Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

Format: Audiobook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb

14 February 1900. St Valentine’s Day in rural Australia.

Nineteen girls and their two schoolmistresses from exclusive Appleyard College leave for a picnic at the brooding Hanging Rock. Some of the group fail to return.

Murder? Accident? Supernatural happenings?

What is the explanation for these bizarre disappearances?

My review

I watched the movie in the 1980s and was captivated by the mysterious music and scenes. When I saw the audiobook in my local library, I was quick to grab it.

There are always big differences between books and movies, in my opinion. But while the movie version of Picnic at Hanging Rock dropped the side themes, it stayed true to the book for the most part.

The book had that same mysterious feel about it. It’s difficult to explain because the story is a mystery, so it should be mysterious. But that’s not what I mean. There’s a feeling, a strange eeriness, a haunting quality that radiates from the pages.

It’s in the flow of words, in the movements of the characters, in every chapter and on every page.

The author describes everything, even the ants scurrying to safety. I usually don’t like this amount of description. However, Picnic at Hanging Rock is built around the descriptions and feelings of the location and characters. That’s what made it a success, I believe.

During the telling of the story, we get a good indication of how strict the rules were and we get a taste of class distinctions in 1900. Here’s another story that shows us how lucky we are now and how difficult it would have been then.

The characters are whimsical and laid back to begin with, but as the story progresses we see the darker side of the characters emerge.

What happened to the missing girls and their teacher? Who was involved?

The storyline shows how the trauma from what happened on that fateful day can change people, altering their lives forever.

I enjoyed the movie and I enjoyed the book. Again, I believe the book is better as those side themes give a deeper telling and, if you allow yourself to be swept away, you’ll find yourself totally engrossed in the mystery of Hanging Rock.

Recommended.