Ophelia by S.M. Namkoong Review
Mood:
There are some books where you only see what the author wants you to see, and everything else is left in the dark. This book falls into that category. The author leads us through a naive main character, slowly bringing certain elements into the spotlight to make readers aware, while leaving the rest shrouded in mystery. While reading, I found myself completely engrossed in Ophelia and the mystery surrounding her.
"Ophelia's nude form appreared to be in motion, emerging from a place of hiding within a secret garden. Just like the snake that slithered out in Eden, Ophelia appeared suddenly, equally as beautiful and captivating as her surroundings."
The book begins with Lawrence placing an advertisement stating that she is looking for work. She is a painter with experience working under a master painter in Italy. As she goes about her life, she makes friends along the way and learns about the mystery of Ashmore. Despite numerous warnings, she accepts an invitation to dine at Ashmore and is later commissioned to paint a portrait of Ophelia, the mistress of Ashmore.
Meanwhile, the death toll keeps rising, and all fingers point toward Ashmore. Lawrence, however, being the one closest to it, ignores the warnings and earnestly focuses on her work and on getting to know Ophelia. When the deaths become personal, she can no longer ignore the danger and must make a decision: escape Ophelia’s snare or sink even deeper into it.
Writing:
Plot:
Although the major plotline has been explored before, much like in Dracula, where the main character enters Dracula's domain and becomes trapped; it was the mystery of Ophelia that roped me in. The author never lays all her cards on the table. For the majority of the story, it is only hinted that Ophelia is not entirely human, we never fully learn why there is an immediate pull between the two women, or what they truly are to each other. We never fully see the extent of Ophelia’s capabilities. The story is so engrossing and entertaining that I almost forgot how little background we receive about several characters, which ultimately makes the book an intriguing discussion piece full of “whats” and “whys.”
Characters:
The book features a wide variety of characters, but as mentioned above, we don’t see much of their backgrounds or motivations. I would have loved more insight into Edwin’s past, Patrick’s and Augusta’s motivations, and what made them behave the way they did. The focus of the book lies on the slow degradation of the main character under Ophelia’s charm. Ophelia is often described as a snake, while Lawrence is someone who, though not entirely unwilling, becomes fully caught in her snare. Even the cover art reflects this dynamic.
My only issue with Lawrence was that some of her mid-early decisions were questionable. However, since the book hints that their meeting was inevitable, this becomes more redeemable.
Recommendation:
If chilling atmospheres, slow psychological torment, jump scares, and unexpected twists are your type, and if you like watching a story take on a sinister shape under a careful author’s hand, supported by beautiful descriptive writing, then you would definitely enjoy this book.
"It's a terribly lonely thing to be alive. We only really know ourselves, don't we? It sounds like I'm just afraid of being misunderstood, and maybe that's a big part of it, but I think I'm mostly afraid of being forgotten. I'd like very much to be remembered. It's such a terrible tragedy, I think, to be alive and then forgotten about entirely." She paused a moment...
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