Garnet Night

Next: Casebook of Ghosts by Elliott O'Donnell [Taplinger Publ., 1969]

2011-10-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Next came this gem.

I found it via THIS web site:

http://www.headlesshollow.com/tag/elliott-odonnell/

Includes 3 scans of illustrations within. The jacket's BACK has even better art than the front.

My copy was obtained via a Nevada dealer. Same as this blogger's: Ex-library edition, the jacket still in light plastic wrap. Paid only $1.99 for it (+ minimal shipping/handling).

Filled with true stories: Either O'Donnell's own, or cases of people he personally interviewed. He was not a gullible man. Mr. O'Donnell held to high and rigid standards for 2nd-hand accounts. And whenever possible, he obtained permission (from private land/home owners) to spend time investigating an alleged haunting himself.

More to follow.

The Midnight Hearse, by Elliott O'Donnell

2011-10-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

It began with this title.
Found at local used/rare bookstore.
Got it for $1.00.
What's so great about that?
O'Donnell's books are rare in the U.S. -- and *pricey*.
Most UK sellers (Ebay or Amazon) refuse to sell to Americans.

More to follow (scans and comments).

I am definitely an Elliott O'Donnell (1872 - 1965) fan.

p.s.: It's been nearly 1.5 years since I last posted. Life has been difficult.

Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion [2010]

2010-07-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Saw this new title at Barnes & Noble on Monday. I might buy and read it at some point. Taking a summer break from Gothics/related. What is it with The Undead and Abbey(s) anyway? Carfax Abbey, Abbey Road. Hmmmm. ;-)

"Wot? Us...zombies?"

"Yeah Paul, they must be joking."

"I'm a joker."

"We know THAT, John."

"Hey! I wanna be your man!"

"Sorry...I don't swing that way."

"Uh, we're too cute to be zombies. Girls don't toss jelly beans at zombies after all."

"Spot on, George old chap. Spot on."

Zombie Satellite

2010-05-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Just now read this at a science blog (which is updated daily and hence I won't include the link; can Google for verification). What a hoot, especially referring to it as "the undead satellite":

Zombie Satellite Causes Astronomical Buzz

[by Claudine Zap, 15 hours ago]

Don't be alarmed. High above your heads, a zombie satellite is on the loose. OK, actually, it won't really be a bother to us earthlings. Or at least to most of us. (More on that later.) But the rogue communications satellite is wreaking havoc in Earth's orbit and does threaten to interfere with signals coming from other satellites. Here's the backstory...

The communications satellite named Galaxy 15 lost contact with ground control after a solar flare probably fried its brain. As a story from the Christian Science Monitor reports, attempts from Earth to contact the satellite have been unsuccessful. But instead of just dying and drifting off, the satellite has continued to orbit the Earth, even though it refuses to receive instructions from its owner, Intelsat.

For the science nerds out there: The satellite is still on, with its "C-band telecommunications payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude 36,000 kilometers over the equator." Translation: Not good.

What's confounding scientists is that even though the satellite is toast, it continues to operate at full power, but with nobody telling it what to do. Why on earth we should care: The "zombiesat" (as its known in space talk) could steal a working sat signal, and interrupt programming for its customers. Yes, that means our television programs. The horror. As the blog Boing Boing points out, Galaxy 15 was one of the satellites that carried the Syfy channel's signal. And now it's met an end good enough to be its own Syfy show.

The Galaxy 15 is on course to mess with an SES satellite that transmits to Luxembourg. If it's any consolation to the good people of Luxembourg, officials are calling the situation "unprecedented."

The undead satellite has caused searches for "galaxy 15 satellite" to rise an astronomical 10,300% in the last week. Searches were also out of this world for "nasa satellite imagery," "satellite photo," and "nasa satellites." It's also caused people to wonder "how many satellites are in space." Not enough to bump into each other. Yet.

The Vampire, by Dumas [1865]

2010-05-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Links feature is not working like usual; sorry, but you'll have to copy and paste into your browser.

http://www.cadytech.com/dumas/stories/vampire.php

Dumas, of the much more popular "The Three Musketeers" fame. Didn't know he'd written a Gothic too. ;-)

Translated by Frank Morlock. I've just now discovered Frank translated this work and so haven't yet read it.

Mr. Morlock happens to be a member of my "Age of Voltaire" group (Yahoo). I'm also recently a moderator of his "Age Of Enlightenment And Reason" group. If you're interested in 18th century Enlightenment philosophy and history, check us
out:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ageofvoltaire/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Age_Of_Enlightenment_And_Reason/

The Bat [When It Flies, Someone Dies!] 1959

2010-04-30T07:51:00.001-07:00

Recently I purchased (used...of course) a copy of "The Bat." Later I was recalling Agnes Moorehead, and a film of hers I've owned about 10 years: "The Bat" - with Vincent Price co-starring. I watched the film upon buying it but haven't since rewatched. I wondered if the film were based on the book (a paperback pulp Gothic? what were the chances? nil...) and checked the Internet Movie Database: Sure enough! :-o The movie is based on the novel. Turns out the author (MRR) was a very talented and accomplished lady, who for a while OUT-SOLD that British powerhouse named Agatha Christie! I don't recall much of "The Bat", frankly none of it, so apparently it didn't make an impression (even if I adore Agnes Moorehead). Will watch it again sometime soon. In the meantime, enjoy the following images:

Happy 29th Birthday, Hayden Christensen

2010-04-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

I am not a cougar, but darling Hayden brings out the cougar in me. I've been smitten with this man since 2005; he bumped William Shatner off the throne of my heart (never figured that'd be possible). The things I could say...{DIP HIM IN HONEY AND TOSS HIM TO ME!} *sigh* Only Hayden Christensen could make me fall in love with Anakin Skywalker; he's gorgeous good OR evil. Happy birthday to you, baby.

Green Darkness :: Vampyre of Moura :: Mansion of Mystery

2010-04-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Persepolis [2007]: Non-Goth Reading Recommendation

2010-03-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

In mid-February I'd seen this at Barnes & Noble, and wanted to buy it right then and there! :-) I'd first heard of this woman's story and graphic novel in 2007...but then a lot of harried real-life stuff made me temporarily forget. But $25 for? :-o Not with husband's birthday and Valentine's Day just past, and our wedding anniversary around the corner. How many times will you re-read ANY book, even a graphic novel? So I decided to wait. Yesterday while traipsing through the local used/out-of-print bookstore, looking for a particular Gothic cover, *bingo!*: There's THIS copy of "Persepolis" and in near mint condition. Price: $8.00. BUT...with my trade-in credit I paid a grand total of $1.41. :-D

It is an EXCELLENT, absorbing, true-life story of a very young Iranian girl living through the Iranian Revolution, beginning in the late '70s. Marjane was born in approximately 1970.

Tarn House :: You'll Like My Mother :: Daughter of Despair [and lookalikes]

2010-03-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

For all you sons-in-law out there: The 2nd one! :-p I think the model on the cover of "Daughter of Despair" looks a lot like Neve Campbell ala late '90s. I've also seen a cover wherein the model looks very much like Nicole Kidman, Claudia Schiffer, etc. -- celebs who were tots when the cover art was created, if even yet born.

The "Night World" series by L.J. Smith: Secret Vampire [1996]

2010-03-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

It's for young adult readers, but I was curious about the title "Secret Vampire" and so read the back's description: A 16-year-old girl (Poppy - love that name) diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her years-long friend James (a vampire) seeks to save her life by turning Poppy into one of the undead. The author consulted with an R.N. regarding symptoms specific to the sort of cancer Poppy's dying from, expectations for treatment and types of chemotherapy, etc. I work in the medical field and this especially made the story of interest. I'm currently reading it.

A review to follow.

Girl On the Run :: Portrait of a Dead Lady :: The Ice Forest

2010-03-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

As in the last post, small but sharp and crisp images. These are obtained via "The Bookshelf":

Crow Hollow: Cover Scan

2010-02-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

This is an unusually pretty cover, despite the lack of excessive detail and neutral colors. It's the hint of pale wintry blueness (despite her filmy sleeveless plunge neckline gown!), the murder of crows sitting on a black gnarled tree branch, the STARK RED LETTERING above...it works for me. Simplicity in beauty I guess. I don't own this cover and found its scan at Fantasticfiction.uk.

Two Novel Covers [small]

2010-02-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

Break out your magnifying glass. ;-) Sorry, I couldn't find a larger online image. Both found via Gothic Bookshelf (seller). The images are crisp and sharp however. I'd particularly like to have the 1st:

Vampire Hunter D: The Novels [2]

2010-02-16T03:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I posted 3 titles and their cover art. This is the 4th of these novels which I purchased yesterday. I've begun reading it, and the story reads like the original Anime film "plays." Very interesting and enjoyable. There are other novels as well, and of course their cover art can be found via Google Images.

Vampire Hunter D: The Novels

2010-02-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, while browsing in Hasting's, I noticed one of these novels for sale. Hadn't known VHD had been novelized, though it didn't surprise me. I also noticed it's a serial collection and was curious to see what selection Barnes & Noble might have. Turns out B & N has nearly every title, and I bought 4 of them (will try to find a photo of the 4th tomorrow). I *love* Vampire Hunter D, immediately liked the original 1985 Anime film back then.

These books are NOT graphic novels. They are labeled as Manga, despite reading right to left and only containing 9 or 10 illustrations. The style is prose. The creator of VHD wrote these novels in the mid-1980s, and around 2006 they were finally translated into English. :-)

The cover art are gorgeous. I got these from Google Images and none of the scans really do the art justice.

Dracula, by Bram Stoker [1897] Review 1

2010-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

After reading extensively about this classic novel in the book which accompanies "The Vampire Tarot" by Robert M. Place (that Tarot deck is based upon Stoker's novel), I decided to read the novel itself (my copy's cover is that shown).

Far be it from me to review "Dracula," much less approve of it, but wow -- it truly IS a masterpiece. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars it would rate 500. I'm halfway through the novel and will jot down my impressions of it so far.

First off, I'm amazed an Englishman of his day could write female characters (Mina and Lucy) so well. The ladies' diaries and letters sound so authentic, as if actually written by women of the time. All characters are likeable (except for the Count of course), and I've fallen in love with Jonathan Harker. ;-) A genuine Gothic atmosphere pervades the book, including fantasy-type imagery I wouldn't have thought possible for an author of the late 19th century.

At first I was skeptical the "diary/journal entries, letters, telegrams" style of the novel would work. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to imagine Mina or Dr. Seward not getting horrific writing cramps, but the style DOES work. The entire novel is written from a "collection" of each main character's 1st-person accounts and observations.

And it is precisely that which keeps this novel MOVING. It must have been considered a very fast-paced and exhilirating read in 1897 because it keeps this 21st century gal turning the pages. You know how old novels tend to be: It takes the author 10 pages to move characters from exiting the door to being down at lane's end picking daisies. :-P Yeah, I know life was slower then...but Stoker's novel is NOT like that. It keeps clipping right along.

Stoker was bold and daring. It paid off.

Will write 2nd and final review when I've completed this treasure.

Blade Runner [1982]

2010-02-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, Blade Runner; what's not to love? Who didn't find the opening scene of "The Hades Landscape" breathtaking, and with the Vangelis soundtrack combined? Magnificent.

It needs no review from me. I love sci-fi and while this isn't "a Gothic," I definitely do enjoy the dark mood and brooding quality of the film - particularly in the winter; this is a winter film for me. The detective aspect of it is another draw, and I prefer the version which contains Deckard's monologue.

The city. Who wouldn't be drawn for a visit?

And the lovely Rachael. She's my favorite character. I only wish they'd written something profound for her to say.

I missed seeing the film in a theater in 1982. I hope it's re-released to the Big Screen for its 30th (gosh...can it be??) anniversary in 2012.

*First posted this in January 2009. I enjoy the film so much, particularly this time of the year, I couldn't resist reposting it.*

The Master of the Blue Mire [cover scan]

2010-02-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

I found this day before last at an online bookseller's site. It's a beautiful cover which immediately caught my eye, particularly the blueness. You can see the splashing of water as the girl hurriedly steps into a pond.

As Photobucket.com won't open for me today (it's so glitchy), I've gone back to the web site and copied the page where the cover appears LARGE:

http://tinyurl.com/yf27zm8

The publication year was listed as 1971. I'd like to have this novel and will check local used bookstore; they've got half a dozen Coffman titles.

Bride of Darkness, by Margery Lawrence [1967]

2010-01-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

Correct cover art, different title and author. This book's title is in bold white letters at upper left-hand corner. The true color is a sinister bile green with mossy hightlights. In the lower right-hand corner are these words in white italics: "Beneath the lovely facade of a modern young wife lurked an evil -- as ancient and indestructible as time."

The story purports to be true. Its author, Margery Lawrence, begins in the Foreword: "Most readers of this book will regard it as a piece of pure fantasy, but in fact it is not. It is the true and exact account (except in a few places where I have altered the 'coloring' of the story in order to avoid any possible identification with places or people) of the marriage of a friend whom I will call, for obvious reasons, Mr. X. Mr. X is a scientist of considerable attainments..."

Blah blah. The story opens on Keith Randolph, 27-ish Englishman. The story is told from his perspective. While on business in Italy on his father's behalf, Keith meets Gilda: A gorgeous red-headed sculptor, and a widow, who works in her father's home. Her father is a wealthy collector and antiquarian. Keith is madly attracted to Gilda; she's smooth and coy. Soon they're married and burning up the marriage bed. She'd always wanted an English husband, and soon they settle in London. Things go fine for a while; Gilda has a few oddities about her, including refusal to take any salt in her food. She's also always offering to "do" other peoples' hair and nails; claims to have been a former stylist and manicurist. Keith's father, wealthy in his own right, becomes progressively ill. Keith finds little envelopes filled with hair clippings and nail trimmings of various people (their names are written on each envelope in Gilda's hand) in a mysterious box in her work desk. Hmmmm! Soon Gilda becomes pregnant; and she's FURIOUS about it. The baby (Noel) is born and Gilda shows no care for her child; let the nanny do everything. She's cold, callus, super-selfish; Keith becomes increasingly frustrated and enraged by Gilda's "turn" of character.

But a bright spot in Keith's life: Chloris. She's the daughter of his father's long-time Grecian friend (or something). Chloris and her Aunt Mary relocate to London as well; Chloris begins working for a magazine. They've known each other for ages and Keith gradually begins to fall in love with Chloris. Aunt Mary's lady servant recognizes Gilda for what she is: A witch! Despite the shocked utterance accompanied by fainting on the woman's part, despite all evidence he's seen/experienced, Keith is "shocked" and must run to a dictionary to ensure he understood the Greek word the woman used against his wife. Right.

As the Randolphs' marriage continues to sour and the health of their son, Noel, continues to falter, Gilda is suddenly summoned to Italy: Her father. Who soon dies. Seems lots of people die around Gilda at the most opportune times. Meanwhile, Keith nobly plans how to save his faltering infant son, Noel, from his mother; she's away in Italy and he has time...which he fritters away wringing his hands when he's not taking Chloris out for drinks and dancing. >:-( It's very easy to see the social mores/values of the time in these old novels: An angry witch will carry a child to term rather than abort it; a man cannot divorce his wife and must stand idly by (sort of) until she returns home.

The story is chatty, chatty, chatty. Lots of descriptives of dress, hairstyles, jewelry. Painstaking detail about EVERYTHING. That was a major turnoff, and after page 108 I had enough and skimmed to the ending:

Which is happy of course. Gilda gets hers in the end. Noel is spared (thankfully!), Keith and Chloris are free to love and marry; they have 3 children.

I give it 3 stars out of 5. It's good writing and entertaining, just...tedious.

The Tulip Tree (cover scan) - ENLARGED

2010-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

Absinthe of the former "Gloomy Sunday" blog scanned this. She offered me copy/use of her images...and then she was gone (November '08).

I've not been able to find this book/cover locally.

This post is in honor of Shaun's friendship: Seven years of fun discussing astronomy, planetary science, manned spaceflight and Mars colonization at two message boards. Farewell, my Aussie friend. :*-(

p.s.: Finally got stupid Photobucket to open/work. Enjoy the larger version.

Received my Goth Rosary order, yay!

2010-01-20T06:41:00.000-08:00

I recently placed an order with AntiSally of The Goth Rosary (scroll down to end of blog for banner, which links to her site).
I'm reposting the images of products ordered on December 22 (see blog post that date). It's *MY* fault the order was only received yesterday, as I forgot to send payment! Things were hectic that week (plus we had two Federal Holidays). :-\
I love AntiSally's stuff! The fragrances each have their own distinct and pleasing scent; not too strong or too weak. The fragrances linger for hours on the skin (or bed sheets, if you're so inclined ;-p ). I ordered Gothic Rose, Shadows, Funeral Flowers (love that especially!) and Seattle Rain.

The skull soaps are larger and thicker than I'd anticipated based on description; at least the size of a quarter in diameter. They appear yellow in the pic because of the background of course, but really are ghostly white. The soap I ordered was "Black Wings;" this has a clove-like scent, with a subtle hint of black licorice. It is very unique and I do like it. AntiSally is generous too; I was surprised to find 9 or 10 soaps in the container.

The coffin candle tin I ordered this time was "Graveyard" scent. It, Funeral Flowers and Seattle Rain are so far my favorite scents, but they're all very good. :-)

AntiSally is a professional. She profusely thanks the customer and includes treats: This time it was cherry, apple and watermelon Zotz candies. ;-) Trixie also loves AntiSally's stuff, especially the packing box and sytrofoam packing peanuts. I saw her sprint away 2 or 3 times with stryopeanuts in her mouth; guess I'll find out where she hid them during spring cleaning. :-p And while I was arranging my items on the dresser, you-know-who pounced onto it (surprised me), curious for more!

I **totally** recommend this lady and her products. Prices are reasonable, products are of very good quality, service is prompt and courteous. AntiSally also puts out a frequent e-newsletter which is always entertaining.

Girl on the Moon & Her Vampire

2010-01-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

Image from "The Vampire Tarot" by Robert M. Place, found via Google Images. Last night while continuing to read the accompanying book, I came across the author's reference to a patient of Jung's. Mr. Place quotes the source of the case -- Jung's "Memories, Dreams, Reflections" -- which I read probably 5 years ago. Mr. Place retells the case perfectly, and I thought it might be of interest, so I'll quote him:

"Jung related a fantasy of an 18-year-old female catatonic patient under his care, in which a vampire symbolized her Animus and became the catalyst for her healing. As he stated later, her condition stemmed from being seduced by her brother. Because incest is traditionally associated with royalty and divinities, this experience transported her to a mythic realm. She gradually became more and more isolated and odd, until she was completely silent. Jung worked with her for weeks, and when he finally persuaded her to speak, she depicted her catatonic state as a fantasy in which she had been living on the moon.

She said that the men on the moon kept their wives and children in sublunar dwellings so that they would be safe from a vampire who lived in the mountains. As a favor to the moon people, the patient planned to destroy the vampire. To accomplish this, she waited for him on a tower erected for this purpose and had a sacrificial knife concealed under her gown. Day after day she waited until he drew close. His appearance was that of a large black bird with several pairs of wings. His iridescent black feathers totally hid his face, and when he was finally within reach she was seized by a curiosity to find out what he looked like. Suddenly the wings opened, revealing a man of unearthly beauty, and she was spellbound and unable to strike. Then, the vampire seized her with an iron grip and flew away with her.

After this, she was able to speak and could no longer return to her catatonic state. Gradually she returned to complete health, was married and had a natural full life.

When the female patient began to wonder what her Animus looked like, she began to interact with him consciously and he transformed into a healing catalyst."

Cool huh? ;-)

More Bitter Than Death (cover scan)

2010-01-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Found this beauty (published in 1962) at the local used bookstore the same day I found "The Master of Phoenix Hall" (posted very recently). Both books are in near-mint condition, particularly this one. It'll likely be a while before I get around to reading MBTD, although it's definitely in my 10-stack of "read soon" Gothics. Meanwhile I'm 2/3 of the way through a current Gothic.

{p.s.} If you look closely enough, the girl is wearing a blue-beaded necklace which is swinging off to the viewer's left as she flees.

House on Somber Lake, by Alix de Marquand [1968]

2010-01-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I couldn't find a cover scan for this novel, but it's simple enough to describe: Picture the "Easy Eye" logo at cover's top with "Large Type Non-Glare Paper" at its side. The art itself: Picture the Bates House in upper left-hand corner, beneath it a girl (Gillian) with shoulder-length straight brown hair in a red/white checked sleeveless dress who looks a lot like Hilary Swank aged 25. In cover's middle is marshland/ponds. The sky is gloomy/overcast. At cover's right side is a column of black smoke which looks like a tornado falling down. Gillian is looking at the column of smoke with trepidation.

This novel is a hoot. I've not finished it and am not sure I will, because it is so poorly edited and is flat-out zany. It starts out well enough; Gillian's on a train. She seems wise and level-headed. The train comes to an abrupt stop. Her friends, Sidney and Marylois, decide to exit the train and tramp to the nearby small town until the train's troubles are repaired (they have NO idea how long or short in duration this will be). Gillian of course thinks this is highly foolish of Sidney and Marylois; yet she decides to follow them! Gillian gets off the train, searches for her friends. They're nowhere in sight. Now she's confused. The train whistle blows and she runs for it; too late! That stupid Sidney and Marylois; how dumb could THEY have been?? :-p

Well Gillian's a heckuva lot dumber, because she suddenly finds herself in a quicksand-type bog which nearly kills her (who's the idiot now, again??). A strange man hears her cries for help however, and comes to rescue her. His name is Edward Webley.

Webley's a recluse. He has little money. Despite wishing to be left alone in this dreadful world of 1968 and being nearly flat-broke, he has an older married couple as hired hands. Makes no sense; little money, lots of time, claims to be a recluse and yet he's got "help."

Webley puts Gillian up for the night. But tomorrow she's GOT TO GO. He's never had guests before and dadblame it, she'll be the last. And he's not going to take her to her "new" (sight as yet unseen) house; the hired help will drive her there.

Next morning Webley's tearing down the road with Gillian as his passenger. Seems he's changed his mind awful sudden: Now HE will take her to the sight-unseen house she's bought.

They arrive at the house, which isn't a cottage but a villa; it's made of dark gray stones. Only the bedroom is furnished. Later we discover it's a cottage after all, and is pretty much furnished throughout. Another contradiction.

Gillian has no car of her own. She's nearly out of money (yet later offers to loan Webley money), no job, no foodstuffs in the house. Because of this, you guessed it: She'll be a guest in Webley's home again tonight (despite his adamant stance it'd be the one night only). They head for the car. Get in. Gilliam SLAMS the car door (she has a penchant for this). Webley's at the wheel, begins to drive off. Next thing we read, she's FOLLOWING him in the rain as he walks ahead of her; she watches the movements of his shoulders in the rainfall. They're sopping wet as they get into the car. *sigh*

She's going to spend the 2nd night at Webley's house, right? Nope, now Mr. Recluse (who hasn't seen the outlying towns in aeons) is taking her into town; to a bar, where people hate him. They're at the bar so Marylois can come pick Gillian up.

However, the novel does have a certain charm because of all its flaws. It also does have a solid enough storyline. I think the author was probably rather young, and didn't benefit from a good editor; a pity, because it had true promise imo. If I finish it, I'll do another review.

My Gothic Jewelry

2010-01-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

This will soon be ordered. It's due to Jake. We're no longer brother and sister. I'll always cherish you, Jake; regardless. Thanks for practically killing my heart.

I have a garnet ring similar to this one, except mine is fancier with a fine filigree. Can't find a pic on the 'net of it.

Pugin Cross ring. A heavy man's ring. Wear it on my left forefinger. No one seems to notice though; hmmmm. This one is copyrighted 1998 by The English Alchemy Carta; I ordered it from England years ago.

The Vampire Tarot, Dracula & Carl G. Jung

2010-01-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

"The vampire of European legend is a repulsive, ugly monster, the stinking reanimated bloodsucking corpse of a criminal, a suicide victim, an alcoholic, a heretic or other social misfit who crudely preys (on others);...folk beliefs do not attest to the intelligence of this monster...who rarely strays far from home.

+However+, the vampire of modern novels and cinema bears little resemblance to his folkloric predecessor. He is likely to be a romantic wealthy noble who has lived for centuries, travels far, has his choice of beautiful women for prey, intelligence (etc.); he or she may also be beautiful and the focus of sexual desire.

To comprehend the connection, and yet dissimilarities, between the folk and the literary fantasy, the observations of the famous pioneer of psychology, C.G. Jung (1875 - 1961) are helpful. Jung observed that whereas passive fantasy -- the fantasies produced in dreams, visions, delusions and folktales -- "bear a morbid stamp," active fantasy -- a therapeutic, conscious exploration of a fantasy, one that takes place in the arts as well as in therapy -- "is one of the highest forms of psychic activity." Applying this observation to our vampire theme, we see that the folk traditions of the vampire are passive fantasies and bear a morbid stamp. In Jungian terms, this morbid quality occurs because these fantasies are unconscious projections of fears that derive from a powerful inner force or archetype. The archetype that they derive from is one that Jung termed the Shadow, which is a depository in the unconscious for all aspects of the personality that most people consciously disown.

The literary vampire, on the other hand, is a work of art, which is a conscious exploration of the unconscious. The archetype that it calls on is primarily the one that Jung labeled the Anima (male psyche) or Animus (female psyche)...personifications of the soul that can appear as either a negative or positive influence. In fact, when explored in a fantasy, the Anima or Animus tends to transform from negative to positive and become a guide to greater wisdom. Because it is a conscious fantasy, the literary vampire is a personification of the Anima or the Animus, and owes more to the mythical themes of gods and lovers...that is why it can become the theme of a Tarot deck."

[The Vampire Tarot book, pages 69 & 70]

As an armchair student of Jung's, I found this fascinating! Sorry for any typo's that I might not have caught after proofing.

p.s.: I should add that I wasn't aware Mr. Place is a student of Jung's nor that Jungian psychology is applied to "Dracula" in this book and Tarot, when I purchased it. What a delightful surprise this has been! :-)

The Vampire Tarot, by Robert M. Place [2009]

2010-01-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

As recently mentioned, I purchased this deck in late November. Have been reading the accompanying book (will post regarding it tomorrow). Last evening and this, I unwrapped and studied the cards. They are *MESMERIZING* - bold and powerful! I've not yet encountered so powerful a Tarot deck as this one, but then it IS rooted in the application of Jungian psychology to Bram Stoker's "Dracula." The art is phenomenal, imo; certain cards have an almost 3-D effect, as if you could push your finger into it and feel textures. I was instantly engrossed. The colors are enticing, and some are tones and hues I've never seen before. Also, many lovely contrasts with stark solid black. :-)

My only criticism of the deck are the Court cards: I dislike historical figures used to represent some of them (others are represented by fictional characters). Why do I dislike the use of historical figures? Because they were real people, and why should I presume each individual *would have* represented the essence of the card?

I wanted to include as many scanned cards as possible in this post (found via Google images), but NONE of the scans do the cards true justice. If you think the images in this post are lovely then buy the deck, see the real cards and prepare to have your socks knocked off.

The Master of Phoenix Hall (cover scan)

2010-01-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Have just now obtained this terrific cover scan via Ecrater. The colors are true (thank you whoever you are!). I found this Gothic at the local used bookstore today. The title on the spine was unfamiliar, it was on the top shelf; I'm glad I reached up to check the cover...it is *gorgeous.* :-) Instantly one of my absolute favorites. The girl with her flowing gown and lovely white gloves, tapering lit candle, ancient weaponry, another gloomy dungeon door; and notice the three dangling skulls. Fabulous! Had to share it now. Probably will read after I've finished two current Gothics.

p.s.: Until I can get my Photobucket.com account to open (to host the original larger image), here's the scan's link:

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2812423

The Cry of the Cat (cover scan)

2010-01-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Trixie's all-time favorite cover art. I have a copy of this novel; it's probably many months away as reading goes. Thought I'd start off the new year with a nod to my co-reviewer. ;-) No hangover here; in fact, we forgot about the Smirnoff altogether! It would have been a toast and few sips. Have half a day's work ahead of me, which is great; I'm a workaholic and generally can't abide 3-day weekends. Happy 2010!

Happy New Year 2010!

2009-12-31T05:26:00.000-08:00

[Photo courtesy a recent newsletter from AntiSally @ GothRosary.com]

I Am Gabriella! ^^^ Pilgrim's End (Cover Scans)

2009-12-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

I especially like this one. Not sure why, but it's just a pretty package: The colors, centered figure in black, tall slender chateau with its uniquely sinister aura, full moon on the rise. I'd like to have a copy of it, but no more online purchases; it'll have to be found locally or nothing.

Gothic Snowstorm

2009-12-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

That's what it looks like to me anyway. A peach pie is baking in the oven, holiday lights are twinkling about our warm and cozy home, the makings for a homemade (non-alcohol) fruitcake awaits mixing and baking later. We've enjoyed spicy and savory snacks of sausage, nachos, eggrolls. Tonight we'll drive about enjoying lawn displays; upon return home will dip into "Ile de France" baked brie with cranberries, apricots, almonds and brandy. 'Tis the season! :-D

Happy Holidays to my readers: Even if you don't like it! ;-p

The Haunting of Helen Wren, by Jan Alexander [1975]

2009-12-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

Finished reading this Gothic last evening. It's unusual and original, and on that basis I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It's also a negative Gothic, in that it has no happy ending. The storytelling is done in a measured and progressive semi-"crazy quilt" fashion. It opens with Helen and her troubles. Helen is a sympathetic but somewhat unlikeable character. Her deceased father was a domineering religionist, and at age 27 Helen is meek and undecided...and a boyfriendless virgin. Upon her release from Ville de Valle, a luxury psychiatric hospital, Helen returns home: Where a year prior her parents were brutally slain by unknown assailants. She is nearly raped (and presumably later to be murdered), but is spared by the approach of police sirens (neighbor heard the screams/commotion and phoned the cops). Helen suffers a nervous breakdown as a result.

It's a year later and she decides to return to the unhappy (always) home alone. Her sister, Robie, arrives to usher Helen home; Robie is a free-spirited rebel who resides in NYC and doesn't spend the night. She stays the afternoon with Helen and returns home. Robie has offered to stay awhile, but Helen insists she'll be fine. Mrs. Halvorsen, the cook/maid, is part-time help who refuses to stay overnight. So we have the very unlikely scenario of a mental patient having suffered a catastrophic breakdown returning to the house wherein the savage butchery of her parents occurred, spending the very first night alone. :-\ I doubt it.

It turns out, no surprise, that the house is haunted. On nights of the full moon Helen hears the cries and crashes of her parents' vicious murders "replayed." She also experiences sudden extremely cold drafts and the sensation of someone in bed beside her.

Helen, usually timid and indecisive, decides to seek Robie's help and goes to NYC. Robie had challenged their father, had defiantly told him she'd go on her own even if it meant being disinherited from a fortune. Their father agreed. Robie works, keeps a small apartment, is a party girl with a string of lovers. She's also devoted to Helen, and is stunned but curious when Helen arrives to proclaim their family home haunted.

Two doctors subsequently check into Helen's story. The first, Dr. Brewer, was known to Robie during her days at Columbia University; Dr. Brewer is an M.D. whose hobby is ghost hunting/paranormal. Dr. Wallace steps into the picture at the end; he is a psychiatrist. Both men, while empirically trained and claiming to be skeptical, are actually rather open to the supernatural in ways genuinely empirically trained professionals wouldn't be.

It turns out the house is indeed haunted.

This is the first Gothic I've read wherein the heroine doesn't have a love interest. No man seeks her romantically nor sexually. But considering Helen's overall "gray" personality, I suppose that's without saying.

Trixie gave this story Zero Paws for no mention of a cat. She felt sorry for the little dog who died of fright, but a bit disdainfully so; Trixie pointed out that a cat would never die of fright. :-p

No coal in MY stocking, no sir!

2009-12-22T13:26:00.001-08:00

Skull shaped (duh!) glycerin soaps.
Mini Fragrance Mists 5ml

Santa Claus says I'm a good girl and can order some holiday goodies from AntiSally at GothRosary.com :-D

MINI Fragrance Mists 5ml Alcohol Free = $2.99
Fragrance FUNERAL FLOWERS™
Fragrance SEATTLE RAIN™
Fragrance SHADOWS™
Fragrance GOTHIC ROSE™

Tin Coffin Travel Candle = $3.99 [scroll down for pic in previous post]
Fragrance GRAVEYARD™

Skull Shaped Organic Vegan Glycerin Guest Size Soaps = $4.99
Fragrance BLACK WINGS™

All is made by her and cruelty free, natural. And she has roughly 5 additional fragrances not indicated in this post. Can't wait! My husband will probably think I've truly flipped now...but so far he's cool with it. Frankly it may be more he's just finally given up on me. :-p

Film: Daughter of Darkness [1948 United Kingdom]

2009-12-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

Superb.

Yesterday while looking for a copy of "Dracula" (1992 Ryder/Oldman) at Hastings Books & Gifts, I saw this DVD. The black/white immediately caught my attention, and also the Vivien Leigh look of the actress on it (Siobahn McKenna). From the 1960s? No, from 1948! I'm a sucker for '40s films, and this being a Gothic/Noir...well you know (wink). From the back panel:

"An atmospheric Gothic chiller following an Irish maid with an irresistable attraction to men. With the reputation as a temptress where even the local priest is after her, sexual desire soon descends into brutal psychopathy with a grave ending!

A startling film for its time, Daughter of Darkness posed censorship problems at the time of its release, due to its dark material, and has since remained a lost film waiting to be rediscovered."

I watched it last night and loved it! McKenna is excellent as Emmi Beaudine, a natural beauty who innocently possesses a powerful sexuality. Men are violently attracted to her, obsessive; one man rapes her. Women are equally violent towards her: Jealous and suspicious. When she's driven from the Irish village as servant to the local parish priest, she arrives on an English farm as a servant. History repeats itself and Emmi finds herself in similar troubles with angry hostile females and hotly arduous males. Meanwhile she's honestly puzzled and discomforted by the intensity of the raw emotions constantly swirling around her. Emmi is accused of being "a brazen slut," though she's simply going about life seeking acceptance and the warmth of family and friends. Emmi is soon fired from her servant's job on the English farm; desperate, she has nowhere to go and fears a repeat of her usual experiences elsewhere. Tensions swiftly mount to a startling conclusion.

McKenna carried the character off beautifully. I could almost believe she is Emmi. The character is, imo, sympathetic; I felt sorry for Emmi and liked her. The dialogue, acting, storyline are all wonderfully executed. As for the parish priest lusting after Emmi, that's incorrect.

Extra Features includes "Kiss of Death: Femme Fatale on Film," an "exclusive expert insight into film noir and the femme fatale." I enjoyed this too.

It's a tight little thriller which I'm glad to have in my DVD collection. I'm very picky about films, and this one is an ace.

Coffin Candle Tins: Arrived!

2009-12-17T15:01:00.000-08:00

These little gems arrived just 15 minutes ago in the mail. I ordered two of them, "Seattle Rain" scent; one for sister and the other for myself. They are pudgy palm-fit cuties with a mild and pleasing scent. Mine's already on my dresser, and once the wax is burned it'll go into my purse to hold mints or coins. AntiSally tucked in two white matchbooks with crimson lettering, and also a little box of Lemonheads candy with her business card. AntiSally is a professional; she always profusely thanks the customer and service is speedy. Gothrosary.com is her addy. She makes and sells cruelty-free/vegan soaps, lotions and oils primarily. Other Goth-oriented goodies as well. I do recommend her!

Winona Ryder: Goth Girl

2009-12-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

I love Winona Ryder, particularly in "Dracula." It's been quite a while since I've seen this stunningly gorgeous film and it's been in mind. Will pick up a DVD copy of it soon. Gary Oldman is super sexy, a true eye-candy treat. The 1st image is not an actual photo of Winona; it's a painting I found on the internet. She's eternally beautiful.

Favorite Seasonal Items

2009-12-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween -- all around this blog. And since we know Halloween is over, here's some of my favorite December stuff. My "religious" calendar is not easily categorized (that's all I'll say); however, I do enjoy the sights, scents, flavors and overall merriment which is December. And yes, I also do like fruitcake - if it's my mother's recipe. Go ahead and laugh; you're just jealous YOU can't have a slice of it with a dab of fresh butter. >:-p And creamy dreamy homemade eggnog; such a delight. No rum. No liquor shall touch my delicious eggnog! Not that I'm against an occasional mixed drink, it's just that eggnog must remain pure and undefiled. ;-) I've included a photo of Orange Drop Cookies (with orange frosting). They are tender cake-like cookies, fabulously delicious; I've not yet known one person who disliked Orange Drop Cookies (in fact I've known of people *fighting* over them). Have a good season everyone!

The cover I've wanted!

2009-12-09T04:31:00.000-08:00

This was scanned by Absinthe of the now-gone (and still very much missed) "Gloomy Sunday" blog. It was her copy of course, and I've hoped to obtain one of my own, but apparently there are very few "out there". Before she unexpectantly pulled the plug on her blog last year, Absinthe offered to let me copy and use her scans; at the time of course I had no idea she was about to cease blogging. :-\ So, on the off-chance you're reading this Absinthe: Thanks again. It's my absolute favorite cover. I've found the novel itself locally (different edition/publisher), and later placed an order for what I thought was THIS edition with THIS cover. Alas it turns out I ordered (and paid S & H) for the same edition as I already had (its cover is pathetic).
What's this cute chubby kitten doing on Garnet Night? Yours truly is in a slightly foul mood this a.m.; something furry and adorable to look at might help restore the merries.

The Witches of Windlake, by Miriam Lynch

2009-12-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

Late '60s, IIRC. Another bomb by Miriam Lynch (I'm beginning to wonder if "The Bells of Widow's Bay" was an exception for her??). This is another Gothic I set aside after roughly 50 pages (if that) into it. The cover art was obtained via FantasticFiction.uk. It is one of the more beautifully sinister of covers, and a pity it's a bit blurred. Deep reds and stark blacks dominate.

The story opens with a downtrodden late-teenaged heroine taking a stroll on an icy and bitterly cold late November afternoon. I was born/raised in Iowa, and that just does NOT happen. I wonder if Ms. Lynch was a native southern Californian; they seem to think people up north walk barefoot in the snow. >:-\ Anyway, the heroine's homelife is impoverished and mean. Her stepmother and half-siblings are against her, and she's seeking an afternoon away from the usual drudgery. She again comes across a nearby bleak old mansion and this time, feeling extra gutsy even if the sun is near to sinking beneath the horizon and it's the late 1800s and she has nary a lantern nor a candle on her, decides to investigate.

Turns out the menacing semi-dilapidated old house is inhabited. Initially its inhabitants aren't friendly, but she's allowed entrance. She's sized up by the master of the domain, who likes what he sees; he's a widower with an out-of-control son. Would she be willing to become the child's governess for good pay and free room/board?

The heroine readily accepts. She won't even bother returning home to inform her family. She dines with her new employers, one of whom is grandmother of the heroine's new charge. A fancy dinner is spread out in a luxurious dining room. The delicious meal starts off well enough...and then a pall descends over the hosts. Everyone picks fearfully at their plates. The heroine soon learns that witchly in-laws have been chasing down father and son; and within half an hour these 3 "grand dames" arrive and begin asserting control.

I found the storywriting stilted, and the course of events far too rushed and improbable. Maybe I'll pick it up again some time, but have no great urge to.

The Secret of Lucifer's Island, 1967 (?) by Miriam Lynch

2009-12-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

This surprising stinker was so bad I nearly forgot I'd begun reading it months ago. Came to mind last evening. Miriam Lynch bombed this time. Ironically another novel of hers published around the same year -- "The Bells of Widow's Bay" -- was a 5 out of 5 stars imo; one of the best Gothics I've yet read.

This story falls flat from the onset. I managed to get to page 60 before putting it away. The story opens with a young (though adult) heroine reluctantly accompanying her flamboyant ex-Vaudeville aunt to visit other retired show-business "friends" on a remote island. Our heroine is exhausted after a long bus ride with her self-centered auntie, and now it's twilight and they're standing on a dock waiting for their boat ride which shows no indication of arriving. Aunt sends heroine to the local rowdy dive (beautiful young virgin to ruffian drunkards; what sort of an aunt is she?) to try and hire a boat. Heroine succeeds. In the darkness they're rudely driven across frightening choppy waters by a coarse and hostile man who curtly informs them he's NOT taking their bags to the island mansion; once they arrive at that dock, they're on their own. Aunt moans and frets; she and heroine struggle up craggy hills and through dense undergrowth and trees, through pitch-black darkness...groping their way to the mansion. When they finally arrive at the mansion (sans sprains, concussions, fractures) somehow they're both magically able to see in the dark. And it seems the mansion is desserted. But no, it's not -- a lady answers the door, who is immediately hostile and refuses to permit them entry. The heroine is nearly (understandably) ballistic by this point; turns out her dear old aunt had neglected to inform heroine she'd received no reply to a query to come visiting and took it upon herself to "party crash" the place. Her goal? To seduce and marry the wealthy retired actor who owns the island.

Everyone at the mansion are cold and UNwelcoming of their "guests."

Next we find the heroine escorted to a dingy, poorly furnished room. She learns, to her continued delight, that auntie's room is clear across the mansion. Somehow she manages to trace aunt and ex-lady friend (in a hugely sprawling and dimly lit strange mansion??); they're arguing. Heroine, not wanting to be discovered eavesdropping, hurries back to her room -- but not before she sees a ghost.

At this point I stopped reading on the basis of "too improbable" and just plain silly. Nice cover art though; got it from Ebay I think.

The Vampire Tarot : Part 2

2009-12-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I posted about this Tarot deck. I have a Tarot collection (related to Jungian psychology), but no longer do readings.

I'd purchased this gorgeous deck a week ago, but waited until the time was right to open the box: Tonight. Actually I've not yet removed the shrink wrap from the cards themselves to savor the art, and won't until the time is right.

A bit of humor: The box lid is difficult to remove from the box itself. It is a very snug fit and it occurred to me if an actual vampire had this much trouble lifting a coffin lid, s/he'd have suffocated already - lol!

Tucked inside the black gem of a box is the shrink-wrapped deck of cards, snug in a recessed compartment; above and covering the cards is a beautiful soft-cover book which design matches the box lid's exterior. It is 227 pages and filled not only with an overview of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," but also a history of the Tarot and then a general (though concise) history of vampirism in Europe.

If you've ever wondered why vampire legends abounded in Eastern Europe versus Western Europe (I vaguely have but never pursued it), I came across an interesting bit of history in the book: After "The Great Schism" of 1054 (the split of the eastern Greek Church and western Roman Catholic), the Greek Church continued its belief in vampires, i.e. that an uncorrupted corpse was a sign of an evildoer whom sacred ground had rejected. The RC Church held a radically different view: Uncorrupted corpses were a sure sign of a saint. Also (going further back in time), during Charlemagne's reign (800 - 814 AD) the RC Church forbade belief in vampires. However, once the Inquisition geared up centuries later...you know the rest: "Everyone's a heretic" -- including the now very real vampire.
:-\

I am very much looking forward to reading the **treasure trove** of historical information in the book!

Another humorous note: While browsing through the short section on Tarot history and black/white reproduced images of standard (other deck) Trumps, I thought I read "Lemonade." :-O Huh?! No, it is "Le Monde": French for "The World" of course.
:-p

Coffin Candle Tins from AntiSally

2009-12-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

And other goodies!

Okay, I know it's probably not Goth to say "Oh, aren't those CUTE?" But yeah: Those coffin candle tins are *adorable.* :-D

***Introduction Priced at $3.99:

Coffin Candle Tins. Each 2" metal coffin tin filled with 100% natural soy wax in your choice of GothRosary Fragrances and a pure cotton wick. The perfect spa candle for those personal inventory days. A great over the hill gift or the best way to tell your Goth that you love them. The empty tin is a lovely keepsake box for pocket or purse...***

I've done business with AntiSally before and highly recommend her at: GothRosary.com. She makes all sorts of cool stuff, including a private Goth item I particularly cherish. Will do business with her again soon (and no, she's not aware that I'm promoting her and doesn't know about this blog).

Gothic Tarot of Vampires

2009-12-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

Mmmm...I'd like that gorgeous vampire to bite me! ;-p If memory serves, this Tarot was manufactured in the mid-1990s. It is still being manufactured last I knew, though my years-old deck is stashed safely away. Unfortunately my favorite cards in the deck (a vampire hanging upside down and somehow magically toasting another standing on the floor [the wine in his chalice held by reverse gravity apparently], and also the sensuous embrace of a vampire and vampiress) are not available online.

It is a somewhat violent and disturbing deck of cards; a sort of fierce beauty I often don't like. It's also a strange cocktail of European sophistication, Detroit gritty city, "The Crow"-esque: Sometimes sauve and elegant, other times back-alley and grimy. I can't think of a single adjective to describe it. The inclusion of Japanese dwarf trees (of all things!) in a couple of cards is outright outlandish. It's a busy deck with a hodge-podge of semi-related images. Frankly I sometimes think it's the stupidest deck ever, yet...it does all come together somehow.

More information:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/gothic-vampires/details.shtml

Three Cover Scans

2009-12-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I love all three of these covers, and would particularly like to have "Bride of Death"; not because of the cover art but because it's a Belmont Gothic and I've yet to read a bomb from that publisher. ACE and the others get ballyhooed a lot, but Belmont Gothics are consistently very good.

Good Riddance to The Decade from Hell!

2009-12-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

It's only fair to post some images (obtained via internet and NOT scanned by me) if I'm going to blather a bit. "Time" Magazine proclaimed this decade "The Decade From Hell." I heartily agree; however, we (husband/myself) have had a handful of good/fortunate things for which we're thankful/grateful. The last (I hope) "hurrah!" in this weird and troubling decade occurred a scant 2 months ago: A cute old (82!) man who I'd considered fatherly and sweet turns out to WANT me. :-O You know the old saying: Snow on the roof, fire in the hearth. Yipes! That was truly stunning. And he's not giving up either! =:-O I've been touched, followed, eavesdropped on by this man. Yesterday he was dressed To The Nines, displaying jealousy towards my husband and smiling knowingly at me. :-( It is STRANGE being aggressively pursued by a very mobile and healthy elderly man. He needs to reconcile with his estranged elderly wife and quit chasing me! Geez. It'd be funny if I weren't so UNsure I couldn't outwrestle/outwrangle him if the old boy gets insistent enough. :-( Yeah, he played it very cool and innocent until the mask came off. Life sure IS full of surprises. Sort of like Gothic Suspense!
:-\

I do have "Greystones." It'll be read later. Basically I'm something of a nerd girl with an IQ of 130 who prefers serious and nonfiction, such as "The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, The World's Most Astonishing Number" by Mario Livio [2002]. I recommend it! ;-)

Oh, and I *love* the cover of "Shadow of a Witch." I'm still hoping to obtain a copy of it.

The Vampire Tarot :: Robert M. Place

2009-12-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

http://thealchemicalegg.com/VampTarot.html

I do like Tarot. :-) But I don't read the cards for two reasons, one of which is they're too habit-forming (to the point of being a weakness).

The other day whilst yours truly was traipsing through Barnes & Noble, this gorgeous black and crimson box grabbed my eye. Sort of like Bugs Bunny's sudden-stop {{-!!KOING!!-}} reaction. :-p

Inner thoughts: {No. Don't buy it. Habit forming!}

Next day: Bought it. :-p

But it's still unopened. These things take time...like aging wine.
;-) And I don't even like wine. Okay, like good sex then. :-D

The factor which decided me, aside from the art of course, was the direct tie-in to Bram Stoker's "Dracula."

I, a former ace Tarot reader, will also say it is powerful. Even wrapped and unopened. The second I held the box in my hands, I felt its deeply powerful resonance (as a child I had the gift of psychometry; knew what was inside wrapped gifts; always freaked my parents and sister out). I look forward to enjoying the lovely art and reading the accompanying book.

And of course Mina is always Winona Ryder (who I've not yet forgiven for breaking up with Johnny Depp!). ;-)

Three Cover Art

2009-11-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

It being rainy and gloomy here the past 3 days, figured I'd share these:

[The Crimson Moon/Call of Glengarron/Eight Candles Glowing]

House Above Hollywood, by Velda Johnston [late '60s]

2009-11-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

Snoooooozefest. :-( This novel started out promising, but ultimately bombed. There is no "nightmare cult" throughout most of it, and nothing substantial leading up to the heroine's ensnaring. What we have is a gal who goes to California in search of answers to her alcoholic father's apparent suicide (years later)...an aging silent-movie siren who likes watching TV and answering fan mail...a snide and suspicious nephew who ultimately turns nice and tries to woo the heroine...a young married Chinese-American couple who pretend to have fake Chinese accents in hopes the old mistress of the mansion will feel more at ease with them (-rolleyes-)...semi-weird happenstances...a slightly shady leech with his own new-agey type following who flatters the old dame. The cover art is beautiful. The story is a constant let-down. I give it 2 stars out of 5 for at least having gotten published. :-\

I voted for Kitty LeClaw! Ms. Horror Blogosphere 2009

2009-11-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

http://thevaultofhorror.blogspot.com/2009/11/ms-horror-blogosphere-2009-let-voting.html

I was asked to check out this poll by Karswell (who also created my blog's lovely banner), and to vote for Kitty LeClaw. I've visited Ms. LeClaw's blog numerous times before and have enjoyed her unique style and expression.

http://killer--kittens.blogspot.com/

I'm glad to vote for you, Kitty; best of luck for a well-deserved win! Trixie also voted (and has always especially loved your blog's title)!
;-)

Cover Scan: The Haunting of Drumroe

2009-10-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

These scans were obtained online. I own this novel and have yet to read it. Was published in the late '60s or early '70s. The story is set in Ireland and apparently combines both pagan and Christian elements/history. It also has a couple of recipes for authentic Irish food in the back of the book! :-) The cover art is gorgeous, though her being in that cold snowy night with only a flimsy nightgown (and bare feet??) staggers the imagination. I thought this would be a perfect cover to share for October.

October Already?

2009-10-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Yours truly has been gone a while, as I'm currently enjoying fiction of an entirely different genre; more on that later. Wasn't it *just* July?? Sure it was: We went to see "Star Trek" in a blessedly dark and cool theater while it was blistering hot and sunny outside. Zachary Quinto as Young Spock: RrrRRRrr. ;-)

Halloween is a scant 30 days away and this weekend I'll buy candy for the trick-or-treaters. At Walgreens they're selling CANDY BLOOD. :-O It looks like blood (presumably is the same sort of fruity liquid which comes in those little wax soda bottles) in an IV drip bag. Ugh! I'll pass. :-\

I'll try to post some cover art soon; this is the month of October after all! Will begin reading Gothics again in the near future. Speaking of those, my sister expressed an interest so I sent 4 to her: Satan's Rock, Circle of Death, The Devil's Daughter, The Seventh All Hallow's Eve. The very last was recommended by Absinthe, and I unwittingly obtained 2 copies of it. I have yet to read it. The others are highly recommended and I reviewed them months ago. I also tossed in some Halloween goodies (edible and non-) for sis, and a card of glowing jack o' lanterns gracefully dotting a front lawn.

Take care and have a spooktacular (you knew that was coming) October. Yeah I know I'm not the hippest wannabe Goth around, but heck...I try. :-p

Dual Cover Art: The Case of the Weird Sisters

2009-08-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Mid-summer 2008 I found the 1st copy at the local used/out-of-print bookstore. Couldn't pass up that quietly disturbing cover. To be honest? I think these chicks were my babysitters! This cover/edition is from 1971, if I recall the exact year correctly. It's tucked away in one of 4 [--yes, 4] metal boxes and I'm not inclined to go digging. It'll probably be a while before I read the novel.
I love the eerie aura of the 1st cover art [particularly that softly sinister golden glow amongst the trees], and equally enjoy the bold angles and colors [particularly the *green* face] of the 2nd.

Film: The Crow [1994]

2009-08-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

This film needs no introduction nor review. It'd been a while since I'd watched it (mostly because we needed a "new" VCR as we're not going to replace all our VHS tapes with DVDs). Last evening was perfect for it: Overcast, gloomy, lightning and rain (that's a rarity in this otherwise sunny desert with its 320 days of sunshine on average; but we're currently in the rainy season). I lit three candles and put the movie on. My husband asked why I'd lit candles. Um...because it's a *Gothic* film? Duh. :-p

In 1994 I'd just come out of New Age involvement (yes, gentle reader, in the early 1990's yours truly was a 20-something hanging around with folks 20 years my senior who'd been hippies and flower children in the '60s). Four years prior, in 1990, I'd read the "comic book" series of The Crow. Its dark and disturbing imagery was a bit difficult to comprehend at the time; however, the love story was compelling and kept me reading. When the film came out I had to see it; I was immediately hooked and it's definitely a favorite.

This is of course the story of "Shelly Webster and her nice rock 'n roll boyfriend, Eric Draven" who are savagely attacked by a criminal gang on Devil's Night, and the night before their intended Halloween wedding. Eric Draven is resurrected and given powers by a crow for vengeance on their killers.

The characters of Sarah and Sgt. Albrecht are wonderful; they help to round out the film. Favorite scenes include Sarah passing on onions for her hot dog because "they make you fart big time." Sgt. Albrecht referring to Eric as "the mime from Hell" after he vanishes.

Other favored scenes are Eric's tossing rings into Gideon's face while condemning him with "Each of these rings represents a life: A life which you helped to destroy." Eric holding Darla fast before a mirror, telling her "'Mother' is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children," and making the morphine to run out of her veins. She sobers up and we next see her clean, smiling and cooking breakfast for Sarah. Eric's flashback memories of Shelly; the tenderness and passion of their romance. Rescuing Sarah the skateboarder from an oncoming car; when she complains she wished the rain would stop he replies, "It can't rain all the time." Shelly and Eric's ghostly embrace and reunion at their graves.

Also notable is the highlighting of the depths of T-Bird's gang's moral decay. When confronted by a grieving Eric, Tin-Tin has no compassion nor remorse...or shock. Tin-Tin's not the least bit taken by the supernatural quality of Eric's existence: Instead, he cruelly taunts Eric about having enjoyed raping Shelly. Funboy moans "You've ruined my sheets!" after being shot, and when dying of multiple morphine injections his last words are "You're wasting it!" Top Dollar's henchmen prove there's no honor amongst thieves/criminals.

Most poignant of course is Brandon Lee's own real-life engagement, soon to be wed and tragic death during filming. The scene of flashlight-bearing children in masks and costumes, running towards and past him on a dark street, seems a "goodbye" scene to the actor himself.

I think of The Crow as a love story first and foremost, even if I'm not a great romantic.

Happy 40th Birthday, Jake

2009-08-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'll always love you. Despite everything you are still a brother. I miss you. Will the next 30 years pass without any contact whatsoever? The past 1-1/2 years have been difficult enough. I still can't believe I lost you. You should have been a blood brother. I think of you AS my flesh and blood. I tell myself various things, to put the pain away entirely; but a level of pain and sadness returns. If you only knew, beloved.

In Memory of Colleen: 1963 - 2009

2009-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Cousin, you are remembered and loved.

Movie: Dracula Has Risen from the Grave [1968]

2009-07-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

This is the cover on my DVD box.

Another image. Looks like His Undeadness has candy corn fangs. :-p

That last almost looks comedic, makes you want to caption it: "I said I like STEAK!"

Watched the film a few days ago; I have a Hammer collection (so does my husband, but that's of the carpentry kind). Count Dracula is buried beneath a sheet of ice which is inadvertently broken by the weak-minded and cowardly local parish priest when he takes a tumble over a rock. Blood trickles from the unconscious priest's head onto Drac's lips. Priest is immediately taken control of by Drac, does his bidding. A while back Count Dracula was forced from his castle and into a comatose-like state by a Monsignor, who has returned to the village to do him in once and for all. Now Drac is determined to get revenge: By going after Maria, the Monsignor's curvaceous and beautiful blonde niece. Paul is Maria's boyfriend. For some reason nearly all the action takes place at the pub/bakery/inn where Paul and the luscious Zena work. Maria hazards sloped tiled roofs and dangerous catwalks to enter Paul's bedroom. The many Bavarian (?) roof scenes are weird in the film.

It's the best Hammer vampire film besides "The Brides of Dracula" (my favorite). I wish Peter Cushing were in this movie as well; unfortunately he's not. I'm more of a Cushing fan than a Lee fan. Christopher Lee is seen quite a few times as Count Dracula (veeeery handsome). He also has more lines in this film as compared to the other Hammer flicks.

All turns out well for Maria in the end, of course. And Paul, the atheist (and to think the Monsignor was at first afraid Paul was a Protestant!), reclaims Christianity. We presume Paul and Maria married, lived to a ripe old age together and had a lovely brood of rug rats.

A nice collage:

Movie: Hide and Seek [2005]

2009-07-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Bought this film yesterday and very much enjoyed it. I could make one smart quip which would be THE spoiler for people who've not seen it. The cast is excellent, a unique blend. Robert Deniro's role is a refreshing change from his usual; a genteel older father who puts tea on to boil and washes dishes. Dakota Fanning is a smart young actress. I didn't initially recognize Amy Irving! And it was great seeing Elisabeth Shue again.

Little Emily's father, David Callaway, is a prominent NYC psychiatrist. After mother Alison's suicide in the bathtub, Dr. Callaway takes Emily upstate. He rents a beautiful mansion, soon makes the acquaintance of a divorcee with her own young daughter. The neighbors, Laura and Steven, are a troubled and sad couple: Their daughter, about Emily's age, recently died.

And then Charlie enters the mix. We're first made aware of him after Emily's attracted, via butterfly, to an eerie cave. Emily rejects attempts at friendship by the locals, and instead becomes increasingly focused on Charlie and their game of hide and seek. Charlie quickly changes from harmless imaginary friend to something sinister and malicious. Dr. Callaway, good psychiatrist that he is, believes Charlie is a projection of Emily's troubled mind. He tries to coax Emily into admitting Charlie as part of her psyche. When the family cat winds up in a bad way, Dr. Callaway is genuinely frightened at Emily's troubles; just how ill -- and dangerous -- is she?

The sets are lavish and gorgeous. The acting is superb (of course!), the pacing is perfect. The story never lags and continually heats up. The ending is a shock, but unfortunately...I didn't quite buy it. ;-)

A *very* remarkable (and refreshing) element in this film is, even though it's 2005 and set in the modern era (cars and clothing), there are no computers, laptops, iPods, Blackberry/cellphones anywhere to be seen -- aside from MAYBE one indication of a faint and small computer screen in the far background (could be an aquarium though). The film's overall style, telling and atmosphere is retro-ish; it's 2005/1975 (if that makes any sense). Emily has no gadgets; she writes in a diary, draws with markers and plays with dolls. Yes, I know I'm typing this on a computer via the internet, but it was truly interesting to see 2005 without all the gadgetry clutter (especially cellphones - I hate them). The story was the focus, not gadgets. Oh -- and during the 2 (or 3?) telephone calls, they're talking via land line with CORDED phones! :-p

My version has 4 alternate endings. It's definitely re-watchable without the alternates. My overall impression was "The Changeling Meets The Shining."

Chateau Chaumand:::The Leland Legacy:::The Voice of the Dolls [Cover Scans]

2009-07-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Whilst crunching on her kitty food morsels, Trixie suggested it was time I post some cover scans. One was obtained via Ebay (camera icon), the other two are from a bookseller.

I own a copy of "The Voice of the Dolls" (excellent condition), but it'll probably be a while before it's read. The sky blue background is unusual, but oddly enough it works. I love all of these covers. "Chateau Chaumand" is one I hoped to purchase, as its cover is especially colorful and detailed, and the artwork on the arch is intriguing (astrological symbols?); but the only seller I could find wanted $12.50 for it -- and that NOT including shipping and handling. Am keeping an eye out for it becoming available locally. "The Leland Legacy" is another cover I'd like to own: It's especially somber and haunting, and sea scapes are always a favorite.

Jewish Gothic

2009-07-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Alrighty folks [whoever is reading this blog...lately I wonder if I'm simply talking to myself], I was curious to know what Jewish structures might be Gothic. We've got people from a spectrum of religious [or quasi-religious or no religious] persuasions who embrace Gothic. As architecture goes, it only stands to reason that in Europe there were Jewish Gothic structures. I found 5 via Google images, although one seems to have a Christian saint (statue) before it, but the pic is small and it's difficult to tell. The first image of a long tapered serrated roof is a synagogue. The last image is my favorite and it's a tomb (not because it's a tomb, but simply because it's so ornate and elaborate). Enjoy:

(\/) Roberta & Michael (\/)

2009-07-11T10:18:00.003-07:00

To Roberta, my very best lifelong friend: Congratulations on this your wedding day! You have my love and prayers always.

Movie: Suddenly, Last Summer [1959]

2009-07-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Googling for additional information will
likely result in a spoiler.

Here's a partial synopsis from Wikipedia:

***
PLOT - The story features Catharine Holly, a young woman who seems to go insane after her cousin Sebastian dies on a trip to Europe under mysterious circumstances. Sebastian's mother, Violet Venable, tries to cloud the truth about her son's homosexuality and his death, as she wants him to be remembered as a great artist. She threatens to lobotomize Catharine for her incoherent utterances relating to Sebastian's demise. Finally, under the influence of a truth serum, Catharine tells the gruesome story...{SNIP}
***

I recently mentioned having seen this film once, probably twice, years ago. It's harrowing and unforgettable. Tried finding it for sale locally to no avail; will have to mail order.

The "old" song by The Motels of the same title comes to mind as well. Seems fitting.

The Devil's Daughter by Daoma Winston [1971]

2009-07-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Cover scan obtained from Fantasticfiction.com. Isn't that a pretty cover? Love the big black cat especially; its eyes are green and yellow. This novel is as good on the inside; I give it 5 Stars on 1 - 5. Trixie gives it an unprecedented 12 Paws: 4 each for the cat on the cover and the 2 kittens in the story. She advises all feline readers of this blog they WILL love this novel. ;-p

Sharon Benedict is a 24-year-old career gal who lives in Washington, D.C. She has a steady boyfriend, John, and a nosy roommate named Bix. A letter arrives from the mountains of central New Mexico, near Albuquerque; it's from May Dailey, an elderly woman who is Sharon's adoptive aunt (mother's friend). May resides in Dead Dolly Creek, a nearly abandoned town which was formerly part of a gold rush. Sharon spent carefree and idyllic summers there as a child and teenager; she and Cal were an item and had enjoyed a teenaged love. In her letter May sounds troubled and frightened. Sharon, against John's wishes, decides to take a leave of absence from her desk job and visit May -- who is elderly and alone.

When Sharon arrives at Dead Dolly Creek she instantly re-embraces the place and her memories. Later she recalls not all memories were good; there were odd incidents and near accidents then. Dead Dolly Creek is even more rundown now: Shamrock's (grocer) is closed, the elderly are dying off, only the mortician and post master and gas station owner are busy. May, formerly a pretty and fastidious older woman, is now a bit disheveled and slovenly. She's also noticeably frightened and keeps two large watchdogs. Something prowls the night, scratching at her door...trying to get in. Dora and Sarah, her old friends, have recently died; May believes they were killed. Dr. Baker tut-tuts this fancy notion; does everyone in Dead Dolly Creek think they will live forever?

Sharon keeps a watchful eye on May, steps in as caretaker. She restocks May's forlorn kitchen, dusts and straightens up. She listens sympathetically to May's night-time terrors, comforts and consoles her. Dr. Baker says it's all due to the breakdown of small blood vessels in May's brain as she's aging. But Sharon suspects something evil is afoot in Dead Dolly Creek, particularly after mysterious fires start in two of the household fireplaces and May talks about "The Devil's Daughter" being after her.

Sharon's childhood friends come around, re-welcome her to town: Hetty, Cal, Beth, Art, Avel, Ed.

And then there's golden girl Evangeline with the long black hair and mysterious golden eyes. She definitely has an aura of power about her and reads tea leaves. Evangeline is not a childhood friend. She's wealthy and beautiful, a relatively recent newcomer who "just HAD to have" the village's grand old mansion. It's been refurbished. Money is no object for Evangeline, who offers to buy property from the families of the recently deceased. A friend of hers comes around, named Tom: He's allegedly an archeologist interested in the tunnels and shafts of nearby old mines. Cal does some investigating; it turns out Tom's a banker in Denver.

Meanwhile May and Sharon both continue being stalked by a big black cat. May twice succumbs to night terrors. But what terrifies Sharon are the large cougar-like track marks on the floor.

The story unfolds at a consistently fast clip. Good descriptives. There are a couple of surprising twists and turns. Very satisfying all around.

The cast of characters as I visualized them:

Sharon Benedict: Barbara Feldon
May: Ellen Corby
Cal: As described - tall, dark, handsome.
Evangeline: Julie Newmar
Dr. Baker: David Ford
Others: As described

Cover Scan: The Shop on Threnody Street [1971?]

2009-07-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

I did begin reading this novel then set it aside. It's well written in its own way, but just wasn't my thing. It starts out with a young woman abruptly departing a college dorm out East to be reunited with friends in Chicago. We're then treated to her reminiscing about girlhood and her two best friends, one of whom was the dominant of the three; the leader. In my experience girls don't pal around in 3's; they pair off -- both in childhood and adulthood. I'm the (apparently rare) sort of female who likes a number of friends around (both genders), and 3 or 4 lady friends talking over lunch is most welcome. Anyway, the heroine's reminiscing carries on a bit too far and the doll shop factor (the owner makes every doll) is odd, as is the fact that the story supposedly centers around two characters who were of importance to the heroine, one of whom was supposedly killed (or died), but now might be alive. Yet there's no lead-in to this and her other two friends are the focus. It's so obscure and leaves you wondering why she's so anxious to return to the doll shop and find out news about these other two peripheral characters who seem entirely unimportant to the opening chapters. Maybe someone else would enjoy it. I'll defer "rating" it because my reaction to it was entirely subjective. The cover scan is from a bookseller. Lovely and unique cover art, particularly of the dolls. :-)

Cover Scan: Silence Is Golden by Elsie Lee [1971?]

2009-07-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

This is the most gorgeous cover art. :-) The scan is via Fantasticfiction.com. I saw the book online last summer and fortunately the local used bookstore had a very good copy; I snatched it up the same day and for the cover art alone. The deeply warm hues of gold, crimson and her green dress are simply smashing, darling! And I love lit candles [and lanterns].

Have yet to read it [many dozens of others are also waiting]. The back is half black and the girl/piano/candles are reproduced [that's from memory, as is the date of publication; my copy is stashed away in 1 of 4 metal boxes and I haven't the time currently to rummage around].

It's been 3 months since I browsed the Gothic section of that used bookstore. I've made a list of 4 or 5 others I'd like to obtain, and will search for them prior to placing a mail order [why pay $6.00 per when I can get them locally for 60 cents to $1.00 apiece?]. I've waited this long for the stock to circulate and replenish a bit.

Mansion of Smiling Masks by Daoma Winston [1967]

2009-07-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

I think this model might be the same as the one who posed for the bor-ing cover of "Goddess of Terror" which I reviewed below [no scan]. If not, they're practically twins. In this scan [obtained from Fantasticfiction.com], she reminds me of Alexandra Moltke. If that name doesn't ring a doomsday bell...! She played Victoria Winters on "Dark Shadows" [1966-71].

I give it 1 Star. Trixie gives it 0 Paws. I don't know if Ms. Winston was trying to appeal to the Psychedelic LSD crowd with this novel or what. The opening chapter is not easy to visualize [except for the heroine's LSD-like description of cloud imagery during the airplane ride], she wonders why she married a virtual stranger [I *really* dislike that ploy], the first chapter is also long and draggy, there are too many peripheral characters. Right: I didn't like it.

This novel is a serious disappointment for the simple fact that otherwise I've enjoyed Ms. Winston's storytelling. I'm just about finished with another novel of hers, which will get 5 Stars. Her "Carnaby Curse" [reviewed months ago] was another 5 Star story imo. Not sure what happened here. If it'd been the 1st novel of hers I'd read, I'd be chary of anything else penned by Ms. Winston. But she is a *good* novelist otherwise, aside from this dud.

Goddess of Terror by Adela Gale [1967]

2009-07-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Cover scan not available; sorry. If Absinthe were reviewing this, she might point out that it's "a rare photographic Gothic cover." I recall her mentioning that once [yes, gentle reader, be warned: I'm long on memory!]. Doesn't matter much as the photo is a let-down: The background is very dark as to be expected, but the background building [hospital? mansion?] is the vaguest blur. The model, posing as a nurse, wears a dark coat and has black hair; her face is turned slightly to the right, as though something's suddenly caught her eye; she wears a '60s style pin-on white nurse's cap. That's it...*yawn.*

I give the novel 1 Star; Trixie gives it 0 Paws. It was strangely written, the characters [aside from the heroine...sort of] are up-front bizarre. When grandpa deliberately maliciously lets the neighbor's horse go [and run many miles home to the ranch "next door" thereby causing its owner/rider tremendous inconvenience], that'd have done it for me. The heroine arrives to an insane grandmother, a strange and possessive grandfather who keeps the old dame practically prisoner, a schizoid housekeeper with highly disturbed twins and an oddly menacing groundskeeper who instantly flashes out a knife at the slightest provocation. The heroine would be gone *PRONTO* in real life, if she had half a brain. Everyone's a nut from the word "hello."

Added to this, the interesting oddball characters are kept in the background while our heroine remains confused and clueless. She's also not much of a "student nurse," considering she's absolutely frozen and helpless when faced with someone having a seizure; what's she been doing in nursing school the past two years, watching Petticoat Junction marathons? :-p Maybe this is good reading for some folks; I couldn't finish it.

Cover Art & Two Types of Gothic

2009-07-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

The only of these I own is the 1st: "Out of the Fog." I was taken with its unique beauty (particularly her dress), ran to the local used bookstore and a nice copy of it was there! That was last autumn. As to the "two types of Gothic," what do I mean? Positive Gothic and Negative Gothic. Positive has values and ethics: The protagonist is caring, compassionate, conscientious, there's a happy ending. It's *so* American [happy 4th of July everyone!]. Negative Gothic is "Dark Shadows" [the old TV soap opera]. I've been a fan, but am increasingly disliking it; few redeeming qualities, everyone ends up dead or destroyed. I value Positive Gothic. To that end, what Negative Gothics I might own will be returned to the bookstore for exchange/credit. And now for the cover scans [obtained online, probably via Ebay]:

[Out of the Fog/The Sinister Voice/The Dark Watch]

+Southern Gothic+

2009-07-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

...ya'll.

A most unlikely source turned my interest towards Southern Gothic; he, a Southerner, suggested "Wise Blood" by Flannery O'Connor. For a list of said novels and plays, Google "Southern Gothic Wikipedia." Here's an excerpt from it:

"The Southern Gothic author usually avoids perpetuating antebellum stereotypes like the contented slave, the demure Southern belle, the chivalrous gentleman, or the righteous Christian preacher. Instead, the writer takes classic Gothic archetypes, such as the damsel in distress or the heroic knight, and portrays them in a more modern and realistic manner — transforming them into, for example, a spiteful and reclusive spinster, or a white-suited, fan-brandishing lawyer with ulterior motives.

One of the most notable features of the Southern Gothic is 'the grotesque' — this includes situations, places, or stock characters that often possess some cringe-inducing qualities, typically racial bigotry and egotistical self-righteousness — but enough good traits that readers find themselves interested nevertheless. While often disturbing, Southern Gothic authors commonly use deeply flawed, grotesque characters for greater narrative range and more opportunities to highlight unpleasant aspects of Southern culture, without being too literal or appearing to be overly moralistic."

The above novella by Carson McCullers is one, and I'd like to read it. Her novels "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" and "The Member of the Wedding" are others. I'm especially curious about "Outer Dark" by Cormac McCarthy; it revolves around brother-sister incest (rape?) and pregnancy. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is on the list, as is the play (turned 1959 film) "Suddenly, Last Summer" by Tennessee Williams. I'd seen that movie (Sunday afternoon/TV) as a teenager, starring Katharine Hepburn, Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift; though still rather young/naive, I did get THE impression of what had happened to Clift's character. It is truly chilling and Taylor's performance as "traumatized girl gone insane" was unforgettable.

Fry up some chicken, bring on the strawberry pie, dig into some good reading. ;-)

Movie: The Lost Boys [1987]

2009-06-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Karswell: I'm fine, thanks for the Comment in the most recent post. Been doing a ton of non-fiction reading and involvement with real-life social activities.
***
If I have to *review* this seriously GOOD film, you either need to come out of that coma or get a kick in the backside. >:-p This is an all-time favorite of mine. My parents were religious fanatics who wouldn't allow my sister and I to go to movies (yes, you read that right; nor could we listen to any form of secular music, TV and books were censored, no square dancing, etc.). In 1987 this film was especially a treat to me; it was one of the "darker" films I'd yet seen (I walked out of "Hellraiser" a few months later, after only 10 minutes into it; couldn't handle its extreme graphic scene of Frank and that box). Just the right amount of seriousness versus comedic touches, and of course those gorgeous actors! I had a crush on Michael and still do. Dwyane also caught my eye. And wasn't Star fantastically beautiful?

Sam and the Frog Brothers; can't imagine the film without them. Grandpa and his "2nd shelf" with its "root beers and double-thick Oreos" and all those icky stuffed animals. I absolutely *loved* Dianne Wiest and her portrayal of mom Lucy. What's especially weird is I'm now a couple of years older than she was in the film. :-O In the opening scene she's reminiscing about "Groovin' on a Sunday Afternoon" being from her generation 20 years ago. And now the movie itself is 22 years ago! :-( And who could forget Max and the spaghetti dinner fiasco? Or Michael awakening to floating, going out the window with the telephone while Sam's screaming into Lucy's ear over the restaurant telephone -- ROFL!

One other kudo to the film (besides everything else): The soundtrack wasn't obnoxious. I generally don't like '80s films because of the overbearing and garish soundtracks. TLB has just the right amount of song interjection; the songs ENHANCE the story -- they don't distract. They're like the right amount of heat in your enchiladas; enjoyable, but so is the fried corn tortilla and cheese.

And here's Michael's reaction to your a] never having seen the film (incomprehensible) or b] you didn't like it:

;-) I am reading a Gothic novel; will review it when finished.

Sutter's Sands by Marilyn Cram Donahue [1971]

2009-04-28T03:44:00.000-07:00

The scan of this unusual and gorgeous cover was obtained via an online bookseller.

I'm halfway through the novel and don't think I'm premature in writing a summary nor giving it 3 Stars [out of 5]. It's well written, moody, suspenseful...but has some major logical loopholes, imo.

The author lets the cat out of the bag too fast. We very quickly see the negative and hostile attitudes and interactions of the folks at Sutter's mansion. The chief maid is nearly physically assaultive to another seeming member of the staff. Our heroine is warned by the maid's husband to be careful and points to a bruise on his chin. Um...I don't know many men who'd admit to a veritable FEMALE stranger that he's an abused husband, and seeing how our heroine IS niece of Mr. Sutter -- the chief maid's boss [read: bread and butter] -- methinks the maid [who I visualized as that big clunky ugly chick "Maude" in the Andy Griffith Show episode of 3 escaped female convicts who take Barney and Floyd hostage in the cabin] wouldn't dare even consider lifting a finger against her. We quickly see who the heroine will fall for. Mr. Sutter's strange attitudes [I know it's to be expected, but his quirks and foibles are quickly laid bare to our eyes]. The fact that heroine's dead dad's letter is hidden away from her [she had time to open the letter, read it and carefully reseal it prior to handing it over to her weird uncle] in uncle Sutter's Bible. She sees him place it there, and it's secured with a key. Now she uneasily decides -- despite all the hostile drama and creepiness of the place -- to hang around just long enough to get that little golden key from uncle Sutter's belt and snatch the letter out of the Bible. Wow...why not just TAKE the entire Bible [it's a standard family edition], flee to the Florida mainland, cut its locked straps, take out the letter and mail the Bible back to uncle Sutter?

Another turnoff is the way a Native American [Seminole] female character is written. As in "The Shadow on Spanish Swamp" [reviewed a while back/different author], the authoress seems compelled to include a "minority" character...and then botches it. Said characters are written as VERY noble and VERY beautiful and VERY wonderful. This uneasy "walking on egg shells" quality. I know white authors, especially at the time, had to be careful not to come off as racist or whatever; but if one is THAT uneasy about writing a "minority" character, why bother in the first place? The "minority" character comes off as stilted and unbelievable; the aim [to genuinely and positively include folks of other races/ethnicities] is indirectly worked against. If I were Native American I'd probably be snickering while reading this novel.

I dunno. Anywho, I continue studying non-fiction/serious "stuff". Will finish this novel and amend the review if necessary; though I doubt it'll be necessary.

Freer's Cove by Ethel Gordon [1972]

2009-04-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Cover scan from...can't recall. I didn't scan it.

Yes, I'm still alive. :-P Have been busy with non-fiction reading and a correspondence study involving 12 courses, with diploma upon completion.

Absinthe recommended "Freer's Cove" when she had her blog Gloomy Sunday. She gave it 5 Towers of Doom, and rightly so: It's a FABULOUS story. Totally Gothic, like she said. Beautifully and patiently written; a genuine work of art.

The story involves Daisy, a 20-something college student working towards a degree, whose marriage is now on the rocks. She and husband had a whirlwind romance and a hasty marriage...of which they repented in leisure. They live on a shoestring budget in a ramshackle apartment on a rundown side street in NYC. Daisy, originally from Illinois, is practical and tries to make do; her husband, a selfish and vain git, spends whatever extra money is available to him on clothing for himself. Both are students with hectic schedules, part-time jobs, deadlines and mounting debt.

And then Daisy discovers she's pregnant.

Her husband demands an abortion (recall this is in the early 70s, height of Roe vs. Wade). Daisy can't bear the thought of abortion; she decides to leave and surrender the baby up for adoption (good for you Daisy!!).

Daisy finds a quality adoption agency. She's arrived for her 1st appointment and for an initial check with a physician, when Amos Freer approaches her in the waiting room. His wife Joan is also pregnant; she's a delicate soul who's miscarried before. Would Daisy accompany him to Freer's Cove, befriend Joan and be her companion until both babies are due? Daisy will be given room and board, and quality physician care during.

Daisy agrees. That same day Amos drives her from NYC to Freer's Cove in Maine. She and Joan immediately befriend each other. Ernest, Amos' brother, does not; he dislikes and distrusts Daisy. Sibling rivalries, old hatres and grudges beseige the mansion.

And then there's the matter of Freer children meeting with strange accidents...and even death.

Riveting. Super suspenseful. Gloomy and atmospheric. Read it or miss out. ;-)

My Star Trek Scrapbook [recommended blog]

2009-03-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

http://mystartrekscrapbook.blogspot.com

Found this today. It's excellent. :-)

And of course the Link feature doesn't work...

Circle of Death by Helen Arvonen [1967]

2009-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

10 Stars on a scale of 1 - 5! A *fabulous* story. It's a lovely and entertaining book, both inside and out:

One of the most rewarding Gothics I've yet read, and which I'll definitely read again in the future. It grabbed me from the start and held on. It never flags nor veers off; it clips along at a high-speed pace. One of the few novels I could *happily* tackle in one sitting; that's incredibly rare. My only criticism? It ended too soon! ;-)

It is not a typical Gothic by any stretch. The story opens in Treston, Ontario, Canada. Linda is alone in Meredith House, the ancestral family home. She is packing a loaded pistol, waiting for the murderer she knows is coming for her tonight: Someone, a friend or acquaintance, who has cold-bloodedly murdered three times already.

But why would anyone wish to kill Linda next?

The story is told in the 1st person by Linda Meredith: A thoughtful, conscientious, practical and immensely likeable heroine. It is a highly sociable story which centers first on Linda's family: Her well-to-do yet humble and humanitarian father, Arthur Meredith, who is already middle-aged when he falls in love with and marries the much younger buxom and gorgeous Lisa "Bitsy" Baker, who works as a hash-slinger at Miller's Dinner Date. Linda is their only child and "every inch a Meredith" -- much to Bitsy's chagrin.

Bitsy is a good-time girl who is restless with boring little Treston. She's always dreamed of bright lights/big city, is splashy and vivacious, and after years of pleading Arthur agrees to move the family to Toronto. Linda initially hates her selfish, vain mother [who insists her only child call her "Bitsy" instead of "mother"] for taking Linda away from her circle of friends: Joyce, Ian, Nell, Jere. Over the years all friends stay in contact via letters. Linda's highly conflicted relationship with Bitsy -- who alternately sulks and parties, is always self-centered and spoiled by the ever-patient and loving Arthur -- not to mention Linda's plainness and practicality sharply contrasting with her mother's intense vanity and frivolousness -- is a poignant highlight.

Linda's beloved father, Arthur, dies. After 14 years of living in Toronto and Bitsy suddenly thrust into the scandal sheets, Linda decides enough's enough; they are returning to Treston.

Linda is overjoyed to be home. Nell, Jere, Ian and Joyce all welcome Linda and Bitsy back with open hearts and arms. The friends dine, swim, chat, drink together. All the original circle [and a couple of extended friends besides] share a homespun and gorgeous Christmas with Linda and Bitsy.

Despite the warmth and gregariousness there are to-be-expected ripples and undercurrents of danger and trouble: Inklings of jealousy, old simmering resentments, intolerance and suspicion.

Linda's world soon comes crashing down. Three people, two of whom are beloved of her, are inexplicably strangled. All three victims have a handful of things in common...which Linda does *not* share with them.

I thought I knew who the culprit was. I was wrong.

A nice aspect of the story is the personal growth of Linda in it. She comes to realize just what everyone in her circle means to her, particularly Bitsy; at story's end she's come to terms with their differences and embraces them. It's a coming-of-age story in that sense.

The cover scan was obtained from FantasticFiction.uk. I love the cover as much as the story; it *perfectly* captures the novel's essence. The girl is practically dressed in a coat, not some flowing filmy nightgown; that's in keeping with Linda's character. The scan is a bit dark and brash; in my copy, the lit circular window is evenly mellow orange with tiny flecks of yellow.

Trixie gives the story 0 Paws for no mention of a cat in any regard.

The cast of characters as I visualized them:

Linda Meredith: Helen Hunt [grown/age 24]
Arthur Meredith: William Schallert.
Lisa "Bitsy Baker" Meredith: Along the lines of Betty Grable.
The others: As described.

Gothic Star Trek: Catspaw [1967] Part II

2009-02-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

Upon Trixie's strong insistence, I did a more thorough Google search and indeed found a couple of photos of The Cat [among other things]:

"This is how you say 'Meow Mix' in Klingoni!"

"I've got a big wand, Captain. Ha ha ha."

"Well, Korob, MINE is bigger. And size DOES matter."

"I'm supposed to look like a gigantic black cat in a human-sized corridor, but instead I look like a kitten in a playhouse. How insulting! Hey...that corner over there would make a great spot for my litter box. If only Korob would clean it out more often, the fat lazy oaf."

"So you're going to kill my crew by a fire spell just because I mentioned your lousy interior decorating scheme, and suggested you get a life??"

Kirk: "A clever idea, Mr. Spock: That we make costumes to look like the clothing our Evil Parallel Universe counterparts wore, and pretend to be evil."

Spock: "Thank you, Captain. It's worth a try. However, I am experiencing ongoing difficulties with the false beard glue; it's failing to adhere properly to my skin."

Kirk: "Nevermind that now. Hopefully Korob won't notice. We've got to be EVIL now, Spock; out-evil the evil!"

Spock: "Affirmative, Captain. I shall endeavor to be evil."

"Bones, can you help me here?? Oh! What am I saying?"

The Demon Tower

2009-02-20T06:22:00.000-08:00

Another Gothic I don't own, but would like to. The cover art is uniquely compelling, as her sable hair blends into the dark background which ominously overshadows the distant castle bathed in an eerie orange late-afternoon glow. Her deeply lined and mascared eyes are drawn to the castle in both dread and fascination. Pretty pink lipstick contrasts with the surrounding dominant colors. The single bright diamond-burst of light beckoning from the castle turret is an especially attractive touch.

There is a similar cover available at the local used bookstore. The model on that novel looks a lot like Elizabeth Taylor in the late '60s; I doubt it's a coincidence. Must be the same artist: Both faces loom very large in the foreground. The castle or mansion, vividly portrayed, is situated in the distance.

Absinthe would take the time to track down the artists of these covers. I'm sorry to say I don't have the time nor patience [nor inkling really] to do that. The identity of this artist is curious, and if anyone reading this knows, please post a reply; thank you.

Scan obtained from BookIT.com.

Gothic Star Trek: Catspaw [1967]

2009-02-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

This is Trixie's favorite episode. ;-) I'm a fan of the original [only] Star Trek and "Catspaw" came to mind today. Haven't seen it in years. William Shatner was my HEART-THROB from ages 11 to 40 [then along came Hayden Christensen as bad-boy Anakin Skywalker, Shatner got de-throned, and this is going off topic].

Anywho, here's the Plot Summary from IMDb:

"When Kirk and his landing party arrive on the planet below, they are met by eerie mists, a dark castle, witches, goblins and a black cat. They soon learn that they are under the influence of a wizard, Korob, who tries to bend them to his will. They also soon learn that the black cat they saw is more than she appears and is in fact a powerful witch in her right. It is left to Kirk and Spock to find a means to escape their grasp."

That IS Gothic, no? Yes.

Enjoy the following. Trixie is miffed that no photo of the black cat is available via Google [I've tried telling her life is not fair...]:

Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.

Kirk: "I got an apple."

McCoy: "I got a pack of chewing gum!"

Spock: "It seems, gentlemen, that I got a rock. Illogical."

"Bones, meet -- bones."

"Dammit Jim, that's NOT funny."

"Vat?! You get me only this SHEEP junk jew-ell-ery?! I vill PUNISH EVERYONE for that!!"

"A-ha-HA! I cooks them - your lettle friends, like ze cocktail weiners!"

Susan!! Oh; wait -- no. That's not my sister. Sorry Susan.

Who Rides a Tiger || Sutter's Sands

2009-02-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

I've recently purchased these two novels; the 1st arrived yesterday in the mail. Will read them, but will also admit I bought them primarily for the covers. They were listed near to each other at BookIT.com [who provided the cover scans]; the unique beauty of each and stark contrast to one another were indeed appealing.

I love the moody, somber blues broken by a large white foreground candle affixed to its solid metal holder, and the slashes of bright red. And note the shadowy figure of a woman in the background, also holding a candle. Candles, lanterns and Victorian gas lights are favorites.

As for "Sutter's Sands," the woman's complexion is not right but somehow it works with the bold blue eyeshadow and coral lipstick. The greens and golds in the background, and the shading of her brown hair with its reddish highlights, bring it all together.

These are my most favored style of cover art. I couldn't resist.

'Salem's Lot [1979]

2009-02-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

Found a scan of an original promo (TV Guide no doubt) for this made-for-TV film:

Nice! And can it really be 30 years already? [No, no! Say it isn't so!] Somehow David Soul will be *just that old* always.

Far be it from me to "review" this film, except to say if you've not yet viewed it when DID you come out of that coma? ;-P For some reason I could never get into the novel [sorry Mr. King]; the film tells the story better than the novel. That's a switch.

Favorite scenes: The mysteriously moving packing crate in back of the truck. Mike Ryerson leaping down into Danny's grave, and soon confronted by the vampiric boy. The attempted exorcism in the kitchen. The softly squeaking rocking chair in a room above, in which sits Mike - now a vampire. The glowing eyes of vampires in the crawl space, stealthily advancing on Ben and Mark. The final sad and seductive scene in Mexico between Ben and Susan.

David Soul is now a British citizen. He enjoys tea and Rugby [blows my mind; I figured "Hutch" would always be in Malibu]. Lance Kerwin is an Episcopal priest. Bonnie Bedalia [a favorite '70s actress!] is Macaulay Culkin's aunt. Geoffrey Lewis, a fine actor, is also Juliette Lewis' father. Mr. Lewis played his share of nitty-gritty outlaws and cowboys; his role in this film is especially cool. And I do love Barbara Babcock.

The Shadow on Spanish Swamp by Genevieve St. John [1967]

2009-02-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

I'm going to speed-read the remainder. A huge disappointment. Rates 1 Star on a scale of 1 - 5. It started off very well, including being set in a warm/subtropical environment [Louisiana]; I looked forward to this as an exception to my preference of north, overcast, gloomy, foggy, rainy, etc. The descriptives of the drive through the swamp were wonderfully eerie and quite unique; it hooked me...then let me down. I've read Ms. St. John before [most recent review was 08/01/2008]; that story was terrific all around -- quite UNlike this one.

The story opens with the heroine, June, and her husband driving to his family's estate called Spanish Swamp. I've noticed that Gothics which start out with a married heroine are usually disappointing; or maybe it's just me. It seems they've been married a while, yet after Gregory is killed we discover they're newlyweds of a mere 5 days' duration.

The story is VERY poorly paced and the characters are abruptly introduced, as if you're already to have a solid familiarity with them. Contrasted to that are superb descriptions of the swamp, the estate and house, furnishings, weather. The author was also inconsistent with character portrayal: Sometimes Aunt Millie seems a cultured and refined Southern lady; at other times she comes off as an Okie from Paskokie. And whereas Gregory Thoinot is sophisticated, his brothers are written as backwards and hickish. There is also a burdensome [wet blanket] focus on legal matters.

Included are two "Negro" characters: Morel and his daughter, Iva. This IS 1967 and we know the history of the racial tensions of the time. I've often uneasily wondered if some day these novels won't get branded as "racist" [despite their being woman-oriented] because 98% of those I've read contain only white characters. That having been said, I was glad to see the inclusion of Morel and Iva. But the writing for them is...awkward at best. Iva is lavished beyond reason with what smacks of "white guilt" praise and Morel is sometimes made to say cringe-worthy things like "but we black men knows things; we know's!" It's a combination of stereotyping and fighting against stereotypes, but ultimately the author seemed unable to relax and simply write believable human characters for Iva and Morel too; a pity.

The coup de grace was the family's reaction to Gregory's death. He's arrived home less than 24 hours when he's supposedly sucked into a mud boil while trying to rescue June. A few hours later Aunt Millie and brothers tell June there'll be NO funeral, and the next time the reverend comes around [is this 1892 and he's a circuit-riding preacher??] they'll have him "say a few words over the bog."

Despite that double outrage, Aunt Millie's rude comment in front of the just-rescued [by Raul] and grief-stricken June that she is "just a prissy little nobody with a pretty face" who should have died instead of Gregory, and snapping "I'm not your aunt!" at her, and Gregory's two cold-hearted and welcoming brothers, June decides she's going to stay and fight for Gregory's dream! Yes sir! Gregory wanted to rebuild Spanish Swamp and make it profitable again, and by golly with her [father's] money June is marching bravely onward to do just that! Riiiight.

Even the grief-stricken scenes are rushed and unbelievable. And June doesn't think to telephone her beloved antiques-dealer father in New York that she's now a widow; she simply will await word of what money he can wire to fulfill Gregory's dream.

*Enough.* If the ending does a 180, I'll amend this post. But I doubt that'll be the case. Cover scan from BookIT.com.

The Veil of Silence \\ Matravers Hall

2009-02-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

Two more Gothics I don't own. I especially like the cover of the first [even if her skin tone's a bit...gray/green??]. Both scans obtained from BookIT.com:

Matravers? I'd likely misread that "Ratmavers," lol.

As for reading, I'm currently (like usual) on two Gothics. The one started out with a bang but it's quickly become a fizzle [a lot of non-logic in it]. The other is steadily and consistently good reading. Those reviews are soon forthcoming.

Secret of the Marshbanks // Whisper of Darkness

2009-02-14T09:27:00.001-08:00

My apologies for the delay in posting. Life, work and briefly diving into non-fiction again [some seriously heavy reading] interfered.

Did everyone survive Friday the 13th? There's two more this year. I was going to post yesterday but didn't get around to it.

The cover art on these is especially beautiful, and I couldn't resist owning "Whisper of Darkness" - that is THE scan for the book I now have. :-D Both cover scans from BookIT.com:

====TEST====

2009-02-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hello blog...are you here??

I can only download the latest entry.

Upon signing in all appears normal, but once "in" it's back to only the latest post showing up.

Moon in Shadow by Aynn Westminster [1974]

2009-02-03T04:16:00.000-08:00

Couldn't obtain a scan. Think turquoise, hot pink, teal and gray. Upper 1/2 of book is turquoise with title in hot pink [I kid you not]. Midsection is an uneven line of grayish pine trees and glimpses of jagged snowy mountain peaks. Lower right-hand [to viewer] corner is small grayish impression of a mansion. Mid- to lower-left hand corner is dominated by Claudia, who looks a bit like Nancy Barrett of "Dark Shadows" fame: Her long blonde hair is flowing in the full-moon light; wearing a teal-colored dress and plucking at the petals of a black orchid while gazing at the mansion.

*Sigh.* I sped-read/jumped to the story's end. I would bash this book five ways to Friday, but out of respect for the author who WAS published I'll opt for some hopefully constructive criticism. This story DID have a ton of potential.

Claudia, a 21 year old popular model [in the days before Super Models], has learned her mother has just died. This is a huge shock, as Claudia's "known" her mother died 20 years ago; she was raised by her aunt. That was all a lie; her mother had "issues" and gave Claudia up, led a selfish life. Moonhall was her mother's estate, willed by her husband. Claudia is accompanied by Bob, her "mentor" and photographer [so far they've avoided an actual affair], to claim her inheritance and perform a graveside ritual which Claudia's mother insisted upon.

Upon her arrival at Moonhall, Claudia hopes to discover some very real facts about her mother -- photos, momentos, keepsakes, possessions. Unfortunately all was disposed of/burned upon mother's request immediately after death. Only Ann -- personal maid and confidant -- can fill in the blanks.

Enter Philip. He's Claudia's stepbrother, who should be the rightful heir of Moonhall except his father willed the estate to Philip's stepmother; theirs was a mutual hatred, and Philip is understandably sore that Claudia is heir to Moonhall.

1. Claudia. She's a terrific character. Instead of turning her into a flightly floozy who flits into the arms of 3 different men in turnstile fashion, why not make her brave and independent?

2. Moonhall. It seemed to be fabulous. But we're only briefly introduced to the mansion and nearly ALL the action takes place in "the great outdoors."

3. Ann. She knew Claudia's mother intimately. Claudia has been curious about her mother, yet all interaction between Claudia and Ann is superficial and cursory. Ann could have been a terrific character and helped to drive the plot; but nope. She's relegated to the backburner and we only see Ann when it's suddenly convenient.

4. Same for Philip. He's a bit menacing, bitter, perhaps even warped. He was the other potentially "excellent" character who could have (should have) lent a lot to the story; but alas he too is relegated to the wings, and only called onto the story's stage when immediately needed.

A pity!!

5. The sexual/romantic scenes are bizarre. Dick and Ann are getting hot for each other when they've been maliciously locked into an earthen cellar in the middle of the forest [they could go UNdiscovered there and die], with the carcass of a dead dog in a nearby trunk and the stench of rotten potatoes permeating the air?? Later, after being attacked by a psycho wearing a bear suit, Gavin and Claudia start "getting it on" despite her having just been attacked and nearly killed [and deep cuts on back/arms], her fear/mistrust of Gavin, and after putting on Gavin's deceased wife's dress (her other clothing is ruined from the attack). I don't even want to try and psychoanalyze the author's sexual...notions. >:-\

6. Bob. Claudia's "mentor" and photographer of years' duration, who fondly calls her his "Gold Chameleon" because she makes him a lot of $$$ and also because her features and expressions are so changeable. He suddenly and inexplicably packs up and abandons Claudia to Moonhall. HUH? No reason nor explanation is given; he simply tells others to tell Claudia "Don't call me, I'll call you." If anything, Bob wouldn't simply give up a huge CASH COW like that.

The overall story is seriously disjointed. The author writes absurd things in a feeble attempt to build atmosphere and tension, like "Claudia began to feel that the people she knew and trusted weren't the people she had known." ??? Um...except for Bob, EVERYONE referred to are still strangers she's known for 24 hours.

Either the author didn't know what to do with story elements or took the easy way out.

Trixie gives the story 2 Paws for mentioning a cat who leaps out of a closet and hisses at Claudia. I guess the cat was hissing at the story itself.

Dark Eden (B. Kevern) Cover Art

2009-01-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

I reviewed this book on 11/29/08 and today found its cover via BookIT.com:

The House of Moreys // The Evil That Waited Cover Scans

2009-01-30T04:52:00.000-08:00

This is THE most beautiful cover art I've yet encountered. Can't you just *feel* the bite of the cool humid air? The title's styling, coloring, the young woman, the overall ambience: It simply begs to be opened, delved into; savored. I had to have this, so purchased it. Cover scan from BookIT.com:

On January 14 I posted the 1st cover art for this novel I'd seen. I was a bit surprised to find this other, also via BookIT.com:

************
I'm currently reading "Moon in Shadow" by Aynn Westminster and am trying to obtain a scan of its cover. So far it is a big LEMON which probably won't even earn a 3-star rating from me unless the 2nd half of the book is an abrupt about-face from the flooziness of the 1st half, and somehow redeems itself. I was actually about to toss it into a container when now -- suddenly -- it seems the heroine finally IS onto something [when she's not going from man to man like a revolving door, and is "crushed" whenever any 1 of the 3 doesn't notice her dress/hair/whatever (re: codependent dolt)]. More on that later.

Two freaky [but unique!] covers

2009-01-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

I do have this novel, but likely will not read it as it's in very poor/delicate condition; want to avoid handling it. The girl's hair is blowing straight out on an invisible breeze, yet her skirt is still. And she has a boxy appearance. The colors are good, but finer details are odd:

What in tarnation?? This is bizarre. Is she The Incredible Hulk's sister, gone to Hawaii to become a hula dancer? Or perhaps Scotty accidentally beamed an Orion dancing slave girl onto a Gothic world? I don't have this novel {thankfully; it WOULD give me nightmares}!

More cover art of novels I don't have

2009-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

All scans obtained from BookIt.com via Ebay search:

Has the deep haunted blue-black-grey I particularly enjoy. The overall style [including flora in the foreground] is my absolute favorite Gothic cover art style. :-)

Very nice!

Secret of Canfield House by Florence Hurd [1966]

2009-01-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is an awesome novel; definitely rates 5 stars out of 5. The scan was obtained via Ebay [corner camera icon]. I would apologize for not being able to provide a face-on scan; this image has the book propped up. *However* it is an excellent image; crisper and nicer than my copy's cover. :-) It's also bluer; my copy's cover is mostly shades of green: Drab olive and muted sage tones. Same publisher - Fawcett Gold Medal; however, the publisher's icon is also different.

The story opens in late October with Emeline [love that name] Ferris' interview with Mrs. Canfield for a job as housekeeper to Canfield House. It's been in the Canfield family for nearly 200 years, previously lived in regularly. For 10 years it went mostly unused, but now Mrs. Canfield intends to visit more frequently. She also is renovating the place, including reinstating all the old fireplaces her father had boarded up and plastered over. Mrs. Canfield's son, Miles, in his mid-30s, also visits Canfield House occasionally but he refuses to spend nights there; when visiting he overnights at the Tayburn Inn [Tayburn is the nearby village].

Emeline is approximately 26 years old and down on her luck. Both parents are now deceased. She fled her New England hometown shortly after nursing her now-deceased father, when a former schoolmate painfully pointed out Emeline's "still single" status. Stung and unconfident, Emeline moves to New York City. She meets a promising suitor...who savagely jilts her. Nearly penniless, depressed and out of her latest job [replaced by a machine!] Emeline is desperate to be hired on at Canfield House. It'll be secure employment, only require dealing with the snooty and demanding Mrs. Canfield 2 days per week [if that], is situated snugly in the countryside. Emeline knows she belongs "back in the country"; NYC was a big mistake.

Emeline is hired. She's given use of a Canfield vehicle and drives to the estate [I loved the descriptives used in the telling of Emeline's countryside journey; it was as good as being along for the ride, and brought back happy memories of my own]. She soon meets the acquaintance of a taciturn and unfriendly storekeeper named Mr. Tuckerman. Next she encounters the tall, large and menacing groundskeeper, Damon, who is terribly territorial of his loft home in the barn, is mute and often seems half-inebriated.

While unpacking the car for her first night at Canfield, Emeline is frightened by what seems a ghastly and bloody premonition. Later she takes a self-guided tour of the mansion. Despite a bit of "the jitters," the home is nice and comfortable...and then Emeline discovers the gold and white room. The second she opens its door, a blast of evil energy hits Emeline, shaking her to the core. Despite her fearful trepidation, Emeline briefly investigates the room. It was a woman's room. She notices a framed photo of a lovely if not haughty and perhaps even cruel young woman; it'd been her room obviously. Emeline quickly develops a morbid fascination for the room and its former occupant: Who was she? Why is this room dusty and festooned with cobwebs; neglected? How was its eye-watering glamour of white and gold [such a stark contrast to the remainder of the house's austere and prim New England decor] allowed? Emeline's curosity intensifies when she learns that, among other things, the gold and white bedroom's door was supposed to be kept locked at all times.

Strange occurrences begin happening. The first is a person wearing a hideous mask, peering through a window on Halloween night. Emeline believes it to be Damon; he seems to hate and resent her.

A friend in "the enemy camp" does appear: Dolly Tuckerman, the sourpuss storekeeper's wife. Dolly is part-time maid and cook to the Canfields; she's red-haired, plump, gold-hearted and jolly. Dolly and Emeline strike up an immediate friendship. Dolly is a terrific character and I especially enjoyed her presence in the novel.

Meanwhile, the danger to Emeline intensifies. Memories of Arabella seem to haunt the place, but also a man is stalking the mansion and threatening Emeline. But why? And what has the eerie and foreboding gold and white bedroom to do with it?

The story ends with an interesting twist and shock. Well worth the reading!

Trixie gives the story 3 Paws: Mrs. Tabby is featured twice [the pregnant cat I posted about recently]. Unfortunately we never read a word about Mrs. Tabby's delivery nor the kittens; thus it only merits 3 Paws.

The cast of characters as I visualized them:

Emeline Harris: Sally Field [age 26]
Mrs. Canfield: Natalie Schafer [age 61]
Miles Canfield: Bill Bixby [age 35]
Dolly Tuckerman: Patrika Darbo [age 47]
Miss Thornbury: Josie Lloyd [age 30]
Dan Tuckerman: As described [age 53]
Damon: As described [age 34]

More cover art of novels I don't own

2009-01-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

Obtained from BookIt:

A Belmont Double Gothic & Scan from BookIT

2009-01-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

I don't yet own this BDG, and as far as I'm aware it's the only other which was published (but I could be wrong about this). Scan obtained from Fantasticfiction.co.uk.

In my most recent post, I mentioned obtaining Images (via Ebay) which BookIT had posted. I snagged a handful of them; the most appealing imo and the majority of which I don't yet own. Here's the 1st of those:

I both sort of like this...and sort of don't. It's different from most cover art for the era, has a definite "Nancy Drew of the '50s" style to it. The bold colors are oddly appealing, and I do like that forked lightning bolt lashing out from the approaching menacing black clouds to strike at the stately pine trees. ;-) Beauty and terror!

Up Next...

2009-01-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

I've found a slew of very nice cover scans of novels I don't yet have (mostly) or have not yet read (few). The scans were posted at the BookIt web site. I came across these scans 1/2 hour ago, while searching Ebay for a specific cover scan of a novel I've recently locally acquired. Ironically, just last week I ordered a novel from BookIt. Will download to my Photobucket account and begin posting them by 2s or 3s soon.

I'll also post the final Belmont Double Gothic cover art I know of, which I don't have. Need to get that posted as previously promised.

Earlier today my husband and I drove 75 miles north to visit a relative. That small town has a bookstore named "Black Cat Books & Coffee." Very charming, filled with cool Southwest ambience...and NO Gothics. :-(

More soon!

Mill Reef Hall by Ariadne Pritchett [1968]

2009-01-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

A definite 5 stars out of 5. Excellent story all around. :-) The large scan was obtained via Ebay [camera icon in corner]. In my copy, the background color is more bluish, like this one [obtained from Fantasticfiction.co.uk]:

The story is set in England, in the year 1812; England and the United States are at war. None of this much concerns Lilia Franklin, at least for now. Lilia is 21 years old, of a poor but loving home, both parents are now deceased and she's been a nurse for 3 years. She's hired on from London to far-away Mill Reef Hall, on the northeast coast of England, to care for the dying Lord Charles Reef.

Lilia arrives via coach on a cold and stormy winter's day. En route to MRH, she and her escort are startled by the sudden and inexplicable appearance of cowled men emerging from the surrounding forest. A catastrophe with a badly startled horse is fortunately averted - but only barely.

At MRH, Lilia encounters the surly and hateful Seaton Reef, brother of Lord Charles. Seaton is partially crippled from a youthful misadventure; he's bitter and twisted. Also residing at MRH is Edgar Seaton, nephew of Lord Charles and Seaton. Edgar immediately takes to Lilia, and begins spinning his own self-serving designs on her. Lilia immediately realizes both men are a danger to her, but later warms up to Edgar.

Lilia proves herself a loyal and compassionate nurse to the terribly ailing Charles, who takes a fancy to her. Initially he's gruff and demanding, but soon takes her to heart. A cordial and genuine friendship blooms between patient and nurse.

Meanwhile, Seaton continues to view Lilia as a threat. He stands to wholly inherit MRH upon Charles' passing; what if Charles foolishly decides to wed Lilia and will everything to her? Edgar shares this concern, but makes different plans in that eventuality.

Mixed in with the bits of national political intrigue (War of 1812) is the [allegedly] Canadian tenant named Mr. Thomas Burton, who is renting a cottage on the Reef estate, in the nearby cove. Edgar and Lilia enter the cottage one afternoon and while there Edgar notices nautical equipment and ocean maps -- including 3 strange names thereon; the names seem foreign. Who exactly is Mr. Burton, and why does he possess a map with foreign-sounding names on them which *don't* sound like names for ocean currents? And what might he want of Lord Reef, who's befriended him?

Lilia, meanwhile, sees lights moving and bobbing at night (bitterly cold and snowy nights) near the cove. She sees Seaton, cowled, carrying a candelabra containing black candles. She awakens in terror after dreaming of dancing on her grave; is the dream a death omen?

Added to this is the mystery of a baby girl's grave in the family plot on the estate [which Lilia comes upon and immediately thereafter becomes obssessed with]. And then there's the deceased Lady Amelia Reef's uncanny portrait.

The story culminates in a Black Mass. The descriptives used are unique.

MRH does not end as I'd expected. But that's so much the better! It's an incredibly well-crafted and satisfying story. I particularly enjoy frequent and good descriptives of food/meals or weather; this novel abounded in lovely descriptions of weather-related phenomena.

Trixie gives the story 1 Paw for no mention of cats in any regard. However, she agrees it's a wonderful story for humans, even if cats will be disappointed. ;-P

The cast of characters as I visualized them:

Lilia Franklin: Madeleine Stowe [age 21]
Lord Charles Reef: Michael Caine [age 62]
Seaton Reef: Peter Cushing [age 55]
Edgar Reef: William Katt [age 27]
Thomas Burton: Stephen Collins [age 29]

Travel alarm clock

2009-01-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

Am currently reading two Gothics, and in the one (featuring the pregnant "Mrs. Tabby") our heroine is awakened (on the 2nd day) by her travel alarm clock. That's surprising, as one would expect if she's hired as (potentially long-term) house caretaker, wouldn't an alarm clock already be part of her room's furnishings? Published in 1966, I'll presume Emeline's travel clock would look a lot like that in the photo. :-) My sister and I each had one in the mid-1970s; I'm surprised our penny-pinching tightwad parents allowed us each that luxury, lol!

These travel alarm clocks are mentioned quite frequently in the Gothics I've read thus far. Always brings back the memories of my (wish I'd kept it!!) early '70's-model little green travel clock with its attachment hasp up top and tab for insertion into the clasp at the case's bottom. It's a triangle configuration once set in place; otherwise it neatly folds back into the case with a snap. I'm sure other folks here are familiar with this. :-)

Meanwhile, as per usual, Trixie's snuggling up with mommy as I read the novels. And she's asking for Mrs. Tabby; has she delivered her litter yet? I tell her, "Wait and see"...and so she dozes off again, purring, awaiting more news of Mrs. Tabby in the story. ;-)

Mrs. Tabby

2009-01-09T04:03:00.000-08:00

During last evening's reading (a Gothic by Florence Hurd), the heroine is alone (her 1st night) in the large country estate she's been hired to caretake. The sun has set, Emeline's discovered a seemingly haunted back bedroom (she soon shrugs the unsettling/disturbing impressions off as being due to an overtired mind and a case of the new-surroundings jitters -- despite that room being her 2nd eerie happening in a mere few hours' time) and has just finished eating supper when she hears a thud in the basement. Soon there's a scratching at the basement door. She nervously calls out and grows more nervous when there's no reply, just more scratching.

Then she hears a "meow."

Relieved, Emeline unlocks and opens the basement door. A large cat saunters into the kitchen. Emeline picks her up and notices the cat is very much in the motherly way, and probably soon to deliver her litter.

Emeline carefully puts the cat back outdoors (the mistress of the estate likely does not want a brood of kittens in any corner of the grand old family house), referring to the cat in her mind as "Mrs. Tabby."

I thought that was cute. :-) And later it occurred to me, why MRS. Tabby? Because the novel was published in 1966 and pregnancy outside of wedlock was a hugely (pardon the pun) frowned upon no-no. It wouldn't have done for a pregnant cat to be *Miss* Tabby. She must be "married" somehow, or the equivalent to. ;-)

It was, of course, the era wherein married TV show couples (with maybe two exceptions) didn't share a bed; they slept in separate twin beds. A reminder of the times.

Florence Hurd

2009-01-06T07:09:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading a novel by Florence Hurd (alongside another - different author). Am truly enjoying it; she's an excellent storyteller. I have a cover scan for that novel [which I'll post upon review], but decided to check out the cover art for her other books. Found the following scans at Fantasticfiction.co.uk; these are among the finest cover art for one author I've yet found.

Here's a bit of biographical info about Ms. Hurd; she died last year. A pity this author of 32 books only received a blurb of attention in the local press [Link never works for me; I did try again to use Link feature but it didn't take]:

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/07/15/obituaries/z5e1c6a8d3ba67de888257487007746f3.txt

And now for the cover art: I particularly like "The Gorgon's Head" and would especially love to have that cover. :-) "Witches' Pond" is very striking, and I also like the strong simplicity of "Seance for the Dead"; will try to find these too, locally. "Wade House" is in one of my metal boxes, not yet read:

Dell's "Candlelight" series

2009-01-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

Found this at the local used bookstore. It was published in 1971. Cover scan is via a seller on Amazon.com.

It's the 2nd Candlelight Gothic I've found; the other is "Carlotta's Castle" by Jane McCarthy; I'm working on turning up a scan on it. I've yet another Candlelight volume, but it is a Romance and is buried away somewhere in one of my metal fireproof containers.

Anyway, I notice that Candlelight had at least 3 subclassifications: Romance, Intrigue and Gothic. All 3 varieties are stocked in the Gothic section of the local store.

I searched the net for a bit of info on this series of Dell books. They're slim [average 160 pages - yay!], have gorgeous art work, are medium-print books; easy on the eye. Am hoping to find more of them locally. Best as I can ascertain, they were published between the late '60s and early to mid-70s.

On a different note, it's yet another sunny winter day. I *hate* sunny winters; 2 of the past 3 have been day after day of sunshine. My sister would strangle me for saying that, but I'm still accustomed to gloom, cloudy, rain and/or chance of snow; we used to have that HERE from mid-December through February. This sunshine is actually making me grouchy, so I'm working today. >;-) Would rather pound the keyboard in the gloom of my home office and pretend it's cloudy out there...maybe I'm part vampire?

Shawls

2009-01-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Women wearing shawls in these stories is common, particularly if set in the 19th century. Shawls, as I recall them from childhood (the older ladies often wore them), could be plain and functional or dressy and elegant. Always with tapered ends, draped securely about the shoulders and upper arms; the larger shawls could envelop the entire upper trunk. Some were hand-crocheted with yarn, most (that I recall) were of a store-bought cotton/poly blend (?) and sported a fine fringe. Of course heavier shawls were for warmth; the fancy and lighter ones were mere accessories. I suppose nowadays they'd be called "wraps"; I'll ask my sister, who lives up north, the next time I talk with her. People in my sunny/warm region generally wear only medium-weight jackets in the coolest weather.

Anyway, I can see the current novel's heroine gracefully wrapping a finely-knit medium-blue shawl about her shoulders and upper arms. She'd be very fine and elegant...small wonder Edgar can't keep his eyes off of her. ;-)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson [1962]

2009-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

This novel was touted by Time Magazine as 1 of the 10 best novels for 1962. So it really doesn't need my puny little 5-Stars rating, does it? Nope.

That cover art is the original [wish I had a 1st-edition copy], found via Google. Trixie gives the story an enthusiastic 4 Paws for that original cover art, and also because Jonas features so prominently in the story. ;-)

It is an *excellent* story. While reading it, I couldn't help thinking I wish I'd written it. It's truly one of a kind. I'm glad Absinthe read/reviewed/recommended it in October (?); piqued my interest. I'd heard of this story, but hadn't thought of it; and it's in the Horror, not Gothic, section of my local used bookstore.

If little cakes decorated with pink frosting and golden leaves, a cat sleeping in the lettuce patch, arsenic in sugar, six blue hidden marbles, a large heirloom- and memories-filled home in the country, a harp and poison mushrooms combined sounds alluring, it's your story.

Mary Katherine [aka "Merricat"] Blackwood is 18 years old; she tells their story. She's currently living at home with older sister Constance [tried and acquitted of murder] and their old Uncle Julian.

It's immediately evident who the murderer is. But what you're waiting for is WHY; if there is a reason. What motivation? Unless it's sheer insanity.

The story opens with Mary Katherine's most recent trip into the village; she goes twice per week, to buy groceries and pick up more library books. Her hatred and loathing of the townsfolk and their mutual hostility is evident. She subtly provokes the grocer and others in the store with deliberately-worded references to "sugar...we need more sugar" and wanting a leg of lamb, as Uncle Julian enjoys roast lamb in the spring.

Merricat is a young woman capable of the most beautiful flights of fancy. If over-stressed she dreams of being on the Moon; of the house she'd have there, and what exotic foods and jewels they'd possess. She also has fancies of another type... She can be fiercely loyal and loving or someone's worst nightmare.

There's one word for the story imo: Spellbinding. That word is too often overused, but not in this case; it IS a spellbinding story if ever there were one. If you've not yet read it, do so.

I was surprised at how the story ended. And that Charles...well, that it ended for him as it did. And Constance; what to say of dear Constance? She interested me even more than Merricat, especially at the end.

The cast of characters as I visualized them:

Mary Katherine: Winona Ryder [age 18]
Constance: Barbara Hershey [age 23]
Charles: David Selby [age 28]
Uncle Julian: As described; a handsome and harmless old gentleman.