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The Black Room
He was the Archduke Friedrich Georg,and he lived, during the second half of the last century, in the fantastic castle at Neuheim.
Why did he commission the building, at unimaginable cost, of the Black Room: a panelled rococo masterpiece in black ebony and gold-work with gilt furniture?
How did he plan to use the room, with its hidden entrance?
Was it to further his undercover relationship with Andre, or the other young men to whom he was attracted, or was it a bridal chamber for his future wife, the Princess Anne?
Was it merely an escape to counter the tedium of his aristocratic life?
Or was it a symbol that he had given into the side of his nature that he so despised?
The Archduke, as revealed in the pages of his diary, becomes more and more obsessed with his lavish programme of the sumptuous bed-chamber. And as the room nears completion it takes a more and more sinister and mysterious hold on him...
Why did he commission the building, at unimaginable cost, of the Black Room: a panelled rococo masterpiece in black ebony and gold-work with gilt furniture?
How did he plan to use the room, with its hidden entrance?
Was it to further his undercover relationship with Andre, or the other young men to whom he was attracted, or was it a bridal chamber for his future wife, the Princess Anne?
Was it merely an escape to counter the tedium of his aristocratic life?
Or was it a symbol that he had given into the side of his nature that he so despised?
The Archduke, as revealed in the pages of his diary, becomes more and more obsessed with his lavish programme of the sumptuous bed-chamber. And as the room nears completion it takes a more and more sinister and mysterious hold on him...
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Published January 1, 1966
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January 2, 2026
A book I picked up mostly because the cover called to me and I could find practically nothing about it or the author online.
It turned out to be a very interesting and enjoyable read, even though it was way more a historical mystery than gothic horror I had expected (though elements of it are certainly still there at times). Definitely a slow-burn, but not a tedious one.
The characters are all well-drawn and interesting. The writing does a great job at straddling the line of making it clear that Friedrich Georg is on some levels a terrible person, but still making him charming and sympathetic.
I was genuinely surprised that Friedrich Georg's attraction to men ended up being one of the central focuses of the novel and that it was portrayed as it was in a novel originally published in '64 (in general, it felt refreshingly modern in its political leanings compared to what I had been bracing myself for).
It turned out to be a very interesting and enjoyable read, even though it was way more a historical mystery than gothic horror I had expected (though elements of it are certainly still there at times). Definitely a slow-burn, but not a tedious one.
The characters are all well-drawn and interesting. The writing does a great job at straddling the line of making it clear that Friedrich Georg is on some levels a terrible person, but still making him charming and sympathetic.
I was genuinely surprised that Friedrich Georg's attraction to men ended up being one of the central focuses of the novel and that it was portrayed as it was in a novel originally published in '64 (in general, it felt refreshingly modern in its political leanings compared to what I had been bracing myself for).
Displaying 1 of 1 review