The Lamplighters: Emma Stonex

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Egal, ob ihr Lust auf einen atmosphärischen Pageturner habt oder eure Sehnsucht nach dem rauhen, schroffen Meer stillen wollt - "Die Leuchtturmwärter" wird euch sicher in seinen Bann ziehen! I thought Sid was going to turn out to be Jenny in disguise, I was left wondering if Sid was meant to be the men’s conscience? The Lamplighters is a richly-atmospheric and stunning historical mystery inspired by a haunting true story, a gorgeous and atmospheric novel about the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from a remote tower miles from the Cornish coast—and about the wives who were left behind.

The Lamplighter - Wikipedia The Lamplighter - Wikipedia

When the men go missing, rather than the wives seeking comfort from each other, mistrust is magnified and they all deal with their grief in different ways. The lighthouse itself was found to be clean and in good shape, with no indication of any struggle or unusual occurrence. Visitors to the island claim to have seen three black birds circling the top of the tower, and strange lights appearing in the sky at night. I can't help but feel it just needs a little bit more work on it and it could become something excellent. The mystery is a refreshingly original one and I found it impossible not to be swept up in its rich descriptions, the slow-burn unravelling of secrets and the exceptional characterisation; quite simply I was blown away by every aspect of this book.The character of Gerty MacDowell in James Joyce's Ulysses is based on the heroine of the novel, Gerty Flint, in a portion of Ulysses generally believed to be a parody of Cummins' writing style. In 1992, Michelle, has carved out a married life and has two daughters, but remembers Vincent as her ‘one true love. How all this came about and how it played out in the tragedy of the disappearance I will leave for readers to discover for themselves.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex review – a superb debut

But it wasn’t only tough on the keepers, their wives were living in close quarters as well, separate from others but close to each other, forced into each other’s pockets so to speak. Pitch-perfect descriptions of the fog and powerful ocean provide the dramatic backdrop for the tragedy to enfold and the sea to relinquish its secrets. The Lamplighter is a sentimental novel written by Maria Susanna Cummins and published in 1854, and a best-selling novel of its era. It opens on New Year’s Eve in 1972 as a relief crew prepares to deliver supplies by boat to The Maiden Rock, a Victorian lighthouse and “stoic bastion of seafarers’ safety” 15 nautical miles off the coast of Land’s End in Cornwall.In a unsettling, tense and atmospheric narrative that shifts between the men in 1972 and the women in 1992, the author explores the psychological impact of the place, the isolation of being a lighthouse keeper and the grief the women experience. Household Trash: Domesticity and National Identity in The Lamplighter and the 'Nausicaa' Episode of Ulysses" (PDF).

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex - Book Reviews | Inspire The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex - Book Reviews | Inspire

The Lamplighters is a locked room mystery—or rather ‘locked lighthouse’, the kind only accessible by boat—with gothic vibes and a moody 1970s Cornwall setting. In this way, my characters became like tower lighthouses themselves, disconnected by mutual misunderstandings and yet still reaching for that flare of hope and reconciliation. Although no one actually knows what happened, through the interviews with the women and some literary licence, Dan poses the story of what might have occurred. The Lamplighters is a story based on real events (up to a point) about three lighthouse keepers in 1972 Cornwall who disappear from their lighthouse without a trace and with the lighthouse locked from the inside. However, there is no lack of alternative theories – ranging from suggestions of a “double-homicide-and-suicide” to alien abduction.Like their real-life counterparts, the trio go missing in December, with no obvious explanation to their disappearance. I’m very much a casual wave as you go by neighbour, not an in each other’s kitchen sort of neighbour. Any city, any town, any room wider than the length of two men lying down, seems frivolous with light and noise and unnecessarily complicated.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex | Waterstones The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex | Waterstones

It is written off by the Trident Institution, which manages the lighthouses, as an accident - the men all apparently drowned. I am still undecided about the mystery though, I still feel it was very vague in Stonex's verdict on what happened on the lighthouse, and maybe that was her intention. Unfortunately the multiple characters and the writing style, which was very detached, made me lose interest very quickly. Although more subtly portrayed in the novel, we are reminded that the protagonists live in a company controlled town.

The actors Indira Varma and Tom Burke each take on multiple characters in a narrative that moves back and forth across two decades. The world of the Keepers, and their living conditions inside the sea tower, is particularly detailed – it’s a fascinating insight into a profession with which most of us are unfamiliar. Its strength lies in the description of the complex relationships between the small cast of characters, particularly the rivalry between Bill and Arthur and, in parallel, their wives Jenny and Helen. It's New Year's Eve, 1972, when a boat pulls up to the Maiden Rock lighthouse with relief for the keepers. Inspired by a haunting true story, a gorgeous and atmospheric novel about the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from a remote tower miles from the Cornish coast--and about the wives who were left behind.