I have written before about how detective fiction (and the mystery genre more broadly) emerged out of the Gothic. I even touched briefly on this particular book. But today I want to give a much more in-depth examination of the Gothic elements in Arthur Conan Doyle’s celebrated Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, first published in serialized form in 1901–2. Continue reading Gothic Tropes in The Hound of the Baskervilles
Tag: Faustian Bargain
Review of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
When Ivy Radcliffe suddenly inherits a country estate with a grand and ancient library from an unknown relative, it seems like a dream come true. But that dream slowly turns into a nightmare as the library’s dark secrets come to light. This is the premise of Hester Fox’s Gothic fantasy novel The Last Heir to Blackwood Library, which came out back in April. Continue reading Review of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
Gothic Tropes: The Faustian Bargain
We all know never to make a deal with the devil right? The concept of engaging in trades or bargains with demonic figures has been a common motif in folklore around the world for centuries, but this particular iteration—the Faustian bargain—derives its name from the Germanic folk legend of Doctor Faust. These legends spring from a real historical figure, a sixteenth-century itinerant alchemist and astrologer named Johann Faust, whose larger-than-life reputation led to rumors that he had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for great knowledge and magical abilities. The legend of Doctor Faust has been directly adapted into works of literature many times, but we also see similar bargains being struck by other characters throughout Gothic literature.
Review of Hadestown—A Mythic Musical
All aboard! You don’t want to miss the train to Hadestown, a Broadway musical that gives Greek mythology a modern twist. Friends have been telling me for months that I needed to see this show, especially since the tale of the spring goddess Persephone and her underworld husband Hades is one of my favorite myths and I’m a sucker for creative retellings. I finally got the chance, and let me tell you: it totally lives up to the hype. The production stars Reeve Carney (whom some of you may recognize as Dorian Gray from the show Penny Dreadful) as the poet Orpheus, Eva Noblezada as his lover Eurydice, Amber Gray as Persephone, Patrick Page as Hades, and André De Shields as Hermes. The production swept the Tony Awards this year, winning eight awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Hadestown is currently playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York. Continue reading Review of Hadestown—A Mythic Musical
Harry Potter and the Gothic: Plot Tropes
Around this time last year, in honor of Harry’s birthday, I wrote a blog post on “Gothic Elements in Harry Potter.” Earlier this month, I expanded on that post to do a full panel about “Gothic Influences on Harry Potter” for a convention called MISTI-Con. I’ve found working on this topic to be so much fun that I wanted to share with you a bit more of what I’ve learned. This post may even become part of a series as I continue to explore the connections between my favorite genre and the books that kicked off my early love for literature.
Last time, I touched on some of the Gothic settings, themes, and motifs in J.K. Rowling’s books. Now I want to examine in more depth a few specific plot tropes that Harry Potter borrows from the Gothic. Continue reading Harry Potter and the Gothic: Plot Tropes