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henrygravesprince's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
In the interest of full disclosure, this review is specifically regarding a DRC copy of the book from Net Galley, so while I imagine this eBook was pretty close to finalized, some details may have been changed between my copy and the official release.
I feel like this book is best matched to someone interested in literary horror and modern interpretations of the historical gothic—frankly, it feels very A24 “elevated folk horror” to me, very “the VVitch” in its effect. The strongest aspect of this book was the characterization of everyone but Victor and the Creature ; the different relationships between the characters are lively and genuine, and the cast felt incredibly real. I think the weakest element is the underdevelopment of the characters lifted from Frankenstein, which feel more archetypal and less raw than they did the original novel. I also think the cover blurb describing it as a gift to monster lovers everywhere is a little misleading, and I would recommend people not take that comment into account when building expectation for what this book “is”. I think more development of the latter end of the book would have done this a lot of good. I don’t think I would pick up another book by this author, but I’m willing to be swayed to by a compelling premise if it comes.
All that being said, what does this mean for my thoughts on Eynhallow? Frankly, this is an adaptation that isn’t so much “for me”, but I do think it is incredibly well-written, and most importantly, I do think it preserves the core of the original novel in a unique way . I think Mary would enjoy this, and I think she would respect the clear critiques of the mistreatment of women, especially in the way it seems to be influenced by the political commentary of her mother, proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. The angle this tale takes is one centered on the mistreatment of women in the domestic sphere, the invisibilization of reproductive labor, and the difficulty for women (and particularly mothers) to escape abusive family situations without the resource of capital.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Ableism
Graphic depiction of child birth; Depictions of parentification; Discussion of historical grooming of a young girl into marriage with an older man
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