Book info

• Title Lorna Doone
• Author R. D. Blackmore
• Year 1869
• Genre Classic

First published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones, a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon. Seized by curiosity and a sense of adventure, he makes his way to the valley of the Doones, where he is discovered by the beautiful Lorna. In time their childish fantasies blossom into mature love—a bond that will inspire John to rescue his beloved from the ravages of a stormy winter, rekindling a conflict with his archrival, Carver Doone, that climaxes in heartrending violence.

Thoughts

I’ve been put off reading this one before because of the amount of local dialect - I find a bit of written dialect fun but too much and I start to zone out. Nevertheless, I made a concerted effort to get past that and found there was actually less than I had thought! Typical.

Anyway, in terms of story, the Romeo & Juliet style star-crossed lovers part was interesting, the tale of Lorna and John and the fates keeping them apart. I thought it heated up to some great drama at the end. The politics side of things was less interesting to me and some of the fighting lost me in places, but it didn’t seem too important to the story. It was more about the heroine of the title and if she can escape the clutches of the Doones!

Overall liked it, glad I pushed past the dialect issue but was a bit disappointed to find the other issue tempering my enjoyment.

Rating: 3 / 5