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Jamaica Inn Audiobook
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(3.00) - 7,558 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the author of Rebecca and The Birds: a classic thriller of shipwreck and murder, "rich in suspense and surprise" (New York Times Book Review).
On a bitter November evening, young Mary Yellan journeys across the rainswept moors to Jamaica Inn in honor of her mother's dying request. When she arrives, the warning of the coachman begins to echo in her memory, for her aunt Patience cowers before hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn. Terrified of the inn's brooding power, Mary gradually finds herself ensnared in the dark schemes being enacted behind its crumbling walls -- and tempted to love a man she dares not trust.
The inspiration for the 1939 Alfred Hitchcock film.
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"An absolutely intriguing and fast-paced adventure novel from one of Britain's best-loved writers. The prose was great and the heroine, Mary, was so well-developed. I loved the many twists and turns which du Maurier had woven throughout the book."
— Kirsty (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A fine romantic tale…rich in suspense and surprise.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Just the sound of the words Jamaica Inn conjures up a classic of Gothic literature and puts a gleam in readers’ eyes…When this extraordinary novel was first published, readers were utterly captivated by the vivacious Mary and her adventures in a place with such a hideous, but fascinating, part in Cornwall’s history. Daphne du Maurier’s gift for imagery and storytelling, which made Rebecca such a masterpiece of the Gothic genre, are here too. Though written in the style of the 1930s, Jamaica Inn is still an exciting and delightful mystery to read.”
— RT Book Reviews (4½ gold stars, Top Pick!) -
“Jamaica Inn is a first-rate page-turner.”
— Times (London) -
“A true classic.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review
Jamaica Inn Listener Reviews
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5/17/2021
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" I'm a fan of Daphne DuMaurier, the author of Rebecca, and I really enjoyed this book. "
— Patsy, 1/31/2014 -
" My second from Miss du Maurier. I've enjoyed it and Mary Ellen much more than I ever expected! "
— Mady, 1/19/2014 -
" I would have given this novel 3.5 stars for the writing itself: wonderful imagery. But the book was much too "romancy" for my taste. "
— Catherine, 12/20/2013 -
" After her mother's death, Mary Yellin goes to Jamaica Inn on the wild English moors. Her Uncle Josh and Aunt Patience Merlin are the proprieters of Jamaica Inn. Mary learns that no one stays at the Inn, but on certain nights there are strange comings and goings of very questionable men. This is a true gothic novel full of dark and mysterious happenings. I listened to this on CD and the reader was excellent. His portrayal of Josh Merlin was truly bone chilling. This is one of my least favorite Daphne du Maurier novels, but it is still well crafted. "
— Pattyrflg, 12/18/2013 -
" so intense and delicious, love what a lil badass mary is "
— Diva, 11/30/2013 -
" Good story. Well told. "
— Joy, 11/20/2013 -
" I think I was expecting another Rebecca, but instead it's not, and it's decidedly not as great. Maybe it's not fair to compare the two, but I think the lesson to take away from this is that a creepy housekeeper is creepier than a creepy albino dude. Was he even an albino? I don't remember. I read this in 1996. "
— Jamelah, 11/14/2013 -
" Absolutely wonderful atmosphere and very likable heroine. "
— Barbara, 11/12/2013 -
" Cool, creepy story. Kind of a combo of "Rebecca," "Jane Eyre," and "Wuthering Heights." "
— Mary, 11/11/2013 -
" Well, that was depressing, a rousing tale of grim and grimy life on the bleak and desolate moors of Cornwall, but so well told that I cannot give Du Maurier's fast-paced story fewer than four stars. "
— Kathy, 11/9/2013 -
" Despite being written many years ago, this book feels really modern. Brilliant story with very strong characters. "
— Joanna, 10/29/2013 -
" This one just didn't grab me. I wanted to find out what happens, so I skimmed most of the book, and then read the ending. "
— Jeannette, 10/29/2013 -
" Very dark and atmospheric, could of been written by one of the Bronte sisters. Du Maurier makes is so easy for the reader to visualise the Cornish coast and the smugglers. "
— Tess, 10/27/2013 -
" A lovely book to read whilst perched on the top of a Cornish cliff! "
— Paula, 10/16/2013 -
" oh my gosh. this book took forever to read. the story was good. some of the sentences were good, but I'm not sure what makes it a classic. "
— Anita, 4/30/2013 -
" I remember this book best for bringing to life the lonely, wind-swept moors of seaside Britain. Du Maurier does well creating a sense of place. "
— Linnea, 4/24/2013 -
" Nobody does creepy like Daphne Du Maurier (well except for Shirley Jackson), I thoroughly enjoyed this book, cheesy ending and all. "
— Kristyh, 12/15/2012 -
" This book took a while to get into, and it was not a bad story, but not fantastic either. There wasn't nearly the amount of suspense found in Rebecca, but there was a twist at the end I didn't see coming. "
— rinabeana, 4/7/2012 -
" Fantastic book. Great ending "
— Tamsin, 3/25/2012 -
" Was man halt so liest, wenn man in Cornwall unterwegs ist. "
— Diana, 3/19/2012 -
" Great story. I liked it better than Rebecca!!!! "
— Cpence1, 6/16/2011 -
" Daphne du Maurier is one of the most brilliant writers of the 20th century. That's why I have absolutely no idea what she was thinking when she wrote this. "
— Salma, 5/28/2011 -
" I read some classics thinking that they must be books that everyone only pretends to have read, and other classics I read not thinking anything at all because I'm too caught up in the story. <br/> <br/>This book falls into the latter category. "
— Teddy, 5/13/2011 -
" Another mystery book from the wonderful Daphne DuMaurier. "
— Pam, 5/7/2011 -
" This is an early novel by du Maurier and does not show the same level of craft as her later works. Nevertheless, she creates vivid characters and overall the book was enjoyable. "
— Lisabet, 4/20/2011 -
" a very suspenseful spooky book. once you start it and really hit the good stuff, it's a hard book to put down! "
— Trisha, 4/13/2011 -
" I gave this book 3 stars, only because Daphne DuMaurier wrote it. I recently re-read Rebecca and it was as timeless and engrossing as ever. Jamaica Inn could have easily been called Weather...her descriptions of the moors were endless and in general, I found the book somewhat boring. "
— Jennie, 3/29/2011 -
" Highly impressed. The atmosphere is heavy and worrying,the story is very interesting and the characters well constructed! A classic! "
— Lily, 3/27/2011 -
" This is another chillingly good one by du Maurier. I’m not quite sure why Rebecca is so well-known and these others have sort of flown under the radar, b/c I think they’re all equally good. This one, actually, was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. "
— MKHE, 3/22/2011 -
" I loved the description of the Moors and the plot is really good. The end is rather unexpected. "
— Danielle, 3/7/2011 -
" I love everything she has written "
— Shirley, 3/2/2011 -
" I was a tad disappointed; but then it was written before heroines were a bit stronger. "
— Regan, 2/17/2011 -
" Another brilliant book from du Maurier. It was dark and adventuresome! Her details and descriptions are amazing. "
— Miriam, 2/14/2011
About Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) was born in London, the daughter of the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of the author and artist George du Maurier. She has been called one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. Besides novels, du Maurier wrote plays, biographies, and several collections of short fiction. Among her more famous works are The Scapegoat, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and the short story “The Birds,” all of which were subsequently made into films, the latter three directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
About Tony Britton
Tony Britton is a renowned British classical stage actor who has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. On television, he has appeared in Holby City, The Way We Live Now, and The Saint.