What is your opinion?
A Gothic Charmer
"What a nice surprise this story turned out to be: a moody, little Gothic masterpiece where little happens, yet you feel an entire drama is about to unfold. I think anyone who wants to understand how stories can be about more than just plot and action should read this story. Little more occurs than Cathy returning to his ancestral home after the murder of her parents, looking for...she doesn't know what, exactly. Something is calling her, pulling her back to probe into the dark corners of her past, which her family thinks is a poor decision. Best to leave the dead as they are. Yet what fun would that be, particularly in a work that seems a chip carved off the block of Wuthering Heights (the name, Cathy, puts us right in mind of it) as well as other late Romantic/Victorian works like Frankenstein, some of Gaskell's Gothic Tales, and even a touch of Henry James. The prose is beautifully evocative, the words chosen to create just the right mood, as well as Cathy's delicate state of mind as she contemplates her past--and her future. This story is just creepy enough to be cozy, particularly for the lover of Gothic literature and all things Victorian (or Victorian as seen through modern eyes, perhaps). I really hope this is only a prelude of a story to come, since all the care lavished on this beginning deserves a continuation! What does Cathy find? I already hear soft footsteps on the creaky stairwell..."
Setting the Scene
"This story has an interesting beginning. The author's style of writing is descriptive and vivid. Cathy's past is slowly resurrected paying attention to the subtle hints of memory. I am a fan of Victorian and Gothic literature so I was immediately drawn to this story. I would love to see where it leads and I look forward to watching the plot develop with the use of characterisation to enhance the scene - I also wonder how you will treat longer dialogue, and if you will keep it to a minimum or if you will use it to speed the plot-up. I am interested to see how the characters will interact once the story moves forward."
