“As much as we like to believe in fairy tales, where only stupid or bad people meet tragic ends, women are not murdered because they bring it on themselves through their actions or their inactions; women are murdered because they find themselves in the vicinity of a murderer,” (Biller).
Despite her success as a mystery writer, there’s many things Judith wishes for. She isn’t beautiful like her supermodel sister Anne, she was abhorred by her mother and once she died her father sent her off to a boarding school. Bitter and lonely, Judith wants to be seen as more and ends up getting that from Gavin Garnet, a handsome baron who literally sweeps Judith off of her feet. After a speedy elopement and a magical Parisian honeymoon, Gavin brings Judith to the beautiful castle of Manderfield where Judith starts to learn more about her mysterious husband. Things that may even scare her.
I watched Biller’s The Love Witch back in the early days of the pandemic so I already knew the type of vibes and feelings to expect before going in to Bluebeard’s Castle. Discovering that this book was originally supposed to be a screenplay made the story make even more sense.
Like The Love Witch, Biller plays with aesthetics. While The Love Witch used a 60s/70s aesthetic complete with costumes and set design, it was set in modern day. Similarly, Bluebeard’s Castle is set in the modern day with Judith texting and at times referencing other modern things but the aesthetic is purely gothic. From the old movies Judith watches to the descriptions of the gowns she wears, the food she eats, Biller does an excellent job playing with the setting. Even the name of the castle, Manderfield, is a play on some famous Gothic castles ((Rebecca’s Manderly and Jane Eyre’s Thornfield). It’s easy to forget that the book is set modernly with how well Biller pulls reader in to the Gothic world that Judith desires to be in.
But no matter how much fun Gothic novels are to read, there’s always a darker part and Biller also does that well. Biller attempts to look at domestic abuse through a Gothic lens and the framing device of the bloody fairy tale “The Story of Blue Beard.” Using the Gothic novel to show domestic abuse is the perfect genre to do so, but there’s a lot of repetition, that while intentional does seem to drag the plot. Judith flipflops between loving Gavin and hating him, wanting to leave him and being devoted. Again, I understand what Biller is doing. It’s frustrating to read, but also a realistic look at why and how victims of abuse are drawn back to their abusers, I just don’t know if Biller did this in the best of ways.
Overall though, I had trouble keeping my focus with this one. While Biller loves to play with aesthetic this can sometimes come off too strongly. One big criticism from The Love Witch from many viewers is how bad the acting is, when I don’t think the actors are actually bad but are trying to mimic the acting done in movies from the 60s and 70s. Similarly in Bluebeard’s Castle Judith and most of the other characters speak as if they’re in a Gothic novel with fierce declarations of love, melodrama, and many scenes of wasting away in bed, depressed. I understand what Biller is doing but it can be overdone at times.
Bluebeard’s Castle is an excellent look at domestic abuse using the Gothic novel as a framing device, but it won’t be for everyone. Biller’s style of storytelling is unique, and smart, but not always best communicated to her audience. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try, just don’t be disappointed if you don’t click with this book the way some reviewers do.
Publication: October 10th 2023
Publisher: Verso Booksstarts to see
Pages: 371 pages (eBook)
Source: Libby
Genre: Fiction, Gothic, Horror, Contemporary
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
When the successful British mystery writer Judith meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a birthday party on the Cornish coast, his love transforms her from a bitter, lonely young woman into a romance heroine overnight. After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a secluded Gothic castle. But soon she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband’s mysterious nature, and his alternation between charm and violence, become increasingly frightening.
As Judith battles both internal and external demons, including sexual ambivalence, psychological self-torture, gaslighting, family neglect, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, she becomes increasingly addicted to her wild beast of a husband. Why do women stay in abusive relationships? The answer can be found in the tortured mind of the protagonist, whose richly layered fantasy life parallels that of the female gothic romance reader. Filled with dark humor and evocative imagery, Bluebeard’s Castle is a subversive take on modern romance and gothic erotica.
Sarah O'Connor 