"If her terrified
cries had been heard by anyone but a wallaby squatting in a clump of bracken a
few feet away, the picnic at Hanging Rock might yet have been just another
picnic on a summer's day." - from Chapter 3
What can I say about Joan Lindsay's moody, atmospheric mystery set in Australia
in the year 1900? I have seen the 1975 film multiple times and have now
read the 1967 novel for a third time, yet words are difficult to find.
Miranda, Irma, Marion, and Edith had it easier ascending Hanging Rock
than I do attempting to describe my recent literary journey.
The fascinating and sometimes frustrating story of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK hypnotizes my mind, so whether I am watching or reading, I am utterly transfixed. I continually search for clues to what may or may not have occurred during the fateful St. Valentine's Day outing to that overwhelmingly desolate volcanic outcropping. Questions are abundant, answers are sparse.
According to various sources, Joan Lindsay solved the mystery in a now infamously posthumously published Chapter 18. Over the years I diligently avoided any details of this originally cut chapter, but Turner Classic Movies recently gave a, thankfully, brief explanation. I will spare you this information, because the best mysteries, the ones that capture us, setting our imaginations ablaze, are the mysteries left unsolved.
The fascinating and sometimes frustrating story of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK hypnotizes my mind, so whether I am watching or reading, I am utterly transfixed. I continually search for clues to what may or may not have occurred during the fateful St. Valentine's Day outing to that overwhelmingly desolate volcanic outcropping. Questions are abundant, answers are sparse.
According to various sources, Joan Lindsay solved the mystery in a now infamously posthumously published Chapter 18. Over the years I diligently avoided any details of this originally cut chapter, but Turner Classic Movies recently gave a, thankfully, brief explanation. I will spare you this information, because the best mysteries, the ones that capture us, setting our imaginations ablaze, are the mysteries left unsolved.
( originally posted on The Writer's Bend )
Be well and Freak Out,
I adore this film and had no idea it was based on a book.. now do in the mood to see the film again. Thanks for the tip
ReplyDeleteIt is a fantastic film and I recommend looking for the book, which is easier to find now since prime video did a miniseries of it a few years ago.
Delete