I've read one (forget the title though) that was set in 1890s/1900s New York, with a brief bit on Coney Island, and was published by Zebra before they shut down their gothic romance line in the early 90s. Outside of that book, and three written by another woman whose name I've forgotten (one was set in San Francisco and dealt with the heroine having her body overtaken by the ghost of a dead madam, the other was set in Arizona, and the last, about a land grant in California/New Mexico), I haven't see any historical gothic romances set in America. Any suggestions?
I haven't run across many in that department, either. The only ones I've read are "Sea Jade" by Phyllis Whitney (but seeing that you've read a lot of her books, you may have already read it) and "The Unguarded" by Dorothy Daniels (and I don't recommend that one).
ha...I totally forgot about this forum. Now I'm running amok.
But the author whose name I'd forgotten, was Lucinda Baker.
Cherchezlafemme Wrote:ha...I totally forgot about this forum. Now I'm running amok.
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I just did.
What about Dragonwyck by Anya Senton?
It's a long time favourite of mine and is set in upstate New York in the 1840's.
This book has such atmospehere and presence. It was one of the very 1st gothic novels I read when I was 9, so it does hold that soft spot in my heart!
But it IS a grand novel and the movie with Vicent Price was delicious as well!
Valancourt Wrote:What about Dragonwyck by Anya Senton?
It's a long time favourite of mine and is set in upstate New York in the 1840's.
This book has such atmospehere and presence. It was one of the very 1st gothic novels I read when I was 9, so it does hold that soft spot in my heart!
But it IS a grand novel and the movie with Vicent Price was delicious as well!
Yes! I just read
Dragonwyck and enjoyed it immensely. Then I ordered the movie on Netflix and watched that. I'm glad I read the book first. The movie is good, though of course could not approach the complexity of characterization that the book offered. I'm a big fan of Vincent Price but I thought he was slightly miscast as Van Ryn, though he did a great job with his part. It may simply be that I had "cast" him somewhat differently in my mind. Gene Tierney in my opinion made a fabulous Miranda and was so utterly lovely, not to mention an excellent actress. I felt every one of her emotions authentically.
Back to the book, my hat is off to Anya Seton. I must investigate what else she wrote.
There are so many places in America that would make appropriate settings for Gothic books, but I've been finding that many of the authors in this field neglect to take full advantage of this fact. Of the Gothics I've read set in the US, only one or two really conveyed a strong "Gothic" atmosphere. I mentioned Dragonwyck in my previous post, and I think it ranks with the best of anything set in England and is certainly an exception to my statement. But while I've enjoyed other Gothics set in various parts of the US, for the most part they haven't enthralled me with the same sense of transport.
The coast of Maine might lack the history and lore of Cornwall, but as a dramatic locale it would serve just as well for a Gothic, in my opinion. It seems to me that a really splendid Gothic set on the New England coast in the 19th Century is waiting to be written.
What about House of Seven Gables by Hawthorne? It's the 1st book to come to my mind when you say "American gothic". I'd also suggest Wieland by Charles B. Brown.