A lonely and introverted writer long overshadowed by her beautiful sister, Judith believes she has entered a fairy-tale romance with Gavin, the handsome baron-to-be who has romanced, “ravished,” love-bombed, and married her in short order, giving her the chance to blossom as a glamour girl. But the lines between fairy tale and horror story are illusory at best, particularly under patriarchy, and soon, Gavin’s erratic, manipulative, controlling, and potentially murderous sides emerge. Judith starts to wonder if she has married a character from one of her gothic novels, possibly even a Bluebeard.
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. The original Bluebeard myth has long been a cautionary tale, warning young women of the dangers of curiosity—sexual and otherwise—and defiance. Biller brings out the much more simple, chilling truth: “Women are murdered because they find themselves in the vicinity of a murderer.”
If you have not seen The Love Witch yet check this clip out below and fall in love.
Image Via Verso
