Some may gasp at my sacrilege, but I prefer Virginia Coffman to Phyllis Whitney. I like Whitney very much, mind you, but Coffman gives me more of what I look for in a Gothic. Moura, in my opinion, is in league with anything by Holt or Du Maurier -- and I can say that being as yet only halfway through the book.
Coffman had a high command of language; she understood the culture of the British Isles in the 19th Century; she had impeccable pitch for tone and atmosphere. And generally, her plots move along with the pleasing fluency of a good movie. (Bios of Coffman are hard to come by; I've read that she worked on scripts in Hollywood back in the day, but I can't find any references to her on IMDB.)
Despite my lavish praise, I never finished The Devil Vicar, the only Coffman book that's disappointed me. But I think I'll go back and give it another whirl.
I very much enjoyed "Moura" and I think it is a true Gothic. The book is very atmospheric with a kind of creeping brooding sense of threat. Ann Wicklow also is a sensible character, not some frightened ninny, so that adds to the appeal. However I would agree that other books that I have read by Virginia Coffman did not please me so much. I felt this was because they were of a certain era and somehow seemed corny now.
What are all the books in the Moura series? I have Moura and The Vicar of Moura. The Vampyre of Moura, and The Dark Beyond Moura are on order. I know there's a Return to Moura. Is that all?
(10-17-2010, 01:47 PM)Penfeather Wrote: [ -> ]Coffman had a high command of language; she understood the culture of the British Isles in the 19th Century; she had impeccable pitch for tone and atmosphere. And generally, her plots move along with the pleasing fluency of a good movie. (Bios of Coffman are hard to come by; I've read that she worked on scripts in Hollywood back in the day, but I can't find any references to her on IMDB.)
I’m a big fan of her writing too. I have a reference book published in the UK in the 1980’s which provides short biographies for many gothic and romance writers. It states Virginia Coffman worked as a publicity and fan-mail secretary in a variety of Hollywood studios in the 40’s & 50’s – including Monogram, Columbia and RKO Howard Hughes Studios - but there is no mention of script writing. Perhaps she worked on scripts but wasn’t credited or used a pseudonym?
The book also includes some wonderful quotes by her, including:
“Even a writer’s poorest work takes long agonising hours. One’s best work occasionally turns out to be a breeze. The work of romance writers certainly deserves as much respect as dead-blonde-in-the-alley novels and those repetitive, boring tales about children possessed of the devil, which have proliferated lately....
When I travel in Europe or the USA, or on shipboard, I am not too observant of people - so I’ll never be a great writer. But I feel that few writers can be observant as I when it comes to the atmosphere of places, streets, rooms, halls, alleys. I believe that the one special thing the reader will get out of my books is the atmosphere.
I am not ashamed of this. Some writers can’t even boast of one outstanding quality.â€
Sara wrote:Quote:I’m a big fan of her writing too. I have a reference book published in the UK in the 1980’s which provides short biographies for many gothic and romance writers. It states Virginia Coffman worked as a publicity and fan-mail secretary in a variety of Hollywood studios in the 40’s & 50’s – including Monogram, Columbia and RKO Howard Hughes Studios - but there is no mention of script writing. Perhaps she worked on scripts but wasn’t credited or used a pseudonym?
The book also includes some wonderful quotes by her, including:
“Even a writer’s poorest work takes long agonising hours. One’s best work occasionally turns out to be a breeze. The work of romance writers certainly deserves as much respect as dead-blonde-in-the-alley novels and those repetitive, boring tales about children possessed of the devil, which have proliferated lately....
When I travel in Europe or the USA, or on shipboard, I am not too observant of people - so I’ll never be a great writer. But I feel that few writers can be observant as I when it comes to the atmosphere of places, streets, rooms, halls, alleys. I believe that the one special thing the reader will get out of my books is the atmosphere.
I am not ashamed of this. Some writers can’t even boast of one outstanding quality.â€
Many thanks for taking the time to transcribe and post this information! It's inspiring to hear Coffman's words on writing. And yes, I've often felt that 20th-century Gothic authors don't get the respect some of them deserve.
It's possible that Coffman worked on scripts or teleplays without credit. Even if she had been in the Writers' Guild and received payment or even residuals for such work, screen credit has always been a negotiable proposition in Hollywood (even today).
Re: atmosphere. This aspect of a story -- perhaps more than characterization, I admit -- is one of the primary reasons I read novels. It's an underrated commodity in today's literary market, which seems preoccupied with dysfunction. The mood I look for in a good gothic is hard to describe -- sinister and yet soothing somehow -- and it's equally hard to find. Not all gothics are created equal. Coffman definitely had atsmophere down, and it's good to hear that she knew her strengths.
(04-25-2011, 04:29 AM)Penfeather Wrote: [ -> ]Re: atmosphere. This aspect of a story -- perhaps more than characterization, I admit -- is one of the primary reasons I read novels. It's an underrated commodity in today's literary market, which seems preoccupied with dysfunction. The mood I look for in a good gothic is hard to describe -- sinister and yet soothing somehow -- and it's equally hard to find. Not all gothics are created equal. Coffman definitely had atsmophere down, and it's good to hear that she knew her strengths.
I agree, for a gothic to work atmosphere is everything. For me the setting is as important as the people and in a well written gothic, the buildings and locations take on a life of their own which enriches the story rather than detracts from it.
(11-21-2010, 01:03 PM)Miranda Wrote: [ -> ]What are all the books in the Moura series? I have Moura and The Vicar of Moura. The Vampyre of Moura, and The Dark Beyond Moura are on order. I know there's a Return to Moura. Is that all?
From what I can make out, these are the books that make the
Moura series but it’s a bit confusing as some were re-issued with different titles:
1. Moura (New York, Crown 1959)
2. The Beckoning (New York, Ace 1965 and as The Beckoning from Moura 1977)
3. The Devil Vicar (New York, Ace, 1966; revised edition as Vicar of Moura 1972.)
4. The Dark Gondola (New York, Ace, 1968; and as The Dark Beyond Moura , 1977)
5. The Vampyre of Moura (New York, Ace 1970)
6. Return to Moura (1999)
You guys are inspiring me to finally pick up some Virginia Coffman books after all these years!
I'm so happy to have discovered this site! I'm a huge gothic fan...
i just finished reading Moura a few weeks ago and LOVED it...I have ordered the next two books in the series, and have a feeling that I'm going to be reading a lot of Virginia Coffman in the future!
Thanks Sara, for clearing up the confusion about the Moura series titles and release dates...it was confusing to say the least, as I really wanted to read them in order!
I am glad to find a place where I can pay tribute to Virginia Coffman's Moura. I read it as a teenager -- many years ago. In my 30s I searched for it so I could read it again. I think it is a fine modern gothic novel -- one of the finest.
I know this is an old thread, but I'm trying to get a full set of the Moura books. Does anybody know where "The Devil Beyond Moura" fits in? Is it another title for "The Dark Beyond Moura" or "The Devil Vicar"?
edit:
I'll answer my own question.
After some research, it seems that "The Devil Beyond Moura" is another version of "The Devil Vicar".