This was a bit of a funny reading experience. I can't quite put my finger on the reasons why, but the first half felt like a bit of a slog, and culminated in a couple of really grim scenes that almost caused me to stop reading (and yes, I know it's funny to complain about grimness in a gothic novel, but bear with me). The second half almost felt like a whole other novel. I tore through it, only to be rather disappointed by what felt like an overly sudden ending.