Thornton P. Coastal Tourism in Cornwall since 1900. In: Fisher S, editor. Recreation and the sea. Exeter: University of Exeter Press; 1997. p. 57–83. I was thrilled reading the introduction to discover that this book was inspired by Emily Brontë, and actually, 'The Loving Spirit' is from one of Brontë's notable poems. Throughout the book are gorgeous snippets of Brontë's poetry, which I obviously appreciated no end, because I love Brontë's works. Les personnages sont très, très puissants. Ils sont tous dépeints avec justesse, sont tous extrêmement fournis et détaillés, et Daphné du Maurier nous sert en plus de ça les 4 personnages les plus attachants et complexes en guise de personnages principaux (j'ai personnellement adoré la première partie, et surtout la deuxième où l'on suit le personnage de Joseph pour cela).

Westland E. Reading Daphne: a guide to the writing of Daphne du Maurier for readers and book groups. Truro: Truran; 2007a. To be honest, the introduction made me look forward to the book so much, for it talked of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, how du Maurier had been inspired by her - as a matter of fact, the title The Loving Spirit comes from one of Emily's poems and it was complete with a few quotes, beautifully written, per usual. I actually noticed the similarities with Wuthering Heights that were pointed out and it even made me want to reread the book and then The Loving Spirit all over again. Cornwall, 1900s. Plyn Boat Yard is a hive of activity, and Janet Coombe longs to share in the excitement of seafaring: to travel, to have adventures, to know freedom. But constrained by the times, instead she marries her cousin Thomas, a boat builder, and settles down to raise a family. Gerald arrived at Ferryside for his first visit in the summer of 1927. Uncertain as to how much he would enjoy living in the house so close to the river and the unpredictable Cornish weather, a succession of friends and family members were invited to stay so that Gerald could be constantly entertained. In due course, everyone left again except for Angela and Daphne, who were allowed to stay, providing they returned home to Hampstead by October.

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At home at Cannon Hall, in Hampstead, the du Maurier's decided that they should use the windfall from The Ringer to buy the house in the country that they had talked of. Muriel decided to take her three daughters on a trip to Cornwall to search for a second home. Daphne, having returned from Britany, was planning to carry on with her writing, but somewhat reluctantly, she agreed to join her Mother and sisters on the trip to Cornwall,and they set off in September. Nachtrag: Ach ja hab grad in ein paar anderen Rezensionen nicht von meinen Goodreads Freunden sondern von der Allgemeinen Community von disgusting und widerlicher Inzestgeschichte gelesen. Weil sich Jennifer in ihren Groß-Groß-Cousin verliebt hat. Herrschaftszeiten, kommt auf den Boden der Tatsachen! Cousins 2. und 3. Grades dürfen sogar heute ohne Probleme heiraten. Wo sollten denn in den britischen Minidörfern auf dem Land in Cornwall im Jahr 1930 die Kinder herkommen, wenn die Ehepartner überhaupt kein Fuzzelchen miteinander verwandt sein dürfen. Da sitzen die Leute in den 20er Jahren des neuen Jahrtausends in der Großstadt und mokieren sich darüber, was auch in Waldviertler oder Tiroler oder anderen österreichischen Bergdörfern zumindest bis in die 80er-Jahre aber auch noch heute manchmal Realität ist. Und ein Cousin 3. Grades ist so weit entfernt von Inzest, dass es atemberaubend ist.

Jennifer, figlia di Cristopher, chiude il cerchio familiare riportando gli equilibri, ritornando alle sue radici d'infanzia richiamata a casa dal legame del sangue e della terra.

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Ad aprire i quattro macrocapitoli della saga familiare (Janet Coombe 1830-1863, Joseph Coombe 1863-1900, Christopher Coombe 1888-1912 e Jennifer Coombe 1912-1930) una citazione sempre diversa di Emily Bronte, affine per luoghi e tematiche al testo; lo stesso titolo è infatti preso da una poesia di Emily. The Loving Spirit è il suo primo romanzo (1931), storia di una famiglia di piccoli armatori della Cornovaglia, tra i picchi e le scogliere dell'immaginaria Plyn, le cui vicende abbracciano dal 1830 al 1930 l'arco di quattro generazioni. N'ayant lu que Rebecca de Daphné Du Maurier j'avais hâte de découvrir un autre roman et je n'ai pas été déçue ! Même si je n'ai pas eu le coup de coeur que j'avais eu pour Rebecca j'ai trouvé cette lecture très plaisante.

Horner A, Zlosnik S. Daphne du Maurier: writing, identity and the Gothic imagination. Basingstoke: Macmillan; 1998. Dolan J. Anchorage and play in Frenchman’s Creek: children, gender, and national identity. Yearb Engl Stud. 2002;32:95–109. While there is plenty of drama, humour and poignancy in each of our characters’ tales, there is also a great deal of spirituality in the novel itself, as if it were in part, an exercise of self-discovery on du Maurier’s part. Despite the suffering undergone by the characters with the passing of years, there is a great sense of hope, compassion and equanimity that fills the reader with an uplifting sense of purpose in the world. I only wonder at how the readers of the 30s must have felt when they first read it, but it has stood the test of time remarkably well and I feel it will continue to do so for many years to come, given its fundamental themes of love and seeking for completion and peace in something greater than yourself. The Jane Slade figurehead was removed from the ship and is in place on a beam at Ferryside. It can be seen when passing the house from the river and even from the Fowey side of the ferry crossing. Nearby Lanteglos church is where Jane Slade (Janet Coombe) was married and where Jane and other family members are buried.It feels almost ironic that The Loving Spirit is indeed set on the coasts of Cornwall, as that is also a place that I love to spend time at. It has been a few years, but this book has given me the reminder and incentive to return.