It won't shock anyone who knows my love of melodrama to hear that I have a huge thing for early nineteenth century Gothic novels. Gothics are the opera of the writing world. They are morality plays, if you will, punctuated by bones and ghosts and creaking chains. One example of this would be Lewis's The Monk.
The Monk starts with Ambrosio, a young abbot who is such an excellent speaker with such a great reputation for holiness that everyone practically worships him. Unfortunately, he knows exactly how awesome he is. When Agnes, a nun from the nearby convent, discovers she's pregnant and begs Ambrosio to intercede for her, he spurns her. The nun upbraids him, saying all his virtues are nothing without mercy, and when he falls prey weakness himself to remember how he refused to show compassion on her. Ambrosio is tempted shortly afterwards by lust, gives in, and proceeds to destroy himself and everyone around him.
One really interesting aspect of the book is how the subplot of Ages and her lover, who is desperate to marry her, ties in with Ambrosio's downward spiral. Twice Ambrosio has an opportunity to help Agnes after his initial rejection; once just after he gave in to lust with Matilda, and once when Matilda tempts him to use witchcraft. In both cases, helping her would have rescued Ambrosio from temptation. The first time if he had helped Agnes he would have been admitting that he was not perfect himself, instead of making excuses. Instead of falling into evil, he would just have been someone who messed up but repented. The second time if he had turned aside to help Agnes he would not have fallen into witchcraft and would not have had the supernatural ability to commit Evil. (In Gothics, a capitol E on evil is always justified.) As in so many tragic story arcs, small decisions are vital.
That's a good thing to be reminded of.
That does sound like quite a book. I'm intrigued by the morality play aspect. {Smile}
ReplyDeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
The story is very Faustian. I read Faust last year as part of my World Lit class, and it was interested to see how much The Monk paralleled it. I should warn you, though, that the story does involve rape. I know that's the kind of thing that its nice to be warned about before you start reading a book. (Guess I should've mentioned that in the actual Blog instead of the comments...)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warning. Rape isn't the deal-breaker for me that arson and murder are; it's hurtful, but not so totally destructive. Still, it isn't something I enjoy having sprung on me unawares. I do better with a little warning. {Smile}
DeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
With me it's evil science fiction doctors doing squicky operations. And tracking device implants. The idea of eternally having someone able to trace your every move (shiver). That'll have me closing a book faster than anything -which is part of the reason I read more fantasy than science fiction.
ReplyDeleteI can see how that would be a problem. It sounds like a good reason to read more fantasy and less science fiction. {Smile}
ReplyDeleteFor me, the problem is destruction. I can handle damage. Damage can be healed, or at least repaired after a fashion. But when something is destroyed - when it can't be fixed - I get too upset. Especially when I have to think about the person who wants to destroy. I don't want to, so those books go down and don't come back up. So the kids mysteries I read as a kid, with theft, smuggling, kidnapping, and the like were great. But the adult myteries that seem to murder, murder, more murder, and the very occasional arson are out. {Lopsided smile}
I'll try to remember your problem with operations and tracking devices when I recommend books. I don't promise not to mention the book, but I'll try to mention if it might be a problem. If you suspect I might have forgotten, please remind me. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Thanks. Hmmm. Yeah, I can see how wonton distruction would be disturbing. So, is it's mostly the destructive intent behind arson? The deliberateness of it? I'm thinking of all those stories where heroes and villains are fighting and someone knocks over a lamp. It can be just as destructive as an actual arson, but the intent isn't there.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I can handle the most horrendous accident and keep reading. I've read stories - even a couple of novels - where that tipped over lamp or mis-aimed fiery weapon set a whole town on fire early in the story. I kept reading. I enjoyed the fire fighting, rescue work, and even setting up the refugee camps that followed. ("A Cast of Corbies" by Josepha Sherman and Mercedes Lackey pop to mind, but there was also a Darkover short story, a Forgotten Realms book, and at least a couple of others.)
DeleteNo, it's the intent to destroy past repair that bothers me, not the level of destruction. Accidents happen. Self defense is sometimes necessary. Defense of others is often laudable. None of these stop me from enjoying a story. Deliberate destruction does. I'm afraid even erroneously assuming the destructin was intentional is too much for me. If the climax of a mystery reveals that the murder was really an accident, I've quit reading before I could appreciate that. {odd smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Sometimes a small destruction is the most teeth-gritting just because it's more petty and personal than, say, a random building.
DeleteVery true. Destroying town isn't as personal as destroying a painting. {Smile}
DeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
The villain in the movie `Megamind' is very senselessly destructive close to the end -partly, I think, so the animators could do massive fireballs and explosions, but also to create a contrast between several characters who had a lot of power and the way they used it. (Aaand I'll stop being all analytical and stuff and just say it's a thing to bear in mind about the movie.)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will keep that in mind about "Megamind". {Smile}
DeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
As for evil scientist doing operations- that's a case of `I know it when I see it' rather than a hard and fast rule. It's the `this could actually happen' aspect that I have trouble with. The less likely it is to happen, the less it bothers me.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'll still try to note it when an operations is described in some detail. Then you can decide whether it's too bad, or bearable for yourself. {Smile}
DeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
By the way, have you checked out Leanna Renee Hieber's latest series? "Darker Still" is out, and another book is expected later this year. They're officially Young Adult, but they have a stronger Gothic feel than her Strangely Beautiful series. {Smile}
ReplyDeleteI'm roughly a quarter of my way thru, and I haven't seen any sign of an operation yet. {Smile}
I think Hieber catches a little more of Victorian-era novels than most modern writers who write in that period. Between this and the other details I mentioned, I thought you might like to know about her. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Thanks! I've heard of the `Strangely Beautiful' series. It's one of those that I keep making a mental note to check out and then never quite do. (There are a lot of books like that.) I'll have to look her up. :)
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with Hieber's writing thru her "Strangely Beautiful" series, myself. But when I noticed we'd begun by talking about Gothic... well, "Darker Still" was inspired by "The Picture of Dorian Grey." {Smile}
DeleteDon't worry; the inspiration is notable, but she takes the ideas in such different ways, that shouldn't count as a spoiler. The picture on the cover can give away more. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Okay, that really piqued my interest. You can go just about anywhere starting from Dorian Gray.
ReplyDeleteTrue. There are a few ideas in "The Picture of Dorian Grey" that can be developed in more than one way. So you can pick both which ideas to develop, and how to do so. {SMILE}
ReplyDeleteI like those options when I'm starting a project. Turns out those options can be fun to read, too. {SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin