The Secret of Hanging Rock: With Commentaries by John Taylor, Yvonne Rousseau and Mudrooroo

This should have been nothing more than the last chapter that was never included in "The Picnic at Hanging Rock". But since that would have been a very short book, the author wasted a lot of time padding the book. The last chapter does explain what happened to the missing girls and teacher. But the explanation was so off-the-wall unbelievable that I wish I had not purchased this.

It’s a horrible ending and needed to be tossed. But, I’m glad I got to read it, out of curiosity. Aliens, rabbit holes or portals in space and floating corsets, really? Where was Alice.Ending a lovely fictional mystery just as that, a mystery, was ingenious.

It was well put together and I would have given it 5 stars except for the fact that the missing chapter was indeed a bit of a disappointment. However, this was what I was expecting and in some ways I quite liked it, I just think it could have been tweaked a bit. I'm glad I read it as otherwise I would have always wondered. Also, it is good to know the original plot of the book. Picnic At Hanging Rock is one of my all time favourite films and a wonderful book too.

The final chapter at first made sense but then got very weird too. As so many others seem to feel I also do not think that the 18th was written by the author.

I expected a book with more complete commentary on the book, this is little more than a pamphlet containing the unpublished (awful) final chapter of the original work and an underwhelming amount of commentary. It's great to demonstrate how a great work of cosmic horror can be influenced by over explanation, and the brilliant editing that made Picnic the fantastic novel it is.

What a waste of $$$! Don't waste your time and money on this bizarre indecipherable foray into the "astral plane" and let it lie.

I didn't read the book, so keep that in mind when or if you read my review. I saw the 1975 movie and Amazon's Prime 2018 series. Very strange. The Chapter 18 and explanations were also very strange. What I don't understand, and maybe I should read the book is why the character, Sara, is even in the movie and what does she know? Why did she jump and kill herself? Did she? Why did the Headmistress climb up Hanging Rock and kill herself? This is a very strange chapter, and the movies are strange. I'm glad the Australian movie industry flourished after they made a movie from the book. However, as weird as all this is, I don't know if I want to spend as much money as Amazon charges for the book.

If you read "Picnic" or saw it, you need to read "secret of picnic" . It fills in the metaphysical gap you felt was there, and well, opens broader more mind expanding avenues. " picnic" is worth it if only to get to Ouspensky.

Don't waste your money on this. I do not believe Joan Lindsay wrote this final chapter. The style of writing, the characterisation, the narrative are all totally different from the rest of the book. The chapter itself is ludicrous and totally unbelievable and the commentaries by the other writers utter nonsense

No it doesn't! The denouement has two alternatives (though the commentary notes that another analysis, written without knowledge of this last one, managed seven. Is it science fiction, or a nod to the Aboriginal beliefs around Dreamland? What really happened to Sara? While it forms a closing statement the actuality remains a mystery, and sets the mind whirring with possibilities. Together this and "Picnic" are utterly absorbing.

Very good read.

At last I'm able to confirm what I've always suspected about those ladies on the Rock.

quickly read quite good