About this title: By the light of a gilded moon, a mysterious black rainbow framed the huddled towers of Grayhaven Manor, a vision of ominous beauty that seemed to warn Megan O'Neill of a darkness within. As the estate's new governess, her apprehensions were banished by the welcome of the Mandeville family. But Megan's growing obsession for her handsome employer blinds her to the terrifying truth of Grayhaven.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Edition: 1st ed.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Congdon & Weed: Distributed by St. Martin's, New York
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780865530539ISBN:086553053X
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. 289 p.; 22 cm. Ex-Library expected imperfections. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780425124819ISBN:0425124819
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. Audience: General/trade. Like new. No marks, tears, folds or creases inside or out. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group, New York, New York, U.S. A
Date Published: 1991
ISBN-13:9780425124819ISBN:0425124819
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Berkley Pub Group, E Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780425124819ISBN:0425124819
Description: Fair. Wear to edges of soft cover. Fold lines to spien from reading. Page tanning from age. read more
Description: Very Good. 0425124819 Great condition paperback book, clean pages, mild creases to spine, some edge/corner rubs, this book is GREAT! Shop & Save With US. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Berkley Pub Group
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780425124819ISBN:0425124819
Description: Near-Fine. 12mo. {005787} Black Rainbow by Barbara Michaels. ISBN 0425124819. Published by Berkley Pub Group in 1994. MASS MARKET PAPERBACK 12mo {Book Condition} NEAR-FINE {Book Condition Details} Cover: minor edge wear, barely visible creasing on Spine. {Keywords} FICTION. read more
"This book started out okay... ish. Megan the orphaned governess falls in love with her handsome employer. That's the first half of the book. Then they get married and the narration switches to Jane, Handsome Employer's younger sister. Jane is a great character, but why switch the narration to her? All the action and plot of the novel is happening with Megan! But we only see it second- or third-hand. This makes for a damn boring story."
"I expected more from this book. I judge books by their covers or their titles too often. I think the rainbow was mentioned only twice, meaning something like an ill wind blows no good. Or in this case a black rainbow... Barbara Michaels is also Elizabeth Peters. Her Amelia Peabody Emerson Series is much better."
This was like North and South meets Jane Eyre gone terribly, terribly wrong. Which actually might have been kind of awesome, had it not been so half baked! Plot-wise, things just happened too late, too abruptly. Threads were dropped unceremoniously. I still can't believe the burial chamber Edmund discovered never ended up being important! Worst of all, everybody who falls in love FALLS IN LOVE OFF-SCREEN. Off-page, whatever. Megan falls for Edmund before the book even starts, Sam telling Megan he's in love with her comes out of nowhere, and Megan does a complete 180 by falling deeply, martyrliciously in love with Sam. I sort of understand why it happened. Megan was only ever infatuated with Edmund. It made sense sense for Sam's confession to come as a shock to Megan (and the reader) since she's an insufferable little snob. The part where Megan ought to have been falling for Sam after her rude awakening about Edmund was all in Jane's POV, and obviously Jane couldn't cotton on that early. BUT STILL. How can I be invested in the relationships when all of the good stuff happens off-screen? IT'S JUST DOESN'T WORK, B MIKE.
In fact, the only thing that worked for me was Jane. At first it seemed like Megan was the heroine of the novel, but she turned out to be a silly, useless, insufferable snob with no sense of self-awareness. I was relieved when no-nonsense Jane took over, even if she was too good to be believed. But I like to think that when she made Megan that costume (cribbed from Rebecca much, B Mike?), she intended all along for Edmund to take notice of her, as Megan presented far less of a threat to her place in the household than Lady Georgina would have. And I also like to think she killed Edmund not just to protect Megan and her nephew, but also as a power play, what with the mill sold and all her talk of male oppression. NO, I WILL NOT BE DISSUADED IN MY PROJECTION OF SINISTERNESS ON JANE'S ACTIONS."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
