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abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
2.0
I have a hit and miss relationship with Jeanette Winterson - Lighthousekeeping was brilliant, Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, good, Sexing the Cherry left me absolutely baffled. I’d have to say The Daylight Gate falls beneath them all - I didn’t hate it, but I definitely didn’t love it either. It sits somewhere between historical fiction and fantasy, drawing on the Pendle witch trials but doused in a good amount of horror to make it something of Winterson’s own.
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The main creative difference Winterson admits here is that her version of Alice Nutter is nothing like history’s Alice Nutter. Winterson plays with the idea that these women truly were witches, so expect supernatural and magical elements. But she doesn’t need to exert too much imagination when depicting the violence enacted against women in the 1600s. Some of the descriptions, especially pertaining to Jennet, a child, turned my stomach and I wondered if they were absolutely essential to include. We’re all aware of the violence women suffered during James I’s campaign to wipe out both witchcraft and Catholicism in England, I’m not sure such graphic depictions of r*pe and inc*st added a great deal beyond shock value.
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I’m writing this review about two weeks after I finished it, and all that’s stayed with me is the shock violence. Probably not one I’d recommend off the cuff, but if you have a particular interest in witch trials then this one might offer you something more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, Torture, and Religious bigotry
sorrel29's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Murder and Torture
balfies's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I don't normally read horror but I will read Jeanette winterson any day of the week. This was a spectacularly gruesome historical fiction about witches in England in 1612, centring on Alice Nutter.
Vivid magical realism, compelling spellcraft, and prose so textured I could feel the walls.
Vivid magical realism, compelling spellcraft, and prose so textured I could feel the walls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Incest, Death, Torture, Blood, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
itsruthalicia's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This novel, set in James I reign, demonstrates the superstition that was rampant during this time period. Though the graphic descriptions, I really felt a connection and understanding of the suffering the woman accused of witchcraft went through. It was ,however, surprising to see elements of the supernatural coming through - which although being captivating - meant the novel failed to demonstrate the absurdity of the accusations made against these women.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Murder
theghostintheattic's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Excrement, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Torture, Incest, Murder, Blood, Pedophilia, Rape, and Vomit
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