I've been spending a little time in the garden recently, which brought to mind... Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter is like a gothic version of The Bachelor gone horribly wrong, blending mad science, romance, and more poison than a reality TV show. Our hapless hero, Giovanni Guasconti, finds himself in a real-life botanical nightmare where the … Continue reading Toxic Romance: The Perils of Love in Rappaccini’s Garden
Tag: Literature
A Romp Through the Thickets of Bambi
A short while ago, I accompanied my father to the doctor's surgery, to his appointment for pre-scan blood tests. As we settled into the waiting room, I found myself without any reading material. Glancing around, I noticed a small, unassuming book on the table: Bambi. With a mischievous grin, I picked it up and waved … Continue reading A Romp Through the Thickets of Bambi
The Monstrous Monk: Lewis’ Controversial Masterpiece
Matthew Gregory Lewis' The Monk is a Gothic novel that, upon its publication in 1796, caused such a ruckus that it made the scandals of 18th-century high society look like polite tea parties. Picture this: a book that combines lust, murder, and demonic pacts, all wrapped up in the not-so-holy setting of a monastery - monks behaving … Continue reading The Monstrous Monk: Lewis’ Controversial Masterpiece
A Beating Heart and a Babbling Fool: The Tell-tale Heart
While there isn't a single confirmed real-life story that directly inspired The Tell-Tale Heart, it's likely that a combination of contemporary crime stories, specific cases like that of James Wood, Poe's personal experiences, and the broader influence of Gothic literature all contributed to the creation of this iconic tale. Poe's genius lay in his ability … Continue reading A Beating Heart and a Babbling Fool: The Tell-tale Heart
Ethan Frome
Ethan Frome, a novella by Edith Wharton, written in 1911, offers a veritable banquet of desolation, seasoned with a dash of New England frigidity and garnished with just a sprig of hope, promptly withered. It’s the literary equivalent of being snowed in with nothing but biscuits and existential dread. And yet, within its chilling confines, … Continue reading Ethan Frome
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