Wicked Uncles & Haunted Cellars
Why do readers thrill to tales of maidens lost in ancient castles where bats flaps their wings against turrets, of moonlit forests where lurk denizens of not quite this world? Why do we hover in excited anticipation when a novel or movie protagonist opens a letter from a living or dead relative, who then embarks on a journey to a place unknown, to experience a lifethreatening (or affirming) adventure – and all this in a world of automation, fast broadband and real-time connectivity with the wider world?
In her book, Mary Phelan establishes the undercurrents between the gothic genre and the development of literature in tandem with our fears and yearnings of today. The book identifies the strands that link works from Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto, through nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, to the best-sellers of today. It explores the enduring popularity of the genre and links it with the conundrums that are common to people in every era: family troubles, economic insecurity, political struggles and fears of loss of individualism. Finally, the text takes a glimpse at how the genre strands might work their way into future works of literature.
Mary Phelan was born in Dublin in 1960 and she lived for a while in Germany before settling in London. Today, she is a journalist and copywriter, design philosopher, photographer and art historian. She is an art history graduate of University College London, and has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the Open University. Her book on dream interpretation was published (2020) by Mandrake of Oxford as Dreams: Exploring Uncharted Depths of Consciousness.
No of Pages: 276pp (approx.)
ISBN: 9781910996829
Why do readers thrill to tales of maidens lost in ancient castles where bats flaps their wings against turrets, of moonlit forests where lurk denizens of not quite this world? Why do we hover in excited anticipation when a novel or movie protagonist opens a letter from a living or dead relative, who then embarks on a journey to a place unknown, to experience a lifethreatening (or affirming) adventure – and all this in a world of automation, fast broadband and real-time connectivity with the wider world?
In her book, Mary Phelan establishes the undercurrents between the gothic genre and the development of literature in tandem with our fears and yearnings of today. The book identifies the strands that link works from Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto, through nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, to the best-sellers of today. It explores the enduring popularity of the genre and links it with the conundrums that are common to people in every era: family troubles, economic insecurity, political struggles and fears of loss of individualism. Finally, the text takes a glimpse at how the genre strands might work their way into future works of literature.
Mary Phelan was born in Dublin in 1960 and she lived for a while in Germany before settling in London. Today, she is a journalist and copywriter, design philosopher, photographer and art historian. She is an art history graduate of University College London, and has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the Open University. Her book on dream interpretation was published (2020) by Mandrake of Oxford as Dreams: Exploring Uncharted Depths of Consciousness.
No of Pages: 276pp (approx.)
ISBN: 9781910996829
Why do readers thrill to tales of maidens lost in ancient castles where bats flaps their wings against turrets, of moonlit forests where lurk denizens of not quite this world? Why do we hover in excited anticipation when a novel or movie protagonist opens a letter from a living or dead relative, who then embarks on a journey to a place unknown, to experience a lifethreatening (or affirming) adventure – and all this in a world of automation, fast broadband and real-time connectivity with the wider world?
In her book, Mary Phelan establishes the undercurrents between the gothic genre and the development of literature in tandem with our fears and yearnings of today. The book identifies the strands that link works from Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto, through nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, to the best-sellers of today. It explores the enduring popularity of the genre and links it with the conundrums that are common to people in every era: family troubles, economic insecurity, political struggles and fears of loss of individualism. Finally, the text takes a glimpse at how the genre strands might work their way into future works of literature.
Mary Phelan was born in Dublin in 1960 and she lived for a while in Germany before settling in London. Today, she is a journalist and copywriter, design philosopher, photographer and art historian. She is an art history graduate of University College London, and has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the Open University. Her book on dream interpretation was published (2020) by Mandrake of Oxford as Dreams: Exploring Uncharted Depths of Consciousness.
No of Pages: 276pp (approx.)
ISBN: 9781910996829