5/9/2023 0 Comments Wakenhyrst novelIn true gothic style, we then get further framing, with an exchange of letters ending in the present day Maud’s promise to discuss ‘ the sale of my ‘story’‘ with a Dr Robin Hunter. At the very end, we’re told that Maud is a witch. While the article is a teaser (ending with a reader discount for the full book ‘ Murder in the Orchard‘), it does give us tantalising clues and a sensational conclusion. The reporter promises us that his exclusive insight and journalistic acumen has solved the mysteries around the brutal murder and madness in Wakenhyrst’s past. A smug 1966 article ‘ Only in The Sunday Explorer Magazine’ introduces us to a ‘ witch’s lair,’ an ‘ancient‘, ‘ ivy-choked‘ manor house inhabited by the reclusive Maud Stearne. In Wakenhyrst, the modern element is set up through the most traditional of gothic conventions. Like Sarah Water’s wonderful historical novels, it manages to give an authentic presentation of complex lives that are relevant and compatible with modern sensibilities, while remaining convincingly entrenched in an earlier time period. Continuing with my modern Gothic reading, Wakenhyrst is one of those joyful books that combines contemporary themes and genre awareness with a totally traditional setting.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |