Decadence, Hauntings, Secrets, and Ghosts
It's a Gothic week!
Welcome back! It’s a Gothic kind of week. I’m not talking about the Goths (a Germanic people), nor am I talking about goths (sub-culture). I’m talking about Gothic literature, also known as one of my favourite genres. Think decadence, crumbling castles, ghosts, family secrets, hidden rooms, and stormy weather. Think Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (the original vampire story), Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A few weeks ago, I reviewed Christa Carmen’s The Daughters of Block Island - a modern gothic.
This newsletter is a bit different this week. I’ve split it over three days because I’ve got too much to say for Substack’s email limits.
So, what can you expect?
Today
A Gothic book review - A Haunting on the Hill
Some information about my forthcoming novelette
My ‘Odds and Sods’ for the week
Thursday - paid subscribers only
An essay on gender and social norms in Gothic literature - Dracula, Goblin Market, and The Birthmark. All of these texts are available in the public domain (i.e., the copyright has expired). You can click on the links to access them and read for free!
Saturday - paid subscribers only
A deep dive into Ghost Story - a podcast about a family secret, a ghost, and a murder. It’s very Gothic.
The content on Thursday and Saturday does contain some spoilers, so be sure to click on the links above if you want read or listen beforehand.
A Parliament of Hares was released last Friday. It was inspired by the collective noun that gives the story its title, and the folklore of witches and hares. Pointy Hat Press wrote about the folklore on their Substack, Literary Coven, which partially inspired the story. While I already knew about the folklore of witches and hares, their article was the first time I had come across the collective noun for hares and it struck the creative inside of me. It was the contrast between the fantastical and the mundane that piqued my interest. I hope you enjoyed it. If you haven’t read it yet, here it is.
If you’re enjoying Look on the Write Side and know someone else who might enjoy it too, you might consider sharing it with them.
Coming Soon
Some information about my upcoming release:
Waking House will be released in May.
It is a Gothic novelette about a haunted house.
Brief synopsis - Emily moves into an old mansion and begins to notice a sinister presence that she can’t explain. The house is happy she is there. It has been a long time since its last guest.
The story is written from the dual perspectives of Emily and the house.
All subscribers will have access to part one, but only paid subscribers will have access to the rest. I’m currently offering 20% off of subscriptions in perpetuity.
Weekly Roundup
What I’ve been reading:
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
This is the authorised sequel to The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
The novel started a little slowly, but I pressed on and I’m glad that I did. Having said that, I just wasn’t able to make connections with the characters. There were four points of view and I found this took away from my ability to really empathise with any of them. I don’t mind a story that is written from multiple points of view, but in this case I just thought there were too many. The character I was most interested in was Evadne who is a supporting character, though an important one.
I finished the novel not knowing how I really felt about it all. I liked the callbacks to The Haunting of Hill House and I actually preferred that it wasn’t an exact continuation and added something to the cannon. At the same time, I felt it could have lent more into this. I would have liked more of the new elements. I wanted more witch, more hare, more supernatural.
The ending - well I’m not going to spoil it, but I am conflicted about it. Part of me was satisfied by the circularity of it. But another part of me wanted something else.
I do have to mention, and applaud, the meta of the novel. Hand is clearly an exceptional writer who creates intelligent, thought-provoking discussion in her writing. I struggled to decide how I felt about this novel. I was both satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time. While I feel like this is kind of the point, I just couldn’t get past it.
P.S. This novel contains hares. And witches. So, I thought it would be fitting to discuss post the release of A Parliament of Hares.
What I’ve been watching:
Absolutely nothing. I simply haven’t had time this week as I’ve been working a minimum of 12 hours everyday. But, I’m feeling Gothic-y. Perhaps I should rewatch Wednesday before season 2 is released.
Odds and sods:
The tariffs are here! The tariffs are here! What does that mean? Well, everything is a bit of a mess at the moment and we’ll have to wait a little longer to see what impact the tariffs have.
Following up from my discussion on Meta stealing IP to train their AI (link below), I found this article in The Conversation AU by Agata Mrva-Montoya particularly good.
Look out for the essay on gender and social norms in Gothic Literature on Thursday. I’ll be exploring Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Christina Rosetti’s Goblin Market, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birthmark.
I hope you have a magically Gothic week.
Lauren Elizabeth
If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter and would like to read more, you might consider upgrading to a paid subscription for $10 per month or sign up for annual subscription and receive two months free. And if you subscribe now, you will receive 20% off your subscription forever. That’s $8 per month, or $80 per year.