A review by lauli
Wieland; Or The Transformation and Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist: Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist by Charles Brockden Brown

4.0

Wieland or The Transformation is one of the earliest American novels (1798), and inaugurated the Gothic tradition in America. It tells the story of Wieland and his sister (the narrator). Born to a religious fanatic killed in mysterious circumstances, the Wielands experience throughout the novel strange and apparently supernatural occurrences which affect them psychologically, pushing them toward their mental and physical disintegration and that of those they love, especially after the introduction of the odd and disturbing figure of Carwin in their lives. I think the novel has a few structural issues, but also memorable scenes which speed the reader on.