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Bluebeard's Castle: A Novel
Charles Perrault’s Bluebeard gets a feminist gothic makeover in this subversive take on the famous French fairy tale—from the filmmaker behind the cult film, The Love Witch, and for fans of Jane Eyre
Judith is a successful novelist, but she's a little sensitive. She's from a good family, even if that family favors her more beautiful sister. She loves a drink (or 3) but isn't sure if she loves the handsome doctor who is courting her. She yearns for a romance to yield to but remains a virgin. Judith receives visions from the saints.
Then Judith meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a wedding on the Cornish coast. His love transforms her from a plain, lonely girl into a beautiful, glamorous woman overnight.
After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a Gothic castle in the countryside. But soon her perfect marriage begins to fall apart and she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband's mysterious nature, and his alternation of charm and violence, become more and more confusing and frightening. And then there are those whispers amongst the staff, unsettling rumors from London, and strange rattlings from the crypt…
From the visionary filmmaker of The Love Witch, this is a modern gothic feminist take on the classic folktale Bluebeard.
Judith is a successful novelist, but she's a little sensitive. She's from a good family, even if that family favors her more beautiful sister. She loves a drink (or 3) but isn't sure if she loves the handsome doctor who is courting her. She yearns for a romance to yield to but remains a virgin. Judith receives visions from the saints.
Then Judith meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a wedding on the Cornish coast. His love transforms her from a plain, lonely girl into a beautiful, glamorous woman overnight.
After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a Gothic castle in the countryside. But soon her perfect marriage begins to fall apart and she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband's mysterious nature, and his alternation of charm and violence, become more and more confusing and frightening. And then there are those whispers amongst the staff, unsettling rumors from London, and strange rattlings from the crypt…
From the visionary filmmaker of The Love Witch, this is a modern gothic feminist take on the classic folktale Bluebeard.
Audio CD
First published October 10, 2023
204 people are currently reading
13961 people want to read
About the author
Anna Biller
3 books769 followersDirector of The Love Witch and Viva, and in post-production for a ghost movie set in medieval England called The Face of Horror. Praise for debut novel Bluebeard's Castle:
Telegraph, Best Fiction Books of the Year
"A stylised retelling of the old fable that mixes self-reference and gaudy excess...the sex, death and pricy cognac are of a wildly enjoyable piece."
Times Literary Supplement
"Both a fantasy and a nightmare ... [Biller] casts a chilling light on the kinds of real-world fairy tales we are all still so often encouraged to believe."
Shelf Awareness
"Anna Biller's writing is full and luminous, mirroring the classic fiction of Mary Shelley and Charlotte Brontë—but with a modern bite that keeps readers going back for more."
Telegraph, Best Fiction Books of the Year
"A stylised retelling of the old fable that mixes self-reference and gaudy excess...the sex, death and pricy cognac are of a wildly enjoyable piece."
Times Literary Supplement
"Both a fantasy and a nightmare ... [Biller] casts a chilling light on the kinds of real-world fairy tales we are all still so often encouraged to believe."
Shelf Awareness
"Anna Biller's writing is full and luminous, mirroring the classic fiction of Mary Shelley and Charlotte Brontë—but with a modern bite that keeps readers going back for more."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 611 reviews
November 18, 2023
Anna Biller is one of the great filmmakers of our time. Her first feature, Viva, is hilarious and devastating and vastly underrated. Her follow up, The Love Witch, is a cult classic that invites repeat viewing—I’ve seen it three or four times at least. So when I heard that her long-promised “Bluebeard” movie was coming out as a novel, I was simultaneously thrilled and disappointed. Thrilled because an Anna Biller novel!! Disappointed because this was a movie I had been waiting on for years.
Biller is not the master of prose that she is of celluloid. She has a tendency to describe her scenes, well, like a filmmaker might, placing everyone very precisely in space and surrounding them with props. At first, this style came off as almost naive or untrained. But once I got used to it, I found it quite effective. This is a very visual novel; a novel attentive on multiple levels to the surfaces of things—to the narratives we impose and consume and the myriad objects (and products) around which they accrete.
The novel is very direct. The symbolism is obvious. The moral is stated and restated. Some readers seem to have taken this for lack of sophistication. But it is not. At least in my reading, what Biller is really interested in is how the narratives and stories we tell somehow both create our reality, and yet, even as they do, utterly fail to explain it. How images and objects—a candelabra, a painting, a pair of underwear, a piece of fruit or ring or photograph—have their own center of gravity, bending our lives as they work on our desire and as our desire calls them into being. And how powerless human beings can be in the face of the objects we surround ourselves with and stories we tell ourselves. How utterly useless it is that we know the ending.
Biller is not the master of prose that she is of celluloid. She has a tendency to describe her scenes, well, like a filmmaker might, placing everyone very precisely in space and surrounding them with props. At first, this style came off as almost naive or untrained. But once I got used to it, I found it quite effective. This is a very visual novel; a novel attentive on multiple levels to the surfaces of things—to the narratives we impose and consume and the myriad objects (and products) around which they accrete.
The novel is very direct. The symbolism is obvious. The moral is stated and restated. Some readers seem to have taken this for lack of sophistication. But it is not. At least in my reading, what Biller is really interested in is how the narratives and stories we tell somehow both create our reality, and yet, even as they do, utterly fail to explain it. How images and objects—a candelabra, a painting, a pair of underwear, a piece of fruit or ring or photograph—have their own center of gravity, bending our lives as they work on our desire and as our desire calls them into being. And how powerless human beings can be in the face of the objects we surround ourselves with and stories we tell ourselves. How utterly useless it is that we know the ending.
December 26, 2023
CW: suicide, suicidal thoughts, rape (multiple), non-consent, murder, drugs, addiction but portrayed badly, gaslighting, medical incompetence/trauma, animal abuse, animal murder
I am not sure who this book is for, but it certainly wasn't for me. As previous reviewers described, the blurb says it is "gothic" and "feminist", but if this is an example of said genres, I have no interest in reading more. The author seems to think that writing the word "gothic" on every page makes it a part of the genre. Not only is it difficult to sympathize with the narrator, the writer seemingly has no experience with the themes she is writing about. Addiction, abuse and rape are treated lightly, and discussed on a very surface level. Throughout the book, there were plenty of spots where a critical, in-depth exploration of these themes could have been written, but the opportunities were not taken leaving the story on the whole lacking in any depth whatsoever.
Other positives reviews noted that this was a realistic exploration of how abuse can happen to anyone, out in the open. If you want a modern, feminist, gothic/witchy exploration of this, try Weyward by Emilia Hart.
The author also seems to think very little of their audience, explaining every reference they make in painstaking detail. For instance, mentioning Rochester and then spending the next page and a half describing the plot of Jane Eyre. That happened again with Dracula, and every reference was explained and repeated ad nauseum. Throughout the book there are also lists on roughly every other page, lists of objects in the room, packing lists, lists of what the narrator is wearing or going to wear, lists of what the narrator ate for breakfast. None of which had plot relevant details. The last chapter of the book adds insult to injury as the author spends several pages explaining the themes and "morals" of the story - while I could see that as a tribute to traditional fairytales, the execution was very surface level and somehow still felt condescending.
I did finish this book, in the hopes that the writing and lack of depth would resolve into a satirical take on patriarchal fairytales meant to keep women and children from following their instincts - but no such ending came into being. No such commentary came together at the end.
I usually try to write in my reviews who I think would enjoy the book, even if it was not to my personal tastes. I can not think of an audience that would benefit from or enjoy this book.
I am not sure who this book is for, but it certainly wasn't for me. As previous reviewers described, the blurb says it is "gothic" and "feminist", but if this is an example of said genres, I have no interest in reading more. The author seems to think that writing the word "gothic" on every page makes it a part of the genre. Not only is it difficult to sympathize with the narrator, the writer seemingly has no experience with the themes she is writing about. Addiction, abuse and rape are treated lightly, and discussed on a very surface level. Throughout the book, there were plenty of spots where a critical, in-depth exploration of these themes could have been written, but the opportunities were not taken leaving the story on the whole lacking in any depth whatsoever.
Other positives reviews noted that this was a realistic exploration of how abuse can happen to anyone, out in the open. If you want a modern, feminist, gothic/witchy exploration of this, try Weyward by Emilia Hart.
The author also seems to think very little of their audience, explaining every reference they make in painstaking detail. For instance, mentioning Rochester and then spending the next page and a half describing the plot of Jane Eyre. That happened again with Dracula, and every reference was explained and repeated ad nauseum. Throughout the book there are also lists on roughly every other page, lists of objects in the room, packing lists, lists of what the narrator is wearing or going to wear, lists of what the narrator ate for breakfast. None of which had plot relevant details. The last chapter of the book adds insult to injury as the author spends several pages explaining the themes and "morals" of the story - while I could see that as a tribute to traditional fairytales, the execution was very surface level and somehow still felt condescending.
I did finish this book, in the hopes that the writing and lack of depth would resolve into a satirical take on patriarchal fairytales meant to keep women and children from following their instincts - but no such ending came into being. No such commentary came together at the end.
I usually try to write in my reviews who I think would enjoy the book, even if it was not to my personal tastes. I can not think of an audience that would benefit from or enjoy this book.
January 18, 2024
all style no substance. feminism for babies who think femme = empowered. tricks you into thinking its camp but i promise the wattpady prose is not hiding any genuine subversion underneath. gender essentialism isn’t cute.
(1/18/24) added disclaimer: before anyone else revs up their keyboards and tries to hit me with Facts and Logic in the comments. please pause, take a breath, and remember you are beefing with a punk cat pfp on Goodreads.com.
(1/18/24) added disclaimer: before anyone else revs up their keyboards and tries to hit me with Facts and Logic in the comments. please pause, take a breath, and remember you are beefing with a punk cat pfp on Goodreads.com.
September 22, 2023
4.0 Stars
This was a delightful unexpected novel that blends erotic romance into a gothic horror. The story appeared to be a classic piece of dark romantic fiction, ignoring consent, until it evolved a more serious narrative of gaslighting and domestic abuse.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a feminist smart story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a delightful unexpected novel that blends erotic romance into a gothic horror. The story appeared to be a classic piece of dark romantic fiction, ignoring consent, until it evolved a more serious narrative of gaslighting and domestic abuse.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a feminist smart story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
April 28, 2024
Reviews for Bluebeard's Castle are coming in!
"Though the story is set in the present day, Biller paints a beautifully creepy atmosphere full of billowy dresses, darkened woods, burning candles, and castle corridors full of ghosts and secrets. The novel's timeless quality helps drive home the unending nature of male violence against women."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Anna Biller's writing is full and luminous, mirroring the classic fiction of Mary Shelley and Charlotte Brontë--but with a modern bite that keeps readers going back for more."
—Shelf Awareness
"Both a fantasy and a nightmare ... [Biller] casts a chilling light on the kinds of real-world fairy tales we are all still so often encouraged to believe."
—Elizabeth Dearnley, Times Literary Supplement
"A provocative work that adds layers of meaning as one becomes addicted to this page-turner of a book, Bluebeard’s Castle is a bit of Alfred Hitchcock mixed with André Breton’s Nadja."
—Tosh Berman, author of Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World
"Written by the filmmaker of 2016's The Love Witch, this debut novel has a similar romantic haze and a retro hyper-aesthetic swirl…stylish, scary, and peak modern Gothic."
—Maggie Lange, Most Anticipated Books, Bustle
"Anna Biller's sly feminist dissection of gothic tropes is as lush and layered as her cinema...Biller skillfully portrays the gaslighting and abuse that reduce her heroine to making excuses for her boorish husband."
—Molly Odintz, Most Anticipated Books, CrimeReads
"Apparently, there’s nothing Biller can’t do, because she’s bringing her gothic-meets-midcentury-camp aesthetic to the page with Bluebeard’s Castle, a retelling of the famous fairy tale that also seems to be in conversation with Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca."
—Bookpage
"A perfect literary debut for a one-of-a-kind filmmaker. And that cover!"
—Sophia Stewart, Most Anticipated Books of 2023, The Millions
"Bluebeard’s Castle is a truly great novel...it's a delightful page-turner; multilayered and multi-dimensional. While a book of this nature is a risk in any era, it’s safe to say that Anna Biller can now add novelist to her sensational register of artistic achievements."
—We Are Cult Magazine
"This gothic thriller cheekily transports readers to a bygone era by drawing heavily upon classic horror movies and literature, utilizing highly stylized language, tropes, and dated gender roles while generating conversation regarding contemporary issues of consent, agency, domestic abuse, and gaslighting. The author contextualizes the self-sabotage that perpetuates toxic relationships, and fans of the author’s film The Love Witch (2016) will enjoy this gothic novel."
—Booklist
"Author Anna Biller has already proven herself a master of this pulpy genre as the auteur of such cult films as The Love Witch and Viva, and here, she flexes her mastery of pastiche, vividly sumptuous detail, and the subversion of classic female archetypes. In this, her first novel, a tale that begins in the style of a gothic romance turns legitimately terrifying, rooted in the all-too-real fear of sociopathic male violence."
—Bust
"Though the story is set in the present day, Biller paints a beautifully creepy atmosphere full of billowy dresses, darkened woods, burning candles, and castle corridors full of ghosts and secrets. The novel's timeless quality helps drive home the unending nature of male violence against women."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Anna Biller's writing is full and luminous, mirroring the classic fiction of Mary Shelley and Charlotte Brontë--but with a modern bite that keeps readers going back for more."
—Shelf Awareness
"Both a fantasy and a nightmare ... [Biller] casts a chilling light on the kinds of real-world fairy tales we are all still so often encouraged to believe."
—Elizabeth Dearnley, Times Literary Supplement
"A provocative work that adds layers of meaning as one becomes addicted to this page-turner of a book, Bluebeard’s Castle is a bit of Alfred Hitchcock mixed with André Breton’s Nadja."
—Tosh Berman, author of Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World
"Written by the filmmaker of 2016's The Love Witch, this debut novel has a similar romantic haze and a retro hyper-aesthetic swirl…stylish, scary, and peak modern Gothic."
—Maggie Lange, Most Anticipated Books, Bustle
"Anna Biller's sly feminist dissection of gothic tropes is as lush and layered as her cinema...Biller skillfully portrays the gaslighting and abuse that reduce her heroine to making excuses for her boorish husband."
—Molly Odintz, Most Anticipated Books, CrimeReads
"Apparently, there’s nothing Biller can’t do, because she’s bringing her gothic-meets-midcentury-camp aesthetic to the page with Bluebeard’s Castle, a retelling of the famous fairy tale that also seems to be in conversation with Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca."
—Bookpage
"A perfect literary debut for a one-of-a-kind filmmaker. And that cover!"
—Sophia Stewart, Most Anticipated Books of 2023, The Millions
"Bluebeard’s Castle is a truly great novel...it's a delightful page-turner; multilayered and multi-dimensional. While a book of this nature is a risk in any era, it’s safe to say that Anna Biller can now add novelist to her sensational register of artistic achievements."
—We Are Cult Magazine
"This gothic thriller cheekily transports readers to a bygone era by drawing heavily upon classic horror movies and literature, utilizing highly stylized language, tropes, and dated gender roles while generating conversation regarding contemporary issues of consent, agency, domestic abuse, and gaslighting. The author contextualizes the self-sabotage that perpetuates toxic relationships, and fans of the author’s film The Love Witch (2016) will enjoy this gothic novel."
—Booklist
"Author Anna Biller has already proven herself a master of this pulpy genre as the auteur of such cult films as The Love Witch and Viva, and here, she flexes her mastery of pastiche, vividly sumptuous detail, and the subversion of classic female archetypes. In this, her first novel, a tale that begins in the style of a gothic romance turns legitimately terrifying, rooted in the all-too-real fear of sociopathic male violence."
—Bust
March 7, 2024
This is me being generous
October 12, 2023
I simply could not finish reading. What a bummer because I was honestly excited for this book. I thought it had an intriguing premise of a feminist retelling of Bluebeard. And when it comes to books, gothic romances that lean more into the horror have always been my cup of tea. Even the cover art was giving full camp, giving the impression that the assignment was fully understood. However, this book is far from a delightful treat. It is a terribly written soap opera with awful one dimensional, mind-boggling characters, a barely existing storyline, and irritating as fuck writing. Sorry but not sorry to say that this book was a complete mess and I think it’s caused Irrevocable damage to my soul because it’s so dastardly horrendous.
June 25, 2023
TLDR: D*ck blind FMC annoys me greatly
Judith, the homely child of a dysfunctional family, only found mothering and love from the Virgin Mary throughout her life. When she meets a man who tells her she’s pretty she immediately marries him and becomes a vapid fragile princess. What’s up with her weird virginity obsession and all her fainting?
This is billed as a campy feminist take on the Bluebeard folk tale. And you will know that by the many many times the author explains to you this is about Bluebeard. You as a reader cannot be trusted to see the parallels so you will be guided step by step with neon flashing lights directing you.
We are privy to entirely too much of the FMC’s inner dialogue which is annoyingly repetitive and honestly made me wish her husband would kill her so I could be finished with this book. All of her back and forth back and forth about did he rape her or did she want it. Then he’s a demon no I love him no he’s a demon no he’s dreamyyyyyyyy. Her powerlessness over his penis was obnoxious. And the frail maiden thing she had going on was hard to swallow given she is also sold as a successful author and independent woman. Maybe “camp” isn’t for me? I’m okay with that.
This was an ARC- Out in October 2023
Judith, the homely child of a dysfunctional family, only found mothering and love from the Virgin Mary throughout her life. When she meets a man who tells her she’s pretty she immediately marries him and becomes a vapid fragile princess. What’s up with her weird virginity obsession and all her fainting?
This is billed as a campy feminist take on the Bluebeard folk tale. And you will know that by the many many times the author explains to you this is about Bluebeard. You as a reader cannot be trusted to see the parallels so you will be guided step by step with neon flashing lights directing you.
We are privy to entirely too much of the FMC’s inner dialogue which is annoyingly repetitive and honestly made me wish her husband would kill her so I could be finished with this book. All of her back and forth back and forth about did he rape her or did she want it. Then he’s a demon no I love him no he’s a demon no he’s dreamyyyyyyyy. Her powerlessness over his penis was obnoxious. And the frail maiden thing she had going on was hard to swallow given she is also sold as a successful author and independent woman. Maybe “camp” isn’t for me? I’m okay with that.
This was an ARC- Out in October 2023
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2024
I bought this because of the cover and because I enjoyed the campy horror-comedy The Love Witch.
This reads like a screenplay that was turned into a novel and I’ve come to find out it’s because this was indeed a screenplay that was turned into a novel. Funny, that.
The writing style isn’t my favorite, because it relies so heavily on referential material to get its point across. For example, the consistent references to designers (a Prada sunhat means nothing to me). Like, I had to google the designers to get an idea. Surely there’s a way to describe clothing without Valentino this or Dior that. In fact, the author does just that at the end of the novel.
But again this WAS a screenplay and I assume those descriptions would be meaningful for a costume designer.
It’s not just clothing that gets this referential treatment — it’s people, events, anything, really. It all references other pieces of pop culture, for example, referencing the main male as a mashup of Rochester, Heathcliff, and Max de Winter. I think that would be beneficial for an actor or casting director, but a humble reader? Describe HIM! If Gavin is simply a medley of the other three, he’s not going to be particularly memorable on his own.
There’s a party midway through the book and it’s literally described as “just like the fancy-dress party in Rebecca….” (p. 198) there are many, many other instances as something being described only in terms of which other piece of culture the moment echoes. I’d dig them up but I don’t exactly feel like it. Page 224 has some choice comparisons though.
And to the elephant in the room, much like Dumbo’s mother before that weird dancing scene. There’s also the way this book handled intimate partner violence (IPV). As someone with firsthand experience, this book read like someone’s pet theory as to how women end up in these situations, but from someone who has zero idea how it actually happens. And I genuinely hope that’s the case — that Biller has had a life of healthy relationships — but as someone who survived one, it came across as superficial as Cher in Clueless pre character redemption arc. (Am I doing this referential thing right?)
I wanted to like this book so dearly, but it just didn’t work for me. Luckily, I buddy-read this with a dear friend and we managed to turn our disappointment into a good time shaking our heads about our poor, frankly bumbling heroine — like SpongeBob’s Patrick Star but with outright enemies. Ok I gotta hand it to the author this referential thing is kinda fun to do.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a genuinely moving Bluebeard retelling, go read Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. If you’re looking for a Gothic romance, you can’t go wrong with Rebecca, Wuthering Heights (my favorite novel), or Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu, an OG of the genre. If you’re looking for a witty satire of the Gothic, Northanger Abbey is a great choice.
This reads like a screenplay that was turned into a novel and I’ve come to find out it’s because this was indeed a screenplay that was turned into a novel. Funny, that.
The writing style isn’t my favorite, because it relies so heavily on referential material to get its point across. For example, the consistent references to designers (a Prada sunhat means nothing to me). Like, I had to google the designers to get an idea. Surely there’s a way to describe clothing without Valentino this or Dior that. In fact, the author does just that at the end of the novel.
But again this WAS a screenplay and I assume those descriptions would be meaningful for a costume designer.
It’s not just clothing that gets this referential treatment — it’s people, events, anything, really. It all references other pieces of pop culture, for example, referencing the main male as a mashup of Rochester, Heathcliff, and Max de Winter. I think that would be beneficial for an actor or casting director, but a humble reader? Describe HIM! If Gavin is simply a medley of the other three, he’s not going to be particularly memorable on his own.
There’s a party midway through the book and it’s literally described as “just like the fancy-dress party in Rebecca….” (p. 198) there are many, many other instances as something being described only in terms of which other piece of culture the moment echoes. I’d dig them up but I don’t exactly feel like it. Page 224 has some choice comparisons though.
And to the elephant in the room, much like Dumbo’s mother before that weird dancing scene. There’s also the way this book handled intimate partner violence (IPV). As someone with firsthand experience, this book read like someone’s pet theory as to how women end up in these situations, but from someone who has zero idea how it actually happens. And I genuinely hope that’s the case — that Biller has had a life of healthy relationships — but as someone who survived one, it came across as superficial as Cher in Clueless pre character redemption arc. (Am I doing this referential thing right?)
I wanted to like this book so dearly, but it just didn’t work for me. Luckily, I buddy-read this with a dear friend and we managed to turn our disappointment into a good time shaking our heads about our poor, frankly bumbling heroine — like SpongeBob’s Patrick Star but with outright enemies. Ok I gotta hand it to the author this referential thing is kinda fun to do.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a genuinely moving Bluebeard retelling, go read Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. If you’re looking for a Gothic romance, you can’t go wrong with Rebecca, Wuthering Heights (my favorite novel), or Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu, an OG of the genre. If you’re looking for a witty satire of the Gothic, Northanger Abbey is a great choice.
October 5, 2023
I feel like I just read a draft of a novel. Or like I just spent five hours listening to somebody tell me in painstaking detail about a movie that I haven't seen. And maybe I initially wanted to see the movie, but now I absolutely don't because, for the love of gawd, can this please just be over now? This is a shame because I really had been excited to read a feminist retelling of the Bluebeard tale type. Sadly, Bluebeard's Castle isn't that. It isn't that at all.
Here's a quick run-down of my major grievances:
1. The character growth is almost imperceptible. Since they're all caricatures to begin with, this might be excusable if the writing were more engaging, the plot better developed, and the dialogue more frequent and less stilted. Alas, alas, alas.
2. Far too much time was spent describing the scenery and costuming rather than the interactions between characters. No doubt this is part of why it felt like somebody was telling me about a movie they'd watched rather than actually telling me a story. Funny thing about reading a book—I actually wanted a story.
3. Straight-up telling the reader to make a connection between what they're reading and a classic gothic novel—which the author does repeatedly—is not the same thing as making a literary allusion. It shows a lack of trust in your audience and is incredibly condescending. Ditto for sermonizing at the end of the book.
So, I clearly didn't like this book. It didn't read as 'camp' for me, nor did it read as feminist, or subversive, or erotic. Maybe if it had been one of those things I could have enjoyed it. Honestly, the only reason I read it through to the end was to determine whether to give it one star or two. It earned two only because the writing, character growth, and plot development weren't good enough to make any of my thematic complaints (which I didn't even get into here....you're welcome) truly objectionable.
If you're looking for good gothic horror, keep looking.
[I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.]
Here's a quick run-down of my major grievances:
1. The character growth is almost imperceptible. Since they're all caricatures to begin with, this might be excusable if the writing were more engaging, the plot better developed, and the dialogue more frequent and less stilted. Alas, alas, alas.
2. Far too much time was spent describing the scenery and costuming rather than the interactions between characters. No doubt this is part of why it felt like somebody was telling me about a movie they'd watched rather than actually telling me a story. Funny thing about reading a book—I actually wanted a story.
3. Straight-up telling the reader to make a connection between what they're reading and a classic gothic novel—which the author does repeatedly—is not the same thing as making a literary allusion. It shows a lack of trust in your audience and is incredibly condescending. Ditto for sermonizing at the end of the book.
So, I clearly didn't like this book. It didn't read as 'camp' for me, nor did it read as feminist, or subversive, or erotic. Maybe if it had been one of those things I could have enjoyed it. Honestly, the only reason I read it through to the end was to determine whether to give it one star or two. It earned two only because the writing, character growth, and plot development weren't good enough to make any of my thematic complaints (which I didn't even get into here....you're welcome) truly objectionable.
If you're looking for good gothic horror, keep looking.
[I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.]
October 30, 2023
Cover buy was a fail
November 4, 2023
I love the fairytale of Bluebeard and the Robbers bridegroom. I immediately picked this up with high hope. Then I opened the cover and saw it was from the director of The Love Witch. That movie had a trailer of stylish b movie scenes and imitated the look of a 70s film, but I've seen the movie and it was a dull, poorly written and acted dud with a bad movie vibe but not the kind you can laugh with or at and cardboard characters. So I almost put the book down.
But the cover for Bluebeard was wonderful and inside flaps of this book are beautiful and campy and old Hollywood. Anna Biller likes all the right things. And she wants you to know she likes them all and she's seen lots of old gialli and classic horror movies and she read at least the top three big gothic novels. Shes made an entire novel where she name drops all of those things. She gives you names of characters and actresses her protagonist admires. She just doesn't know how to make a plot out of these things. All she does is list them. if you want to read amazing gothic literature well she'll tell you all the plot points in them that others have written but never bothers to actually try and write herself. This is not a love letter to those books, it's not a feminist retelling, it's not even a fun campy melodrama. How many times do we need to be told who and what Bluebeard is and that spoiler alert Judith's husband may be one. And if that wasn't nail on the head enough for you, the ending has an "a ha' moment where it switches to the husband's perspective to confirm all the stuff you already knew the ENTIRE time you were reading the book.
But wait this is set in modern times so we're going to have the protagonist carry around her candelabra in her gothic mansion and only base her hairstyles on Alfred Hitchcock leading ladies and then turn around and say her cat looks like it could be the fancy feast cat. The juxtaposition of all the attitudes of gothic behaviors and settings in old haunted castles with Instagram posts/vogue shoots/ princess Di references/texting on cell phones is jarring and feels more lazy then intentional. A better author might could have pulled it off but I would assume the author wanted to write a gothic novel but not have to research anything historical outside of her endless references.
Judith is paper thin as a character and her inner thoughts become tedious and repetitive. Being trapped in her head or living with her would make anyone plot her murder. Her dreams feel like they were written just to reinforce all the obvious things that are already written and reiterated every few pages.
I finished this only so I could write a review. It was incredibly difficult to keep reading from probably about five pages in and onward.
Also not a romance at all. The main characters have no chemistry and we are told she's whisked away and deflowered and getting married within like 3 pages into the book. From there it's all a bore because there is no tension and never was any. Skip this and read the original Bluebeard tale/robber bridegroom or read Rebecca/Wuthering Heights. Or go watch some of the movies she name drops like peeping Tom or a Hitchcock film. Because she really does have good taste in stories but she just can't write one herself.
But the cover for Bluebeard was wonderful and inside flaps of this book are beautiful and campy and old Hollywood. Anna Biller likes all the right things. And she wants you to know she likes them all and she's seen lots of old gialli and classic horror movies and she read at least the top three big gothic novels. Shes made an entire novel where she name drops all of those things. She gives you names of characters and actresses her protagonist admires. She just doesn't know how to make a plot out of these things. All she does is list them. if you want to read amazing gothic literature well she'll tell you all the plot points in them that others have written but never bothers to actually try and write herself. This is not a love letter to those books, it's not a feminist retelling, it's not even a fun campy melodrama. How many times do we need to be told who and what Bluebeard is and that spoiler alert Judith's husband may be one. And if that wasn't nail on the head enough for you, the ending has an "a ha' moment where it switches to the husband's perspective to confirm all the stuff you already knew the ENTIRE time you were reading the book.
But wait this is set in modern times so we're going to have the protagonist carry around her candelabra in her gothic mansion and only base her hairstyles on Alfred Hitchcock leading ladies and then turn around and say her cat looks like it could be the fancy feast cat. The juxtaposition of all the attitudes of gothic behaviors and settings in old haunted castles with Instagram posts/vogue shoots/ princess Di references/texting on cell phones is jarring and feels more lazy then intentional. A better author might could have pulled it off but I would assume the author wanted to write a gothic novel but not have to research anything historical outside of her endless references.
Judith is paper thin as a character and her inner thoughts become tedious and repetitive. Being trapped in her head or living with her would make anyone plot her murder. Her dreams feel like they were written just to reinforce all the obvious things that are already written and reiterated every few pages.
I finished this only so I could write a review. It was incredibly difficult to keep reading from probably about five pages in and onward.
Also not a romance at all. The main characters have no chemistry and we are told she's whisked away and deflowered and getting married within like 3 pages into the book. From there it's all a bore because there is no tension and never was any. Skip this and read the original Bluebeard tale/robber bridegroom or read Rebecca/Wuthering Heights. Or go watch some of the movies she name drops like peeping Tom or a Hitchcock film. Because she really does have good taste in stories but she just can't write one herself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2023
With a stunning debut that frames the subject of femicide within Gothic romance and horror, Anna Biller once again traverses serious subject matter via her own color saturated glamorous world. Her modernized retelling of the classic folktale joins centuries of literature and diverse artistic interpretations dedicated to the terrifying Bluebeard archetype. Due to the strong and complex subject matter there have been a few unfair misinterpretations in early reviews. I respond to those here along with my non-spoilers take on the novel.
Because this was originally a feature film script prior to its publication, as a novel the plot moves very rapidly. The prose is lively and witty to read. It’s understandable that Biller chose to shelve it indefinitely as a feature film. While Bluebeard’s Castle would be spectacular on big screen, the lead actress would go through quite a harrowing ordeal playing this role. Even with such an ethical and brilliant female Director behind the lens and assumed extensive alterations to the explicit sexual content it would probably not be easy on the rest of the cast or the director herself to bring such misogynistic evil man to life.. (Case in point : Close friends Oliver Reed and Ken Russell not speaking to each other for the better part of the year after shooting wrapped on the very controversial adaptation of Adulous Huxley’s The Devils of Loudon. Not because of any argument they had, but because the experience of re-creating The Devils was simply too intense and harrowing ). However it’s educational to read a novel based on a screenplay when usually it’s the other way around. This alone, makes Bluebeard’s Castle required reading for screenwriters who might bypass the entire Gothic romance genre. Bluebeard’s Castle is literally like reading a film!
Reviews that are tagging the book as, “camp” are doing so erroneously. Camp is bad taste that’s somehow appealing or when a artistic attempt at highbrow turns unintentionally cheesy or derivative. For instance, Anna’s debut feature film (VIVA ) was a critique as seen through a female gaze of how suburbia, the sexual revolution and social mores (eg: The Playboy Philosophy”) at times veered into riotous 1970s camp. With Bluebeard’s Castle it’s important not to conflate genre with camp. I say this because Anna clearly wrote it with the intention of pointing out how easy it is for women to be drawn into severely abusive, exploitative and deadly relationships due to predatory males. Not a funny, campy subject at all.
Bluebeard’s Castle demonstrates how abusive intimate relationships exist all around us-be they in silence or out in the open. Femicide is a centuries upon centuries horror that continues unabated. In 2021 the United States Department of Justice estimated the 4,970 female victims of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in 2021, indicated that 34% were killed by an intimate partner. By comparison, about 6% of the 17,970 males murdered that year were victims of intimate partner homicide. UN estimates of Asian countries (eg: India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, show rates that are even higher.) Thus it’s disturbing to read a few of the early notices stating that it’s “hard to believe a successful woman like Judith could stay in an abusive relationship.” This is why feminism requires constant vigilance because misogyny is so acceptable and mainstream that the more blatant it is the harder it is for women to see and most men don’t want to know.
Bluebeard’s Castle is set in modern day England. Anna nailed every single British reference brilliantly. As a Yank who spent expat years in the UK it read to me like Anna did as well! The main character Judith is a self-described plain yet very successful best selling Gothic romance novelist. She’s also the personification of the walking wounded due to severe treatment at the hands of her dysfunctional upper class/royal adjacent parents. Her sister is the favorited stunning English Rose of the family and a beloved model/socialite. While Judith is confident in her success as a novelist, she’s also become a born-again fervent Catholic to process and relive her deep childhood trauma. She’s yet to have an intimate relationship with a man as she’s yet to meet one who can set her blood aflame. Enter the diabolically handsome and dashing Gavin Garnet.
There are a few villains of late that are as evil as Gavin Garnet. He lives by the Charles Manson credo of, “Don’t find the women who are broken. Find the women who are almost broken.” Gavin lures Judith in with all the bombastic tools of a vile seducer. Sex, clothing, alcohol, lingerie, love bombing, travel and his undying proclamation of love for her. He literally sweeps her off her feet and into Manderfield Castle all the while, bearing his own soul and childhood trauma to her. This last point is important because it builds a deep trust within Judith’s heart and mind and further binds her to him.
Manderfield Castle plays an important part in the plot. So do descriptions of an exquisitely ostentatious lifestyle, heart throbbing sex and endless beautiful possessions. Again Biller has been wrongly criticized for lavishly imbuing her novel with the most glamorous elements of the romance genre. Drawing a woman in with cash and possessions is one of the methods abusive men like pimps use to keep them hooked creating framework of abuse and degradation with a conduit to financial exploitation.
One of the most evil aspects of Gavin Garnet is his gleeful misuse of BDSNM to further his takeover of Judith’s heart and soul. At least one early reviewer has mentioned using bondage in this fashion is “kink shaming“ which is a dreadful misjudgment. There’s nothing bdsnm community kinky about Gaven Garnet. He observes none of the rules, safe words or ethics involved in true bdsnm nor any of the respect required. You can’t even call him a Dom in any sense. He’s just mean! Even the outer limits of BDSM known as Edge play wouldn’t qualify for this character because there is trust and openness required between both parties to take such risks.
Because I’m not including spoilers, I can’t delve into much more. But as shocking is the subject matter is it shouldn’t deter you from Anna’s erudite prose, witty take downs of the wealthy elite and for those of us who love cats there are two very wonderful feline characters. It’s a page turner! A modern day Gothic romance about a Gothic romance writer, living within Gothic horror. Multi layered and multi dimensional. Don’t miss it -it’s excellent!
Because this was originally a feature film script prior to its publication, as a novel the plot moves very rapidly. The prose is lively and witty to read. It’s understandable that Biller chose to shelve it indefinitely as a feature film. While Bluebeard’s Castle would be spectacular on big screen, the lead actress would go through quite a harrowing ordeal playing this role. Even with such an ethical and brilliant female Director behind the lens and assumed extensive alterations to the explicit sexual content it would probably not be easy on the rest of the cast or the director herself to bring such misogynistic evil man to life.. (Case in point : Close friends Oliver Reed and Ken Russell not speaking to each other for the better part of the year after shooting wrapped on the very controversial adaptation of Adulous Huxley’s The Devils of Loudon. Not because of any argument they had, but because the experience of re-creating The Devils was simply too intense and harrowing ). However it’s educational to read a novel based on a screenplay when usually it’s the other way around. This alone, makes Bluebeard’s Castle required reading for screenwriters who might bypass the entire Gothic romance genre. Bluebeard’s Castle is literally like reading a film!
Reviews that are tagging the book as, “camp” are doing so erroneously. Camp is bad taste that’s somehow appealing or when a artistic attempt at highbrow turns unintentionally cheesy or derivative. For instance, Anna’s debut feature film (VIVA ) was a critique as seen through a female gaze of how suburbia, the sexual revolution and social mores (eg: The Playboy Philosophy”) at times veered into riotous 1970s camp. With Bluebeard’s Castle it’s important not to conflate genre with camp. I say this because Anna clearly wrote it with the intention of pointing out how easy it is for women to be drawn into severely abusive, exploitative and deadly relationships due to predatory males. Not a funny, campy subject at all.
Bluebeard’s Castle demonstrates how abusive intimate relationships exist all around us-be they in silence or out in the open. Femicide is a centuries upon centuries horror that continues unabated. In 2021 the United States Department of Justice estimated the 4,970 female victims of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in 2021, indicated that 34% were killed by an intimate partner. By comparison, about 6% of the 17,970 males murdered that year were victims of intimate partner homicide. UN estimates of Asian countries (eg: India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, show rates that are even higher.) Thus it’s disturbing to read a few of the early notices stating that it’s “hard to believe a successful woman like Judith could stay in an abusive relationship.” This is why feminism requires constant vigilance because misogyny is so acceptable and mainstream that the more blatant it is the harder it is for women to see and most men don’t want to know.
Bluebeard’s Castle is set in modern day England. Anna nailed every single British reference brilliantly. As a Yank who spent expat years in the UK it read to me like Anna did as well! The main character Judith is a self-described plain yet very successful best selling Gothic romance novelist. She’s also the personification of the walking wounded due to severe treatment at the hands of her dysfunctional upper class/royal adjacent parents. Her sister is the favorited stunning English Rose of the family and a beloved model/socialite. While Judith is confident in her success as a novelist, she’s also become a born-again fervent Catholic to process and relive her deep childhood trauma. She’s yet to have an intimate relationship with a man as she’s yet to meet one who can set her blood aflame. Enter the diabolically handsome and dashing Gavin Garnet.
There are a few villains of late that are as evil as Gavin Garnet. He lives by the Charles Manson credo of, “Don’t find the women who are broken. Find the women who are almost broken.” Gavin lures Judith in with all the bombastic tools of a vile seducer. Sex, clothing, alcohol, lingerie, love bombing, travel and his undying proclamation of love for her. He literally sweeps her off her feet and into Manderfield Castle all the while, bearing his own soul and childhood trauma to her. This last point is important because it builds a deep trust within Judith’s heart and mind and further binds her to him.
Manderfield Castle plays an important part in the plot. So do descriptions of an exquisitely ostentatious lifestyle, heart throbbing sex and endless beautiful possessions. Again Biller has been wrongly criticized for lavishly imbuing her novel with the most glamorous elements of the romance genre. Drawing a woman in with cash and possessions is one of the methods abusive men like pimps use to keep them hooked creating framework of abuse and degradation with a conduit to financial exploitation.
One of the most evil aspects of Gavin Garnet is his gleeful misuse of BDSNM to further his takeover of Judith’s heart and soul. At least one early reviewer has mentioned using bondage in this fashion is “kink shaming“ which is a dreadful misjudgment. There’s nothing bdsnm community kinky about Gaven Garnet. He observes none of the rules, safe words or ethics involved in true bdsnm nor any of the respect required. You can’t even call him a Dom in any sense. He’s just mean! Even the outer limits of BDSM known as Edge play wouldn’t qualify for this character because there is trust and openness required between both parties to take such risks.
Because I’m not including spoilers, I can’t delve into much more. But as shocking is the subject matter is it shouldn’t deter you from Anna’s erudite prose, witty take downs of the wealthy elite and for those of us who love cats there are two very wonderful feline characters. It’s a page turner! A modern day Gothic romance about a Gothic romance writer, living within Gothic horror. Multi layered and multi dimensional. Don’t miss it -it’s excellent!
October 14, 2023
At the beginning of this book, I was texting everyone how good it was. I sat in a cafe for hours, unable to put it down. Old-money glamour, a mysterious baron, castles, and a protagonist who’s a writer? I was in love. Till halfway through or so.
It’s obvious from the cover description that this book covers dark romance and abuse, but I felt like the story never fully developed. Gavin was not a realistic love interest, and the descent into abuse felt both rushed and dragged out. Towards the middle of the book, Judith, the protagonist, becomes capricious, with whiplash inducing thoughts and mood swings. Half the book is just her overanalyzing her relationship, contradicting herself, and justifying very obvious red flags. I understand this is what one’s mind is like when they’re being gaslit/manipulated, but, like I said, the story didn’t feel that developed. The relationship felt incredibly surface level, fast paced, and empty. Several times it was mentioned that months had passed, which was jarring to read each time.
There were too many modern buzzwords like “trauma bond” and “gaslight”, I felt like I was on twitter. I did enjoy most of the book overall, and was thinking about giving it a 3.5/4 star review, but the ending was almost comically bad. I kept thinking, there’s no way. I feel like the exact same story could’ve been written in a different way, that would’ve been, I daresay, more engaging? I'm not saying it's not worth a read, but it wasn't really for me.
recieved an arc from the publishers for this one
It’s obvious from the cover description that this book covers dark romance and abuse, but I felt like the story never fully developed. Gavin was not a realistic love interest, and the descent into abuse felt both rushed and dragged out. Towards the middle of the book, Judith, the protagonist, becomes capricious, with whiplash inducing thoughts and mood swings. Half the book is just her overanalyzing her relationship, contradicting herself, and justifying very obvious red flags. I understand this is what one’s mind is like when they’re being gaslit/manipulated, but, like I said, the story didn’t feel that developed. The relationship felt incredibly surface level, fast paced, and empty. Several times it was mentioned that months had passed, which was jarring to read each time.
There were too many modern buzzwords like “trauma bond” and “gaslight”, I felt like I was on twitter. I did enjoy most of the book overall, and was thinking about giving it a 3.5/4 star review, but the ending was almost comically bad. I kept thinking, there’s no way. I feel like the exact same story could’ve been written in a different way, that would’ve been, I daresay, more engaging? I'm not saying it's not worth a read, but it wasn't really for me.
recieved an arc from the publishers for this one
October 23, 2023
for anyone whose brain chemistry was irrevocably altered by watching alfred hitchcock movies at a young age. cerebral, atmospheric, positively dripping in gothic malaise.
August 15, 2023
Bluebeard’s Castle shifts between timelessness and jarring modernity. The initial meeting and rushed wedding of gothic romance writer Judith and noble’s son-turned-businessman Gavin reads like A.N. Roquelaure’s The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty or Pauline Reage’s Story of O, hypnotically sensual with flashes of violence. If not for the occasional use of internet slang, the story could just as easily be set between the 1930s to 1960s.
For women who grew up on a diet heavy with gothic influences, Biller has created a heady blend of references and homages to the works that convince women to ignore warning signs of brooding, violent, or abusive men—Rebecca, Jane Eyre, the Brontë sisters, vampire stories, and the darkest fairytales. Judith recognizes gothic tropes but still falls into the very traps she creates for her own characters. Gavin embodies the monsters she & we were raised to love.
For women who grew up on a diet heavy with gothic influences, Biller has created a heady blend of references and homages to the works that convince women to ignore warning signs of brooding, violent, or abusive men—Rebecca, Jane Eyre, the Brontë sisters, vampire stories, and the darkest fairytales. Judith recognizes gothic tropes but still falls into the very traps she creates for her own characters. Gavin embodies the monsters she & we were raised to love.
August 6, 2023
Could not put it down! It was like watching a film in my head with all the technicolor brightness of the Love Witch. Was super excited to read this as it’s also a fairy tale I enjoyed as a child. I know Anna’s been talking about Bluebeard for a while now and I love her take on feminism. Judith was extremely frustrating but haven’t we all been or known someone in “that” relationship? ARC from Netgalley.
January 2, 2024
There's no irony, no subtext, no surprise, and when there are literary devices like imagery or metaphor, they are either regurgitated and imprecise ("The turquoise water frothed against the shore, beating against a foot of black rock, and the white sand shimmered...Cornwall was a place of savage beauty"), or overly literal ("She felt like she was living in a horror film, where the protagonist is being gaslighted and loses her grip on reality"). The book is a disappointingly shallow block of text that never succeeded in getting me excited about whatever would be on the next page
Reading REBECCA and then reading this is really a powerful education in what makes literature work vs what does not
DNF after 175 pages
Reading REBECCA and then reading this is really a powerful education in what makes literature work vs what does not
DNF after 175 pages
July 12, 2023
Such a unique and amazing work from Anna Biller. Here is my review:
https://tosh.substack.com/p/bluebeard...
https://tosh.substack.com/p/bluebeard...
October 17, 2023
Don’t listen to any of the snobs who dismiss this book as being preachy, trite, or not “literary” enough. Anna Biller knew exactly what she wanted to do, and she has succeeded gloriously.
When we rate books, we ask three questions:
1. What is the goal of this book?
2. What is the value of that goal?
3. How well does the book meet that goal?
In the case of Bluebeard’s Castle, Anna Biller’s goal is to get women to leave abusive relationships. It’s a goal with immense value, and I think this book will meet it.
One of Biller’s most brilliant gambits is to frame the book as a gothic romance. The cover of a redheaded woman in a radiant yellow dress, standing before a dark castle, will likely appeal to readers looking for a diverting love story with handsome young Fabio pursuing an innocent maiden. But rather than embracing the genre, Biller subverts it by showing how these dynamics play out in real life – Fabio will create great suffering for his target, and any happiness she feels will be fleeting at best.
The play on gothic romance isn’t reflected just in the story, but also in the prose, which is loaded with lines that only land because Biller’s writing is true to the genre’s style. Most books can’t make a line like “the solemn sacrificial altar of her bedchamber, where she would give him her virgin blood” work. This one does.
Biller’s most important triumph is showing at great length how abusive relationships unfold – or rather, how they go on and on and on. Readers will be exasperated by Judith’s endless bad decision-making, and some will complain that the book drags – but the book has to drag because that’s what abusive relationships are really like. Biller puts the reader through the full spectrum of abuse so that we know what her protagonist really feels, and why that matters.
Christmas is around the corner. If you know anyone stuck in a toxic relationship, this might be the best present you can give.
When we rate books, we ask three questions:
1. What is the goal of this book?
2. What is the value of that goal?
3. How well does the book meet that goal?
In the case of Bluebeard’s Castle, Anna Biller’s goal is to get women to leave abusive relationships. It’s a goal with immense value, and I think this book will meet it.
One of Biller’s most brilliant gambits is to frame the book as a gothic romance. The cover of a redheaded woman in a radiant yellow dress, standing before a dark castle, will likely appeal to readers looking for a diverting love story with handsome young Fabio pursuing an innocent maiden. But rather than embracing the genre, Biller subverts it by showing how these dynamics play out in real life – Fabio will create great suffering for his target, and any happiness she feels will be fleeting at best.
The play on gothic romance isn’t reflected just in the story, but also in the prose, which is loaded with lines that only land because Biller’s writing is true to the genre’s style. Most books can’t make a line like “the solemn sacrificial altar of her bedchamber, where she would give him her virgin blood” work. This one does.
Biller’s most important triumph is showing at great length how abusive relationships unfold – or rather, how they go on and on and on. Readers will be exasperated by Judith’s endless bad decision-making, and some will complain that the book drags – but the book has to drag because that’s what abusive relationships are really like. Biller puts the reader through the full spectrum of abuse so that we know what her protagonist really feels, and why that matters.
Christmas is around the corner. If you know anyone stuck in a toxic relationship, this might be the best present you can give.
November 9, 2023
I had really high hopes for this one, y'all. This book definitely suffers from 'telling, not showing' which makes sense because the author has a background in film. This *might* have worked as a screenplay but honestly, I'm not so sure.
The vast majority of this book is dedicated to establishing that kind of vintage/gothic/pulp fiction ambience. Our protagonist, Judith, is an incredibly wealthy and privileged heiress and presents femininity as the be all end all. At first I was okay with this - I can't relate, but was curious how Biller would explore Judith's relationship to her femininity. There was really no analysis there - just a lot of descriptions of Judith's various negligees and designer wardrobe pieces as she slips into a more and more abusive dynamic with her new husband.
I was so interested to see how this narcissistic abuse would play out on the page. Although we got numerous passages detailing Judith's conflicting feelings, I felt like I had very little insight into her motivations. There were so many times where I just didn't understand why Judith was doing what she was doing. I get that narcissistic abuse can make one act 'illogically' but come on, if you're writing about this kind of dynamic, you have to make the reader understand and empathize with the protagonist.
I have some serious doubts about this story after reading some of Biller's tweets. The lack of exploration on how Judith's performance of femininity ultimately limited her, some of the disparaging remarks about sex workers, the focus on overdone camp instead of the narcissistic relationship at the heart of this story - it just missed the mark for me and I hope it was due to characterization rather than the author's personal ideals.
The vast majority of this book is dedicated to establishing that kind of vintage/gothic/pulp fiction ambience. Our protagonist, Judith, is an incredibly wealthy and privileged heiress and presents femininity as the be all end all. At first I was okay with this - I can't relate, but was curious how Biller would explore Judith's relationship to her femininity. There was really no analysis there - just a lot of descriptions of Judith's various negligees and designer wardrobe pieces as she slips into a more and more abusive dynamic with her new husband.
I was so interested to see how this narcissistic abuse would play out on the page. Although we got numerous passages detailing Judith's conflicting feelings, I felt like I had very little insight into her motivations. There were so many times where I just didn't understand why Judith was doing what she was doing. I get that narcissistic abuse can make one act 'illogically' but come on, if you're writing about this kind of dynamic, you have to make the reader understand and empathize with the protagonist.
I have some serious doubts about this story after reading some of Biller's tweets. The lack of exploration on how Judith's performance of femininity ultimately limited her, some of the disparaging remarks about sex workers, the focus on overdone camp instead of the narcissistic relationship at the heart of this story - it just missed the mark for me and I hope it was due to characterization rather than the author's personal ideals.
July 1, 2024
5*
Judith Moore is the tremendously successful author of gothic romances. She has millions of adoring fans waiting for her next novel. But Judith is sheltered, lonely, and a little naive when it comes to love. She's been waiting for a man, a dark hero like in one of her own romance novels, to come sweep her off her feet. However, Judith's fantasies hide a deeply traumatic relationship with her parents, particularly her mother, and a skewed Catholic devotion. But when Judith meets Gavin, all of her personal insecurities and supposed failures melt away. In Gavin, Judith finds a man who promises to protect and harbor her from the negativity of her life. Yet Gavin hides not only a mysterious past, but a deeply troubling behavior toward Judith, and women in general. And as Judith keeps peeling back his lies, she has trouble separating the real man from the fictional persona she has imposed on him; for Gavin enjoys mirroring the dark Gothic male, to the point that Judith may be in the gravest danger.
My opinion:
I have no words for how good this is. Biller knows the genre, and knows it well, and that is why it works. If you have loved and read Gothic romance novels, i.e. any of the novels written by Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, Dorothy Eden, Mary Stewart or any of the pulp 60s Gothic novels, this book is for you. If you haven't, or don't know anything about Gothic lit, this book is still for you. There is so much to unpack in this novel and it certainly reads as a beautiful feminist ode to the dangers of loving or idealizing dangerous men. I'll leave you with this quote from near the end of the book:
"As much as we like to believe in fairy tales, where only stupid or bad people meet tragic ends, women are not murdered because they bring it on themselves through their actions or their inactions; women are murdered because they find themselves in the vicinity of a murderer." (pg. 362)
Judith Moore is the tremendously successful author of gothic romances. She has millions of adoring fans waiting for her next novel. But Judith is sheltered, lonely, and a little naive when it comes to love. She's been waiting for a man, a dark hero like in one of her own romance novels, to come sweep her off her feet. However, Judith's fantasies hide a deeply traumatic relationship with her parents, particularly her mother, and a skewed Catholic devotion. But when Judith meets Gavin, all of her personal insecurities and supposed failures melt away. In Gavin, Judith finds a man who promises to protect and harbor her from the negativity of her life. Yet Gavin hides not only a mysterious past, but a deeply troubling behavior toward Judith, and women in general. And as Judith keeps peeling back his lies, she has trouble separating the real man from the fictional persona she has imposed on him; for Gavin enjoys mirroring the dark Gothic male, to the point that Judith may be in the gravest danger.
My opinion:
I have no words for how good this is. Biller knows the genre, and knows it well, and that is why it works. If you have loved and read Gothic romance novels, i.e. any of the novels written by Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, Dorothy Eden, Mary Stewart or any of the pulp 60s Gothic novels, this book is for you. If you haven't, or don't know anything about Gothic lit, this book is still for you. There is so much to unpack in this novel and it certainly reads as a beautiful feminist ode to the dangers of loving or idealizing dangerous men. I'll leave you with this quote from near the end of the book:
"As much as we like to believe in fairy tales, where only stupid or bad people meet tragic ends, women are not murdered because they bring it on themselves through their actions or their inactions; women are murdered because they find themselves in the vicinity of a murderer." (pg. 362)
November 3, 2023
I'm going to break it down into my personal pros and cons.
Pros:
-Beautiful cover art evoking classic pulp gothic romance art, as well as a lovely inside full color cover photo
-Opening chapters caught my attention and kept me interested.
-Frank discussion of love bombing, emotional and physical abuse, gaslighting, etc. with a look at what can go on inside a woman's head when she gets stuck in a cycle of abuse. If you are having a hard time understanding an abuse victim's train of thought and why she continuously defends her abuser and returns to him, this story *might* lead you to that better understanding.
-One small paragraph in particular in the beginning chapters resonated with me personally.
-The setting is pure Gothic in every way and described in great detail.
Cons:
-This book is a "tell (in great detail), don't show". It reads a lot like a movie novelization, so I was not surprised to learn it was in fact originally supposed to be a movie. (Third person narration, BTW) Truth be told, I think I would have enjoyed this more in a movie format. (And I would like to watch some of the movies by this author.)
-No real plot surprises for me - VERY predictable
-Too many repeated elements in the plot (cyclic indeed)
-Can you try mentioning Bluebeard some more because I didn't get it the first dozen or so times (sarcasm)
-Not nearly enough horror and suspense. Every time the action started to pick up, it fizzled back out. I kept thinking something far more dramatic was going to happen.
-Despite the fact that the setting was dripping with classic gothic (from beginning to end), there was a distinct lack of other gothic elements/plot. In other words, the story was a cake elaborately iced with gothic frosting but with basic bread inside.
-Disliked every character
-Repeatedly described as "campy" in the reviews - What? Where?
-I found the ending trite
Pros:
-Beautiful cover art evoking classic pulp gothic romance art, as well as a lovely inside full color cover photo
-Opening chapters caught my attention and kept me interested.
-Frank discussion of love bombing, emotional and physical abuse, gaslighting, etc. with a look at what can go on inside a woman's head when she gets stuck in a cycle of abuse. If you are having a hard time understanding an abuse victim's train of thought and why she continuously defends her abuser and returns to him, this story *might* lead you to that better understanding.
-One small paragraph in particular in the beginning chapters resonated with me personally.
-The setting is pure Gothic in every way and described in great detail.
Cons:
-This book is a "tell (in great detail), don't show". It reads a lot like a movie novelization, so I was not surprised to learn it was in fact originally supposed to be a movie. (Third person narration, BTW) Truth be told, I think I would have enjoyed this more in a movie format. (And I would like to watch some of the movies by this author.)
-No real plot surprises for me - VERY predictable
-Too many repeated elements in the plot (cyclic indeed)
-Can you try mentioning Bluebeard some more because I didn't get it the first dozen or so times (sarcasm)
-Not nearly enough horror and suspense. Every time the action started to pick up, it fizzled back out. I kept thinking something far more dramatic was going to happen.
-Despite the fact that the setting was dripping with classic gothic (from beginning to end), there was a distinct lack of other gothic elements/plot. In other words, the story was a cake elaborately iced with gothic frosting but with basic bread inside.
-Disliked every character
-Repeatedly described as "campy" in the reviews - What? Where?
-I found the ending trite
January 27, 2024
I'm not sure what this book is intending to be, but it doesn't work either way.
Is it a satire of gothic romance novels? It's not funny or clever, and the lengthy tedious moralizing passages crammed in between all the action mean there's no subtext here at all.
I also had to lol a bit at the awful husband putting on a condom, because if there's anything dark romance heroes are known for it's CAREFUL ATTENTION TO BIRTH CONTROL.
Is it a feminist lecture about how women shouldn't read gothic romance because it makes us more vulnerable to abuse? I think maybe that's what it's supposed to be.
Is it an instructional sort of morality tale about how easy it is for any woman to fall for an abuser? It fails at that too, because there's zero effort to make the abusive husband appealing or attractive.
Also, perhaps most damning of all, it's incredibly boring. The writing is cringe. There are attempts at sex scenes, sort of summary-style ("he put his penis in her and it was brutal and then she orgasmed" is how most of them sound) and they are so embarrassing I can't look directly at them.
I marked this as abandoned because I skimmed most of it. Stop telling women that what they read makes them more vulnerable to abuse, as if reading only sweet romance is some sort of protection against male violence.
As always, thank you to the public library for the complimentary copy <3
Is it a satire of gothic romance novels? It's not funny or clever, and the lengthy tedious moralizing passages crammed in between all the action mean there's no subtext here at all.
I also had to lol a bit at the awful husband putting on a condom, because if there's anything dark romance heroes are known for it's CAREFUL ATTENTION TO BIRTH CONTROL.
Is it a feminist lecture about how women shouldn't read gothic romance because it makes us more vulnerable to abuse? I think maybe that's what it's supposed to be.
Is it an instructional sort of morality tale about how easy it is for any woman to fall for an abuser? It fails at that too, because there's zero effort to make the abusive husband appealing or attractive.
Also, perhaps most damning of all, it's incredibly boring. The writing is cringe. There are attempts at sex scenes, sort of summary-style ("he put his penis in her and it was brutal and then she orgasmed" is how most of them sound) and they are so embarrassing I can't look directly at them.
I marked this as abandoned because I skimmed most of it. Stop telling women that what they read makes them more vulnerable to abuse, as if reading only sweet romance is some sort of protection against male violence.
As always, thank you to the public library for the complimentary copy <3
May 29, 2025
If only there had been cameras around the room while I read this; it would be very interesting to see how my face changed every two pages as I continuously went from ‘’this is satire’’ to ‘’this is… absolutely serious?’’.
Either way, it wasn’t good. I’m not giving you points just for talking about an important subject. The thing is to do it well. Making me feel like you’re writing an over-exaggerated cliche-take on what the genre is, didn’t do that. Great cover tho.
Either way, it wasn’t good. I’m not giving you points just for talking about an important subject. The thing is to do it well. Making me feel like you’re writing an over-exaggerated cliche-take on what the genre is, didn’t do that. Great cover tho.
July 15, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
This story was definitely an interesting ride. Given that it is advertised as a modern feminist twist on classic Gothic romance, I found myself skeptically waiting for the author to take that turn as things began to get complicated between Judith and Gavin. We follow Judith through the ups and downs of Gavin’s love bombing, gaslighting, manipulation, praise, degradation, and abuse and time and time again observe Judith’s excuses for her Phantom Lover and willingness to believe in his love for her despite the evidences of Gavin’s evil nature. I found that the story is pretty slow-paced, and that as Judith keeps crawling back to Gavin, I was waiting for bigger change to actually happen. However, as I read on I realized that the author wasn’t going for a feminist retelling that entirely switches the roles of the story but rather one that alters it’s implications. Instead of blatantly having Judith overpower Gavin or entirely change her ill fate, the author strengthens her feminist purpose by leaving the maiden archetype almost entirely the same and instead implying the message that it is no shortcoming of the woman if their husband is capable of resorting to the behavior portrayed by Gavin. I think Judith’s role as a writer of Gothic romance herself also adds some great commentary on women’s romanticism of the men in their life as a defense mechanism. Judith’s rich and romanticized life is most likely anything but relatable to readers, yet her portrayal of femininity inspires likeness with female readers. For Judith, femininity is defined by the limits, constraint, and submission that is found as naturally in Gothic romance as it is in the real female experience. Through Judith, Anna Biller presents a realistic story of “bad men and the women who love them” enriched by phantasmagoric themes.
This story was definitely an interesting ride. Given that it is advertised as a modern feminist twist on classic Gothic romance, I found myself skeptically waiting for the author to take that turn as things began to get complicated between Judith and Gavin. We follow Judith through the ups and downs of Gavin’s love bombing, gaslighting, manipulation, praise, degradation, and abuse and time and time again observe Judith’s excuses for her Phantom Lover and willingness to believe in his love for her despite the evidences of Gavin’s evil nature. I found that the story is pretty slow-paced, and that as Judith keeps crawling back to Gavin, I was waiting for bigger change to actually happen. However, as I read on I realized that the author wasn’t going for a feminist retelling that entirely switches the roles of the story but rather one that alters it’s implications. Instead of blatantly having Judith overpower Gavin or entirely change her ill fate, the author strengthens her feminist purpose by leaving the maiden archetype almost entirely the same and instead implying the message that it is no shortcoming of the woman if their husband is capable of resorting to the behavior portrayed by Gavin. I think Judith’s role as a writer of Gothic romance herself also adds some great commentary on women’s romanticism of the men in their life as a defense mechanism. Judith’s rich and romanticized life is most likely anything but relatable to readers, yet her portrayal of femininity inspires likeness with female readers. For Judith, femininity is defined by the limits, constraint, and submission that is found as naturally in Gothic romance as it is in the real female experience. Through Judith, Anna Biller presents a realistic story of “bad men and the women who love them” enriched by phantasmagoric themes.
November 3, 2023
WOW!!!!! this was so incredible. it was gothic & manic & vicious. it was such an enchanting read with its mix of modern & classic. i’m honestly speechless. i have never heard of the author before but now i’m so interested to watch her film & dive further into all mediums of art she produces.
i said it before in other reviews but i DEVOUR books with heavy themes of loneliness & the effects of this infliction. i loveeeeeeeeed the end pov switch which was genius & i know i will be recommending this to everyone.
books like this make me realize how complex & vulnerable women are. it makes me feel not to alone & i love it.
i said it before in other reviews but i DEVOUR books with heavy themes of loneliness & the effects of this infliction. i loveeeeeeeeed the end pov switch which was genius & i know i will be recommending this to everyone.
books like this make me realize how complex & vulnerable women are. it makes me feel not to alone & i love it.
October 27, 2023
Ugh, this is a mess. I felt like I was reading the first draft of a novel. And not a very good one, to be honest. I'm disappointed, because I love the concept.
November 2, 2023
so bold and so brilliant. listened to pagan poetry like 20 times while reading it so yeah
check this out if you like a dowry of blood and/or promising young woman
check this out if you like a dowry of blood and/or promising young woman
October 10, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book. Bluebeard's Castle releases October 10, 2023.
Bluebeard's Castle tells the story of young Judith, a writer of gothic romances, who finds herself married to someone who may or may not mirror the "heroes" of her novels.
I thought I was going to love this book, so the fact that I really didn't like it is a little devastating to me. We all missed out on the film version of this story, which is sad.
This book is exhausting to read in a painful way. It's way too long because most of the book is Judith's interior thoughts, which are repetitive and claustrophobic in the way that she circles around the same two ideas over and over and over again. This isn't to say that this claustrophobic interior moments can't be effective---they just aren't in this novel. It's missing the tension and the dread from the novels it's inspired by. It's really missing the subtlety of classic gothic romances, as well. And it's over the top in a way that isn't effectively campy or pulpy, too. It's...kind of a mess.
The themes the novel is looking at are surface level at best. Very 'girl boss' feminism. It follows the strictest of gender binaries in a way that was also exhausting for me to read because it wasn't really doing anything with it. I get it. Judith likes dresses. You really don't have to tell me fifty times.
This book just really needed more editing.
And the ending?! Oy. What a preachy, nonsensical mess.
The one thing I liked were some of the descriptions and there were some moments that used the genre well. Those moments were just few and far between.
I honestly can't say I would recommend this. Just read a classic gothic romance instead.
Bluebeard's Castle tells the story of young Judith, a writer of gothic romances, who finds herself married to someone who may or may not mirror the "heroes" of her novels.
I thought I was going to love this book, so the fact that I really didn't like it is a little devastating to me. We all missed out on the film version of this story, which is sad.
This book is exhausting to read in a painful way. It's way too long because most of the book is Judith's interior thoughts, which are repetitive and claustrophobic in the way that she circles around the same two ideas over and over and over again. This isn't to say that this claustrophobic interior moments can't be effective---they just aren't in this novel. It's missing the tension and the dread from the novels it's inspired by. It's really missing the subtlety of classic gothic romances, as well. And it's over the top in a way that isn't effectively campy or pulpy, too. It's...kind of a mess.
The themes the novel is looking at are surface level at best. Very 'girl boss' feminism. It follows the strictest of gender binaries in a way that was also exhausting for me to read because it wasn't really doing anything with it. I get it. Judith likes dresses. You really don't have to tell me fifty times.
This book just really needed more editing.
And the ending?! Oy. What a preachy, nonsensical mess.
The one thing I liked were some of the descriptions and there were some moments that used the genre well. Those moments were just few and far between.
I honestly can't say I would recommend this. Just read a classic gothic romance instead.
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