Rhiannon
A lovely gothic novel set in 1950s Netherlands complete with a forbidden sapphic romance, a decaying manor house in the country and ghosts that bind themselves to their haunted humans (à la Lasher of Rice’s Mayfair Witches) all strongly in the vein of Poe and du Maurier.
Roos grows up under the abusive, exploitive, and strict rule of her (maybe) mother, performing sham séances for money. But Roos has a real spirit tethered to her, Ruth, who has protected and cared for her since she was a child. When Roos reaches the age of 21 her mother effectively sells her off to a mysterious, wealthy widow, Agnes, who says she only wants to have Roos as a companion and seems to understand that Roos’ claim of the spirit Ruth is, in fact, real. Agnes and Roos have much in common.
Roos happily goes off with Agnes to live in her decrepit home in the country, also inhabited by Agnes’ ailing sister-in-law, the memory of Agnes’ deceased husband, and loads of secrets and inherited familial madness.
A haunting and elegantly written gothic romance with plenty of deep dark secrets, charming and terrifying ghosts and a story that unfolds at a languid pace. The story was intriguing, the setting atmospheric, and the characters complex and morally ambiguous. The structure of the story was done well with short ‘interviews’ Roos has with a doctor, separated by 3-4 chapters of first-person narrative told from her POV, so you’re never really certain just how reliable she is, but I found myself drawn to her eagerness for a normal life and her sweet relationship with her spirit, Ruth. I found myself really rooting for her.
Strongly recommend for that haunting, atmospheric read!
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
A lovely gothic novel set in 1950s Netherlands complete with a forbidden sapphic romance, a decaying manor house in the country and ghosts that bind themselves to their haunted humans (à la Lasher of Rice’s Mayfair Witches) all strongly in the vein of Poe and du Maurier.
Roos grows up under the abusive, exploitive, and strict rule of her (maybe) mother, performing sham séances for money. But Roos has a real spirit tethered to her, Ruth, who has protected and cared for her since she was a child. When Roos reaches the age of 21 her mother effectively sells her off to a mysterious, wealthy widow, Agnes, who says she only wants to have Roos as a companion and seems to understand that Roos’ claim of the spirit Ruth is, in fact, real. Agnes and Roos have much in common.
Roos happily goes off with Agnes to live in her decrepit home in the country, also inhabited by Agnes’ ailing sister-in-law, the memory of Agnes’ deceased husband, and loads of secrets and inherited familial madness.
A haunting and elegantly written gothic romance with plenty of deep dark secrets, charming and terrifying ghosts and a story that unfolds at a languid pace. The story was intriguing, the setting atmospheric, and the characters complex and morally ambiguous. The structure of the story was done well with short ‘interviews’ Roos has with a doctor, separated by 3-4 chapters of first-person narrative told from her POV, so you’re never really certain just how reliable she is, but I found myself drawn to her eagerness for a normal life and her sweet relationship with her spirit, Ruth. I found myself really rooting for her.
Strongly recommend for that haunting, atmospheric read!
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
