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The gothic seems to have receded from fiction lists — at least for now — but not from the nonfiction ones. Whew. The past is chock-full of byzantine, often morbid dealings for writer-researchers like Piu Marie Eatwell.
I had a chance to review her book The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse in the digital pages of the Los Angeles Review of Books. It appeared over the holidays. You can find the link here if you care to learn more about what I thought about the book.
The title might seem to give away the secrets of this book … but it doesn’t. Eatwell has written a narrative that’s as crafty as that alluring, noirish-sounding title.
The Call will be back soon with a fuller presence, my beloveds. Still grooming my beastly novel, I’m afraid … it isn’t roaring at me anymore, but I haven’t quite domesticated it yet. Still waiting to hear it purr.
Until then, onward my friends.
So nice to see you pop up. Best wishes for the New Year. I hear a good bit of purring myself, just now, but it’s only my cat, who’s napping next to me.
I don’t think the book you mention is one I’d chose for a read, but I’ll have a look at your review, nonetheless.
thanks shore acres … nice to hear from you too and best wishes to you as well. I enjoyed the book; a nice way to escape my own work with a story taking place in the same era. There’s nothing better than the purr of a cat
I did so love this line: Still grooming my beastly novel, I’m afraid … it isn’t roaring at me anymore, but I haven’t quite domesticated it yet. Still waiting to hear it purr.
I wish I could have said this quite so well, but I didn’t. I just said I gotta go back to work. That’s a farmer for you.
Cheers with it all. .I’m still enjoying the work. I expect you are too. J.
The Gothic never really dies, only recedes. Which is fitting, since that’s how the past operates within the Gothic itself!
Thanks Janet. So nice to hear from you. Happy new year!
I hope you’re right Colin….may the Gothic never die!
Excellent review, Nick! I am missing your presence in the blogosphere, but I understand the need for focus. Can’t wait to hear the purrrrr. Cheers!
thanks Jil … really nice to hear from you. I hope your new year is starting off perfect!
Not perfect, but reasonably well. We bought a house in SF in October, moved in late November, and then it started raining. Have discovered a leak where the front entrance attaches above the garage. Must get it fixed before El Niño leaves us with mold. OTOH, I love working while looking out at our garden and the myriad birds (including territorial humming birds) gorging themselves on pyracantha berries. Cheers to the new year!