, but that was only if I believe Dom, and again, Eve never shared anything concrete that was proven that Rachel did die in the clinic (unless I missed an entire page or something...?) I still didn't like Sabine and thought she was someone who shouldn't be trusted. She's so shady with her interactions with Eve and I know that most of it is because Sabine may not have trusted Eve either, but still. I didn't like her that much in the end.

3. Pierre was such a conflicted character. In the end, do you think he killed Marthe and Annette, or did they fall to their deaths because of their blindness?

Oh, Pierre, that disgusting character. While I initially thought that Bénédicte killed Annette and Marthe and that would be the surprising twist, I completely believe after closing the final pages that Pierre was a sick man his whole life, brutally attacked Annette, and then killed her and Marthe. No doubt in my mind. Pierre was a beast of filth and in my reader's hope for revenge, I wished he met a much more appropriate passing than the seemingly easy one he ultimately experienced.

4. The book is being compared to Rebecca and Daphne du Maurier's writing. Do you think the book lives up to that description?

This is my only gripe, and it is minor. Perhaps it is because I read Rebecca so very recently a few weeks ago, that I didn't always care for the exact mentions of Du Maurier throughout The Lantern. I instead, preferred when Eve would allude to Du Maurier with similarities, but when one specific chapter started out with the exact opening of a Du Maurier short story, I was a little annoyed by it. (I'm referencing a chapter when the first sentence is Dom telling Eve "Don't look now," which is  also the title and opening sentence of Du Maurier's short story. Maybe I wouldn't have minded it as much if I had read Rebecca years ago and then read The Lantern now.

5. Did you have any problems with the book? Narration? Plot? The back and forth between two different characters and times?

I didn't mind the alternating perspectives of the two women or the plot. I enjoyed all of it quite a bit.

6. Do you think Lawrenson tied both stories together well in the end? Is there anything she could/should have done differently?

I do think both stories were tied well together, and the only thing I would have wished for more of were Rachel's articles, or maybe a few letters or newspaper clippings. I think the addition of more of that would have heightened the atmosphere and overall Gothic feel of the novel quite a bit. Ultimately though, I was satisfied with this story and thoroughly enjoyed it.

7. One problem I had with the novel was the reliability of the narrators. Do you think any of them were telling the truth? Which ones?

I actually didn't mind this. It lent to the overall uneasiness of the mysteries and ambiguity of the characters, which is part of the reason why I love these types of stories. More, please!

About the Author (from the book)

Deborah Lawrenson spent her formative years moving around the world with diplomatic service parents, living in Kuwait, China, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Singapore. She studied English at Cambridge University, and has worked as a journalist for various publications in England, including the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and Woman's Journal magazine. She is married, with a daughter, and lives in Kent, England. She and her family spend as much time as possible at a crumbling hamlet in Provence, France, the setting for The Lantern.

The Lantern is her first novel to be published in the United States.

Click here to visit the author on her website.

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This is the final discussion installment for Peril of the Group Read. Click here to see other thoughts for the book.

I'm quite behind on The Lantern Group Read for the RIP Challenge, but in my zeal to catch up, I thought I'd post my answers to the questions that Carl, Heather, and Kailana have coordinated. My fellow blog readers know that I've had a teensy bit of work that has gotten in the way of reading these past two weeks, so apologies all around and please beware: Should you continue reading this post and you've not yet read The Lantern, you may be dangerously walking through *spoiler* minefields...otherwise, enjoy!

The Lantern is a gloriously descriptive book that has been compared to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (and it even mentions the esteemed writer) set in the lush Provence landscape. Although it is firmly planted in contemporary times through the eyes of Eve as she settles into a beautiful home in the lavender fields of France with a mysterious man named Dom, the story alternates with Bénédicte, a woman who grew up in the very same farmhouse.

Week 1 & 2 Questions

Week 1:

Question: This may seem like an obvious question, but what do you think of The Lantern thus far?

Answer: I absolutely love it. The haunting storyline, the subtle secrets, the sometimes abrupt chapter and section endings that act as just the right cliffhanger to get me to the next section...I am enjoying the ride of this book so far and at the risk of getting ahead of myself, I'm fairly certain I will be a bit sad when the story concludes

Question: The book appears to be following the experiences of two different women, alternating back and forth between their stories. Are you more fond of our main protagonist's story or of Bénédicte's, or are you enjoying them both equally?

Answer: Frankly, I'm enjoying them both. While a little jarring when I realized that it alternated between the two characters (the chapters do not denote who is speaking), I found that both offered a mystery and intrigue that kept me moving quickly from page to page. I'm horrified by some of the events that Bénédicte has to deal with when it comes to her brother Pierre, and then am caught up in Eve's lack of initial curiosity into Dom's secrets. I was initially annoyed with Eve to move in so quickly with a man she barely knows so far away from all that she is familiar with, but that was it. Just a trite annoyance with her before finding that she really was quite an interesting individual who was more caught up in the heady romance of it all.

Question: The Lantern is a book filled with descriptions of scents. How are you liking (or disliking) that aspect of the book? How do you feel about the lavish description of scents? How are the short chapters working for you?

Answer: At the risk of also getting caught up in it all, I am drawn to the description of scents and their lingering effects on the characters. While there are many, it's written beautifully so that you're taken by it all and not overwhelmed by it. I'm someone who can get easily overwhelmed in a flower shop by all of the scents fighting for dominance, and oftentimes I have to leave after a few minutes, but the book doesn't remind me of those moments. Instead, it makes me think of exactly what is being described: Dreamy landscapes of demure aromas.

The short chapters are fantastic. I don't know about anyone else but this makes it so much easier for me to move quickly through the story.

Question: How would you describe the atmosphere of Parts 1 & 2 of The Lantern?

Answer: Gothic, quiet and haunting. There is a melancholic undertone, but a creepy thriller is moving unobtrusively in the middle of it all. I'm confident that it's going to be quite a shock (fingers crossed).

Question: Has anything surprised you to this point? Anything stand out?

Answer: I mentioned this above, but what Pierre does to Benedicte is horrifying. I hated every moment of it and I have no idea what's going to happen next with him and her.

Question: What are your feelings about Dom in these first two sections of the story?

Answer: I'm a little annoyed but intrigued with his character. I'm not sure how bad he truly is, but I'm disappointed that we aren't quite getting a sense of how charming he truly is, that could take this quiet woman and magically sweep her off her feet and take her to a small farmhouse in the middle of France. I'm only told that Eve's madly in love with him, but I don't quite feel how she could be.

Bonus Question: Did anyone else hear "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" ringing in their ears through the first sections of the book?

Answer: Since I just concluded reading Rebecca a few weeks ago for the RIP Challenge, the sounds of Rebecca were still resonating with me. While at first I enjoyed it, now I'm not sure how I feel about when Rebecca is actually mentioned in the storyline and that a chapter also starts out with an actual title of a Du Maurier short story when Dom tells Eve, "Don't look now."

Week 2:

Question: The title of this book is The Lantern, and a lantern makes an appearance in both of the stories. In Bénédicte's past, it had a meaning, but what do you think the lantern signifies in her future and in Eve's story?

Answer: I'm not sure just yet. I'm thinking that perhaps it might be something as obvious as that it draws one out of darkness into the light of understanding, but that is only a hasty guess. Another part of me wonders how it might relate to Marthe's blindness and if it's those gifted with sight who need to see something visually in order to follow it and find the truth, whereas it seems Marthe might already know all of the answers.

Question: Carl mentioned scents in last week's questions, but they have been addressed even more in these sections. What significance do you think scents have in this story overall?
Answer: Bénédicte mentioned that when one of the senses is lost, the others are heightened. It seems that this is what continues to keep Marthe grounded, keeping her present and ever connected to the land around the farmhouse. I'm enjoying the descriptions considerably.

Question: What do you think of the combining storyline of Marthe. She connects Bénédicte, Eve, and Rachel. What do you think will be revealed about this connection in the next sections?
Answer: I confess. Don't laugh, however...I have a really odd thought that there is a serious scientific or medical connection between Rachel and Eve and I don't want to reveal too much now because part of me think it is silly, but part of me doesn't want to give anything away to the group read participants if I'm right. But I think it is so odd that both Rachel and Eve have the same interest in writing about Marthe's life. I'm trying to be practical about it all, when it very well is not grounded in anything rational or medical, but these multiple coincidences layered within it all are making me wander down the path of one particular conclusion...

Question: Now that things are moving along, what do you think of the characters? Are any standing out for you? Do you particularly like any? Dislike any?
Answer: I dislike Pierre, and Sabine is starting to make me mad. Spit it out! What do you want to share with Eve that you are holding back on? You're being tough enough to take her to places one on one, why not spill whatever it is you are so dying to ask or share?

Question: Lastly, what do you think of this book overall? Other than for the read-along, why are you reading it? Is it meeting your expectations?
Answer: Other than my red-faced pseudo-confession above on what I think might be the ultimate case with this story, I'm enjoying this Gothic and haunting tale and am eagerly awaiting what each chapter reveals. I'm reading this because I've heard so many wonderful things about it, but because it's also the type of story I like to read. Recently, I made a decision that I would change the type of books I'm reading to be exactly the type of categories that I like instead of just reading anything, and I've been enjoying my reading much more now. This is reminiscent of Rebecca and The Thirteenth Tale, and while there are no vampires, I do think it has the same haunting feel that made me love The Historian so much. After this, I might dive into some Wilkie Collins just to keep the Gothic ride going.

I'm participating in the Peril of the Group Read for the RIP Challenge. Click here to see other thoughts for the book.