Queer Others in Victorian Gothic: Transgressing Monstrosity

Gothic Literary Studies

by Ardel Haefele-Thomas

Queer Others in Victorian Gothic: Transgressing Monstrosity explores the intersections of Gothic, cultural, gender, queer, socio-economic and postcolonial theories in nineteenth-century British representations of sexuality, gender, class and race. From mid-century authors like Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell to fin-de-siècle writers such as J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Florence Marryat and Vernon Lee, this study examines the ways that these Victorian writers utilized gothic horror as a proverbial ‘safe space’ in which to grapple with taboo social and cultural issues. This work simultaneously explores our current assumptions about a Victorian culture that was monolithic in its disdain for those who were ‘other’.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gothic, Queer, LGBT, Horror, Literary Criticism, Victorian

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2012

Reviews

[Hannah Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t read every essay in this book,(just the ones that contained things I wanted to know), but I really enjoyed the ones I did! The author definitely is very readable and interesting. I highly recommend for students studying gothic literature.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will need to reread Carmilla, Dracula, and Frankenstein after reading these essays.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and entertaining application of Queer Theory to a number of seminal 19th century gothic texts. The author's erudite prose and readable style makes this a breeze readily sailed through. Notable works discussed include THE MOONSTONE and THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's CARMILLA, Florence Marryat's THE BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE, and the short fiction of Elizabeth Gaskell and Vernon Lee.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the Victorian Gothic, in particular The Woman and White and The Moonstone, but also texts by Elizabeth Gaskell and Bram Stoker. Read for Gothic in Literature & Film module and English Literature dissertation.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

只读了女作家的部分。文本的分析相对比较浅，仅针对几位作家故事中主要角色和大体情节做了阐述，而且说实话感觉没有特别有新意的见解...有些论点对我来说并没有和作者的文本强关联。但主题自带的讨论还是很好的，几个世纪前女作家们在书写中反抗异性恋婚姻与家庭，在女性角色极有张力又暧昧不明的悸动中，摸索着同性间相处的微小情愫与多种可能。Vernon Lee在公开场合的各种创作与言行，对所在queer community的支持与认可倒是非常超前，在那个时代能有这样让她们秘密结社使用coded language交流的小团体，真是不幸中的幸运

[MadeliefJulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

gosh wat hou ik toch van m'n academische niches

[Helen Victoria Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rare to read a work of literary criticism which is so consistently engaging and original. Though the first chapter, on Collins is a slow beginning, labouring rather hard to make its ultimately well-considered point, Haefele-Thomas's focus increases with every section.

I borrowed this book as research material for an essay on H. Rider Haggard. However, because it was sourced through Inter-Library loan, it sadly arrived late, and I had already taken my work in a different direction. Nonetheless, hating to leave a good book to waste, I read it. My intent was only to read the sections most relevant to my studies, but before I knew it, I had consumed the whole book. Perhaps it was just the additional free time of the Christmas holidays, but I wish all critical works were so engaging.

For anyone interested in the Victorian gothic, colonial history, queer theory and feminist literature, this book is an ideal text. It unites these aspects of 19th century fiction more successfully than most, in a convincing and accessible study of the liminal, repressed and subversive 'Other'.