Gothic Literature Book Reviews

The Castle by Franz Kafka, first English publication in 1930 translated by Edwin and Willa Muir. The title alone gives credit to the novel's Gothic credentials, although neither the reader, nor the protagonist, K, ever gain entry to the castle. Although unfinished, the novel is a masterpiece of petty bureaucracy, frustrations, a ludicrous class system, secrets, jealousies, futility and, of course, doomed love. K, a land surveyor arrives in the village beneath the castle, seemingly having been offered work by castle officials. He quickly discovers that the appointment was a mistake and there is no work for him. He is neither needed nor wanted. Having come so far, K is unwilling to accept the situation and decides to stay and attempt to speak with the official in charge, believing he can resolve the problem. Most of the petitioning of officials takes place in the Herrenhof inn, often at night. K is informed that he cannot stay at the inn, the rooms are only for castle officials, and ...

                        Paul Ardenheim, the Monk of Wissahikon by George Lippard, first published in 1848 by T B Peterson, Philadelphia. This is a lengthy and ambitious work, set in the backwoods of Philadelphia around the Wissahikon river between the years 1774-1777, although there are flashbacks to previous centuries and different countries. The main plot of the book surrounds an ancient family cursed by patricide, with the spirit of an ancestor haunting the pages in various guises. The underlying themes are universal brotherhood and justice for the poor. Nothing and no-one in the book are as they seem. Every house has at least one secret chamber and the characters are not who they are made out to be. John, is actually Reginald, an English nobleman set on seducing a young orphan girl, until he discovers she is his long-lost sister, but then finds that she isn't. Isaac Van Behme is a wizard searching for the secret of eternal...

                                                                                                  The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, written in 1938, first published in Britain in 1967. The Devil has arrived in late 1930s Moscow in the form of Professor Woland, a self-styled black magician. He is saddened and disappointed to find that people don't believe in him. Accompanying him are several demons, including a large black cat, a tall clown, a naked witch and a vampire. They set about causing chaos, dismantling the somewhat ridiculous nature of Moscow society and exposing greed and hypocrisy. They put on a show at the Variety theatre, showering the audience with money, which later turns into useless labels. Although a mischief-maker an...

                                             The Monastery by Walter Scott was first published in 1820 by Archibald Constable & Co, Edinburgh. The story is something of a whimsical one, with Scott showing a wry sense of humour. The tale begins shortly after the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, with the victorious English then invading parts of southern Scotland and ransacking the monasteries. The monastery in the novel is the fictional one of St Mary's, based on Melrose Abbey. The hero, Halbert Glendinning, is still a young lad, whose father had been killed in the battle, but he shows his mettle by standing up to an English knight. The story moves on to the years after the peace of 1550. The monks have returned to their monastery and continue life as before, however those in favour of the Reformation are gaining ground. The humour is added with the arrival of Sir Percie...

Dorval, or the Speculator by Sarah Sayward Barrell Keating Wood, first published in 1801. Printed by Nutting and Whitelock at the Ledger Press for the author. The book is set in New England, shortly after the Revolutionary War and tells the story of Aurelia Morley, the only daughter of Colonel Morley, a hero of the war. The family are comfortably off, until they fall into the scheming hands of the eponymous Dorval. The author uses the real Yazoo land speculation fraud in Georgia as a backdrop. Colonel Morley is promised wealth beyond his dreams by Dorval, purchasing vast amounts of land in Georgia for a little over a dollar an acre, but borrowing money to do so, certain of selling the land at a substantial profit. When Georgia reformers overturned the Act which allowed the sales, Colonel Morley was left severely in debt, leading to misery for the family and also their friends, the Dunbars. Dorval is not satisfied with financial ruin for the family. He is in love with Aurelia, but she r...

The Putnams of Salem by Greg Houle, published by Blydyn Square Books, Kenilworth, NJ 2024. This is a historical novel with serious Gothic overtones, set as it is during the Salem witch trials. The author himself is descended from the Putnams in the novel. The story follows the first person narratives of Thomas Putnam, an upstanding and influential member of the Salem community, and a staunch accuser of many of those tried for witchcraft, and also of his twelve-year-old daughter Anna, one of the afflicted girls. Thomas is almost fanatical in his need to keep Salem pure and free from evil, yet there are also personal grievances at issue, particularly with association to his younger half-brother, Joseph, who inherited their father's estate. The author uses historical information to keep the story accurate, but it is a work of fiction. Houle examines the psychology behind the accusations, and given that one of his ancestors was the chief accuser, responsible for numerous hangings, one...