A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore
Back to a bit of gothic literature! I studied Gothic literature in my second year of university; I'd chosen all the modules I wanted but still needed to choose one more, so chose Gothic to make up the numbers, and it turned out to be one of my favourite modules of the year. I loved Frankenstein, and the seminars on Jekyll and Hyde were so interesting. Since graduating, however, I've not gravitated towards gothic fiction, I think mainly because I've always seen it as something to be analysed and pored over rather than simply enjoyed.
This year is the Women's Prize for Fiction's 25th Anniversary and to celebrate, they're encouraging readers to take a delve into the archives and read each of the 25 winners of the prize. I don't know if I'll be able to fit them all in this year, but I thought I'd give it a try since I've already read a few of them. First on the list was Helen Dunmore's A Spell of Winter, which won the first prize in 1996.
Set at the turn of the 20th Century, A Spell of Winter follows siblings Cathy and Rob, who live on a large estate in rural England with their grandfather, a nurse named Kate, and a tutor named Miss Gallagher. Their mother left the family years ago for a new life in southern Europe, and their father has been committed to a mental institution and they see him rarely. The novel follows Cathy and Rob as they navigate their fractured family and the intense relationship they have with each other.
The novel is classically gothic; their large home, crumbling and falling into disrepair, and the wild, untamed landscape surrounding it is reminiscent of Wuthering Heights. Cathy narrates the novel, but her reliability as a narrator is questionable - she seems to narrate the events of her own life from the outside, commenting on them as though they are happening to somebody else. The novel floats along in an almost dreamlike state, with no real climax or moments of extreme tension, but this only adds to the eerie, gothic feel. It's a very insular novel, drawing the reader in and creating a disturbing atmosphere that only makes you want to read on. I didn't particularly like Cathy - she seemed disconnected and unsympathetic to anyone around her, and it's only towards the end of the novel that she seems to change. Her Grandfather passes away, her nurse Kate leaves for Canada and Rob leaves for the war, forcing Cathy into self-reliance and hard work which ultimately saves her.
I really enjoyed this book; its depictions of madness, obsession, and love in all its forms makes for a captivating read.
This year is the Women's Prize for Fiction's 25th Anniversary and to celebrate, they're encouraging readers to take a delve into the archives and read each of the 25 winners of the prize. I don't know if I'll be able to fit them all in this year, but I thought I'd give it a try since I've already read a few of them. First on the list was Helen Dunmore's A Spell of Winter, which won the first prize in 1996.Set at the turn of the 20th Century, A Spell of Winter follows siblings Cathy and Rob, who live on a large estate in rural England with their grandfather, a nurse named Kate, and a tutor named Miss Gallagher. Their mother left the family years ago for a new life in southern Europe, and their father has been committed to a mental institution and they see him rarely. The novel follows Cathy and Rob as they navigate their fractured family and the intense relationship they have with each other.
The novel is classically gothic; their large home, crumbling and falling into disrepair, and the wild, untamed landscape surrounding it is reminiscent of Wuthering Heights. Cathy narrates the novel, but her reliability as a narrator is questionable - she seems to narrate the events of her own life from the outside, commenting on them as though they are happening to somebody else. The novel floats along in an almost dreamlike state, with no real climax or moments of extreme tension, but this only adds to the eerie, gothic feel. It's a very insular novel, drawing the reader in and creating a disturbing atmosphere that only makes you want to read on. I didn't particularly like Cathy - she seemed disconnected and unsympathetic to anyone around her, and it's only towards the end of the novel that she seems to change. Her Grandfather passes away, her nurse Kate leaves for Canada and Rob leaves for the war, forcing Cathy into self-reliance and hard work which ultimately saves her.
I really enjoyed this book; its depictions of madness, obsession, and love in all its forms makes for a captivating read.
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